Trail of Lightning

Chapter 6

Turns out Tah’s grandson’s name is Kai, not “Big Medicine,” and it’s pretty clear, pretty quick, that Kai and I are not going to be the match made in heaven Tah was hoping for.

Maybe it’s his clothes. A dark purple button-up shirt tucked into teal pants, the creases still sharp, and a silver striped tie. Silver-colored dress shoes, as improbable on the rez as a glass slipper, and shined spotless despite the impossible red dust that gets on everything. And those blue-mirrored aviators that probably cost as much as my truck when both the truck and those shades were brand-new.

Maybe it’s his face. Handsome. No, more than just handsome. Movie-star boy-band handsome, if movie stars and boy bands still existed. Perfect hair, styled in an artful mess, thick and black enough to have a bluish sheen to match the designer sunglasses and the fashion model clothes. Flawless brown skin that makes me self-conscious about the smattering of acne scars on my own cheeks.

Or maybe it’s not so much the pretty-boy looks or the fancy suit, but the fact that he rolled up at Tah’s at a quarter before eight in the morning, clearly back from a night out that had only recently ended. And while he doesn’t look like he’s been partying—his hands are perfectly steady as he pours sheep’s milk into his coffee—he smells faintly of smoke and booze and sweat. Not unpleasant, but I’d bet dollars to donuts that while I was hunting down monsters, Kai spent the previous night partying with his friends and trying to snag some local girl.

I respect Tah, I really do, but there is no way Kai’s going to help me hunt down the monsters.

“You said your name was Maggie?” Kai asks me as he stirs the milk into his coffee, rings flashing on at least three fingers. I can’t see his eyes behind those mirrored sunglasses, but I get the feeling he’s staring at me. Sizing me up.

Fair enough. I’m doing the same to him. “That’s right.”

“And this is yours?” He glances at the monster’s head with a small frown, looking more curious than disgusted. I expected a little more reaction from him. It’s not every day you find a monster’s severed head on your breakfast table, but, to his credit, Kai seems to take it in stride.

“Well, I wouldn’t put it that way,” I say, “but yeah.”

“Maggie is a monsterslayer,” Tah chirps proudly. “Trained by Naayéé’ Neizghání himself. I told her about you. How you could help her fight the monsters.”

Kai’s hand stills abruptly, the spoon scraping loudly against the bottom of the coffee cup. His frown deepens, small wrinkles marring his flawless face. “Did you say monsterslayer?”

“Aoo’!” Tah exclaims, his level of enthusiasm enough to make me blush. Especially since I’m about to do something that’s likely to make him hate me.

“Can I talk to you?” I ask Tah quietly. I glance over at Kai. He’s twirling his coffee spoon between his long fingers and watching me. “Privately?”

“Hmm? Sure, sure.” We stand, and I give Kai a tight smile of apology as I lead Tah gently by the elbow over to the other side of the hogan.

“What is it?” he asks.

“I’m sorry, Tah, but I can’t use him.” We’re over in the corner. It’s not far enough away for Kai not to hear us, but there’s enough distance between us that I don’t have to feel like I’m trashing the guy to his face.

“Why not?”

I flush, uncomfortable. Glance over at Kai, who’s now thrown his tie over one shoulder and is leaning across the table to poke at the monster’s head with the flat of his spoon. “I know you said he was big medicine,” I say, pitching my voice even lower, “but look at him. The clothes, the hair. Come on.”

Tah shakes his head. “You’ve got the wrong idea, Maggie.”

Kai clears his throat and we both turn. “I don’t know what exactly you two are talking about, but I’d be more than happy to help.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine,” I say.

Tah sighs deeply. “At least tell him what we know about the monster. My grandson is smart. He might know something.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Tah, but I think I’ll handle this one on my own.”

“Don’t be stubborn. He can help you,” Tah urges.

I feel like we’re talking in circles again, and it’s clear Tah’s not going to take no for an answer. I don’t have anything against Kai, I really don’t, but I’m going to have to be more direct if I want to get through to Tah. “Look, he may be your grandson, and, sure, maybe he’s learning some healing songs or whatever, but he’s a Burqueño, Tah. Do you really expect him to go fight monsters wearing that? No offense, but would he even know a monster if it bit him in the—”

“Are you talking about this tsé naayéé’?”

I freeze, midsentence. Turn, mouth open. “What?”

“A tsé naayéé’. Well, sort of.” Kai takes his sunglasses off. Folds them and sets them carefully on the table. “A creature fashioned from a mixture of flesh and something organic. Wood, stone, even corn. But without the power of speech. Although it probably took a pretty powerful sacred object to animate it. There’s a few that might do it. You might want to start your research with the library in Crownpoint. A lot of elders’ stories are in the audio archives there. I’m pretty good at translating them. I mean, for a Burqueño.”

He pats the monster’s coarse hair absently. The hair attached to the scalp Tah removed during his kitchen table autopsy. Raises his milky coffee to his perfect mouth and looks over at me before he takes a sip.

I look over at Tah. He’s beaming. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he set me up.