Abigail had never done anything like this a day in her life. She'd never even fantasized about it. But as they waited here, so close to death and with her mortality breathing down her neck, she couldn't help herself.

Jess didn't love her-she knew that. But it didn't matter. She'd seen inside his heart to the man he'd been and to the one he currently was. And the woman in her wanted to touch that part of him and share it. Once she was gone from this earth, he'd remember her.

For eternity.

She wanted him to remember her as someone who'd been decent and caring. Not the soulless monster she currently felt like.

Please see the real me.

Just once.

No one ever had. She'd always been so strong around Hannah and Kurt. Never let them see her fears. She'd strived to be a perfect sister and to help them with whatever problem they had, no matter what was going on in her own life, no matter how badly she ached inside.

They had come first.

And of course, to be a dutiful daughter to her adoptive parents, she'd learned to bury herself and her emotions and let no one ever see them. Her one fear had always been that they would regret taking a human into their home and turn her out into the streets if she caused them any problem whatsoever.

Most Apollites tried to hide their distaste about her unfortunate human birth, but she saw through the hollow smiles and false offers of friendship, especially her adoptive father's. Like the others, he'd tried to hide it. But he couldn't.

The truth had been forever etched in his eyes, and it had cut her to her soul.

They weren't her people, and they never forgot that fact. No matter how hard she'd tried to fit in and convince them that she was on their side. That she would fight to the death for them. No matter how many Hunters she pursued for them. There was still a wall they kept in place that she wasn't allowed to climb.

You're a human, and that's all you'll ever be to them.

But she'd always wanted to be more. In spite of it all, she'd loved them like the family they were to her. She'd always wanted to be accepted by them. To not feel like that needy child staring through a window at a world that would never welcome her in. That isolation had always stung and hurt.

Until now. Now, for the first time, all that desolate pain was gone.

Sundown made her feel like she belonged. Like she was wanted. It was as if he'd opened the door and finally said that it was okay for her to come inside. That he didn't mind being with her.

That she was welcome here.

For that, she would sell her soul.

Jess lifted his hand to cup her face. Smiling at him, she kissed his palm before she nuzzled the calluses there. His skin was so much tougher than hers. So manly. But that was what she loved about it. She leaned forward to nip at his whiskered chin while she stroked his cock. He was so hard and yet velvety soft.

He watched her from beneath lashes so thick, they should be illegal. "Be a hell of a time for a bee sting, wouldn't it?" he whispered against her lips.

She laughed. "You're so not right."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Yeah, well, you're pretty damn perfect from where I'm sitting."

Those words made her heart soar. No one had ever said anything kinder to her. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him and held him tight. Why couldn't they have met under different circumstances? He was someone she could have loved. Had he not been a Dark-Hunter. Had her parents not been murdered.

Now ...

There was nothing for them. If they survived, they couldn't stay together. No hope for any kind of future. This was all they'd ever have.

And she wanted to hold on to this moment forever. To pretend that they weren't who they were. Just two normal people who meant something to each other, who'd met by mere happenstance.

"Why are you so sad?"

She swallowed at his question. "I'm not sad, Jess. I'm scared."

"I won't hurt you."

And that made her ache all the more as guilt stabbed her hard. Before she knew the truth, she would have hurt him in an instant. "I know."

He captured her lips as he slid his hand beneath her bra. His fingers teased her skin, sending chills the length of her body. It had been so long since she'd been with any man. Her training had always taken precedence, leaving her very little time to focus on something she'd always considered trivial. Relationships had seemed wasted. You never got as much out as you put in. It was a recipe for disaster and heartbreak, and she'd never wanted to waste her time with it.

Jess would have been worth the effort, though. The way he'd cherished Matilda ...

That was what it was all about. Putting someone above you. Loving them with everything you had. Living for the sole reason of seeing them happy even if it meant you suffering for their well-being.

It was so rare that she'd never once allowed herself to contemplate the fact that it might be real. She'd relegated it to the realm of unicorns and fairies. A nice story to hear, but a total pipe dream.

Why couldn't she have been worth a love like his?

Had Matilda really appreciated what she'd been given?

I hope so. It made the tragedy of their doomed love seem less severe.

