The Dove (Prophecy Series) (9 page)

“He is very handsome and very tall,” Acat said.

Singing Bird nodded. “His people were from a tribe called the Cherokee. Many of them came here.”

Acat stopped, eyeing Singing Bird carefully, remembering when she’d first come with the New Ones that she’d been different, too.

“Was that your tribe?” she asked.

Singing Bird stopped, letting memories wash over her. Her eyes were filled with tears when she looked up.

“My father was Muscogee. My grandfather was Navajo.”

“But they did not come,” Acat said.

Singing Bird’s voice was shaking. “My father died when I was younger. My grandfather died on the walk to Naaki Chava.”

Acat heard the sorrow in Singing Bird’s voice. “Then that is good. They did not have to face Firewalker,” she said.

Singing Bird turned around and looked at Acat in amazement. “You are right, and I never thought of it like that before. Thank you, Acat. Thank you for that. It has given me a different way to look at their absence in my life.”

Acat beamed. “I will get torches and candles now.”

“Don’t forget the water and cups.”

“I will not forget,” Acat said and hurried away.

Singing Bird moved from bed, to table, to shelf, touching this and moving that, continuing all around the room until she was back at the bed again. If Tyhen and Yuma had not already been together, it would happen soon. She wanted her daughter to be happy and feared those days would be few and far between.

****

Adam and Evan were the obvious choices to take over the duties of the temple until or if Cayetano decided to replace the shamans. However, they had already announced they would not live in it. It was too reminiscent of where they
had
lived before Firewalker.

Landon Prince, the man responsible for the experiment resulting in their births, had accumulated a massive collection of mystic and magic items, and the temple was a dark reminder of that time. The good part about Firewalker was that it had killed Landon Prince before he killed them. And now that they were here in Naaki Chava, they didn’t need illusion and tricks to be the eyes and ears for Cayetano. What they knew was real.

By the time they reached the temple, a large number of people were waiting. The men in the group would do the heavy lifting and the women would clean. But as everyone started inside, Tyhen hung back.

Yuma saw the dark frown on her face and picked up on her reluctance. “Is everything okay?”

“No.”

Adam looked back. “Are you coming?”

She repeated her answer. “No. I am not welcome there.”

Evan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The spirits do not want me.”

Adam frowned. “We will perform a cleansing ceremony after we finish, and clear the air of any angry spirits.”

“I want no part of it,” she said, still remembering what she’d dealt with at the gorge.

“We will see you later,” Yuma said and led her away.

She was quiet as they walked.

Yuma had his spear, so instead of walking back through the city, the fact that he was armed made him comfortable enough to take the trail through the jungle that led back to the palace. It would be a change of scenery and hopefully take her mind off of dark things.

Little did Yuma know, but Tyhen’s mind was not on dark things, but on the rise and fall of Yuma’s chest, and the way his hair moved against his neck with the rhythm of his stride. Everything about him was pleasing to her eyes. She thought about the journey to come in the days ahead, and what it would be like to take it with him. She already trusted him, and she had love
for
him, but she had yet to share that love
with
him.

“What are you thinking?” Yuma asked.

Tyhen was taken aback that he’d asked her that question when the answer would have been “thinking of you.” Instead, she gave him a less specific response.

“The uncertainty of our future.”

He took her hand as he set his spear against a tree. “We may not know the details of what we’ll find or the dangers we’ll face, but we know what we’re supposed to do. That is a given, as are the feelings I have for you. There is nothing uncertain about that, and I have never denied them or hidden them from you.”

“I know, but—”

He put a thumb over her mouth. “The word ‘but’ does not exist between us.”

He took her hand and pressed it over his heart, then put the flat of his hand on her breasts. Her face flushed, but she stood her ground.

“Feel that?” he asked.

“I feel your heartbeat.”

“No. Close your eyes,” he said softly, and then when she did, he asked again. “Do you feel it now?”

