But neither could she let Abel die.
The rock was in the cradle and the sling singing above her head before she knew she'd done anything more than leave her hiding place. Like a tiny meteor, the rock sailed through the air and hit Uktena squarely on its damaged snout. Its mouth was open, dripping a mess of congealing blood and saliva on Abel.
The Serpent's head whipped around and the coils loosened as its eyes scanned the canyon.
“Hey! Leave him alone!” A foolish demand if ever one had been uttered, but Romy's mind seemed to have been taken over by someone else. Someone slightly less witty, but braver than she.
The coils hitched tight again. Abel's body jerked in response. This is most unusual, but I have stolen female souls before, though not in such direct fashion. And none so brave. I thought your kind hid in the shadows of your males.
“This one never went in for that, I'm afraid. Maybe I had some reservations about Abel's honesty and his intentions for your Diamond. Even about tracking you down by following the river, but never about facing you.”
You will not stop me where your man has failed. Like him and all the others before, you cannot stop the King of Serpents. You have not yet seen suffering.
Abel's hand moved. It tightened over the knife. Romy was careful not to look directly at him. She stepped forward, ignoring all the snakes surrounding her, watching with beady little eyes, their tongues flicking in and out. Uktena stretched toward her.
“Can't I?” she asked. “Perhaps I have new medicine, stronger medicine than Ten Horses had. Something so powerful it will reduce you to a handful of crumbling black dirt.”
Uktena's tail twitched. It shook its head, making the massive black horns bob. The Serpent unwound, sliding across the crowded space between them. Abel slumped against the shining scales, a snack forgotten by a curious child.
You're a witch? The ilk has not been seen for centuries. Not true witches. It drew up, pupils narrowed. Come, girl. Show me this powerful medicine. I may find another use for you.
Romy's mind raced. She floundered for words.
As I suspected, you talk like a proud warrior and show too little proof of any medicine, human.
She hid her hands behind her back, praying for Abel to move, to stab the Serpent, to do anything. “Believe what you will, Uktena Promise Breaker.”
He quailed at her words. The slim pupils widened in what she could only describe as horror.
You know nothing of the promise. Of the way things were when Mother Sun tormented her people.
“But I know you were beaten. Shamed in front of the very men who gave you life. And in your bitterness, you struck out at them. For that, you're as damned as they are,” she taunted.
A flash of bone white against scarlet drew her eyes away from the Serpent's gilded ones. Abel's hand sank beneath the scales. The knife cut them away like a skiff through smooth water. The sound of Uktena's exposed heart filled Romy's ears.
No!
Uktena's head swiveled, too late to stop Ten Horses' knife from plunging deep into the veiny mass of muscle that connected it to life. There wasn't time for Uktena to voice a protest. It thrashed, throwing Abel away from the colorful scales. The knife sailed through the air and landed near Romy's feet where the stone separated from the handle. Abel rolled onto his back and lay unmoving.
Between her and Uktena, the mass of snakes shook and squirmed. They tried to flee, sliding over each other, but they began to melt. Dark, gelatinous puddles formed where each one had been.
Uktena turned on Romy. Betrayal, pain and seething anger flashed in its eyes. The beast held her gaze, struggling weakly as its heartbeat lessened. Its teeth clacked as it worked its jaws. Muscles trembled under the scales. It attempted to move forward, but couldn’t seem to find the strength. Thick blood rolled down its body, dousing the thousands of colors in liquid as dark as an oil slick.
She prayed for the end, hating to see anything suffer, even if it was villainous snake. The scales faded from a brilliant rainbow into gray. Its eyes were the last thing to change as the life drained out of it. Only the Diamond, sparkling brighter than ever, had any color. The sinuous muscles turned hard and disintegrated into an ashy substance. Black blood sank into the thirsty ground, leaving the Diamond as the only trace of the snakes and their master.
The sound of Abel coughing brought her out of her horrified enchantment. He crouched on his hands and knees, hair in his face. A desperate need to touch him washed over her. She knelt in front of him and waited while he caught his breath. He looked up, his face as sickly as Uktena's in the final moments.
