"Why would you keep it, you sick bastard?"
His anger rose up in his throat to choke him, but Ren shoved it away. This wasn't about fury. It was about retribution for a lifetime of misery Coyote had served him. "Because I wanted to make our father proud, and you happy, I melted down my mother's necklace as part of the blades. The cost of a gift is never important. The important part is that it comes from the heart, and that it holds emotional value to the giver. There was nothing I treasured more than her necklace ... except you and Father. So I keep this knife that I used to remind myself to be humble and to never, ever trust another with my life. To make sure I always knew where other people stood in relation to my position at any given moment, so that no one would ever stab me again while I was being inattentive to my surroundings."
Moving closer to him, Coyote rolled his eyes. "I miss the days when you stuttered. You never rambled on back then about bullshit."
"After tonight, you'll never have to suffer my presence again. And never again will you take, harm, or threaten those I love."
Coyote scoffed as he came to rest right in front of Ren. "You can't kill me. I'm your brother."
Ren pulled Coyote against him into a brotherly hug, then the instant he felt Coyote relax, he stabbed him through the heart. "From another mother," he whispered in Coyote's ear as he held him in his arms. "And the Keetoowah only count relations through their mother's bloodline.... He is no brother of mine. And I owe him nothing." Those had been the exact words Coyote had said to the priest when he'd asked his brother how Coyote wanted Ren buried.
More than that, Coyote had added, "He is not a true Keetoowah and he died with no honor. I don't care what you do with his body, but do not insult or desecrate our beloved dead with a foreigner's remains."
Instead of having a funeral fit for a chief's son, Ren's body had been dumped in the pit they used for garbage. And Coyote would never have thought of him again had Artemis not restored Ren's life.
Gasping for air, Coyote reached up with his hands, trying to choke Ren as he died.
Ren shoved his brother away, and let Coyote fall to the floor where he writhed for a few more seconds. Once Coyote was dead, Ren did what Coyote had done to him all those centuries ago. He stepped over his body and went about his business.
At least he tried to. But he'd only taken three steps when his necklace heated up, and burned his skin.
Shit ...
While Coyote had tried to choke him, their mingled blood had touched the demonstone.
The Grizzly would now be freed.
And I am owned. Forever.
Sick to his stomach, Ren rushed back to where he'd left Cabeza battling Chacu, to find his friend standing alone in the center of the room.
Ren slowed. "Where's Chacu?"
"Little puta ran home for his mother. I swear ... one day I will drink the blood from his heart and eat it...." He jerked his chin toward the blood on Ren's shirt. "Et tu?"
"The Coyote howls no more. The bastard is forever silenced."
He nodded in understanding. "I am sorry, and I am happy for you."
Ren let out a short laugh. "Yeah, that sums it up, doesn't it?"
"It does, indeed, my brother."
Ren took a moment to savor that last part. The only time Coyote had claimed him as a brother was to manipulate him. But the ones who meant it when they said it to Ren had no blood relation to him whatsoever.
He would miss them while he served Grizzly.
Not wanting to think about it, he chucked Cabeza on the arm. "Shall we save the rest of the world now?"
"Sure. Why not? If everyone dies, I'd have to cook my own food, and I cook like shit. How about you?"
Ren laughed. "Only fry bread and okra, and I make no claims to the edible state of either."
"Then we'd best be saving the rest of the world."
* * *
Kateri cursed as she realized she was out of ammunition. Again. What she wouldn't give for a Hollywood weapon that never ran dry while you were taking fire.