For a few moments she didn’t move, and then all of a sudden her eyes flew open, her lips parting in amazement.

“They beat in rhythm! Our hearts beat at the same time, at the same pace!”

He pulled her close, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath against his face.

“Apart, we are a man and a woman. Together, we are one.”

Tyhen shivered. The ache to know him was strong.

Yuma could see the want in her eyes. This day had been a long time coming. “Only you, little whirlwind, can tell me when to stop.”

He cupped her cheeks, slid his mouth across her lips, centering on the warmth and settling into the kiss like they had done it a thousand times before.

When the world began to spin, Tyhen put her arms around his neck. It was better than she could have ever imagined and then it was not enough. Her heart was pounding and there was a knot in the pit of her stomach.

Yuma didn’t dare take his hands from her face for fear of where he’d put them next. He’d known forever that the kiss would never be enough, and then she moaned.

He tore his mouth from her lips.

She staggered then opened her eyes. “I didn’t say to stop.”

“But I heard—”

She grabbed his shoulders in frustration.

“What you heard is my pain. I ache for you, Yuma, only you. I belong to you. I want to be with you.”

Yuma leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, and this time he was the one who groaned.

“I have waited a long time to hear these words, but here is not the place. I cannot put you in danger, and laying you down in the middle of the jungle is that and more.”

He felt her frustration as she hid her face against his chest. “Walk with me,” he said and took her hand.

When she acquiesced without a sound, he picked up his spear and turned around.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Back to the palace.”

Her heart sank. It was an impossible place to be when all she wanted was to be alone with him.

“When we get there, I will find a place where we can be alone, and I will ask you again if you are sure.”

Tyhen’s heart soared. She turned, her eyes flashing. “I said yes here, and I will say yes there, but I will not walk with you.”

“But why—?”

“You’ll have to catch me.” She flashed him a grin and turned around. Leaping forward, she began running back the way they’d come.

Yuma didn’t hesitate as he gave chase. He could hear her laughing ahead of him and grinned. Making love to this “woman on the verge” was suddenly out of his control.

****

Tyhen heard Yuma thrashing through the undergrowth behind her and ran like there were wings on her feet. She wanted to be caught, but not too soon. When she burst out of the jungle behind the temple, she was running at full speed and laughing.

Adam saw her first and had a moment of panic. She’d gone in with Yuma, but was coming out alone. And then he saw the joy on her face and heard the laughter and knew it was a game. Seconds later, Yuma ran into view, giving chase.

“Run, Yuma, Run!” Adam shouted.

Evan turned to see the race in progress and added his encouragement, but he was cheering for Tyhen. “Run, little whirlwind! Don’t let him catch you!” Evan shouted.

Tyhen’s head was down and her legs were flying as she dashed across the playa toward the street leading through the market. It didn’t take long for the people there to realize a race was in progress. They quickly joined in the excitement, cheering the chief’s daughter as she ran.

Yuma was running hard and slowly gaining, but it wasn’t easy. He had watched her play baseball plenty of times, but never realized how fast she really was. If he hadn’t needed the breath to run, he would have laughed. She needed this moment of joy as much as he needed her.

Tyhen heard the shouts and laughter, but the faces were a blur. She was all the way through the market and starting up the slope toward the palace when Yuma’s shadow suddenly loomed in front of her. Her heart skipped a beat. He was closer than she thought!

Just the thought of being taken down from behind made her lengthen her stride, putting everything she had left into the effort. But her best was not enough as the shadow grew bigger, coming closer and closer. Now she could hear the thump of Yuma’s footsteps and the short, rhythmic sound of his breathing.

Her capture was imminent and the joy that shot through her was physical. She looked up at the palace. When she saw it was too far away and she was never going to make it, she started laughing.

Yuma grinned. She knew she was caught and still she wouldn’t stop. He dropped his spear and lunged forward, grabbing her left arm and bringing her to a sudden halt.

She spun around so fast he nearly fell on her, and then she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“You caught me!” she cried.

