Page 35 of Arresting the Warlord

I took a deep breath and lied, “Yeah. He’s one of kind.”

“Good. Good. You need a strong man at your side. Did you kill the Chupacabra?”

Jake beamed proudly. “CeeCee fried his ass.”

“The murders have stopped?” My father had assumed his Council Elder demeanor.

“Ah. Well.”

Shrek jumped in. “Jake and CeeCee can bring you up-to-date after you have rested.” He tapped his bracelet and my father fell asleep. “You can tell him tomorrow.”

“Does my father know he was given Zarek’s blood?” I couldn’t keep the hostility out of my voice.

“He does,” Shrek replied.

“Was my father told he’ll become a Coletti hybrid?” I knew I was being a bitch, but my entire life had been turned upside down and soon I would be sporting a nifty pair of fangs too.

Shrek’s calm yellow eyes studied me. “Everything was explained to him.”

“When you’re facing death, it’s an easy decision to make,” Jake interjected.

“My father is very proud of his heritage and he would never give it up.”

“Your dad has lost nothing. He’s still a Navajo shaman but now he’s harder to kill and his lifespan is a lot longer.” The expression on Jake’s face was pure steel. “I thought you’d be happy to have the old guy around longer.”

“I am. A lot has happened in the last twenty-eight hours and I need time to process it all.” My stomach rumbled hungrily.

“Your mate will feel better after she’s eaten and rested,” Shrek said.

Until I figured a way out of this mess, I was stuck with the jackass. “Does that food processor make tamales?”

“It does.” Jake smiled in relief and held out his elbow.

I wrapped my hand around it. “Good, I’m starving.”

Jake escorted me down the hallway. “After we eat, you need to show me some of your shaman tricks.”

“You first need to understand the Navajo people and their connection with the land.”

“I was born and raised in Arizona. My family formed a close relationship with the Apaches when our base was destroyed by the Tai-Kok.” Jake let out a very realistic coyote howl.

I stared at him in amazement. “Is that your Coletti battle cry?”

“No, it’s an Apache war cry. The animal sounds are a way to communicate what actions you want the other warriors to take. Did you know there are no rules for an Apache warrior when it comes to fighting? If you’re his enemy, he will kill you.”

“I did. Who taught you those sounds?”

“Mangas, a Chiricahua Apache. He’s a fierce, scalp-taking master of death.”

“Scalp-taking?”

An evil smile curved Jake’s mouth. “Mangas collected Tai-Kok scalps. The monsters feared him.”

“I can see why. Any Tai-Kok stupid enough to come on our land were incinerated or eviscerated.”

Jake led me into the mess hall. “Tamales, rice and beans?”

“Yep.” One look at the food replicator built into the wall and I automatically knew how to use it. “Can I order my own food?”

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