Choo Co La Tah sighed. "We won't find him. He's clever that way and he will go to ground to lick his wounds and plot his next move."
Abigail felt a tingle of hope inside her at his words as another idea occurred to her. "Isn't the balance restored now that Snake is dead?"
"In theory."
She didn't care for his tone that told her it would never be so easy. "Theory?"
Choo Co La Tah fell silent for a bit as if thinking on how best to answer. "The balance is a very delicate thing. While Coyote and I may contain each other, we are still missing two Guardians. The jars aren't open, but their seals are weakened by the death of their Guardians. The Wind Seer could free herself now and then go after the Grizzly Spirit on her own. If she were to unite with him, they will rain down an apocalyptic hell that would impress even Sasha."
Great. But she wasn't ready to give up. "What of Jess and Ren? They were the original Guardians, right? Can't they step in and replace Old Bear and Snake?"
He shook his head. "Until the Reset, no new Guardians are allowed to be appointed."
Jess scowled. "Ren told me earlier that Coyote's actions had caused that to speed up."
"They have indeed. And we will have to stand strong against him to keep the Dark One from reigning during the next cycle."
"I'm ready," Jess said with conviction.
Choo Co La Tah smiled. "While I appreciate that, the last chapter isn't yours to write."
"What do you mean?"
"This is now between Ren and his brother. Your job was to stop him before he claimed the Butterfly and tainted her bloodline. You've done that and you kept him from claiming Old Bear's magic."
Abigail was even more confused by his words. "Tainted me how?"
"The Butterfly people were the guardians of the soul. They were born of the Light while the Coyote and Crow are the Dark that would cover the soul and turn it evil. While they, like all of us, were drawn to the Butterfly because of her magic and beauty, she was never theirs to have. The Butterfly can be captured, but never claimed. Her love is a gift that only she can bestow on her chosen one." He gestured to the petroglyphs on the wall where a butterfly flew around a white buffalo. "The Buffalo were the strongest warriors ever known. Intuitive. Brazen. They were fearless. Their job was to protect all of the people, especially those charged with our souls. It's why the two of you were forever drawn together-you were destined to join the two bloodlines. But in the first lifetime, Butterfly was too weak to stand with the Buffalo. She had to learn to fight for herself. To stand up and let the world know she was unafraid." He turned to Jess. "Buffalo was arrogant and egocentric. He had to learn to put the Butterfly before himself and to realize that she was the most vital part of him." He paused. "You both have done that. You understand that while you're strong alone, you're so much stronger together. So long as you stand together, no one can tear you down."
Abigail swallowed. "We're still cursed."
"Yes and no. You two have confronted the Coyote over his evil and you no longer have human blood in you. Coyote's curse only applied so long as you were human."
She seriously regretted that decision. If only she could go back ... "What about the demon inside me?"
"You're controlling it and you have Jess to help."
He made it sound so much easier than it was. Even now she could feel it inside her, salivating. It wanted to feed and it was hard to deny that craving. "But when it wants to feed ... What do I do then?"
"You do what all of us should do when evil beckons. You beat it back into submission and rise above it. You are more than strong enough to succeed. I know it."
She wasn't sure she liked that answer.
Choo Co La Tah closed the distance between them and took her hands into his. "The Buffalo people had a saying. There is purpose in all things no matter how random they seem. Mother Fate is ever watching and ever working to aid us." He looked at Jess. "Your mother was the last of her people. She knew the Coyote wanted you and it's why she never told you who you really were. Who her people really were. She hid your true tribe from you and married your father, hoping his lineage would disguise you and give you a fighting chance to fulfill your destiny." He tightened his grip on their hands. "It did and because of your mother's sacrifice, you evolved into what you needed to be. It's why you came so close to marrying your true Butterfly then. Unfortunately, she hadn't metamorphosed enough. Matilda was still too weak to stand by your side." He reached for Abigail's. "Now you are ready."
He put their hands together between his. "In spite of all the enemies who would seek to destroy you, you two have found each other again. As the Tsalagi would say, the future path is the one you choose to follow. The journey what you make of it. You both have come so far in this lifetime and those before. I know that this time you will have the life you've dreamed of." He squeezed their hands, then released them. "Now I must go and rest. The fight between the Dark and Pale One is upon us. We will need all of our strength for the battle to come." With those words spoken, he vanished.
Abigail stood there for several heartbeats, absorbing everything that had happened. She didn't know what the future held and that terrified her. For a woman who'd had her entire life mapped out, it was scary to stand here with no clear cut path to follow. She'd chosen the wrong way so many times that she wasn't sure she trusted her instincts anymore.
But she trusted Jess.
She looked down at their combined hands. Who would have thought? While looking for her enemy, she'd found her best friend. "So where does this leave us?"
Jess froze at a word he hadn't thought about in a long time.
Us. Two united beings.
For the first time in over a century, he wasn't alone.