“Yes I did,” he said, laughing. He swung her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder, then pointed at a young boy who was standing nearby. “Boy! Hand me my spear!”

The boy bolted out from behind the table where he’d been standing and grabbed the spear, then ran all the way back to Yuma, excited to be touching the weapon of such a mighty warrior.

Yuma nodded his approval, then winked as the boy laughed and ran off. Yuma shifted his load to a more comfortable position and started toward the palace with Tyhen hanging upside down, laughing hysterically.

****

After making the changes to Tyhen’s room, Singing Bird tried to focus on something else, but to no avail. She took a piece of fruit out to her bench near the entrance overlooking the city below. It was one of her favorite places to rest. She began peeling back the skin with her fingers and took a small bite, but the taste didn’t tempt her and began feeding it to the tiny monkeys who came down from the trees. Usually, they made her laugh, but not today. Instead, she took a deep, shuddering breath, swallowing past the knot in her throat as she gazed down into the city, then realized she couldn’t see for the tears.

“Why, Niyol, why? Why didn’t you warn me this would happen? Wasn’t what we lost to Firewalker enough? You were a greedy messenger of death, taking my only child, too. I hate you! I will hate you with every breath in my body for the rest of my life.”

Cayetano walked up behind her in time to hear her angry vow and quickly sat down beside her. The monkeys scampered back up into the trees as he took her in his arms.

“No, Singing Bird, no. Listen to what you say. It was hate that began all of this, remember?”

She covered her face and began to sob. Her voice was trembling, her shoulders shaking with every breath. “I don’t know how to give her up.”

Every sob was like a knife in Cayetano’s heart, and a reminder that all of this turmoil fell back on him and what he’d done so long ago. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, then tighter still.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, my little bird. Forgive me. Please forgive me.”

It was the utter sorrow in his voice that pulled Singing Bird back from the edge. She began wiping away her tears as she turned to face him.

“There is nothing to forgive and it is long since over. It was just a moment of weakness and I let it in. I beg your forgiveness. This is not how the wife of the chief of Naaki Chava should behave.”

He took her hands and kissed them both and then placed them on his chest. “What can I do to make you happy?” he asked.

In the moment of silence before she spoke, they suddenly realized there was more than the usual amount of noise coming from the heart of the city. They stood up and looked down the road toward the marketplace.

“What is happening down there?” she asked.

Cayetano pointed. “There! Someone is running!”

Singing Bird gasped. “It’s Tyhen! Something must be wrong!”

Cayetano panicked. Where were the guards? Where was Yuma? And the moment he thought the name, he saw the man running behind her.

“Yuma is behind her,” Cayetano said. “See! It’s only Yuma.”

Singing Bird’s anxiety subsided. Whatever was happening, he wasn’t far behind.

Then the closer they came, the more certain Cayetano became that nothing was wrong. When she started up the slope toward the palace, he could see she was laughing.

“They are racing!” Cayetano said. “See! See! She’s laughing.”

Singing Bird went weak with relief and grabbed Cayetano’s arm.

“And he just caught her,” Singing Bird said.

When Tyhen turned and threw herself into Yuma’s arms, Singing Bird felt a moment of surprise, and when Yuma threw her over his shoulder, Singing Bird looked up at her husband and then looked away. Maybe it was because she was a woman and saw beneath the obvious, but there was more to that race than speed.

She didn’t want to be a witness to what was happening between the boy she’d saved, and the girl she’d born. They didn’t need her anymore. Her job now was to come to terms with it.

“I want to go inside now,” she said.

He was confused, thinking she would be curious as to what started the race. “But don’t you want to—?”

“No, I don’t think they need us. Come with me, my love, and leave the celebration to the runners.”

“Celebration? What do-?” And then it hit him. “You mean they are-?”

“She has recently faced two frightening adversaries and come out a victor both times. She is a child no longer. We will leave her to what comes next.”