Mace chose to hold her close rather than argue, despite the cold feeling that swept through him. Fact was, Nikki had changed. They’d all changed. And he wasn’t sure how to navigate that new mountain before them.
He looked over her head to the door facing the courtyard. “Based on how Vine’s fight is going, I don’t know if we’ll be welcome here much longer. We can only beat up our host so many times.” Nikki gave a small laugh. “Come on, let’s get the others and head back to Viennesse.” Their ancestral home in Germany and across the Rhine Valley from Deux’s compound. These days, Viennesse felt like the only safe place. And even that surety was slipping.
It was a short trip from the ruins to Viennesse, but Raven couldn’t get there fast enough. Nikki was in more danger than he’d ever imagined, and if he hadn’t questioned the heavenly angel who’d appeared as he’d petitioned the Throne, maybe it would already be too late to save her.
After Nikki’s standoff with Vessler, and after she’d left with Mace, he’d prayed for some assurance that she would be okay. Instead, he discovered the exact opposite. The cold reality of what awaited her now fueled his speed. Night had fallen, but he could see perfectly as he sailed through a puff of low clouds and descended on the Viennesse castle. Built on a mountaintop, it has been chosen as a formidable foe for all human invaders, though what was coming after Nikki was neither human nor demon. And it had come for one reason: to destroy Nikki, the woman Raven loved and would never have.
But one thing he could do was protect her. Right? Why else would the angel have warned him about what was coming after Nikki? He’d find her, then he’d make a plan. Until he had visual confirmation she was still alive, his only focus would be getting to her side. True, he knew next to nothing about the evil being sent to destroy Nikki, and he honestly had no clue how to defeat it. But he did know that if Nikki could be saved, he was the one to do it.
Raven began running the moment he touched down and headed for the front door, shoving both doors open and rushing inside as his wings — sore from the long flight — tucked behind him.
Winter and Nikki sat in the library just off the main hall. He should have known where to find her. Nikki had a weakness for quiet spots.
They both stood when he barged inside. Normally, he was confident and self-possessed, almost cool in his demeanor. Doing the hair toss thing and planting his thumbs in his pockets as if to impart information only he possessed. But not this time.
Both females noticed.
“What’s going on? Where have you been?” Winter took a cautious step toward him.
“Where are the others?” He shot a glance out the side door that led to a private patio.
Nikki is safe. For the moment.
Winter shook her head, a blanket of silky, dark hair falling from her shoulders. “Scattered throughout the castle. Raven, what’s happening?”
He stopped only long enough to meet her gaze. “A seeker’s been released from the pit.”
Winter dropped into a nearby chair, the blood in her face draining, leaving her even paler than usual.
Nikki split her glances between the two of them. “Wha — what’s a seeker?” He tried to hide the fear, and pain, from his eyes as he watched her. He soon had no choice but to look away.
Winter’s eyes slowly drifted up to meet Raven’s. “Sent here?”
There was no denying the terror in her voice. If Raven had thought meeting up with the other Halflings would somehow reassure him, he’d been dead wrong.
“Why? And how do you know?” Winter said.
“He’s hunting Nikki.”
Mace came in, sailing around the doorjamb, his narrowed gaze landing on Raven. “I thought I saw you.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he dropped to silence, sparing a moment to take in the looks on everyone’s faces. “What’s going on?”
Raven nodded toward the door. “We have to get Nikki out of here. A seeker’s coming.”
“What?” Mace crossed the room and pulled Nikki to his side. “What are you talking about, Raven? Will hasn’t sensed anything —”
“Will doesn’t know everything. The thing’s on the way. And he’s after Nikki.”
And, while you have her in your arms, I’m the only one who can protect her.
