Ren didn't respond. His gaze was fastened to the red on Coyote's hands. It went from there to the floor where ...
Buffalo lay dead in a pool of blood. She only knew the man's identity because Ren knew.
He winced as unmitigated grief tore through him. "How could you do this? He was a Guardian." And my best friend in the world. The one and only person who'd stood by him without question.
Even when evil had claimed possession of his body and he'd served it willingly, Buffalo had stayed with him. Protecting him.
Now he lay slain by Ren's own brother.
My cruelty drove him mad....
His brother had been pure and decent until Ren had tortured him. It's all my fault. All of it.
Coyote spit on Buffalo's body. "He was a bastard and he stole her heart from me."
Ren shook his head slowly as guilt and sorrow ripped him apart. "Hearts can never be stolen. They can only be given."
Coyote sneered at him. "You're wrong! That's your jealousy speaking."
But it wasn't. Ren had learned to banish that. He no longer felt anything except guilt and remorse.
Now it was too late. He'd destroyed everything that was good in his life.
Everything.
Sick to his stomach, he went to Buffalo and knelt beside him to whisper a small prayer over his body.
A shrill scream echoed through the room.
Looking up, Ren saw Butterfly as she ran to her Buffalo. She sobbed hysterically, throwing herself down on top of him. She paid no attention whatsoever as his blood soaked into her clothes and left her covered in it.
Her features twisted by rage and accusatory grief, she glared at Coyote. "Why? Why? Why would you hurt me so?"
Coyote curled his lip. "You tore my heart out."
"And you killed mine." She laid herself over Buffalo and wept with shrill screams that raised the hair on Kateri's arms.
Ren stood up and left her there to grieve while he confronted his brother.
That was his mistake. He didn't think about what would happen if Butterfly was allowed to cry her misery out to the gods and spirits. To wail and shriek for her lost Buffalo.
But it was too late now. The doors of the room blew open. A howling wind came screaming through, dancing around their white-buckskin-covered bodies. Those winds joined together to form two trumpeters who blew their horns to announce the most feared creature of all.
The Avenging Spirit. Something that could only be summoned by the cries of a wronged woman who wanted vengeance against the ones who'd hurt her.
Nebulous in form, he was bathed all in white. His hair, the translucent skin that covered his skeletal features. His feathers and buckskin. The only break from the color was the dark blue beadwork along his neckline.
"Why was I called forth?" he demanded.
Butterfly looked up. Her beautiful face contorted by grief, she appeared old and haggard now. Her hair blew around her body as she leveled a furious stare at them.
She pointed her finger at Ren's brother. "The Coyote killed my heart. So I want his as payment for what he unjustly took."
The Avenging Spirit bowed to her. Then he turned toward the men. His face changed from that of an old gaunt man with stringy hair to the face of ultimate evil. He opened his mouth and it dropped to the floor, contorting and elongating his features. The sight left Kateri horrified. Forget Hollywood, this was scarier than anything ever conceived by Wes Craven....
Out of his mouth flew a giant eagle with a lone ghostly warrior on its back. The warrior lifted his spear.
Ren stepped back, away from Coyote, and braced himself to fight.