Jess cradled Abigail against him. She was shivering, and he wasn't sure why. Yeah, he could read her mind and find out, but he didn't like doing that to people. It was downright rude. And something he reserved for necessary times only.

This wasn't one of those.

A woman's mind was her own. Matilda had taught him that. It was something to be respected, as was her will. Still, it pained him to have her hurting while she was making love to him. It didn't seem right.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

The look on her face gut-punched him as she traced the line of his lips with her fingertip. It sent chills over him, but not nearly as many as the adoring look in her eyes as she stared at him. "You're already doing it."

"Well, I got a fear here that I ain't doing it right, and I don't want this to be wrong."

She smiled then. A real one that reached all the way to her eyes and warmed him to his toes. Licking her lips, she lifted herself up so that he could undo her pants. "I promise you, it's all good."

Maybe, but wrangling her pants off her was another matter entirely. She actually elbowed him in the eye as he tried to maneuver.

She gasped in horror at what she'd done as she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Oh my God, are you okay?"

He rubbed at his eye and considered knifing his Squire when he got home. "Andy needs a bigger car." Damn it. Why did pain have to intrude right now?

She laughed again. "You poor baby." She leaned forward to kiss his eye, and that drove away most of the pain.

When she leaned into the passenger seat and pulled her pants off, it took the rest of it. She had long, shapely legs that begged for a tongue bath. Another thing he couldn't do in this infernally small car.

I'm torching this thing when I get it home....

She hesitated at the waistband of her black panties. It was sheer torture for him.

"You changing your mind?" Please, don't change your mind. That'd be downright cruel, and he wasn't sure he could survive it. Not after they'd come this far.

Shaking her head, she slid them down her legs slowly. Seductively.

Dayam ...

He thought he was going to die as he saw her naked. She was exquisite. And he was so hard now, he felt like he was about to explode. Before he could catch another thought, she was back in his seat, straddling him again as if she was as eager for him as he was for her.

Ah yeah ... he could die right now without regret. This was what he'd been craving.

She raised up on her knees and pulled at his shirt.

Gladly, Jess let her strip him. He was as desperate to feel her skin on his as she was. Never in his life had he seen anything hotter or felt anything sexier than her breasts pressing against his bare flesh. He ran his hands through her hair, inhaling the scent of it as it stirred around them.

While he was far from celibate, he'd never been with a woman before who knew him. As a human, because of Bart, he'd been branded an outlaw at age thirteen. So by the time he was with a woman, he'd known better than to let her know his real identity. Or anything about him that she could tell or sell to someone out to put a bullet in him.

Then after he'd become a Dark-Hunter, he'd been expressly forbidden from telling anyone about their existence. He'd had to hide his fangs, his age.

Everything.

Only Abigail knew the truth about him. And it made this moment all the hotter. There was no fear of slipping up by letting her tongue brush against his fangs. Or having to be careful when he nibbled her since she might notice his longer teeth.

For once he could be himself, and that was the most incredible feeling of all.

He ran his tongue over her breast, savoring the ridges in her hardened nipple. Her skin smelled like the sweetest nectar imaginable. And the sensation of her hands in his hair ...

If he died tonight, it'd be worth it.

She would be worth it.

All of a sudden, she let out a soft giggle. The uncharacteristic sound surprised him. "What are you laughing at?"

Her face turned bright red. "It's too cheesy to even mention."

Yeah, there was something a man didn't want to hear in this situation. What did I do? "Now, hon, you can't leave me hanging like that. I have to know."

Please don't be laughing at me.

She bit her lip. The expression was so playful and adorable that it made his stomach flutter. "I was thinking of the phrase, save a horse, ride a cowboy."

He laughed. "Well, baby, you can ride me any time you get the urge." He feigned deadly earnest. "I'm here for you."

She wrinkled her nose as she leaned him back in the seat. Damn if she wasn't the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He slid his hand up her thigh until he found what he was seeking. She was warm and wet and she let out a deep moan as he lightly fingered her.

Abigail couldn't breathe as Jess slid his fingers deep into her body. Oh yeah, that was what she'd been desperate for. And it set her entire body on fire. Kissing his lips, she rose up and allowed him to guide her down onto him.

