The Alchemy of Desire (18 page)

“When the
wasichu
agreed to lend him his fastest horse, Coyote added, ‘I’m a poor rider. Your horse is afraid of me and I’m afraid of him. Lend me your clothes. Then your horse will think that I am you.’

“The
wasichu,
so confident that he could beat Coyote, gave him the clothes off his back and ordered him to go fetch the cheating medicine. So Coyote rode off with the
wasichu’s
fastest horse and his fine clothes, while the
wasichu
stood there bare-assed in the middle of the trading post.”

Diah fought back a laugh. “What is it with you and coyotes?”

“Coyote is the Great Trickster.”

“Is there a reason you decided to share this story with me? Are you trying to trick me?”

“No, I wanted to warn you that you can be easily deceived by your pride, Diah. I thought you were smarter than to play the fool.”

She lay down and turned her back to him.

Chapter Twenty

Sometime during the night Diah’s arm had found its way around her waist, and her back rested against his warm chest. Damn, why did it have to feel so good to lie next to him? Why couldn’t she be repulsed by his touch? It would make it easier to maintain a professional relationship and get on with her life after she collected her money. Maybe he was the coyote and she was the
wasichu
from the story she shared with him last night. Would she end up alone and naked when he was done with her?

He nuzzled her hair, and his arm squeezed her closer. A series of electric shocks set her skin on fire, and she longed to roll over and let his lips claim hers. Stars above, she’d never wanted a man like this before. It bordered on obsession. An unhealthy one, like being too fond of drink. It felt good while it lasted, but in the morning she’d be left with a raging hangover.

Time to kill the habit before it got out of hand. Her body protested as she pried his arm off her, but she managed to free her body from his. The morning air made her want to scamper back under the blanket and cling to him to stop the shivers that racked her body. But she was stronger than that. If she stoked the fire, she’d be warm again soon.

The coffee was simmering in the pot by the time the brothers stirred. Cager yawned and stretched. “Oni, give me a cup of that.”

“Get it yourself.”

Diah snickered.

She packed the sleeping gear while they drank coffee. The movement chased the chill away from her bones and, when it was time to go, she was feeling warm enough not to need him anymore.

An hour into their ride Cager asked, “Where are we going now?”

“The Paha Sapa.”

“In English, please.”

“The Black Hills. They are sacred to my people and that is where we’ll most likely find the White Buffalo.”

“How far away are they?”

She searched the sky and the horizon. “Five days, I think.”

“So we’ll get there in time to get it?”

Cager’s single-minded objective irked her. “You hired me as a guide and I’ll take you to where you’re most likely to find it, but the Paha Sapa are vast, and there are many hiding places for the White Buffalo.”

“I’m just anxious to have a roof over my head soon.”

“I’ll second that,” Diah said.

Stupid white men. Did they think she enjoyed having to huddle next to one of them for warmth every night? “Well, if you’d been smart enough to buy a tent, you’d have something over your head. Did you expect there to be a string of hotels out here for your comfort?”

“We had a tent, but someone left it on the
Big Sky Belle.
”

Diah ignored his brother’s accusations. “I kind of like not having a tent. I mean, it’s harsh weather, but it’s rather pretty out here in a way.”

He gazed at the hills with a look of awe. The sun hit them so the layers of rock sparkled. She’d almost forgotten how beautiful it could be here. “It’s pretty as long as you’re near water and not buried under four feet of snow.”

She made them ride until darkness hindered their vision and they were thoroughly exhausted. No one argued and the evening passed in silence. When she lay down next to Diah, he merely wrapped the buffalo hide around them and fell asleep within minutes.

The next day, she pushed them farther west, hugging the South Fork of the Grand River. Her plan was to follow it almost to its source and then turn south. It would take them longer to get to the Black Hills, but it would be easier on their horses in the end.

At midday she spotted a dark object to the east. It hovered on the horizon like an enormous bird. At first, she thought nothing of it and continued along her planned route. But an hour later, it had grown larger.

“Diah, Cager, what do you make of that?”

They both squinted at it. “It’s too far away to be sure, but it almost looks like an airship,” Diah replied.

“You’re the one with the interest in machines.” Cager pulled out a shiny brass rifle scope from his pack and handed it to his brother. “Take a peek and tell me what you think.”

Diah studied the object, adjusting the lenses to get a better view, and frowned. “Oni, you said something about O’Kerry having an airship, right?”

