Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon Read Free Book Online

in New Orleans … not here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Last time she’d made that drive, it’d taken her four hours, and she didn’t drive slowly.
    “You’ll want to sit down for this.” Talon turned the chair in front of her desk around for her.
    A sick feeling settled deep in her stomach. “Think I’ll stand. Now, what’s up?”
    The men exchanged a solemn look as if they were silently willing the other to speak first.
    “Did Chacu say anything to you, other than pretending to be me?”
    “He said he wanted my stone.”
    A tic started in Cabeza’s jaw. “And the other … creature with him? What did he say?”
    “Nothing. He showed up and Cab—” She broke the word off as his eyes snapped ebony fire at her. “Chacu attacked him.”
    “Any idea why he’s handing out your name?” Talon asked.
    “No idea. His hatred of me is legendary. But he’s not exactly engraved in my heart either. My want-them-dead list, however, is another matter.”
    Kateri cleared her throat to get their attention. “And you’re both avoiding my questions.”
    Talon let out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s because you’re going to freak and neither one of us wants to deal with it.”
    Well, at least Talon was honest.
    “I’m not going to freak,” she assured him.
    It was now Cabeza’s turn to mock her. “That’s what they all say, chica . And then they all freak.”
    Talon laughed again—for real this time—as he met Cabeza’s gaze. “You remember that time when…” He glanced at her. “Never mind.”
    She ignored that segue entirely. “Look, whatever it is, I can handle it. I’m not a child, and Talon, you know I don’t ever overreact to anything.”
    Cabeza crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this true?”
    “So far. But I’ve never dumped anything like this on her before. There’s always that first time for everything.”
    That offended her. “So far? Thanks for the vote of confidence, Talon.”
    He held his hands up in surrender. “At least it’s something.”
    “You better tell her, Celt … before another comes. We need to get her to shelter while we can.”
    Kateri definitely didn’t like the sound of that. “Shelter from what?”
    Talon let out a long sigh. “All right. Fine. You asked for it. Let’s see you not freak when we tell you that you’re the mother of Armageddon.”

4
    Kateri stood completely still as those words sank in. She wasn’t sure what reaction to have to his news. But it was a good thing that she’d told them she didn’t overreact, otherwise, in spite of her bravado, she’d be running for the door.
    Probably screaming the whole way.
    Maybe … if her shaking legs could manage it.
    Instead, she took a deep breath and met her cousin-in-law with the calmest stare she could muster. “Have you been into Uncle Danny’s peyote?”
    Talon opened his mouth to respond, then closed it.
    Cabeza laughed.
    Talon cut a menacing glare toward him before he softened his features. “I know this is hard for you to hear and I know you’re not going to believe me. But…” He hesitated as he visibly searched for words.
    Cabeza gave him no reprieve. “We need to get out of here. Chacu will return for her and he’ll bring reinforcements.”
    “Who is Chacu?” Kateri snapped, wanting real answers from both of them. “Why was he here?”
    Most important, why the hell was he after her ?
    Cabeza put his hands on his hips. “Do you know what the Snake Kingdom was?”
    Something to be avoided at all costs, no doubt. But she kept that sarcasm inside. “Not a clue.”
    “Of course not…” He growled low in his throat as if he found her lack of knowledge offensive, then he mumbled in Spanish under his breath. After a second, he took a breath and spoke. “Really short version, Chacu’s name means ‘to pillage’ or ‘to ravage.’ The other puta with him, and yes, I’m using the feminine on purpose, is called Veneno—as in ‘venom’ or ‘bane.’” He narrowed his gaze on her.