She sucked her breath in sharply at the sensation of him hard and full inside her.

This ... this was heaven.

Her heart pounding, she rode him slow and gentle, savoring every inch of him. She laved his neck as she ran her hands over his muscled chest. He had a number of scars marring his flesh. Most looked like knife wounds or from barb wire. But a few were obvious bullet wounds.

Anger whipped through her that anyone would hurt him like that.

Until she remembered that she would have killed him, too.

Thank God, I didn't. And she was grateful to whatever power had brought them together. Most importantly to the one that had kept her from hurting him.

Not even the sight of the double bow and arrow mark of a Dark-Hunter on his arm could detract from this moment. Even it looked like it had hurt when he received it.

She'd never thought about that before. Dark-Hunters had their souls stripped from them. How much agony did Artemis put them through when she took it?

Abigail knew from her own experience, when her own soul had withered and died the night she lost her parents, how bad it hurt to lose one. Her scar had never healed.

Neither had his ...

Jess let her take control of their pleasure as he ran the back of his hand across her breast. He enjoyed watching her love him, watching the light in her eyes that touched a part of him he liked to pretend didn't exist. It made him remember long forgotten things that he'd buried deep inside.

As a human, all he'd ever really wanted was a calm, peaceful home with a good woman by his side. Someone he could grow old with, who would make him laugh and give him a reason to look forward to the next day.

And the ones thereafter.

A woman like Abigail.

She was a little more challenging than what he'd had in mind. But sometimes, cravings left out important, if not irritating, details. He actually liked her stubbornness. Most of all, her spirit.

More than that, there was a spark inside her. A fire that warmed him through and through.

Abigail smiled as Jess took her hand and led it to his lips so that he could kiss and nibble her knuckles. It was so sweet. Until he nipped her flesh with his fangs. Not too hard, but enough to send a quick rush through her.

There was nothing sexier than her cowboy. Nothing hotter than feeling him inside and outside her body while he held her close and loved her.

It was the headiest of mixtures. One so hot that it sent her straight over the edge. Throwing her head back, she felt her body release. She lost herself to that one moment of sheer perfection.

Jess smiled as he saw and felt her climax on top of him. Her body clutched his, heightening his own pleasure. He lifted his hips, driving himself in even deeper while taking care not to bump her head against the low-hanging roof.

She cried out in ecstasy.

And he quickly joined her there. His head reeled as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through him. Yeah, he needed this a lot more than he'd thought. For the first time in weeks, his head was clear and his body calm.

Right now, he was the happiest man on the planet. That's right, all you badass punks. Bring it.

'Cause right now, he felt like he could take on anything or anyone. And he was more than ready to.

Abigail lay flat against Jess's bare chest, listening to his heart pounding under her ear. A fine sheet of sweat covered them both as she slowly came to her senses.

I'm sitting naked in a car wash surrounded by angry wasps trying to kill us ... with a man I've only known about forty hours.

Yeah, this was one for the books. And she definitely deserved the I-Have-No-Shame and What-the-Hell-Was-I-Thinking Award.

I can't believe I just did this.

But then, she'd have it no other way. She really didn't regret it. And at least I don't have to worry about getting pregnant or diseased. The one good thing about a Dark-Hunter was that they couldn't have children or carry any kind of STD or other illness.

Still, it was embarrassing. Anyone could walk in on them. Any minute. I would die if anyone did.

Jess kissed the top of her head. "We're all right, Abs. I have the doors sealed, and no one's coming."

That went over her like an ice water plunge. Her entire body locked up in horror.

"You heard that?"

"Um, yeah," he answered without reservation.

She shot up to stare at him as a new terror went through her. No ... she better be wrong.

Surely ...

"You can hear my thoughts?"

Now his gaze turned panicked. He glanced around as if trying to access some cosmic database in his head that would funnel a correct answer to him and get him out of this. "Uh..."

Good answer ...

Not. His inner computer must be on the fritz, and her fury was mounting by the heartbeat. She could absolutely kill him! This was awful. Horrible!

Why didn't he tell me?

Abigail curled her lip. Yeah, okay, she vaguely remembered seeing that ability in one of those weird psychotic flashbacks of his past, but it hadn't sunk in and stayed with her.

