"I don't care." She reached for the crystal again, but Nick caught her hand.
"If the pain makes you drop this before his soul returns to his body, you will destroy it, and condemn him to an existence of unbelievable agony. So before you take it, understand that you can't let go, no matter how much it burns you."
"I would never, and will never let go of him," she said with the full weight of her conviction. She knelt beside Ren. "And if I don't do this, I will damn myself to a far worse hell."
Ren's gaze finally stopped shaking and held hers.
"If you could save my life, would you mind being scarred from it?" she asked him.
"No," he whispered emphatically.
She smiled, then looked at Jess. "I don't know Abigail, but I'm pretty sure every time she sees that scar, all she thinks about is how lucky she is to share her life with you. And I'm certain that on those days when she wants to beat you over something you've said or done to tick her off, it saves your butt, because it reminds her of just how far she was willing to go to have you."
Jess swallowed. "Damn Ren, she's a keeper."
Ren coughed up more blood.
"Hang on, sweetie." She reached for the crystal, but Nick pulled it out of her reach.
"I'll give it to you right when it's time. No need in you being hurt any longer than necessary."
"Okay." Kateri moved to put Ren's head in her lap so that she could hold him.
Ren reached up to take her hand. "If you drop it, I won't mind. I'll know that at least you tried."
She laughed through her tears. "I'm not going to drop it. But when you're back to normal, I might drop you on your head for thinking I would do such a thing."
He smiled, then tensed.
"Ren?"
His hand fell away from hers.
"Ren?"
Don't panic. You'll bring him back.
But it was hard not to.
Nick tucked his wings down around his body. "You'll have to place the crystal on the bow-and-arrow mark. That was where Artemis took his soul from. It's where it will want to return." She tried not to stare at the mark on Nick's face. Artemis must have been cupping his cheek when she took his.
"It's on his hip." She looked at Jess.
"Why y'all cutting them eyes at me? I ain't undoing his pants. I love the man. But I don't love the man.... That right there's your job, woman, and I don't mean that in a sexist or homophobic way. I just don't want to touch another man's junk if I can help it. And that's a personal choice guaranteed by the Constitution."
Shaking her head at Sundown, she carefully placed Ren's head on the ground, then scooted down so that she could undo Ren's fly and open his pants enough to expose the mark on his hip without embarrassing him. Of course, that would be easier if he wore underwear, but ... Her mission accomplished, she slid a teasing smirk at Jess. "I'm pretty sure Ren doesn't want you touching his junk either."
With a short laugh, Sundown moved to make more room for her. "Damn straight. Literally."
Nick came closer. She reached for it, but again Nick stopped her. "Wait for his last breath."
It came thirty seconds later. And that was the worst moment of her life.
Ren expelled it, and the light faded from those remarkably blue eyes.
Please don't screw up. Please don't screw up....
Nick gave her the crystal. "Now."