Viper.”
She was lying! Both sisters lied with staggering ease. How could I allow myself to become caught up in their game? Shye felt suddenly foolish. These two women had baited her and she’d fallen right into their trap. If she’d flown away and never returned all because of them, she’d have broken Trip’s heart without just cause.
“You best be telling the truth, Nata,” Pike said in a menacing tone. “I’m not the kind of man who’ll play second to Viper.”
“I assure you that I’m not carrying a torch for him or any other man except you.” She offered him a demure smile.
A shadow moved in the background. “Are you sure you’ve got the story straight this time?” Trip’s voice was heavy with sarcasm as he came into view. He carried his precious gift from Nagi at his side.
Shye’s heart leapt at the sight of him. Everyone whipped around to face him. Seizing the moment, she flung herself at Natayla who stood closest and knocked the bitch off her feet. Even with bound hands and feet she managed to fight the woman by using her body and teeth. They rolled into some loose hay with Natayla screaming for the others to help her. Shye felt more than one pair of hands tugging at her hair and arms. But her rage had peaked, making her very hard to control. She flailed about like a wild horse tied in hobbles and her strength surprised even her.
Eventually a very strong grip pulled her off of Natayla, but not before the woman reached up and grabbed hold of Shye’s beaded necklace—the gift given by Nagi with her shifting feathers attached.
In her side vision, Shye noticed that Trip had La in a stronghold. Obviously he’d pulled her away to even the odds. Pike had a vise grip on Shye’s arms when Natayla’s gaze met hers and instantly Shye knew something beyond anyone’s control was about to happen. With Natayla’s hand clutching the one-of-a-kind neckpiece, sheer terror flooded the traitorous woman’s eyes.
“Let me go!” she screamed.
“It’s not me…the necklace was placed on me by the spirit world.” Shye watched in utter amazement as Natayla began to fade. “You have sealed your own fate.”
“Nooooooooooo…” her voice steadily weakened. Her flesh became translucent, revealing her skeleton then her organs.
La shrieked in open horror. “Oh my god! Nata!” She kept on screaming.
Within minutes Natayla turned to dust right before everyone’s eyes. The twine on Shye’s hands and feet uncannily fell away. Though she felt dazed by the experience, years of combat training enabled her to remain focused and react fast. Instinctively she knew what to do. Just when Pike reached for her, she dove between his legs, rolled over then kicked the back of his knees with both feet. He went down with a thud.
Shye lunged for the rain stick, grabbed it and sprung to her feet in almost the same move. In a flash she was out of the barn, leaving Trip behind to handle La and Pike.
Once outside, she ran full speed to the orchards behind the barn. Elderberry trees laden with fruit bent low from the storm. Dropping to her knees, she smashed a cluster of the deep bluish-black fruit in her hands. Using the index and middle fingers of both hands, she streaked the fruit dye across both cheeks twice, creating four stripes of war paint on each side of her face.
She took hold of the rain stick and stood, then raised her arms toward the heavens. Nagi! The riders had been on their way as she’d warned Pike. Within seconds Nagi appeared with the herd of magnificent stallions carrying proud warriors on their backs. As before, the white stallion pranced to the front of the group and pawed the ground while snorting hot breath through flared nostrils.
Shye swung herself onto his bare back. With the fingers of one hand tangled in his wild mane and the rain stick of her ancestors raised high in the other, she leaned in and whispered eagerly, “ Yaye !” Her steed responded excitedly to her Lakota command go and
She was lying! Both sisters lied with staggering ease. How could I allow myself to become caught up in their game? Shye felt suddenly foolish. These two women had baited her and she’d fallen right into their trap. If she’d flown away and never returned all because of them, she’d have broken Trip’s heart without just cause.
“You best be telling the truth, Nata,” Pike said in a menacing tone. “I’m not the kind of man who’ll play second to Viper.”
“I assure you that I’m not carrying a torch for him or any other man except you.” She offered him a demure smile.
A shadow moved in the background. “Are you sure you’ve got the story straight this time?” Trip’s voice was heavy with sarcasm as he came into view. He carried his precious gift from Nagi at his side.
Shye’s heart leapt at the sight of him. Everyone whipped around to face him. Seizing the moment, she flung herself at Natayla who stood closest and knocked the bitch off her feet. Even with bound hands and feet she managed to fight the woman by using her body and teeth. They rolled into some loose hay with Natayla screaming for the others to help her. Shye felt more than one pair of hands tugging at her hair and arms. But her rage had peaked, making her very hard to control. She flailed about like a wild horse tied in hobbles and her strength surprised even her.
Eventually a very strong grip pulled her off of Natayla, but not before the woman reached up and grabbed hold of Shye’s beaded necklace—the gift given by Nagi with her shifting feathers attached.
In her side vision, Shye noticed that Trip had La in a stronghold. Obviously he’d pulled her away to even the odds. Pike had a vise grip on Shye’s arms when Natayla’s gaze met hers and instantly Shye knew something beyond anyone’s control was about to happen. With Natayla’s hand clutching the one-of-a-kind neckpiece, sheer terror flooded the traitorous woman’s eyes.
“Let me go!” she screamed.
“It’s not me…the necklace was placed on me by the spirit world.” Shye watched in utter amazement as Natayla began to fade. “You have sealed your own fate.”
“Nooooooooooo…” her voice steadily weakened. Her flesh became translucent, revealing her skeleton then her organs.
La shrieked in open horror. “Oh my god! Nata!” She kept on screaming.
Within minutes Natayla turned to dust right before everyone’s eyes. The twine on Shye’s hands and feet uncannily fell away. Though she felt dazed by the experience, years of combat training enabled her to remain focused and react fast. Instinctively she knew what to do. Just when Pike reached for her, she dove between his legs, rolled over then kicked the back of his knees with both feet. He went down with a thud.
Shye lunged for the rain stick, grabbed it and sprung to her feet in almost the same move. In a flash she was out of the barn, leaving Trip behind to handle La and Pike.
Once outside, she ran full speed to the orchards behind the barn. Elderberry trees laden with fruit bent low from the storm. Dropping to her knees, she smashed a cluster of the deep bluish-black fruit in her hands. Using the index and middle fingers of both hands, she streaked the fruit dye across both cheeks twice, creating four stripes of war paint on each side of her face.
She took hold of the rain stick and stood, then raised her arms toward the heavens. Nagi! The riders had been on their way as she’d warned Pike. Within seconds Nagi appeared with the herd of magnificent stallions carrying proud warriors on their backs. As before, the white stallion pranced to the front of the group and pawed the ground while snorting hot breath through flared nostrils.
Shye swung herself onto his bare back. With the fingers of one hand tangled in his wild mane and the rain stick of her ancestors raised high in the other, she leaned in and whispered eagerly, “ Yaye !” Her steed responded excitedly to her Lakota command go and
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