Now it did.

"Oh my God, you can hear my thoughts!" She was thoroughly humiliated. Anger whipped through her as she returned to her seat and snatched for her underwear. Oh, don't even get me started on the indignity of this.... She wanted to crawl under the seat and die. I should throw myself outside and let the wasps have me.

Oh wait, he can hear me. He's probably listening in right now like some psychic pervert, getting his jollies off my embarrassment.

You suck, Sundown. You. Suck.

That she hoped he could hear.

She glared at him. "Why didn't you tell me you could do that?"

He held his hands up in surrender. "It's all right, Abby." His tone was soothing, but his eyes still showed panic.

And she wasn't ready to listen to any form of reason. She was too humiliated. Gah, if he'd heard everything she'd thought ...

She couldn't stand it. "It's not all right. How dare you not tell me about this. What kind of sicko are you? I can't believe you'd do that. It's so intrusive and ... and..." She couldn't think of a word bad enough to convey how very bad it was, and she was too angry to have full access to her vocabulary, anyway. "Have you been spying on me the whole time?"

Jess silently cursed as she continued to rant at him and snatch her clothes on. Damn, the woman was hotheaded. Not that he fully blamed her for it. He'd be pissed, too, if someone was traipsing in his mind.

Still ...

"Abby, listen to me. I can hear thoughts-"

"Little late now, bucko." The last word was said with such snapping venom, it oddly reminded him of a chicken clucking. She snatched her head up to pierce him with a look that really should have splintered him into pieces. Damn, someone should bottle that. It'd make entire armies drop arms. "I noticed. Thanks for volunteering that. Let me give you a Hero Award for your first confession. Big flippin' hairy doo dah..." Then she added an extremely sarcastic, "Woo. Hoo."

"But," he continued in what he hoped was a calming tone while he ignored her outburst and go-to-hell-and-roast-your-nuts glare. Now, that was what he deserved a Hero Award for. Took guts to face a woman this angry. "I don't. Not normally. Just every now and again, something comes through and pops into my head like your question. I don't know how it got past my defenses. Maybe 'cause I was in my zone and not thinking of anything other than how good you felt."

She covered herself with her jeans. "Like I believe that. How stupid do you think I am?"

"I don't think you're stupid at all." He was the rank idiot who'd opened his mouth when he should have kept it closed. His mama had always said 90% of intelligence was knowing when to shut up.

Other 10% was knowing when to nut up-which he was trying to do, but it wasn't easy.

She finally paused and locked gazes with him. That look paralyzed him because he knew if he so much as blinked wrong, it would set her off again, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Don't smile. Don't sweat. Don't do nothing.

Don't even breathe.

It was like watching a salivating bear you knew would either lumber past and go on its way ...

Or rip your arm off and beat you with it.

"How do I know you're not in my head right now?"

He ran various answers through his mind. 'Cause I said so. Nah, that'd get him bitch-slapped for sure. I wouldn't dare. Made him sound like a coward.

Think, Jess, think.

Finally he opted for the simple truth. "It's rude, and I wouldn't want anyone to do it to me, so I try hard not to do it to others. Honestly, it ain't my favorite power. You have no idea how sick people are, and I really don't want to know most days. The world can have their thoughts. I got enough of my own to deal with."

Abigail hesitated as she considered his words. For reasons that made no sense whatsoever, she believed him. Not to mention, what he said made a lot of sense. She wouldn't want to look into other people's minds and find out their psychoses and insecurities either.

And he hadn't said or done anything previously that led her to believe he had that ability. Her only clue had been that one snippet with him and the lawyer.

He'd been stressed then, too.

Okay, I'm going to trust him. But if she ever found him near her thoughts again without her permission ... It definitely wouldn't pay to be in his boots.

"Don't do it again," she warned.

"Trust me, I won't. At least not on purpose. Like I said, I can't always control it, but I do most of the time, and I will definitely be more on guard around you, especially any time you're going near the more tender parts of my body."

She didn't want to be amused by that last bit at all. Unfortunately, she was.

Even so, it didn't mean she had to let him know it.

Forcing herself to stay stern, she nodded. "Good. Now what other evil powers do you have that I should know about?"

