“You just ripped a metal door open,” she squealed. Her hands fell onto his shoulders and she shook him. “Raven! Did you see what you did? You ripped apart metal.”
His head bobbed as she shook him. There was no mistaking the smile spreading across his face. Maybe Raven had surprised himself too.
The levity didn’t last long. He reached through the hole in the door and swung it open. “Get inside,” he ordered.
The stairwell was dark, but as she’d learned from being in Zero’s tunnels what now felt like a lifetime ago, she could see in the dark. Nothing for a Halfling.
“The entrance is in the basement, so I’m hoping this stairwell will take us that far. If not, we’ll have to cross one of the floors to get to the front stairs. That’s where I’ve gone in before.”
“Do you think they’re all okay, Raven?”
He stopped mid-step and turned to her. “You really need to put your energy into staying alive, Nikki. The other Halflings can take care of themselves.” When she continued to stare at him, he softened, but only slightly. “Look, they know what they’re up against now.”
She searched his eyes for the lie, but couldn’t find it. “You really think this worked, don’t you? You think they’re all right.”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t have left with you if I didn’t.”
She forced a smile. “I hope you’re right.”
He winked. “Count on it, baby. I’m always right.”
Nikki rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand to tug him down another flight of stairs. Finally, the Raven I know how to deal with.
“When we get to the bottom, the stairway narrows. And it’s kind of creepy. Don’t go too fast, and stay close. I won’t let any rabid Parisian rats nest in your hair or anything.”
“I hope it doesn’t narrow too much,” Nikki said.
“Why? Scared of enclosed spaces?”
She blinked innocently. “No, I’m just afraid your ego might not fit.”
The tunnel into the Paris underground was indeed tight, indeed creepy, and indeed a place Nikki was glad to be out of. The instant they stepped into a larger space she began the ritual of combing imaginary spiders from her hair. The combing was especially vigorous since there was a good chance they weren’t all imaginary. She’d rested her hand against the tunnel wall at one spot, and when it quivered beneath her touch, she screamed. Raven clamped a hand over her mouth to quell the sound. “It’s just a spider.”
Just a spider. As if that somehow made it better.
“I thought you were tough,” he scoffed.
“I don’t like spiders.”
He pointed to her foot. “How do you feel about centipedes?”
She practically sucked in all the air from the room, but before she could shriek Raven’s hand was over her mouth, once again muffling the sound.
“You’re really good with the whole inconspicuous thing.”
The centipede continued his trek toward the tunnel wall. “Inconspicuous?” She motioned around her. “Who’s gonna hear?”
“I would.” The small voice came from behind them and Nikki jumped. “Sorry,” the shadow said.
Nikki thought maybe the narrow tunnel they’d left wasn’t so bad after all. She could see, but the voice came from a space she couldn’t penetrate, and a stranger was certainly worse than some bug. Even if he was polite. Looking closer, she realized the shadow was a rock wall and the voice came from behind it. A small hand slid out from the rock and waved. “Hi. I’m Dane.”
Raven’s brows rode high on his head. He shrugged at Nikki then addressed the hand that now clung to the edge of the rock. “Hi, Dane. Is there a body attached to that hand?”
From about four feet off the ground, a small head appeared slowly from behind the stone. Brown hair, then large brown eyes framed by glasses, then a small nose. He stayed positioned like that, staring at them as if deciding whether to engage in a conversation or run to find authorities. He couldn’t be more than ten years old, and the strong French accent seemed odd coming from such a small boy. Finally, a bow-shaped mouth appeared, teeth chewing one side in apparent nervousness. “So, how’d you find my hideout?”
“Your hideout?” Raven repeated slowly.
“Yeah.” Dane’s eyes filled with confidence. “This is my hideout. This room here. I discovered it a year ago and it’s all mine. No one else comes down here, and no strangers are allowed. There’s nothing to see. Just my toys and stuff. So just go back out the way you came in.”
Raven crossed his arms. “Look, kid, I don’t have time for this. I’m looking for someone. Greta. Does she still use the tunnels?”
Greta? Nikki cut a look to Raven.
Dane, still mostly hidden behind his rock, laughed. “I don’t know what you mean. This is just one room, one way in and out, so however you got down here, you need to leave the same way.”
“If you’re going to be the self-proclaimed tunnel guard, you probably shouldn’t tell people there’s one way in and out, then tell them to leave however they got in.”
Dane’s eyes grew troubled. Black-rimmed frames slid down his nose a bit. “Greta’s been gone awhile. Oh, my brother will know how to help you. He knows everything.”
