HOTSHOT BROTHERS: Coyote Shifters

by Hunt, Sabrina

  Glancing back, I saw thick dark clouds scud over the sky with such suddenness, it made my head spin. A gash appeared in the landscape, black and frothing with shadows, the same I’d been pulled into earlier. Only now things were coming out.

  Evil shadows with red eyes, darting across the ground. Tall, spindle-limbed Ash Walkers, their eyes burning with hunger for destruction.

  It suddenly reminded me of the end of the movie Fantasia, the scene where the dead come out to play. Only this was real and a hundred times worse.

  A hush of voices, whispering and sliding over my skin, crossed through the night at that moment. I heard the crack of teeth, the groans of the earth, and the slice of claws.

  But above all of that, ringing out and echoing, filling my heart with impossible hope, was the long, carrying note of a coyote howl. Followed by answering ones.

  Chapter 19

  “Well, that’s a terrible idea, Rayner,” Cree had commented dryly, hours earlier when we’d finally arrived at Lake Mead. It had taken us over two hours to drive to the spot, take a boat across the lake, and finally hike to where we needed to be, just across from a place called Echo Bay, in Nevada. His eyes had danced after Rayner explained his plan. “So I’ll do it.”

  On the way up, Ben, Hazel, and Rayner had filled me in on the time we’d been apart. River Hills was no longer swarming with Pale Eyes; they’d all left for the North a few days after Kalin and I had set out. Ben had healed the majority of them, as it had gotten easier every time, but there was still a good amount left.

  While none of those people remembered anything, they’d been perplexed, and their families were hysterically demanding answers. Too many people had vanished and reappeared, confused, at the same time. Plus, one of them had been the sheriff, so he’d had called in state police. The three of them had barely had time to pack up and leave before the town was put on lockdown.

  “Well, that seems oddly careless,” I remarked, listening intently. “The Crooked Man has always been fastidious up to this point. One step ahead.”

  “I think losing the Moonstone may have upset its plans,” Rayner said grimly.

  Hazel, who was balancing the jewel on her palm, closed her fingers around it. “You do realize that creature will try to use Kalin, Trini, and the others as a bartering chip.”

  Rayner glanced in the mirror at her, eyes hard. “I’m planning on it.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, my tone sharp. “You gonna just give it up?”

  “If Hazel and Ben bring it…” Rayner started to say.

  “No.” Ben bit out. “Absolutely not. Hazel is not going anywhere near that thing.”

  “I’m trying to think of a way to get you close enough to the Crooked Man without raising too much suspicion, Ben,” Rayner said, a vein throbbing in his temple. I’d never seen him so upset or tired before. “Do you have a better idea?”

  “Why me?” Ben asked, baffled.

  “To try to heal him,” Rayner said, stunning the three of us into silence.

  “What if that doesn’t work?” Hazel was the first to recover, her voice sharp.

  “Maybe Ben can at least dampen its powers, then,” Rayner suddenly sounded exhausted, leaning his head against his hand. “It’s getting reckless, its strength grows, and meanwhile, we’re just five guys with neat tricks and a shaman girl who can barely tap into her gifts."

  “Don’t say that,” I growled at him, suddenly furious. “You sound exactly like that damn Skinwalker; that’s what it was saying.”

  “Sorry,” Rayner sighed. “I’m frustrated out of my mind right now. And I have a bad feeling about tonight. One I can’t shake. It’s eating away at me.”

  “Stop the car,” I said brusquely. “You’re tired. You rest and I’ll drive.”

  “Why don’t I drive?” Ben suggested from the backseat, trying to sound placating, but his worry bled through. “You’re both in pretty bad shape.” I glared at him over my shoulder. “What? I understand. Remember what I was like when we couldn’t find Hazel when she’d gone off to the cave?”

  Face hot, I turned backed to the road, refusing to acknowledge Ben, and Hazel giggled.

  Then, to my surprise, Rayner had pulled over and given Ben the keys. We’d climbed into the back, while Hazel and Ben got into the front.

  Once we’d gotten to Lake Mead, found Burr and Cree, the five of us together again, I’d felt the knot in my stomach loosen slightly. No matter what happened, I wasn’t alone.