"I can roll my tongue," he said proudly.

Gah, he was such a goofball sometimes. Hard to believe a man with such a fierce, lethal reputation who'd been wanted and hunted voraciously by every branch of law enforcement in the Old West, could be so irreverent and playful. She wondered what those enemies would have thought of him had they ever seen this side of his personality. They certainly wouldn't have been so scared of him.

Which made her wonder if he'd been like this as a human. Or had he developed his humor as a Dark-Hunter?

In the grand scheme, it didn't matter. Right now, she needed to know who and what, exactly, she was dealing with. "I'm serious, Jess."

"So am I. Not everyone can do it. It's a genetic thing, you know."

Abigail let out a tired sigh as she fought down the need to choke him.

He gave her a teasing grin, then finally took mercy on her and answered the question. "I have some telekinesis, which you already discovered. Premonitions. Can see auras and ... I make a killer omelette."

That was an impressive list-including the omelette tidbit. But what made her sick to her stomach was that she'd stupidly gone up against him without knowing any of that.

Thanks, Jonah, for the extensive research you didn't do. It was a wonder Jess hadn't killed her.

Maybe that had been Jonah's intent all along. "Believe me, Abigail. I've found every bit of detail on Sundown that's ever been documented or thought. There's nothing about him I don't know. We have all we need and then some to kill him.

A clue about his powers would have been a nice addition to their arsenal.

Jess leaned forward and kissed her bare shoulder. "Am I forgiven yet?"

Dragging a slow gaze down his lush body, she hesitated. One because she basically lost her train of thought to how much she'd like to take another bite out of him. No man should be so sexy. Even naked, he exuded such power and confidence that it raised a chill on her skin. And two, she did have to think about the possibility of forgiving him. She still wasn't sure she should.

But really, what choice did she have? Could she really hold mind-reading against him when it was something he hadn't asked for?

She made him wait a few seconds more before she answered. "Fine. But only because you look good naked."

His grin turned evil. "I'll take that."

"Good. Now, let's get dressed before we do get discovered by some nosy clerk."

He tsked as he pulled his pants up and fastened them. "Remind me to kill Coyote for rushing this when I'd rather lay naked with you than fight wasps and coyotes and all the other crap he's throwing at us."

"Don't worry. I think we have many reasons to kill him." Abigail finished buttoning her shirt, then looked outside. The wasps were still everywhere. It was a sickening sight, and she was getting tired of listening to them buzz. "What are we going to do about our friends out there?"

Jess had no idea. But before he could respond, his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and answered it.

"Where are you?"

He arched a brow at Ren's angry tone. "We got trapped by the wasps. Where are you?"

"At your house with Choo Co La Tah. He was trying to chant the wasps into submission when something happened."

That can't be good. Dread ripped through Jess. They couldn't afford to lose him at this point. He was the only guide they had who actually had a clue about what was going on and how to correct it. The only other Guardian around was Snake ... and he was on Coyote's side.

"What happened?" he asked Ren.

"I don't know. He's in some form of coma. I've never seen anything like this."

Jess winced. If Ren was panicked over this, then there was a good reason to be panicked over it. The man had ice water for blood and wasn't prone to any form of overreaction.

"Can we wake him out of it?"

Ren lost his patience. "Well, you know, cowboy, that's a really good idea. Damn shame I didn't think of it, huh?"

"Cut the sarcasm. Are you're sure it's not a vision quest?"

"For the sake of our long-term friendship, I'm not even going to dignify that with the response it deserves."

Because it, too, was a stupid question. Jess had known that before he asked it.

Still ...

He ran his hand over his face as he tried to think of some kind of plan or action to save Choo Co La Tah and get rid of their current pest problem. "We need someone else who can control the weather. You know anyone?"

"I do." Jess heard Sasha in the background. "Give me a few, and I'll be back with help."

Ren said something muffled to Sasha, then uncovered the receiver so that Jess could hear again. "I have to say, Sister Fortune has ridden out of town on us, and I don't like it."

"Gotta say, I don't blame you. I'm not exactly sending roses to her either." He let out an aggravated breath. "So do we have any intel or insight as to what we need to do for Choo Co La Tah and to stop Coyote?"

