The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,71
that you turn him over. Disobey the law and suffer the consequences.”
The door opened, and Shikoba came out. He knocked his cane angrily against the wood as he took his time descending each step. When he reached Kaota, he put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder. Kaota reluctantly turned away and came up the porch.
“Koi is innocent,” Shikoba informed Robert.
Robert nodded, his voice friendlier. “I know.”
Shikoba looked up at a hawk circling overhead. “I remember one winter when your mother fell ill. She was a breath away from meeting her creator.”
“I’ve heard the story.”
“She carried you in her belly, and none of your people knew how to ease her suffering. With great reluctance, your father came to see me. I could have turned him away, but what would that say about my character? I decided if the child was meant to live, maybe he would do good things for us. There had to be a reason the spirits put me in charge of your lives.”
Robert’s eyes were downcast, and he scraped his heel against the ground. “We just want this to stop. The killer is getting more unpredictable, and that puts all of us at risk.” He swung his gaze up, his eyes resolute. “You need to nip this in the bud, or we’ll have no choice but to take action and seize your land. The laws out here state that only concrete evidence can get you imprisoned, but if we suspect you’re covering up a crime, we have the right to evict suspects from the territory. People are demanding it.”
“You are the Council. Demand order.”
“Dammit, Shikoba. You know it doesn’t work like that. I’ve got two packs knocking on my door, threatening to take matters into their own hands. Jack and I have been doing everything we can to put out the fire and keep them calm, but I don’t reckon I can keep people from coming out here and seeking their own justice. Their women are the ones getting killed, and every one of them was linked to one of your men. Regardless of how divided everyone is, that kind of thing has always gone on. People just keep the affairs private so they don’t have to deal with the scandal and shame of it all.”
Shikoba straightened his back. “I am not so naive as to think someone in my tribe couldn’t be guilty. But you must also accept that one of your own could be the demon in our midst. As leaders, we are responsible for keeping the peace—we must set the example. Our people look to us for wisdom. Don’t let the herd drive the horseman.”
Robert appeared to be buckling beneath the weight of public pressure to do something, yet he seemed like a man who wanted to do the right thing. His partner, Jack, leaned against the front of their car, arms crossed. Quiet didn’t necessarily mean less powerful. The Councilmen were all equals, though usually one of them officiated more mating ceremonies and acted as the Council’s representative.
“You have my word that I’ll turn over anyone guilty of these crimes,” Shikoba said. “But this land is sacred to us, so just know that if you try to move us out, we will have no choice but to go to war.”
Robert shook his head. “Neither of us wants it to come to that. You and I have known each other a long time—all my life—and that’s why I came out here. We chased off the men near the road who were planning to smoke you out. Most of them are the same people we deal with, and after the booze wears off, they’ll go home. I don’t want to convict a whole tribe for the crimes of one, but I’ll have no choice if you’re sheltering a killer. I’ve gotta do what I’ve gotta do to keep this whole thing from blowing up out of control. And if I find out you were the one who gave the order to kill those women to set some kind of example—”
“How dare you!” Kaota roared.
Shikoba swung his cane around to silence him.
Robert shifted his stance. “Who’s the girl? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a white woman on your land before.” His eyes skated down to my bare feet and oversized belt. “Are you okay, honey?”
“I’m fine,” I replied coolly.
He didn’t look convinced.
Shikoba gave me a cursory glance. “She’s with Lakota.”
Clearly the truth would look even more suspect. Not many women drove up to do business with