“Yes. It looked like a train car with a balloon over it.”

He gave her the scope. “Is that it?”

She focused the scope on the object. The same train-car-looking bottom with red smoke pouring out of the exhaust pipe. Damn it! If they weren’t running from Hinkle, they were being chased by O’Kerry. She nodded and returned the scope.

“Shit,” Cager hissed.

Diah peered through the scope once again. “They’re gaining on us.” He turned to her. “What do you suggest we do?”

Oni frowned. She would have preferred being near the river and the relatively flat terrain that bordered it, but that would also make them easier to spot. “Go into the hills, hide there until they pass.”

“Sounds good to me. Cager?”

Cager ran his fingers through his hair. “I suppose it’s the best we can do for now. I mean, what choice do we have? We’re out here in the middle of this open wasteland. If they haven’t spotted us already, they soon will.”

“This way.” She urged her horse south and the men followed.

As they rode between the rounded domes, she lost sight of the airship. The tension eased out of her shoulders and she noticed the calm slowly return to their faces.

“Who is this Lamont fellow, what did you do to piss him off and why is this O’Kerry fellow chasing after us?”

Diah cleared his throat. “I’m going to let Cager explain this one.”

Cager stared at the ground. “You don’t need to know.”

“Before I have the choler spell used on me again, I’d like to know how all this started.”

The color rose in Cager’s cheeks, as if he actually felt some guilt over her recent torture. Good. Maybe that would convince him to give her some answers.

“During the war, I told Lamont I’d find something for him and I got sidetracked. Unfortunately, he paid me in advance and he hasn’t forgotten that.”

Diah yanked on the reins of his horse, stopping in front of his brother. “You never told me you took money from that snake.”

“I didn’t think it was any of your business.”

“So that explains why you were in his company that night in New Orleans. You were worried he’d extract payment from you some other way.”

“Diah, I took the job because he threatened our family, not because I felt like I owed him anything.”

Oni snickered. “It sounds like you keep some interesting company, Cager. So why do you think O’Kerry hired Hinkle to stop you?”

Cager snorted. “O’Kerry runs Chicago like Lamont runs New Orleans. Both of them want the Wielders to regain power. Unfortunately, they both want to be Head Wielder, and neither one wants to share his power.” His expression darkened with worry. “Lamont wants that hide before the solstice.”

“Why?” Images of unnatural rituals filled Oni’s mind, everything from raising the dead to plunging the world in darkness, and gooseflesh puckered her skin.

“I have no clue what he plans to do with it, but I’m guessing something underhanded.”

“He’s a Wielder, right? Then think like one. The solstice is the shortest day. The White Buffalo is said to embody the powers of creation and life according to my people. What if he wants to use it for some other purposes? A ritual, perhaps? But if he wants to cast it on the winter solstice, I have this gut feeling that its purpose is more dark than light.”

Diah’s hands tightened around the reins until his knuckles blanched. “Dear God, Cager, what have we agreed to do?”

“Lamont’s not that good a caster,” he said, but his voice gave away his fear.

“But what if he does something evil with it? What if he tries to take over the country or assassinate the president?”

“Diah, you’re being ridiculous. Lamont is too high profile a figure not to have the government watching his every move. O’Kerry too.”

“And yet O’Kerry’s successfully corrupted an army colonel into working for him.” She shuddered. This had more far-reaching consequences than just finding a legendary beast. “And now he’s trying to find us in his airship.”

“Well, at least he’s off our trail now.”

Something whistled in the wind and a black object flew toward them. “Run!” She kicked her horse into a gallop.

The ground shook when the object exploded on impact just a few feet from where they’d been. The horses, already running at breakneck speeds, reared from the noise.

“What the hell?” Cager struggled to regain control of his horse.

“A cannonball,” Diah said. “Move!”

She heard the rumble of thunder, but there were no clouds in the sky overhead. Then a piercing whistle followed another blast at their heels. A plume of smoke wafted in the breeze from the car of the airship as it appeared over the hilltop behind them. She pulled her horse to the right. “This way.”

Maybe if she could keep a hill between them and the cannons, they could escape into a better hiding place.

Despite her best efforts, the cannonballs found them. And each time they came closer and closer. Esnella foamed at the mouth and began to slow down. She couldn’t keep pushing her at this pace. And still the ship crept up on them like a wolf from above.