The boy materialized, all four feet of him. He ran to Raven and grabbed his hand. “Come on. I’ll take you to him. He knows everybody. He knows everything about the tunnels.”
“Idolize much?” Raven mumbled, then threw a pleading look to Nikki. He tried to pull away from the kid, but Dane would have none of it. By the looks of his small hand navigating Raven’s larger one, he was used to leading unwilling people.
The boy walked them through a series of spaces that could be considered rooms, each containing walls of some unknown material. It could be concrete, or maybe very smooth rock, or even dirt rubbed slick from years of wear. Nikki fought the urge to reach out and touch. Whatever the rooms were made of, they were a spider’s heaven, no doubt. She ran her hands over her hair again … just to make sure.
“Do people actually live down here?” she whispered to Raven, hoping his new appendage wouldn’t hear.
“Some,” Raven said.
Nikki shuddered and couldn’t imagine calling this home. She needed sunlight, fresh air, trees. Then they crossed a larger space littered with people, and a woman reached to lift a child into her arms. Pain pierced Nikki’s heart. Home was where your family dwelt. Underground or otherwise. At least Dane had a home; she couldn’t say the same anymore. “They don’t have a choice, do they?”
Raven stopped to look at her, the bespectacled boy dangling at the end of his arm. “Most of them don’t,” he said in a whisper. “A few are fugitives, others are homeless. None of them want to be found. It’s kind of a separate city down here. Believe it or not, they all watch out for each other.”
Nikki’s eyes found Dane, and for the briefest of moments she saw him homeless on the streets of Paris. A bubble of emotion rose to her throat. She dropped to her haunches and reached out to grab the boy and hug him. “Thank you so much for your help, Dane.”
Statue still, he stared straight ahead. One side of Dane’s face slowly broke into a lopsided smile when Nikki released him and stood up.
Finally free of the boy, Raven sank his hands deep into his pockets.
Dane blinked a few times, gauged Nikki with an unsure look, and reached to drag Raven’s hand from the safety of his jeans.
Raven swatted at him with his other hand, but Dane wouldn’t be deterred. He grasped Raven’s wrist with all his fingers and tugged until the cloaked fist was free and back in his grip.
“We’re almost there. My brother hangs out at the Cave.”
The Cave, Nikki learned, was a dimly lit room that appeared to serve as a gathering place for anyone over sixteen. Several people mingled at a handful of tables, and some stood among a few pieces of inspired artwork — mostly chunks of shining metal twisted into abstract designs. She searched the space for a friendly face but found none. One table of girls sto
pped talking to turn around and glare at them. A man traversed the room walking so close that when he passed she was almost knocked down even though she stepped aside. None of it fazed Dane. But Nikki felt like she’d just stepped into a private party where she not only wasn’t invited, she certainly wasn’t welcome.
Old movie posters dotted the walls, and music — a style she’d never heard before — filled the air, giving the place its own alternative vibe.
“I’m liking the tunes,” Raven said to her as Dane dragged them toward a table of tough-looking guys in the corner.
“It’s different. If Lenny Kravitz married Alanis Morissette, this is what their offspring would sound like.”
Raven laughed.
A guy with short hair and big muscles—highlighted by the tight white tank top he wore — stood from the table and stepped out. “Yo, Great Dane. What’re you doing here?” His voice was gruff, and Nikki began to think following Dane was a mistake.
Dane released Raven, ran toward the guy, and jumped. He landed in his arms.
“Whoa,” the guy said, ruffling Dane’s hair. “You are getting way too big for that, lil’ bro.”
Nikki sighed with relief. Beside her, she swore Raven did the same. “You weren’t scared of him, were you?” She felt wicked for saying it, but she couldn’t resist.
Raven cut her with a look. “No. And even if I had been, we need their help.”
Dane beamed, and as the older guy carried him over, Nikki saw the resemblance in their faces. Same bow-shaped mouths, same brown eyes. Same accent.
“This is Frank. He’s my brother. He knows everything.”
Frank had yet to crack a smile in their direction, and Nikki’s heart increased with the ticking seconds. “I don’t know who you two are or what you said to get this far, but strangers aren’t welcome down here.”
He threw a glance behind him, signaling the other boys at the table to stand. The half dozen guys made a half circle around Raven and Nikki.
Dane pushed back from his brother. “Frank, they’re my friends. He’s looking for Greta.”
Frank scrutinized Raven, and Nikki could only wonder what the intense examination was about. Who was this Greta, and why was she so important? And how did Raven know her? One more quick motion of Frank’s head and the pack of guys slithered back to the table.
“Greta’s not here. Why are you looking for her?”
Raven took a step toward him. “What does it matter if she’s not here?”
