"So far. But I've never dumped anything like this on her before. There's always that first time for everything."
That offended her. "So far? Thanks for the vote of confidence, Talon."
He held his hands up in surrender. "At least it's something."
"You better tell her, Celt ... before another comes. We need to get her to shelter while we can."
Kateri definitely didn't like the sound of that. "Shelter from what?"
Talon let out a long sigh. "All right. Fine. You asked for it. Let's see you not freak when we tell you that you're the mother of Armageddon."
Kateri stood completely still as those words sank in. She wasn't sure what reaction to have to his news. But it was a good thing that she'd told them she didn't overreact, otherwise, in spite of her bravado, she'd be running for the door.
Probably screaming the whole way.
Maybe ... if her shaking legs could manage it.
Instead, she took a deep breath and met her cousin-in-law with the calmest stare she could muster. "Have you been into Uncle Danny's peyote?"
Talon opened his mouth to respond, then closed it.
Cabeza laughed.
Talon cut a menacing glare toward him before he softened his features. "I know this is hard for you to hear and I know you're not going to believe me. But..." He hesitated as he visibly searched for words.
Cabeza gave him no reprieve. "We need to get out of here. Chacu will return for her and he'll bring reinforcements."
"Who is Chacu?" Kateri snapped, wanting real answers from both of them. "Why was he here?"
Most important, why the hell was he after her?
Cabeza put his hands on his hips. "Do you know what the Snake Kingdom was?"
Something to be avoided at all costs, no doubt. But she kept that sarcasm inside. "Not a clue."
"Of course not..." He growled low in his throat as if he found her lack of knowledge offensive, then he mumbled in Spanish under his breath. After a second, he took a breath and spoke. "Really short version, Chacu's name means 'to pillage' or 'to ravage.' The other puta with him, and yes, I'm using the feminine on purpose, is called Veneno-as in 'venom' or 'bane.'" He narrowed his gaze on her. "Is the picture starting to paint in your mind yet?"
With a clarity that horrified her. After all, their parents hadn't named them "Fluffy" or "Bunny." Obviously Chacu and friend were hard-asses. "And this time stone thing that Chacu wanted from me?"
"In short, it's called the Kinichi. With it, he can rule the world and even time itself. Your grandmother was one of the sacred keepers of the Kinichi. Your mother should have followed her into that role, but since she died before your grandmother, that role went to you."
Fabulous. She was overwhelmed with gratitude, and yes, that was sarcasm, too. "Why me?"
"The stone passes from daughter to daughter to ensure the bloodline."
Mama's baby. Daddy's maybe. That had been the philosophy her grandmother had used when Kateri had asked her why the Cherokee were matriarchal while most societies weren't. Everyone knew who their mother was without a doubt. But paternity, especially in the past, could be dicey and relied solely on the mother's character and morals ... provided she wasn't raped.
But that still didn't leave her as the sole heiress. "I'm not the only female in my family." She gestured to Talon, who was married to her cousin.
"Sunshine is half white," Talon said simply. "The stone has to go to a full-blood, Teri.... You."
Great. Could she win the lottery?
No. With her luck, she'd win the multi-mega-millions and still end up owing someone a check for it.
A sweepstakes once in a while?
Again, double heck no.