Mace’s grip tightened, and though Nikki had no idea what a seeker could be, it was something terrible enough to strike fear in Winter, Mace, and even Raven. Four hours ago, she was sparring with a Frenchman in a mock fight. Was she really about to have to run for her life … again? Nausea wove through her and Nikki placed a hand on her stomach as if mere touch could keep the contents settled. She was supposed to be safe here. Vessler and his horrible plan for her were a half a world away. Like that mattered: Mace had once told her the enemy, the real enemy, wanted her.
Mace shook his head. “If a seeker had been released, Will would know.”
“Well, you can go on telling yourself that, but you might be wasting the last minutes we have to get Nikki out of danger. I got my information directly from the source.”
Mace fisted his hands and took a step toward Raven, leaving Nikki behind. “If a seeker is coming, there isn’t anywhere safe to go.”
Raven threw his hands in the air. “So go find him. Ask All-Mighty Will what we need to do.”
Mace reached back and grasped her hand. “Come on, Nikki.”
Her palm was sweaty; she hadn’t realized until he gripped it. “I don’t feel well.”
Winter stood and dragged her chair a few feet to where Nikki stood, and along with Mace lowered her into the seat. “I’ll stay here with her. Go find Will.”
Mace dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back. Don’t worry, because everything will be fine.”
Fine? She wanted to scream, but her mind couldn’t get the sound to travel to her mouth.
Raven dropped onto his haunches at her feet, the midnight blue of his eyes so intense it jolted sanity back into her system. “Listen to me, Nikki.” He closed his warm hands over hers, so softly she felt her breath catch. “We have to go. We have to run. It’s the only way.”
Thoughts, jumbled thoughts, bounced around in her head. “Safe, here,” she managed.
“I know it’s hard to understand, but a seeker’s like a tsunami. He’ll rush through this castle and destroy everything. And he’ll take you when he’s done, even if I and every Halfling here tries to stop him. As long as you’re here, no one is safe.”
Her eyes trailed up to Winter.
“I don’t know, Nikki. Seeker’s are …” But her words dropped and she looked at Raven. “Maybe you’re right.”
Raven squeezed Nikki’s hands just enough to pull her from the chair. “We can be a thousand miles away from here in two hours. But we can’t waste any more time.”
Winter dropped a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “You may be right, but perhaps she should stay. Will is here, and at least ten Halflings. What can you do on your own that we cannot do here?”
Raven traced the lines of Nikki’s face as if she held the answer. His only concern seemed to be keeping her safe, and his promise to protect her was imprinted in every inch of his being. She thought he might concede, decide it was best to be here at Viennesse. How many times have the Halflings bragged about how fortified the castle is? Raven opened his mouth. He was going to agree.
That’s when they heard the scream.
Chapter 2
Glimmer and Vegan ran through the front door, screaming Will’s name. Raven rushed forward and caught them in the hall, barreling into Glimmer and stopping her forward momentum. Instead of pushing him off, she clung to him like a small child; even from the library Nikki saw the visible quake that started in her arms and worked its way down until her whole body shook. She’d never seen Glimmer so … helpless before.
In the rush of words, Nikki heard, “Deux, Paix, and Tronc. All dead. We found them in the courtyard at their home.”
Nikki’s mind went numb. The Frenchman she’d fought earlier in
the day? Dead?
“Something … something shredded them,” Glimmer said.
“Where is it now?” Raven yelled.
Vegan now leaned on the wall for support. Her golden brown hair scattered over her arms, her usually peaceful face streaked with worry. “We didn’t see it. It was gone when we got there.” Tears rolled down her face. “We only went back to France to get my jacket. I left it there earlier today.”
Keeping Glimmer tucked beneath his arm, he stepped toward Vegan. “Can you think of any reason why it would have gone there instead of coming here?”
Vegan’s eyes were terror stricken. “Why would it come anywhere? What do you know, Raven? What did that? No human or demon could do what we saw.”
“A seeker.”
Her knees gave out and she slid to the floor. “I don’t even think they had a chance to fight.”
“It’s after Nikki,” Raven said gravely.
All eyes fell on her. Glimmer’s voice cracked. “How do you know?”