The other horses appeared to be in the same condition. Her mind raced to find another solution, but the earth blew up in front of her. Esnella reared and Oni flew off her back.

She rolled as she hit the ground and tasted dust in her mouth. When she lifted her eyes, she froze. Two sets of hooves were rushing toward her, but her body refused to move out of the way. At the last second, her arms wrapped around her head and she braced to be trampled.

But the hooves never touched her. Diah pulled back and stopped his horse inches from her face. The Great Trickster must have been watching over her to allow her heart to still race.

“Oni, are you all right?” Diah jumped down and ran to her side.

His hands felt warm and comforting as he lifted her to her feet. Her body shook and it took her a few seconds to gain her balance. But after that, she nodded.

Another cannonball hit the hillside, and rocks and other debris showered down on them. Cager, still on his horse, shielded them from some of the smaller pebbles. “Let’s get out of here now, Diah. They’re getting more accurate with each shot.”

Oni tried to break free from Diah’s embrace, but Diah tightened his arms around her. “Let me go so I can—”

“Oni, she’s dead.” His words were gentle, but they still drained all the warmth from her body.

She tore herself from his arms and stared at the bloody, disemboweled mass of horseflesh in front of her. Her eyes stung with tears.
No, not Esnella.
She stumbled backward as Diah led her to his horse and lifted her into the saddle. They were in danger, but the world seemed to move in slow motion, as if it were all happening underwater.

His horse’s sides heaved between her thighs as they ran deeper into the hills. The constant rumble of thunder chased them, growing louder with each cannonball.

“We’re not going to be able to outrun them, Cager,” Diah said.

“You think I don’t know that?”

Her shock receded as the danger of their current situation closed in around her. “If we continue to push the horses like this, we’ll be walking to the Paha Sapa.” Her eyes scanned the landscape. “There.” She pointed to a narrow ravine filled with trees. It was just wide enough for them and their horses.

“Let’s pray they don’t see us go in there, or we’re dead.” Cager slowed his horse and led it into the ravine.

“Do you think this will work, Oni?” Diah’s hand tightened around hers.

His heart pounded through his back, and she squeezed her arm around his waist. “It has to, Diah.” They dismounted and he tied the horse securely to a tree.

Cager peered out from the branches at the airship. The top of the balloon was visible over the nearby hill. “It’s moving too fast. We need to slow it down.”

“It’s a machine. It doesn’t tire like horses. I bet they have more than enough murcarbonite to fuel it.” Diah joined his brother. “If I had a good look at it, I might figure out how to disable it.”

“And what are you thinking about doing? Climbing a hill and making a target of yourself?”

“What can you remember about it from earlier?” Diah asked her.

Oni’s heart rose into her throat. She didn’t want him endangering his life like that. “It’s steam-powered, but I have no idea where in the car the boiler is.”

“Why don’t we just chuck some of that black fire at them?” Cager’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “It seems to be the answer to getting us out of jams.”

Diah frowned. “If you think you can hit that ship from here, be my guest. I’d prefer not to waste my vials and give away our position.”

Oni closed her eyes and tried to envision the airship in her mind. “Cager, can I borrow your scope again?” He handed it to her as the car rose above the hilltop. She studied the rear of the craft. “That spinning wheel in the back—it drives the ship like a paddle wheel on a steamboat.”

Diah snatched the scope back. “If we can take it out, that’ll slow it down.”

“So will exploding that balloon.” Cager reached for his rifle.

The light that filtered through the trees hit his rifle, and orichalcum glowed. Another disguised wand?

“What are you planning on doing?” she asked.

“Using magic to see if I can rip a hole in the silk.”

“But if you do that, you have no control over where it will crash. It could land on us.” She lowered his rifle-wand. “Diah’s idea makes more sense. If we keep it from moving, it will be left to drift in the wind.”

His brow crinkled, but at last he nodded. “I have an idea. Oni, your element is fire, right?”

“My element?” She had never heard anything about her magic being tied to an element.

“Yes, the element that is easiest for you to control. All Wielders have one. I haven’t seen you cast much, but I’m guessing you’re a fire. It’s the only way you would’ve been able to withstand the choler spell as long as you did.”

Perhaps he was right. When she was learning to wield magic, the first spell she’d mastered was starting a fire. “What do you have in mind?”