"Not really. I don't know what else Coyote will come up with. He's unpredictable at best. A bastard at worst. And when cornered, he's lethal beyond measure and will do whatever he must to win. His heart lives in a place best left untrodden. All I know is we have to get to the Valley by sunrise."

"I know."

"No, Jess. You don't. We have to beat Coyote to Old Bear's magic. If we do, we might be able to keep him from unlocking the next set of plagues."

That would be good. But it wouldn't be easy. "What exactly is his magic? Other than the Grizzly?"

Ren sighed. "You should have listened more to your mother's stories, boy. Your lack of education offends me."

He glanced over to Abigail, who watched him with a penetrating stare that said she was dying to know what they were talking about. He was grateful she didn't interrupt them. That was something he'd always found rude and extremely annoying.

Jess returned his attention to Ren. "My mother didn't talk that much about her beliefs or tell me many stories." She'd been too sick for too long. For the last three years of her life, every breath had been a precious struggle for her. So she'd conserved them for living and not for talking. "And when she did, it was in a hushed tone." Because she'd been terrified of anyone hurting him over their heritage.

Better to blend in than stand out, penyo. The one who flies against the flock is always flying into opposition. No matter how strong the beast, sooner or later, he tires from his ragged journey.

And when he falls, he falls alone.

His mother's words were still with him.

Even so, he'd never been one to conform. But all that had done was prove to him how wise and right his mother had been. In the end, he had died alone and he was tired.

Then and now.

He cleared his throat. "So you'll have to forgive me my ignorance."

"A wise man never argues a mother's decision for her child. Not unless he wants to face her claw, and there is nothing sharper than a mother defending her young."

Jess definitely concurred with that.

"You probably want to put me on speaker so that Abigail can hear it, too."

"All right." Jess pulled the phone back to comply. "We're here."

Abigail frowned.

"At the beginning of time when the Code of Order was being established, the First Guardian locked away all the evil he'd found in the world. Things that had been created by the Dark One for no other purpose than to plague man and hurt him. The First Guardian knew that mankind wasn't strong enough to fight it. So he banished it all to the West Lands where the sun lay down on that evil every night and kept it weak."

Ren paused. "But Evil is always resilient and ever resourceful. In time, it bred with Father Sun, and a tiny piece escaped to find an embittered warrior whose heart was blackened by jealousy over his own brother. He took the evil into him and was seduced by its promise that if he hurt others enough, their pain would make him stronger and drive his pain away. It succored him like a lover, and he embraced its insanity with everything he had. And so he went on a killing rage, and he consumed the lands until he ruled all from his bloodied fists."

"The Grizzly Spirit," Jess said quietly. He knew this legend from Choo Co La Tah.

Ren continued. "His war brought him to the realm of the Guardian, and the two of them fought for a year and a day-a battle so violent, it left a permanent scar on Mother Earth."

The Grand Canyon. It was said the red color came from the blood of the wounds they'd given to each other while they fought.

"Finally, the warrior made a mistake and the Guardian was able to pin him down. He stripped the evil from the warrior, but it was too late. They had sweated and bled so much over that year on the earth that the very fabric of Mother Earth's gown, the granules of sand that carry man on his life's journey, was saturated with it and forever stained by it. There was no way to take all the evil back or to make her gown white again. The damage was done."

"What did he do?"

Jess smiled at the way Abigail was completely absorbed by the tale.

"The Guardian realized his mistake. There was no way to keep evil locked away forever. It's as pure an essence as good, and like good, it can't be denied or held back. And as Night and Day divide the sky between them, so must good and evil divide the world. Only then can there be balance and harmony for humans. Only then can there be any semblance of peace. So the Guardian banished the Grizzly Spirit that had infected the warrior and locked it behind the West Land Gate so that it could rage without harming man. He then took from Mother Earth eight jars to hold the plagues that had helped the Dark One escape and sealed them with his tears so that they could never again be used by the Grizzly. Those jars, he turned over to four Guardian protectors. North. South. East. West. The strongest corners of the earth who could be called on to defend should the West Gate ever be opened. Two of those Guardians were ruled by the Dark and two ruled by the Light. Perfect balance."

"How did he choose them?" Abigail asked.