  Scoping out the area, we’d found traces of shadow magic every which way. It wasn’t something we’d seen often, as it required serious energy to maintain, but the Crooked Man seemed to no longer be stymied by the usual limits of power. It was troubling.

  After that, we’d eaten, hammered out the details of a plan, and insisted Hazel stay behind. She’d been displeased with all of us at that, especially Ben, but she’d finally agreed. Now it was getting dark, the moon rising in the East, and we set off.

  Cree now had the stone tucked in his pocket, and I watched as he kept touching it. “It’s warm,” he whispered. “Like it’s full of firelight.”

  “Probably from your body heat, dumbass,” Ben muttered, his neck a line of tension.

  Cree rolled his eyes. “It’s a goddamn magical jewel, it can give off a little heat.”

  I’d nearly laughed out loud at that, but Rayner loped back to us at that moment, shifting back and panting. “I found them,” he said.

  We took off across the steep hills of Lake Mead, darting down rocky trails, following the gleam of Rayner’s golden coat under the moon. But as we moved, the wind picked up from behind us and clouds surged across the lake.

  I’d heard it then, although I wasn’t sure I did, a scream that sounded like Kalin.

  Wes! Don’t–!

  It had made me run faster, catching up with Cree.

  I had no time to ask if my brothers had heard it. Stopping at the crest of a ridge, we’d looked down upon a scene that had sent a chill through my bones and into the earth.

  An Ash Walker was oozing from a gash in the landscape before it closed in on itself.

  More were arranged around a group of shadow creatures – creatures leering at us with red smiles. And within them, almost looking like statues, were the Pale Eyes.

  Standing before them all, looking like a demented conductor, was the Crooked Man. It grinned up at us before its body became misshapen, great antlers twisting from its skull, arms elongating and legs becoming bowlegged.

  Cree threw up his head then, howling, and we joined in.

  For a moment, there was faltering below us. Then, with almost impossible speed, the Skinwalker was running towards us, and Cree was darting by it. Suddenly it turned and gave chase.

  What? I thought in shock and panic. Does it know? But how…?

  I tried to send a shockwave to knock the Skinwalker off its pursuit, but it simply leaped, the tremor not bothering it in the least.

  I knew all of us were thinking the same thing. How did it know Cree had the Moonstone?

  Then as I watched my brother run, I noticed the odd sheen to his coat, and the glow of white at his heart. Dammit! I thought.

  Then the other creatures were swarming down upon us and I was leaping, snarling, biting, and kicking out. I had to be careful using my earth-centric gifts in such a small area, I could knock one of my brothers off their feet.

  Meanwhile, Ben was darting through the Pale Eyes, trying to put as many to sleep as possible. It was an idea they’d come up with in River Hills – knock them out, heal them, worry about questions later. His nails were tipped in a potent mix of chamomile and poppies.

  Ash Walkers blew toxic smoke down on us, then threw fire, with scant regard for the humans in front of them, and Burr and Rayner leaped forward to drive them back.

  I went to help, but then shadows seemed to streak and congeal around me, wrapping me in tendrils, whispering fears in my ears, and choking me.

  She’s long dead, Coyote. She died
screaming for you. But you didn’t come.

  Wheezing, I tried to shake them off, but I couldn’t. Now I was suffocating, hearing Kalin’s screams, her pleas, her pain, her fear.

  Please, let my sister live, I’ll do anything…

  Don’t hurt Wes, please.

  No, I’ll do anything…

  Suddenly light broke over me and the pressure vanished. Gasping, I shook myself and got up. Cree was there, his coat glowing, and he was snapping at the shadows with fury. They skittered, drawing away, and making chittering noises of fear.

  The Moonstone, I thought and then butted Cree on the side of the head.

  Something streaked across the ground at us, and I found myself leaping at the Skinwalker. It had been charging at Cree, claws outstretched, and I knocked it aside. Snarling and snapping, I tried to grab a limb, but it skipped away, eyes looking for Cree again.

  Now that the shadows were gone, I gave chase to the Skinwalker. Rayner and Burr were handling the Ash Walkers; Ben, shifted back, was moving from person to person and healing them.

