Soni was an 11 yr old Navajo boy diagnosed with a rare illness. His parents could afford only infrequent treatments for him at the local hospital, resulting in a very sickly child. During one particular stay at the hospital, Soni wandered into an old basement/storage area, where he promptly began communicating with an unseen entity – the trapped spirit of Coyote, banished for causing trouble amongst other spirits and sealed beneath the site the hospital was built upon.

Eventually his parents discovered these supernatural encounters and being good Catholic people, contacted a local priest to handle the situation. Unfortunately the priest failed to correctly identify Coyote as a (fairly benign) animal spirit and attempted an exorcism utilizing a saintly relic borrowed from the church. The result was twofold:

The exorcism was not able to banish Coyote, as he was bound to the area by powerful ancient magic. Instead it twisted his imprisonment and attached him directly to Soni (Coyote had developed an emotional attachment to the boy over the months they had conversed).

Even worse, the failed exorcism caused a “ripple” in the spiritual world, gaining the attention of something very…..dark. Whatever it was that came to the hospital wasn’t friendly. It immediately sabotaged the heating system, causing a terrible explosion that killed nearly everyone. Coyote used his magic to protect Soni and they fled into the desert.

Coyote kept Soni alive, sheltering him from the elements, holding off his illness and granting him magical powers. They eventually grew too curious about the outside world and started exploring Las Vegas.

Soni was found by the group and being his first real human contact in a long time, he became strongly attached to them. He ultimately sacrificed his life by releasing Coyote in order to save Frank Pleyel who was dying. Without Coyote’s magic, Soni’s illness overtook him instantly. Coyote was moved beyond words by this sacrifice and though he apparently departed for the “spirit realm”, he actually keeps an eye on the group from afar.

First Appearance: Things to do in Vegas with dead folks (Part I): Bloody & Money