"All but the East Guardian went through a trial created by the First Guardian to see who was the worthiest. The top three were the chosen ones."

"And the one from the East?"

"He was the warrior who'd been owned by the Grizzly Spirit. The First Guardian thought that if anyone would understand why they had to protect the West Gate, he would be the one. And that he would stand strongest against all threats to keep it from happening again. Not to mention, given their fight, he knew the warrior would be a worthy opponent for anyone who dared to breach his gate."

"That makes sense."

"Once they were given their jars, the First Guardian warned them of how serious their duties were and that they should never waver or falter. They were to stand together and to keep each other in line. Then he retired into the West Land so that he could rest after his battle. They say he still slumbers there even today."

"And the Guardians?"

Ren let out a light laugh. "Each took his jars deep into the sacred land where the Fire touches the Earth and hid them so that no one would be able to use the plagues against them or man."

Jess sighed as it all started coming together. "Coyote released his jars already." The scorpions and the wasps.

"Yes. Coyote has been trying for centuries to find the key to unlock the Gate and free the Grizzly Spirit. He knew as long as Old Bear and Choo Co La Tah were joined, there was no way for him to overpower either of them and open the Gate. Now that one has fallen, he and Snake can join together."

"And screw us royally," Jess said under his breath.

"You've no idea, my brother."

"But why?" Abigail asked. "Why would Snake join him?"

"Snake by nature is, and has always been, a follower. And he's served the Dark One too long. It was something the First Guardian feared the moment he assigned the two Dark Guardians their posts. He knew how insidious the Dark would be and how corruptible even the most noble of heart is. He'd hoped that the East Guardian would watch after and counsel Snake away from the darker side of his personality. But just in case the East Guardian failed, it was why he put a finite limit on the service of the Guardians. Next year, during the Time Untime when our calendar resets, the feathered rattlesnake will bear his color, and on the night when the evening star comes first, new Guardians are to be chosen by the one who holds the key. Old Bear. With him dead, that choice moves to Choo Co La Tah. If Coyote and Snake can kill him, they can choose the new Guardians."

Abigail frowned. "Why is that important?"

Jess answered before Ren had a chance. "Whoever assigns the Guardians, controls them and most importantly, controls the West Land."

"Ultimate power," Ren said. "Your every wish granted. You own the entire world."

Who wouldn't want that?

Well, okay, Jess didn't. He had enough trouble managing his own life. Last thing he wanted was to be responsible for everyone else.

Unfortunately for all the world, Coyote didn't feel the same way.

"Snake is now a loyal servant to Coyote and has been for a long time," Ren continued. "The only thing that kept them at bay was the Light Guardians."

Abigail winced.

And Jess didn't miss the heavy dread in Ren's tone. "What haven't you told us?"

"One of Old Bear's jars contains the Wind Seer which is the one plague that can open the West Gate and free the Grizzly Spirit."

Crap. Crap. Crap. Jess flinched at the very thought.

Abigail drew her brow together in confusion. "I don't understand. If the First Guardian is there, can't he stop the Grizzly Spirit from escaping again?"

"It's not that easy, Abigail. No one has heard from him in countless centuries. For all we know, the Grizzly might have killed him when he went behind the Gate or he could have possessed him. You have no idea what the Grizzly is capable of. Trust me. We have to stop them from opening that jar. If the Grizzly gets out again-"

"It'll be a fun time in Disneyland," Jess mumbled. "Y'all think we could arm Mickey? He might be badass with a gun."

Abigail slapped him lightly on the arm. "What do we have to do, Ren?"

"Get his jars before they do."

It amazed Jess that Ren could make the impossible sound easy. Too bad reality didn't go that way. "Does Coyote know where it is?"

"I don't think so. But then, neither do we. Choo Co La Tah should be able to track it ... if we can get him to wake up. However, the one who spilled Guardian blood has to make an offering on the sacred ground to appease the ancient elements before sunrise. Otherwise all of the jars will open ... at once ... which would then also blow open the Gate and all that concentrated evil would pour out of it."

Oh yeah, that would seriously suck. "Did they launch that last space shuttle yet?"

"I don't follow," Ren said.

