Star People Legacy by Smith, T.L. (feel good books to read .txt) 📕

shift positions, I slowly opened my backpack and using the flashlight on my phone, got a look at the cave.

Other snakes were there, watching me, but not taking a defensive posture. Along one section of the wall I saw trickle marks where rainfall ran down the walls to collect on the floor. Monsoons would start soon, but it was dry in the cave.

Tucking Yazzie’s little rock into my bra, where it would be touching my skin, I sang a prayer as I sacrificed one of my bottles of water. A tribute for the help they’d given me. I built a rock nest against the wall, making sure I could get the bottle up to one of the trickle marks.

The bottle fit snug in the rocks. I cut a hole in it big enough for a snake’s head to reach inside for water, pinching the flap back again the wall to create a funnel. It would give them a few days water now and maybe something of a well for the future.

“I thank your Earth Spirits for saving my life.” I put everything away and eased past my lethal friend to the entrance. She acted as if I wasn’t even there, as did the others.

CHAPTER

13

Out in the open air again, I stuck to the boulder, listening for footsteps on the cliff path. They must have really believed me dead. I reached the point that had been just narrow enough for us to squeeze our bikes through. Looking around the boulder I saw no one. They were gone.

I took a deep breath before looking down.

If I hadn’t seen him die the second his helmet shattered, the fall would have finished the job. I dropped to my knees. Momentum had carried Lutz a ways from the cliff edge, thrown into a section where rockslides had created a slope. He laid tangled, limbs broken and twisted in unnatural positions.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you come with me. I should have lied to you. I should have waited.” I whispered it down to Lutz, letting tears fall into the same void.

A wind blew up the face of the cliff, carrying with it a sound like crying. Coyotes, but it wasn’t their usual voice as they went out on the hunt. This was mournful. “Oh, please. Leave him alone until I can come back for him.”

As if in spite of my plea, a large coyote came up out of the ravine, slowly approaching Lutz’ body.

No, no, no… I wanted to scream down the cliff to scare it off, but our assailants might hear me. Two more coyotes followed the first. I crawled over to loose rocks piled against the boulder, returning to the edge. I started to take aim, but the sight stopped me.

More of the pack had reached Lutz’ body. They encircled it, laying down next to him. The large coyote sat at his head, keening that sad song. I put down the rocks and answered with a song, a prayer of protection. The coyote keened louder in response, his eyes directly on me.

Looking at my hands planted on the ground, I caught my breath. They glowed, just as they had this morning after my weird dream. All the coyotes gazed at me, letting out soft howls. “Take care of my friend. I’ll be back for him.”

The keening stopped and the large coyote laid down, resting his head on Lutz’ shoulder. I could barely believe what I was watching as the shadows of the mountains around us grew darker. Night would be here soon.

I hated to leave, but there was nothing I could do for Lutz. Except live long enough to come back and avenge him. My hands glowed brighter with the thought. My whole body did. It should have scared me. This wasn’t natural, but neither was the Maxa’xak.

I slipped back to the wall. I certainly didn’t need anyone noticing a walking glow stick.

I had to move. Just because those men didn’t find me, or my body, didn’t mean they wouldn’t come back looking for me as it got darker. They had a helicopter to look for illegals. It probably had heat-seeking infrared equipment, radar-jammers, all kinds of technology. A body retained heat for several hours, enough to be detected. They’d be able to find me dead or alive in the dark, which was coming fast.

Reaching a point where the path dropped down off the shelf, I heard a sound behind me. I dropped, expecting to be jumped on by the men. Instead beady eyes caught the remaining light. More coyotes.

I stared back for a moment. “Well, as the animal Spirits are clearly siding with me today, are you here to help me?” The coyotes moved forward, heads down, no teeth bared. “Okay. I need to get to my truck.”

I got up slowly and started back to the original path, as it was the safest descent. The coyotes trotted along after me, as if nothing more than domestic shepherds. I found the goat track, a few minutes later the sun disappeared completely.

Using my flashlight, I could see by the shadows we were getting close to the foothills. I felt relief, until I heard a yipping from one of the coyotes. A light crested the ridge. I looked for a hole, but there was nothing but a couple bushes.

I switched off the flashlight and tried to crawl between them. Next thing I knew one of the coyotes grabbed my hand, hard enough to keep me from jerking away, but not enough to break the skin. It pulled down. Instinct told me to obey.

I curled up on the ground and the pack swarmed me. The big guy who’d pulled me down climbed on top my back. Others crowded around me. The helicopter’s lights hit us. I kept my head down and limbs folded up. The pack started howling, growling and yapping at the helicopter. I hoped I looked like one of the coyotes, or downed prey.

Must have. After about fifteen more seconds the