Page 17 of Defying the Relic Hunter

I threw an illusion around us and expanded my energy field to protect Ethan too.

“I know you’re there, little rabbit,” the warrior called. “I can smell you.”

I sniffed my underarms and grimaced. My deodorant had failed but it wasn’t that bad.

A shadow darted across the canyon. Nerves jangling, I knocked on Ethan’s helmet and whispered, “Up. Get up.”

Thunk!An arrow bounced off my energy shield.

I looked up. The murdering bastard stood on a narrow ledge about fifty feet above me. How did he know where we were?

He notched another arrow in his bow and leveled it at me. “I will gut you and feed your entrails to the buzzards.”

Drawing on my powers, I had a phantom eagle swoop down with its talons outstretched.

The warrior took a startled leap backward. A shout broke from him as his moccasins slipped on the loose dirt and he tumbled off the ledge. After hitting several rocks on the way down, the badly bleeding Apache rolled to a stop at my feet.

Was he dead? He kinda looked dead. His eyes were still open, so maybe he wasn’t. I didn’t feel his spirit, but my brain was kinda fried. I guess I should check to make sure. I reluctantly shut down my shield and poked him with the toe of my left boot. When he didn’t move, I leaned over and pressed two fingers on his carotid artery.

His hate filled eyes suddenly focused on me and he raise the knife clenched in his fist.

“You aren’t getting my head!” I instinctively jammed the stun gun against his groin and lit him up.

The Apache convulsed violently, and the knife fell from his hand.

“Feed my entrails to the buzzards, will ya?” I let him have it again, watching in satisfaction as he thrashed around and moaned.

“I think his nuts are fried, Angel.” Ethan kicked the knife away, flipped the still twitching Apache over and clamped a pair of handcuffs on.

I collapsed in the shade and shook. “Still convinced I’m delusional?”

“No, but I’m beginning to think you have Kaylee’s chaos gene.” Ethan’s helmet retracted, and he held out his hand. “Give me the stun gun and your laser pistol.”

Exhausted, sunburned and really pissed off, I shot him a killing glare. “Is the big, bad Coletti afraid of little ole’ me?”

Ethan regarded me with all the tenderness of a vulture contemplating lunch. “You really think you can take me on and win?”

“You mean in hand-to-hand combat? No, but I can win using this.” I tapped my forehead.

The ass threw back his head and roared with laughter. “I can find you any time, any place, Angel, and if I want to tie you up, you won’t be able to stop me. You might even like it.”

As if. “The only reason you caught up with me today was because of that stupid Apache.”

Ethan shrugged. “From now on, Angel, we’re joined at the hip and youwillbehave yourself.”

“Wait. I thought you wanted to throw me in jail?”

“That was before I figured out yourspecialtalents are guiding you to the treasure.”

Damn. “If I don’t cooperate?”

He brushed his mouth over mine and whispered in my ear, “One night in my bed and you’ll do anything I want.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wow! That’s one hell of an ego you’ve got there, Don Juan.” I jerked my thumb at the still bleeding Apache. “You gonna let him bleed to death?”

Ethan straightened and examined the warrior. “I’m thinking about it. He was trying to kill you.” He picked up my backpack and started pawing through it. He took out the stone map. “Is this why he was chasing you?”

“Yeah, he got a tad bit cranky when I took his sacred stone.”

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