  However, no one moved quite like Cree. He streaked across the ground like quicksilver, darting here and there, almost too quick for the eye.

  But the Skinwalker was closing in, its odd strength and stamina giving it the ability to almost keep up. Suddenly, something like black lightning burst out of it, hitting Cree, and he whimpered with pain. He wasn’t moving, and I watched in fear as the Skinwalker reared up.

  With a burst of strength, I slammed into it, and it rolled away, hissing.

  “What?” Cree suddenly said and I turned to look up at him. He was back to being a man and he suddenly sagged with exhaustion. “But I’ve run longer distances than this.”

  Shifting back, I caught him and held him upright. “I think it hit you with something when you knocked over. I saw it.”

  “Damn.” Cree dug into his jacket and pressed the jewel into my hand. “Take it, Wes, run.”

  “Too late.” The Crooked Man was there, glaring at us, triumph and hunger etched in its face like slashes of black paint. “Give it to me, now.”

  Clenching my hand around the Moonstone, I glared at the creature. “What did you do to him?”

  “Nothing dear Benny can’t fix, I’m sure.” The Crooked Man leered. “Now, now, we find ourselves in a perfect spot to have a nice chat about making a deal. I’ve got Kalin stashed away, Wesley. Wouldn’t you like to see her again? I know she’s missed you.”

  “Bastard,” Cree spat with a certain grim cheer.

  “Trini, bring your sister here, please,” the Crooked Man called out in a lilt. Suddenly Trini came into sight, dragging her younger sister with her.

  My heart contracted and I took half a step forward. “Kalin,” I said, my voice cracking.

  She was pale, her cheek bleeding, and her eyes were wild above her sister’s hand. Shaking her head, she stared at me intensely. I couldn’t look away until the Crooked Man chuckled again.

  “You do all give me such an easy upper hand. Always did, though.” It uttered this carelessly. “Now, the jewel or I’ll have big sister cut little sister’s throat.”

  Cree lurched upwards. “Listen, you” then he stumbled back, arching, and falling.

  “Cree!” I shouted in horror, trying to grab for him, but he slid through my grasp. As he fell, he grinned at me and winked. Oh, of course.

  “A brother down? This is a delight,” the Crooked Man crowed. “Give me that jewel or –”

  I heard a splash of water and slamming my foot down, I sent a crackle of energy through the earth just as Cree erupted from the water in his shifted form. The Crooked Man sprawled back and Cree slapped him with a wave of water.

  A terrible, inhuman scream came from it, and he shifted from a dark-haired man to a woman to the sheriff to the creature and back again. Cree and I watched, horrified. The skin around its eyes and on its hand seemed to bubble up red, as though Cree had thrown acid on it, not water.

  “Doc!” I shouted, and he was there, streaking towards us.

  “Kill her!” the creature screamed suddenly and I was moving across the ground, but I wasn’t fast enough. Trini’s arm was lowering, angling the blade towards Kalin’s heart.

  Suddenly a burst of white light filled the scene and we staggered back. When my vision cleared, I was no longer holding the Moonstone. Kalin was.

  Cree was panting at her feet, looking like a shaggy knight. Her sister was sprawled on the ground, eyes closed, Ben at her side.

  “What?” I wheezed out, and Cree shook his head in mute puzzlement.

  Meanwhile, the Crooked Man was scuttling away. I watched as Kalin suddenly took off after him, her face lit with fury.

  “Kay!” I yelled, half in fury of my own, half in awe, and chased after her.

  Pulses of light were coming from the Moonstone, like icy ribbons of lightning streaking after that creature. He was hunched up, miserable, and with a feeling of astonishment, blond.

  Suddenly he turned and whirled, hands extended, and Kalin swung both the Moonstone and her camera up. The light from the flash and the jewel lit up the landscape.

  There was a hiss and I saw the Crooked Man fleeing, shadows swarming over it, as it slashed desperately at the air and vanished into the shadows. The Ash Walkers were gone or retreating too. Burr and Rayner were streaking towards us.