Raven stood tall and looked Glimmer directly in the eye. “Trust me, I know.”
She buried her face in her palms, and Nikki wondered if she too was trying to block the horrible sight she’d witnessed at Deux’s house. Glimmer’s hands dropped suddenly. “Will it come to Viennesse?”
“Not if I can get her out of here.”
They’re really dead, Nikki realized, the thought fully saturating her mind. The French Halflings were dead because … because a beast was after her.
Fingers clamped around her arms. It took her a moment to process they were Raven’s, and they were shuffling her toward the door. “Let’s go.” Everything is happening too fast.
“Wait!” Will’s booming voice reverberated down the hall, bringing a measure of calm to Nikki’s chaos. “If a seeker is on the way, we prepare to fight.”
Fight? Like the French Halflings fought? Nikki pivoted to look at him, but her movements were stiff. Will’s words seemed confident, and of anyone he would know what to do. Not to mention there was safety in numbers — especially with Will at her side. But how many would die because of her? She shuddered. How many more? These were her friends. Her family. She tried to clear her thoughts. “Where’s Mace?”
Will nodded down the hallway. “He’s rounding up the other Halflings. We will all protect you, Nikki.”
“Can you promise me no one will die?” Her voice was solid, strong. And hearing it brought more conviction. No one else was going to die because of her.
Those giant silvery-blue eyes dropped to the floor. “You know I can’t.”
Nikki slid an arm around Raven and drew strength from him. She knew what they had to do. “Then I have to go.”
Winter stepped toward her and placed both hands on Nikki’s arms. “I’ll go with you.”
Raven shook his head. “Not yet, Winter. We’ll go first, in hopes of keeping it away from here. Two of us should be able to escape easily. If we don’t get airborne in time to reroute the seeker, though, Will is going to need everyone here to fight. As soon as I can find somewhere safe to tuck in for the night, I’ll get word to Zero and you can catch up to us.”
Winter’s eyes narrowed on him. “You have a plan, right?”
Raven tried to hide his reaction, but Nikki felt him bristle. “Of course. But if you’ve got some ideas, I’m open.”
Winter let out a long breath. “Circle the sky, Raven. Fan Nikki’s scent in as many directions as possible. It’s your only hope to confuse the seeker. Then find someplace very populated to hide — somewhere belowground. Try the tunnels under Paris. The mixture of smells will interrupt her scent, and you should be safe there at least for tonight. Contact us as soon as possible.”
Raven answered her with a nod. He turned to Nikki. “You ready?”
Nikki tightened her arms around Raven’s neck, throwing a last look to the Halflings and Will.
A moment later, they were leaping up into the night.
For the last hour Raven had been circling, just as Winter suggested. Usually, Nikki loved sailing above the earth, seeing the world below with nothing but wind and whispers surrounding her. But this night, she felt like live bait, as if each exhale drew a beast closer and closer. She hoped that was the case. If not, it could mean the seeker was at Viennesse. They’d covered ground over Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and were now entering France.
Her arms ached from the stranglehold she’d kept on Raven. “Can we check on them?”
She felt the muscle in his neck roll against her forearm. “Not tonight. We still have to find a way into the tunnels. I’ve only been there a few times, and it was years ago. Besides, Winter told me to check in tomorrow.”
“Since when do you follow instructions? Especially from a girl.”
“Since your life is on the line. Winter has lived a very long time. I trust her instincts on this one. There’s too much at stake to not get her thoughts.”
“What about Will? He’s lived longer than anyone. He may have known what to do.”
“The only thing Will would have done was try to talk us into staying, wasting what time we had.” Raven narrowed his gaze on Nikki. The look spoke more than words. Discussion’s over. He projected every ounce of intensity he possessed into those midnight blue spheres. Fierce protection and temptation mingled, a realization that cut through every fiber holding her together. She was stripped bare. It was a hideous, wonderful feeling. Especially as he seemed so focused on his mission that, for maybe the first time ever, he didn’t realize what he was doing to her by just being himself.