"I'm just thinking maybe we should evacuate the whole planet. I've heard the moon is kind of nice this time of year."

Both Abigail and Ren let out mutual sounds of aggravation.

"Focus your ADD, Jess."

He rolled his eyes at Ren's quip. "I gotcha, brother. What you're forecasting is six more plagues coming out of the northwest at maximum velocity with a mild chance of survival. Followed by the world getting swallowed whole into a vat of evil."

"Well, yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Nice to know I didn't misunderstand and all." He purposefully exaggerated his drawl on that. "Ah, hell, y'all lucky I can follow anything, especially given how many times I got kicked in the head when I's a kid." Sobering, Jess let out an irritated breath.

Instead of Renegade, his name should be Mary Sunshine. "I'll get Abigail to you as soon as I can."

"I'll keep working on Choo Co La Tah. You be careful."

"Same to you. Let me know if anything changes. I could really use some good news right about now." Jess hung up and turned to face Abigail. Unfortunately, she had her clothes buttoned up all the way to her neck.

Damn.

She let out an exaggerated breath. "I don't want to know about Choo Co La Tah, do I?"

"Not really. Kind of wish I didn't know." Jess toyed with the keys that dangled from the ignition while he watched the wasps continue to swarm outside. He didn't like the idea of being trapped, and he wasn't keen on the idea of being beholden to Sasha for anything.

"Ah, screw this. I'm not going to wait for rescue like a puppy on a float. Buckle up. We're going for it."

Abigail wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. But what choice did she have? Jess was in the driver's seat.

Besides, she was with him on this. No need in waiting around when they could at least be trying to get home.

She snapped the belt over her lap and braced herself. "All right, cowboy. Let's do it."

Jess put the car in gear, then opened the garage door with his powers. The wasps immediately swarmed inside. Something that didn't faze Jess at all. She admired that.

He gripped the wheel, then tore out of the garage as fast as he could. The lights were dimmed by the number of wasps gathering around them.

But that wasn't the worst part.

She cringed at what awaited them on the street. Everything had gotten worse. There was no movement from anyone, anywhere. Businesses and homes had their windows drawn shut, and most were dark-as if afraid that the light might attract more wasps.

It terrified her.

But at least there was no sign of the mountain lion. He appeared to have moved on.

Needing to understand what was going on in the world around them, she turned the car radio on and scanned the channels until she found the local news.

The reporter's voice was thick with concern, and it made her own throat tighten. "There's no explanation for this rash of insect uprisings or these unprecedented weather fronts that keep moving in. The authorities are advising everyone to stay calm and in their homes until the experts have figured out what's causing it. As of now, several roads and highways are being closed, and everyone is being told to watch out for flash flooding. They also want us to remind everyone that wasps can and do sting even after death, so please don't pick up any of their remains without gloves or some other form of protection. Officials are advising everyone to turn off any light that might attract more wasps. And if you have pets in your yard, please do not venture out to get them."

Flash flooding? The dark sky above them was completely clear.

She turned the radio off. That hadn't been very helpful. "Guess they can't report that it's the end of the world, huh?"

"It's not the end."

She stared at the wrecked cars and bodies they passed. The people who'd posted handmade signs in the windows of their homes asking for God's forgiveness and warning others to repent. "It sure looks like it from my seat."

"Ah, now," Jess said in that exaggerated drawl she was beginning to recognize as his way of keeping things either in perspective or light. "Buck up, little camper. It ain't over yet. We're far from out of this."

That was the problem. They had a long way to go, and she didn't see an escape for them.

Jess kept his attention on the road as he navigated hazards every inch of the way. He was trying to be positive for her, but inside, he was worried fierce. Why had Old Bear been holding the key to the West Gate? Why take the chance? It should have been cast out to sea or something.

For that matter, couldn't the First Guardian have locked up butterflies or something equally harmless in those jars?

No. People had to have their misery, and Old Bear would have to have the pimp daddy of plagues waiting for discovery.

Give me locusts and boils. Hell, he'd even prefer pimples on his private parts. Anything would be better than Coyote taking over the world.

At this point, they were mired so deep in the mud of Shit City, he might as well have his mail forwarded.

I swear, Coyote. If I live through this ...

You won't.