broke into a full gallop without delay. They raced at thundering speed toward the barn.
With a soft clucking sound, she urged her mount to scale the fence surrounding the barn and race straight in the back delivery entrance. She found Trip holding the frantically struggling La with one hand and holding his rain stick in the other. Pike was circling him while clearly seeking an edge on how to take him down.
When they saw her coming, everyone scattered. Pike threw himself out of her path. Trip stepped aside and kept his focus on Pike. La managed to break free and took off running toward the front door. Shye didn’t think that she and the horse could fit through the tack room entrance so she swung the stallion around by using her legs and shifting her body weight. No way was La going to escape. The blonde wench had been dancing with the devil long enough.
She caught sight of her running through the field toward a car. As if he smelled La’s guilt, Shye’s horse did not need encouragement—he charged her down with breathtaking speed. His hooves ate up the distance, barely touching the ground. Shye leaned to one side and positioned the rain stick.
Chapter Six
La glanced back once before Shye closed in. She held tight to the horse’s mane while sliding sideways to be sure she didn’t miss her target. The blonde murderess was mere feet from her car when Shye drew the stick back. In the next move, she plunged it forward and propelled the rain stick straight into La’s back.
She never had time to scream. La’s head shot back and their eyes met briefly, but long enough for Shye to see the look of dread sweep across her face. Her slender body collapsed on the ground before beginning the transformation to dust.
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
With a soft clucking sound, she urged her mount to scale the fence surrounding the barn and race straight in the back delivery entrance. She found Trip holding the frantically struggling La with one hand and holding his rain stick in the other. Pike was circling him while clearly seeking an edge on how to take him down.
When they saw her coming, everyone scattered. Pike threw himself out of her path. Trip stepped aside and kept his focus on Pike. La managed to break free and took off running toward the front door. Shye didn’t think that she and the horse could fit through the tack room entrance so she swung the stallion around by using her legs and shifting her body weight. No way was La going to escape. The blonde wench had been dancing with the devil long enough.
She caught sight of her running through the field toward a car. As if he smelled La’s guilt, Shye’s horse did not need encouragement—he charged her down with breathtaking speed. His hooves ate up the distance, barely touching the ground. Shye leaned to one side and positioned the rain stick.
Chapter Six
La glanced back once before Shye closed in. She held tight to the horse’s mane while sliding sideways to be sure she didn’t miss her target. The blonde murderess was mere feet from her car when Shye drew the stick back. In the next move, she plunged it forward and propelled the rain stick straight into La’s back.
She never had time to scream. La’s head shot back and their eyes met briefly, but long enough for Shye to see the look of dread sweep across her face. Her slender body collapsed on the ground before beginning the transformation to dust.
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
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