by Austina Love
Her horse backed away until they stood several feet from the scene. She heard them coming. She didn’t need to look back. Chills raced up her spine as the riders rumbled in from behind. An eerie hush surrounded her as Nagi nudged her black steed to stand beside Shye’s.
Nagi held out her hand. “You have avenged the land. I will return the rain stick of our people to its resting place. As you know, it is forbidden for mortals to tread upon sacred ground.”
A rush of excitement washed over Shye. This was the most intimate contact she’d experienced with the original ghost dancer herself. Her blood felt like fire in her veins yet she remained poised and bowed her head, then held out the precious relic of her ancestors—knowing that the instrument was finally home.
“The stallion now belongs to you,” Nagi spoke in her lovely soft voice then rode away with the Rain Riders.
The last horse heading up the herd was the fiery sorrel stallion. La’s shadowy form could be seen riding on back—doomed to join her sister in a fate of endless torment at the mercy of the riders.
Her emotions converged inside, creating a maelstrom of sensations in her soul. She nudged her horse into a gallop and headed back to the barn. With the two women out of the way, only one guilty soul from the entire mess was left.
Trip was engaged in hand-to-hand combat when Shye reentered the barn. Clearly Pike didn’t want to suffer the same fate as his comrades before him. He appeared to still think the rain stick could save him because he seemed to be fighting harder to take Trip’s rain stick than to strike him. Both men fought viciously with the relic lying just out of their reach.
Shye knew better than to interfere, yet she sensed Trip’s distraction. He had been worried over her.
“They’re gone, baby. I’m okay. Take him.”
As if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Trip responded with a renewed burst of power. He delivered a strong left upward hook to Pike’s nose followed by a right to his gut then brought one hard booted foot up to land a direct blow to his face.
Pike toppled with a massive thud to the floor. Before he could recover, Trip retrieved his rain stick—the one given to him by Nagi—and stood over his longtime nemesis. She watched in heated anticipation as her man straddled their enemy and raised the stick.
“Back to hell, Draven…this is for Ty,” Trip said low and firm.
“No, don’t! I—”
In the next instant he drove the long cactus branch into Pike. His wretched body disintegrated before their eyes. The sound of thundering hooves filled the barn’s interior. Trip grabbed her waist and pulled her out of the way. They watched in awe as the red-coated horse swooped in and carried Pike’s empty soul away to ride wherever those taken by the riders rode. Legend told that souls taken by the Rain Riders suffered the worst imaginable fate for all eternity—never truly free of life or death, but suspended between worlds to feel the regret of their deeds forever.
Shye couldn’t imagine a more horrid fate. To never be free of either world, yet not be alive or truly dead would be endless torment. She did not feel remorse for their souls. The entire group that had taken up arms with La, of all people, deserved the punishment they’d just received.
“Did you know that La was behind it all?” She turned to face Trip after the dust had settled and their awestruck state of mind began to subside.
“Not until tonight. I came into the barn just when La was about to announce what she knew.” He touched her tender face. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there before she belted you. If any of them had made a move to strike you while I was there I’d have stopped them. But I really felt we both needed to hear the truth.”
“You’re right…we did. I can handle a little pain. She hits harder than she looks,” Shye admitted with a little laugh. “But I’ve been through much worse. I did want to know the truth.”
He touched his lips ever-so-gently to hers. They felt soft, caring and tender. She loved him with all her heart.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” His gaze swept over her while he delicately brushed mussed hair off her face.
“No, I’m fine.” She gazed into his beautiful eyes while sliding one hand into his hair. “Was that the evidence you were hoping to flush out during our first encounter with Natayla?”
Trip nodded. “I couldn’t tell you without placing you in danger. I knew there was more behind Ty’s death than Draven. I just felt it in my gut. Natayla’s quick disappearing act, La working for Gage…I wanted to make sure that everyone involved was exposed and punished. And I have you to thank. Had we not met, I may have never found all of his killers.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that La was Natayla’s sister?”
An apologetic expression traversed his face. “To protect you. You already knew too much. I was worried about you. Draven was hot on your tail and when the women started honing in I just couldn’t put you at more risk by talking about my suspicions.”
“You’d make a good cop.” She offered him a forgiving smile.
“I’d rather ride outside the law, remember?” he teased with a wink.
“Oh yeah…the bounty hunter who makes his own rules…I love that.”
They walked hand-in-hand from the barn. Her horse followed, staying close behind. Trip carried his rain stick in his other hand.
“Got a light?” she asked when they’d stepped outside.