He sat back on his heels and used one hand to brace himself. She grasped his shoulders to steady him.
“Do you feel any different? Is the poison still in you? For the love of God, Abel, answer me! Or at least help me figure out what to do with that Diamond to help you.”
He flashed a weak grin. Some of the color came back into his face. “Where's that hot air balloon you promised me?”
“I—” She glanced at the jewel, then back at him. “I didn't go for it. You needed help. Just like I told you all along.”
He gathered her in his arms. “All right, I'll give you that one. You saved my life.”
“I'd do it again.” She buried her face against his shirt, mindless of the black sludge splattered across it. “A hundred times if you needed it.”
They sat that way for several minutes, barely moving as they enjoyed the relief. Finally he let her go and plucked at the button front of his shirt until she batted his hand away and unfastened them for herself. For a moment, neither of them pushed the shirt back. They locked eyes and she saw the masked fear in his.
“We have the Diamond. Everything is going to be okay now,” she whispered. “Don't be afraid.”
“I'm not.” All the worry vanished from his face. “Not anymore.”
She swept the material aside, baring his chest and shoulders to the sunlight. He would have looked perfect if not for a few smudges of grime on his sun-kissed skin.
“I never even touched the Diamond.” There was awe in his voice.
“Do you think this means Papa and your uncle are all right too?” She was almost afraid to ask, but she couldn't help the hope that fought its way to the surface.
“There's only one way to find out.” He rose to his feet, standing taller than he had since she'd first met him. The picture of health.
Romy threw her arms around him, kissed his dusty face despite the muck on it. “Thank God you're all right. For a while I thought I'd talked too much, that it had choked the life right out of you. I love you, Abel. I don't think I could stand it if you’d died.”
His arms circled her waist and he lifted her off the ground a few inches. “I love you too.”
She laughed and hugged him close. Everything was going to be all right now. He’d take her to Texas just like he promised and they’d start a life together. “We'd better go find that balloon or we'll be stuck here forever.”
“Don't want that. I've had enough of Dakota to last me a good long while.” He turned to the Diamond lying on the ground before them, smooth and round, clearer than crystal, about the size of an ostrich egg.
She wondered if they ought to touch it. It was part of Uktena and whatever Ten Horses had intended the Serpent to do originally, it had turned evil. It made sense that the Diamond contained some of that evil as well. She reached for the fang hanging inside her shirt, to find nothing more than the leather strap and sticky slime. The fang was gone, just like the Horned Serpent. Good riddance.
Abel stared at the sparkling stone. “We'll take it to White Elk, or Ten Horses. Whoever he is. Let the Indians decide what to do with it.”
Gravel crunched behind them and Romy turned to see Andrew Christensen drawing his pistol.
“Expectations can be a terrible thing. Especially when one believes one will meet those expectations. Unfortunately for the two of you, that isn't going to happen.”
The words wer
e punctuated with the sharp click of a hammer falling into place.
He pointed the gun at them. More specifically, at her. Abel grabbed her wrist, clearly intending to step in front of her, but she wrenched free.
“You! Where's my father?”
The dapper gentleman from the party had disappeared, replaced by a wrinkled, smiling madman. “You look well, Mr. Courte. Much healthier than when I last saw you. You were quite pathetic laying on my carpet in Boston. Yes, I'm aware of that treacherous Huber's involvement in this. All a part of Maggard's little scheme to save the day.”
Romy searched the area behind Christensen. There wasn't any sign of Papa.
“We saw the entire battle from the air. You did a spectacular job of handling that beast, Mr. Courte. I doubted the creature’s existence the entire time. You know how these Indians can be, full of big stories and peyote in their pipes, clouding the truth with fiction. It's not often I'm wrong. I'll concede to this one.” Christensen's little eyes widened with glee when he saw the Diamond. “Now, if the pair of you will stand aside, I'll pack up our prize and be on my way.”
