Sharon Sala - Rider on Fire & When You Call My Name

She handed the washcloth to Adam, and then stood abruptly.

“You said you belong to the Snake clan?”

Both men nodded.

“What does that mean?”

Franklin frowned, then looked to Adam for support.

“Think of it like this,” Adam said. “You are an American, from the state of Arizona, right?”

“Right.”

“So then transpose that same identification process to your ethnicity. You are Kiowa, from the Snake clan.”

“So, what does the snake mean to people from the same clan?”

“It’s like our totem…what the white man might consider a mascot. But we believe it is like a conduit between us and the spirit world. That’s a little simplistic, and it means much more, but it’s the best way that I can describe it.”

“I see,” she said, and began rubbing her hands together nervously. “This is so weird,” she kept saying.

“What is it that is weird to you?” Franklin asked.

She shrugged and tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a sob.

“Wait until you see this,” she said, and stood up, then turned her back on the men.

Before they knew what was happening, she’d pulled her T-shirt over her head, revealing the tattoo of an elongated snake that traced the length of her spine. The snake’s tail was somewhere below the waistband of her jeans, while the head marked the bottom of her shoulder blades and was twisted toward the viewer with fangs showing and the forked tongue extended. It was so perfectly depicted that neither man would have been surprised if it had suddenly hissed and struck.

Franklin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Adam inhaled sharply.

“This is strong medicine,” he said softly.

“Daughter, how long has this been on your body?”

“Since I was sixteen,” she said.

“Your parents let you do this?” Adam asked.

“I didn’t have parents, remember? At sixteen, I’d just run away from my third foster home in the same year. I think I was on the streets in San Francisco when I had it done,” she said, and pulled her shirt back down before she turned around. “Cost me a whole week’s worth of tips, too.”

Franklin stifled a moan. There were times when the plight of her childhood took his breath away.

“I’m so sorry,” he said softly.

She frowned. “About the tattoo?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Franklin said. “When I hear you speaking of your growing-up years, it always saddens me. You should have been with family, learning the ways of The People and growing up knowing you were always safe and always loved.”

Adam was momentarily stunned to silence. That this woman, who knew nothing of her heritage, should choose such a mark for her body made her powerful. He suspected the Old Ones had always known where she was and were just waiting for the right time to show her the way home.

“Sonora.”

She hesitated, then shifted her gaze from her father to Adam. “What?”

“Why the snake?”

“You mean, as opposed to any other tattoo I might have chosen?”

He nodded.

“The reason just sounds silly,” she said.

“Try me,” he asked.

“Have you ever been in a tattoo parlor?”

He nodded.

“So…you know how they have all these photos and drawings of different tattoos? Well, I was with a couple of friends. We’d been in there for a good hour, looking at photos and daring each other to go first, but no one could decide on what they wanted. I was flipping through this book of drawings and when I got to the page that had this snake on it, I felt like I was going to pass out. The room started spinning around me and I began hearing a rattle in my head…like the kind a rattlesnake makes.”

The skin crawled on the back of Adam’s neck. The Old Ones had been with her all along and she’d never recognized the signs.

“The tattoo on your back…it’s a rattlesnake?” Adam asked.

“Yes. You can’t see the rattles unless I’m—”

“Naked,” he said, and felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

She nodded, then glanced at her father.

His face was expressionless. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but it surely had nothing to do with the tattoo. She’d had the tattoo for so long that she often forgot it was there. Slightly embarrassed, she pulled her shirt back over her head moments before Franklin laid his hand on the top of her head.

“You are blessed among women,” he said softly.

She was uncomfortable with what she considered Native American voodoo and tried to make light of it.

“Couldn’t prove it by me,” she said. “My life has been anything but blessed and pure.”

“Not in that way,” Adam said. “The snake has power not often given to a woman.”

“I don’t get it,” she said. “I wasn’t born with this. It’s not a birthmark. It’s a tattoo I picked out of a book, compliments of a man named Stumpy.”

“You didn’t pick it. It chose you,” Adam said.

“I don’t—”

“You said you heard it rattle?”

“Yes, but Stumpy was smoking weed. We were all probably suffering the effects of his secondhand smoke.”

Adam stifled a frown. “Believe what you must.”

“Yeah, okay…whatever,” she said, a little embarrassed by the seriousness of the conversation.

Franklin kissed the side of her cheek and gave her a quick hug.

“If you don’t mind being left on your own again, I think I will go work on my little bird for a while. He’s anxious to be free.”

“And I need to go check on Linda Billy’s little girl,” Adam said.

“I hope she hasn’t been ill. She’s a sweet child,” Franklin said.

“Not exactly ill,” Adam said. “She overheard her grandmothers talking about someone dying in their sleep. By the time Johnny called me, she’d been awake almost three days.”

“Poor baby,” Sonora said.

Adam eyed her curiously. “So, Sonora, what are you going to do this afternoon?”

“It’s too hot to be outside,” Sonora said. “I’m thinking about a nap under the air conditioner in my room.”

“Come with me,” he said.

“Uh…”

“It’s not far. I’ll have you back in a couple of hours.”

Sonora glanced at her father. “Dad?”

He smiled. “You’ll like them.”

She still wasn’t convinced. “So…what are you going to do there?” she asked.

Adam grinned. “Well, I won’t be killing any chickens and slinging the blood about the house or praying to the sun gods today, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Franklin snorted softly, then grinned.

She glared. “You’re making fun of me.”

Adam jammed his hands in his pockets and grinned. Payback was fine. “Yeah, I am,” he drawled.

“Fine! Laugh your head off while I go change my clothes. I smell like fish.”

“Okay, but don’t dress up,” Adam warned. “The Billy family is a fine family, but somewhat distressed when it comes to money.”

“Well, damn, and I had my heart set on wearing the Versace,” she snapped, as she strode out of the room.

Adam figured he’d aggravated the situation even more by telling her what to do. The last thing he heard her say was something about “…making me nuts.”

He frowned, then let go of regret. He had all afternoon to get her in a good mood.

“I’m going to the studio while I have the energy to work,” Franklin said. “It was good to see you. Come back soon.”

Adam grinned. “You know I will.”

Franklin turned to leave, then paused. “I wish you well,” he said softly.

Adam stilled. “Thank you. You honor me with your trust.”

Franklin nodded.

“She doesn’t need my permission to do anything, but I ask only that you don’t hurt her. She’s been hurt far too many times already.”