  “Damn!” Kalin exploded, her fingers clenching the Moonstone, and she turned around. Other than the cut on her face, she looked fine. Her eyes were alight, her cheeks colored, and her head held high. “I wanted to stop him for you Wes, I’m so sorry–”

  She didn’t get to finish. I’d walked up and pulled her close, kissing her without restraint, wrapping my arms around her.

  Somewhere, I heard Burr let out a sharp whistle, Cree hooted, and Ben laughed.

  “What,” I rasped when we broke apart, and she gazed up at me, a little stunned, “did I say about apologizing?”

  Kalin’s smile went impish and she shrugged. “Sorry?”

  Groaning, I went to lean down to kiss her again, when a soft, sweet voice interrupted us.

  “Kalin? Who’s this?” Turning, I saw her sister standing there, eyes no longer siphoned of color, but a bright, vivid blue. “Who is he? Are you dating? Why didn’t you tell me? Who are these people?” Her knees sagged and instantly Cree was next to her. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

  Giving me a kiss on the cheek, then pressing the Moonstone into my hand, Kalin ran towards Trini, tears streaming down her face, and then she hugged her tightly.

  Meanwhile, Cree was drawling, “Now, Miss Montero, I know you just woke up, but I can personally vouch for Wesley Young. Not only did we serve together in the Navy, but I can say, he’s quite the studly gentleman. And I’ve never heard–”

  In a flash, I was there and had Cree in a headlock. Swinging him away from the Montero sisters, I offered Trini what I hoped was a charming smile. “Ignore my idiot brother, ma’am, he means well, but he’s not well.”

  “Brother?” Trini gazed from me to Cree, then around at the other Hotshots as they came over. “What, like workout bros?” Her eyebrow raised. She had the same sassiness as her little sister and I smiled. Only a Montero would be this demanding after being saved.

  Laughing, Kalin leaned back and touched her sister’s face. “Something like that, yeah.”

  Chapter 20

  One month later

  “So you got into the study abroad program in Paris? That’s great, Trini. But no Christmas, huh?” I asked. “Mom and Dad will be bummed.”

  “No, after Christmas.” Trini laughed in my ear, her voice crackling a little over the cell line. “You’re not listening to my exciting news very well, sis.”

  “Yeah, sorry,” I sighed, “I’m trying to do too many things at once.”

  Besides talking on the phone to my sister, I was doing laundry, cleaning in general, checking emails, and trying to edit some photos for a magazine. None of which was going well.

 
; “Kalin, I know I just saw you at Thanksgiving, and we didn’t really get a chance to talk, but you seemed so down, so pale and quiet. Have you–?”

  “No,” I interrupted her, sitting down on my bed, and letting my dresses slide to the floor. “You know I can’t. You know why.” I put a hand to my forehead, which throbbed with pain.

  “I don’t know why, actually,” Trini said in a breezy tone. “He’s gorgeous and the way he was looking at you, damn, little sister, I was jealous.” Then her voice became soft. “Listen, every relationship has obstacles…”

  “Like a destiny to rid the world of evil?” I asked in an ironic, weary voice, flopping backward and trying not to cry.

  “Kalin,” Trini said, her voice soft and aching for me. “You miss him. Mom says you barely leave the house…”

  “I’m working!” I interrupted.

  She sighed. “Listen, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I was there that night, and I remember what happened. Vividly, I might add.” I nodded, numbly, knowing that for whatever reason, Trini had a near-perfect recollection of that day by Lake Mead.

  She said it was like waking from a bad dream into a nightmare, with the Skinwalker demanding to know about me, the Moonstone, and then ordering her around like a puppet.

  Rayner and Ben had theorized that the Skinwalker had somehow loosened his hold so that Trini could give him the answers he needed. But she was still in his thrall. However, not enough to have a gap in her memories when Ben healed her. And this meant she’d seen his real face.

  A face I had captured on film.

  It was a blurred snarl, but you could see him nonetheless. When Trini had seen it, she’d paled, and had to sit down. “He said something about how this was his true face, what an honor it was to see him…”

  Rayner, Burr, Hazel, and Ben had shown up a few days later to retrieve it and talk to us. They’d still been in the Lake Mead area, seeing if they could track down anything about the Skinwalker. I hadn’t had the nerve to ask where Wes was.