Abel stepped around Romy. “You can't take that.”
She tried to capture his hand, but he didn't seem to notice her attempt. “Please be careful,” she whispered.
Christensen sneered. “Why ever not? Haven't I as much right to it as filthy savages? More right than they, because I intend to use it to cure the world of death and disease.”
“At what cost?” Abel took another step.
The gun barrel swung up at him. “Not so close if you care to continue enjoying your newly recovered health. I won’t permit you to use the Diamond to heal this time. Not without a fee.”
“Exactly my point. If you allowed everyone to use it without cost, I might consider letting you have it. But I made a promise that I'd never let it fall into untrustworthy hands. I'm not willing to go back on that promise.”
Christensen's eyes flickered to the jewel. “Promises are made to be broken. You must have some idea of that at your age.”
“This one wasn't.”
“All of them,” Christensen insisted. “For example, my ignorant nephew still believes he's going to marry Miss Farrington. But if you don't get out of my way, I'll shoot a hole clean through her and do the same to you when you turn to mourn over her delectable body.”
Romy flinched. She curled her fingers around Abel's arm. “Let's do as he says. Neither of us has a weapon. My Lighthouser lost its charge.”
“There's a girl.” Christensen used the gun to wave them aside.
Abel swore under his breath, calling the older man every name Romy had ever heard and then some. She clutched his hand, but searched the narrow path of canyon for her father. He'd save them, surely he would.
The mad laughter that left Christensen's mouth was almost as chilling as Uktena’s. She watched him lift the Diamond, cradling it in his arms. His gun had fallen to the wayside, forgotten in the sparkling glory of the stone.
Abel stared hard at the gun. “If we were closer.”
“Let's go. He's not paying attention to us. We can probably leave him here and go back to town.”
His hands balled into fists. “I promised I wouldn’t let anyone get it. I can’t stand by and let him take it.”
“You’re not going over there. Come on.” She tugged his arm. “You promised to take care of me before you made any vows to White Elk. I want to go before he remembers we’re here.”
“I’ll get it back. If I have to die trying, he’s not going to have the Diamond for long.”
The fury in his eyes was enough to frighten Romy, but she pulled him toward the gateway. Her pack was forgotten, still under the ledge. They had no supplies, no food. All the more reason to find Papa and get out. Maybe Christensen would lose his way and wind up lost out here. Maybe they’d never see him again. Romy knew better than to hope, but she just wanted to be somewhere safe for a while.
****
A shadow stretched in front of them. For a few seconds, Abel thought one of the Indians had come. Maggard Farrington came around a corner, gun first. He sighed with obvious relief when he saw them and smiled at Romy. The gray cast of his face was replaced by the ruddy red look fair-skinned men got when they undertook physical labor. Romy let go of Abel and threw herself at her father, hard enough to knock him back a couple of steps.
“Papa!”
Abel kept his distance, allowing them a moment to appreciate each other. He was torn between the desire to go back for the Diamond and return to Texas to make sure Caden was all right.
Maggard laughed and patted her back. “You're alive. My God, Romancia, I thought you'd be eaten when you faced down that monster. Don't ever let me catch you doing something like that again.”
“Not as long as I live.”
Tears welled in her eyes when she pulled back from her father's grip.
“Are you all right? When Uktena died, the tattoo on Abel's chest faded. He seems to be as healthy as ever,” Romy said. “Please tell me you're all right too.”
Maggard's eyebrows rose. “His chest, Romancia? What were you doing looking at a strange man's chest?”
A dark blush crawled up from her neckline. She looked between Maggard and Abel, but she wouldn't catch Abel's eye. “All in the name of science, Papa. Though we need to tell you—”
Abel stepped forward. “Now's not quite the time, if you'll excuse me for butting in. I'd like to borrow a gun if I may. Christensen has his greedy hands all over the Diamond.”