He stared back with arched brows, but dug into his pocket for a lighter. “I always keep one on hand for campfires.”
“Do you need it back?”
“No, you can have it.” He gave her a peculiar smile. “I have others.”
“Nice lighter,” she muttered while flipping the hinged silver top open. “Nagi said the land is sanctified. Only one thing left to do…” She tossed the flaming lighter into a stack of hay.
“Don’t look back,” he said as her eyes filled with tears. “The next time we come here you will see a new house and a new barn built just for you. And on that day…I will make you my wife.”
Shye sat adorned in an intricately beaded white doeskin dress, astride her majestic white steed. Her beautiful wedding dress had been hand-made by her dear mother. Ina and Ate were standing beside the new medicine man who had been chosen by the elders to replace Chief Blackwater—Dax Remle looked pretty cool dressed in fringed buckskins and moccasins. His long blond hair hung down his back in a ponytail with feathers woven into the strands. A bone breastplate covered his torso and for today’s ceremony his face had been painted with the colors of their tribe.
Her gaze moved over the large gathering of their friends from the reservation, then over the beautiful acres of land that made up her home. A newly built house sat not far away from where she and Trip had chosen to be married. She had always loved the small river that ran between the orchards behind the new barn and the border of their property. An enchanting grove spanned the area edged by tall whispering pines.
Saving the best view for last, her eyes met Trip’s as he stood waiting beside her parents and his best friend. He’d made good on his words. They hadn’t returned home until all renovations had been completed including a charming spacious cabin for her parents and a nice garage. Under her handsome fiancé’s direction the entire construction had taken less than three months.
Trip was breathtaking in his fringed leather pants and jacket. His muscled chest and rippling abs could be seen through the toggled-front opening. Long black hair fell freely over his shoulders and far down his back. Ina had secured one white and one black feather into his raven locks. He looked every bit the striking warrior—tall and proud with shimmering eyes that were dark and intriguing like a starry night.
Ate had presented his new son-in-law with a wood carving he’d started working on months ago with a special knife given to him by a generous man. A smile tugged at her lips upon recalling the day her father had asked for Trip’s awesome Harley in exchange for her hand in marriage. When Trip had consented, Ate had been very pleased and accepted the
impressive knife instead. She couldn’t wait to hear her new husband play enchanting love songs on his hand-carved flute when they weren’t tearing up the open roads on his bike.
She glanced up at a setting November sun. The air had taken on winter’s chill, but her people didn’t mind. They were a resilient and noble breed. Shye didn’t mind the cold weather either. Because after the ceremony the guests would enjoy an indoor reception in their new home and tonight she’d be plenty warm in the arms of her man.
Her steed, who she’d affectionately named Tanka for great, tossed his majestic head and pranced sideways down the aisle. She slid from his back upon reaching the wedding party.
“I’ve never seen anything more stunning,” Trip murmured in open awe. “Just when I think you can’t become anymore breathtaking you steal my breath again. I love you, my angel.”
“I love you, too, my fearless warrior.”
They exchanged wedding bands while Remle chanted a Lakota prayer. Then he spoke words of wisdom, love and blessings over them.
Shye gazed up into the eyes of her strikingly handsome husband. Those dark depths shone with amazing love. He lowered his head. Their lips met for a tender, passionate kiss to seal their vows. When they turned back toward Remle for the final prayer, Shye caught sight of something lurking in the shadows behind him.
She glanced up at Trip and saw that he also noticed that someone else had made an unexpected appearance at their wedding. On her black horse with a feathered dreamcatcher in one hand, clothed in a white doeskin dress and matching moccasins sat Nagi Howiwacipi. Adorning her neck was the lovely beaded neckpiece with a black and white feather attached.
Shye’s hand automatically moved to her own neck and lovingly touched the connection she would always share with Shadow…the Ghost Dancer.
About the Author
Austina Love is a multi-published author with various pen names in many different genres with Extasy and Divine Destinies Books. Currently she resides with her husband and two sweet Maltese dogs.
In addition to writing romantic fiction, her passions include music, dance, culture and creating new recipes in the kitchen. Always the dreamer, never the realist, Austina takes life one day at a time while battling the daily challenges life sends her way.
She has a deep love for animals and nature, believes strongly in the spirit world and values loyalty most of all in people. Her dream is to visit the ocean many times, preferably on a Harley. The love of her life was a very special Bichon Frise and not a day goes by that she doesn’t think of him since his premature passing.
Ambitious and quirky, she loves to laugh. She feels that passion is everything and without passion one is not truly living, but merely existing.