“We’re here.” Raven nodded. “Take a look.”
The world below was a velvet-dark surface dotted with a million golden lights. Some spiked high into the sky as if reaching out for her, while others remained, alive, on the ground, snaking through the jungle of illumination in long steady lines. It stole her breath.
Raven paused, airborne, his wings stretched out to hover above the crawling lights below. “Never gets old,” he said. The hint of pleasure lasted only a moment before he was back in action, descending on the streets of Paris.
He touched down in an alleyway and took a few seconds to get his bearings. “Okay, there’s a way in from a museum at the end of this street. Not sure how easy it will be to get inside though.”
Her muscles creaked and groaned in protest. “Are you considering breaking into a museum? Raven, we’ll end up in jail.”
He slid a hand through his wind-ruffled hair. “I’d send you there and lock the cell door myself if I thought it would keep you safe.”
Nikki cocked her head and planted a fist on her hip.
Raven looked her up and down. “You learn that from Glimmer?”
She dropped her fist.
He grabbed it and placed it back on her hip, then readjusted her head with both hands on the side of her face. “It looks great on you. Makes it look like you mean business. You should do that more often.”
From far down the street, music drifted toward them. “You bring out the worst in me, Raven.”
He took a step, bringing them closer. “I bring out the best in you, Nikki. Always have. Get used to it.”
No thanks. But the words caught in her throat. “Come on, let’s go vandalize the museum.”
Raven followed close behind as she left the alley. They stepped out onto the street, and no one seemed curious why the two teenagers had just come from an alley leading nowhere. When they paused to wait for the street light, Raven slid his hand into hers. The light changed and he prodded her, but she stayed unmoving, staring at their interlocked fingers.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Raven said, but there was a hint of playfulness in his tone. “I just want to keep you close.”
For a moment, she felt foolish. Given their history, the foolishness melted quickly and was followed by a cold dose of reality. Raven had taken advantage of every opportunity to woo her. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you just wanted to keep me close. I thought the hand holding was a pitiful la
st attempt to romance me.”
Raven stopped cold and turned into her. “No.” His face was so close, she could feel every brush of his breath as he exhaled. “If I wanted to romance you, I’d have done this.” He took her by both arms and spun her around. His fingers trailed along her neckline and drew the long strands of her hair over her shoulder. Hot breath, then a kiss against the back of her neck. Then he spun her back around to face him, looking at her with the same serious look as before.
Nikki’s lungs shrank and wouldn’t accept the oxygen she willed into her being.
“Try not to confuse the two. It’s humiliating. For you.”
She nodded.
“If you’re done messing around, we need to get moving.” He placed his hand around hers once more, and after a tug to prod her the two ran until they reached the giant doorway leading into the museum. After judging the distance, Raven grabbed her, snapped his wings open, and leapt, shooting straight up. It happened so quickly, she wondered if the people sitting at the dimly lit café across the street even noticed. Or if they did, they likely thought their minds were playing tricks after seeing teenagers, loitering in a doorway, then a flash of white, then nothing.
Even she still had trouble processing it.
They landed on the museum near a rooftop window. Raven tried to open it but it was welded shut.
“Can’t you leap inside? The building is big enough, right?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what kind of security system they have. If it’s movement, we could set off an alarm.” He pointed to a metal door in one corner of the rooftop. “Stairwell. My guess would be the alarm systems are set up to trigger on the individual floors. I think if we stick to the stairs we’ll be okay.”
“Then why did you try the window?”
Raven paused when he reached the door. “Are you going to ask this many questions all night? It’s getting on my nerves.”
Nikki looked down at the padlock and chain securing the door. She heaved a breath. “What now?”
Raven considered the handle for a few seconds then grasped the thing and ripped it from the door. The chain and padlock fell to the ground. Nikki’s jaw dropped with them.
Avenger Page 2