Maggard offered the pistol in his hand to Abel. “Of course. He mustn't be allowed to take it. That was never my intention. I planned to find the Diamond, use it to gain the cure for the venom and smuggle it away from Andrew. If I failed, I hoped you might accomplish what I hadn’t, Abel.” Maggard looked at his daughter. “I never really intended for you to go through with marrying Woefield. I just wanted to ensure Andrew’s cooperation, my dear.”
“I know, Papa. None of it matters now.” Romy smiled at him. “We can discuss it all later. You don’t even have half the story. You’ll never believe it.”
“The balloon is anchored just past the rock with the serpent painting. You'll wait for us there.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I suppose there's no arguing this.”
“You're not going to?” Abel's surprise came out in the question. She shook her head. “But you hate it when men try to convince you a situation is too dangerous.”
“I've reached my tolerance for participating in hair-raising heroics today. Someone needs to get the balloon ready to go. I've no intentions of staying any longer than necessary.” She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Besides, the two of you can handle one eccentric businessman who likely doesn't have the faintest idea what to do with a gun. Just remember, I won’t feel sorry for either of you if you come back bleeding. Well, maybe you, Papa, as we haven't seen each other in so long.”
Abel studied her. There was no accounting for the way the female mind worked. She smiled winningly. No wonder Maggard had never denied her a request. “I'll remember that when I'm picking out engagement rings.”
The look Maggard gave him could have burnt toast. Abel was glad he was holding the other man’s weapon.
Romy cleared her throat and looked pointedly at the path. “That can wait. Plenty of time to discuss nuptials after you've finished saving the day.”
“And we will be discussing them after we have a thorough talk about inappropriate relations between unmarried men and women.” Maggard removed a snub-nosed pistol from the top of his boot and pointed it at Abel's feet. “Not to mention what Caden and Patience will have to add to the subject.”
Abel swallowed. “I'm sure it'll be an interesting conversation. In the meantime, can we get the Diamond away from Christensen?”
One sharp nod was the Englishman's answer. He set off, a mean little glimmer in his eye.
“Be careful,” Romy cautioned. She smiled at Abel, a smile reser
ved for lovers, one that promised him heaven. The kind guaranteed to make Maggard shoot him.
That was the most danger Abel ever wanted to be in again. He shook his head, hiding a smile from her. With the aid of the balloon, they'd be back in Bismarck in no time, then aboard the Ursula Ann and on their way home. He'd never looked forward to something so much.
Abel stood behind Maggard as they peered over a rock they'd chosen for cover. Christensen carried the Diamond under one arm, his gun held loosely in the other hand. Every few seconds, he looked down at the jewel like he couldn't believe his luck.
“Andrew! Put your weapon and the Diamond down.”
Christensen started and raised his gun. His arm tightened around the Diamond while he scanned the rocks. “Farrington? What are you doing here? I told you to stay with the balloon!”
“I can't let you bring that back. You must leave it behind. ”
“Are you mad? We'll be rich beyond imagination. You'll never lack for funding to find more artifacts like this. No one will care that your daughter is a mouthy bitch. You'll be swimming through suitors. Everything will be just as it should be, Maggard. Think of the reception that will be waiting for us in Boston. First Boston. Then the world.”
Abel took a step to go around the rock, his gun cocked and ready to be fired, but Maggard grabbed his sleeve and shook his head.
“I'll pardon the name calling this once, Andrew. Next time, I'll shoot you. If exploring is the only thing that makes Romancia happy, then I don't care if she ever gets married. I only let you talk me into that horrible arrangement with your nephew because I knew I'd die without your help. Things have changed a bit, my old friend.”
Christensen spat on the ground, looking disgusted. “You'll have to kill me to get this rock out of my hands. I don't believe you have it in you.”
“He might not, but I do on the principle that no one threatens or insults the woman I love. You've already given me reason enough to put a hole in you. Drop the Diamond and kick the gun over here.” Abel, tired of games, of Christensen's nasally voice and of Dakota Territory, was ready to shoot him.
The Treasure Hunter's Lady Page 24