“Everything matters in the tunnels, my friend. If you want help, you should work on your attitude.”
Raven relaxed. “Yeah, I keep hearing that. Greta brought me down here a few years ago.”
Frank answered by raising his brows.
“Anyway, she brought me down here because I was … injured … in a fight.”
Frank loosened his grip on Dane and the boy slid to the floor. “Makes sense,” Frank said. “Greta always was one to bring in strays.”
“Was?”
“She’s dead.”
If Nikki hadn’t been looking at Raven, she might have missed the way he practically doubled over with the words. He stared at the floor for a long time. “What happened to her?” The muscle in his jaw twitched.
“She was trying to help a mutt like you.”
Chapter 3
Dane hugged his brother’s legs “I miss Greta. She always brought me candy.”
Nikki wanted to cry. For Raven, for Dane. For Frank, who obviously cared for Greta too — more than his steely shell could hide.
“I’m sorry,” Raven said. He slid his hand into Nikki’s and started to turn. “We’ll find somewhere else to stay. We just needed a place for the night.”
Before they could get to the door, the stone walls carried Frank’s voice to them. “We’ll help you, Halfling.”
Raven stopped in his tracks. Nikki risked a peek over her shoulder and stared at the muscled giant.
“What’s after you?”
Raven turned slowly.
Nikki followed, and her confusion must have been glowing on her face, because Frank directed the next statement to her. “I’m a Xian and a Seer.”
Okay, maybe he could help. After all, Xians already understood the spiritual realm surrounding them, and if he was also a Seer, like her, he might actually be able to tell them where to head next. Of course, her Seer abilities hadn’t helped at all during this whole nightmare. She didn’t even know what a seeker looked like, and until Raven appeared at Viennesse she’d hadn’t realized she was in danger.
Frank almost smirked at them. “Even if I wasn’t a Xian, you both fit the profile.”
“Profile?” Nikki echoed, still a little freaked. No one had ever blatantly called her out as other before.
Frank gestured to Raven. “Light hair, blue eyes on the guys, and dark hair, golden eyes on the girls. Sorry, but you sort of stick out like a cannibal in a vegan restaurant.”
“Okaaaay,” Nikki said, wincing at the metaphor.
“And since I’m a Seer, I know something’s hunting you.”
Nikki ran forward and gripped Frank by the arms. “Please tell me everything you know. Can you see it? Can you see where it is now? I haven’t been able to sense a thing.” Let it be far from Viennesse. Or, if the seeker was after them, she prayed they’d succeeded in rerouting it. Though if it had picked up her scent … Had she put everyone in the tunnels in danger?
Raven pulled her off Frank. She forced herself to focus on his thumb gently rubbing the underside of her wrist instead of the thoughts swirling through her mind.
“What’s after you, Halfling?”
Raven opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and looked down at Dane.
The motion wasn’t lost on Frank. “Go get me something to drink,” he told his little brother.
Dane sighed and moped off in the direction of a doorway.
With a glance back to make sure they boy was out of earshot, Raven said, “A seeker.”
Frank’s mink-brown eyes narrowed. “Don’t know that one. I’ve met with hell hounds, watched Halflings fight demons, but a seeker? Wimpy name. How bad could it be?”
“Worse than anything you’ve seen. It’s like a million razor-sharp knifes slicing at once, leaving you in ribbons. And it never stops hunting until it finds the target.”
Frank pointed to Nikki. “You, right?”
Nikki dropped her head.
Dane returned, and when his brother wouldn’t take the can of soda he offered, he sat it on the ground at their feet.
So far, no explosion about drawing the seeker into the tunnels. That had to be a good sign. Though why wasn’t he yelling at them? Did the guy have no sense of self-preservation? Nikki felt the questions rise in her throat and the fear accompanying them. Especially for Dane, who had already lost someone he cared about — Greta — because she had stuck her neck out for someone like Raven. Someone like me. “Look, I don’t want to stay down here. Raven brought us here because we didn’t know what else to do. Just point us to the nearest exit and we’ll go.”
Frank rocked back on his heels. “Just like that?”
“We can’t just let them go!” Dane pleaded, his small hand patting the sure-to-be rock-hard stomach beneath Frank’s tank.
Nikki marveled at her ability to mess everything up. If she survived this latest nightmare, maybe she’d write a book. Ten Thousand Ways to Ruin Someone’s Day. “Yes, we will leave just like that. It’s not your concern and we’ve put you in danger.”
As Frank stared at her, Nikki realized his features were chiseled enough to belong to a Halfling. But he was sporting a five o’clock shadow and springy arm hair, as well as eyes that were far from blue — not to mention he didn’t possess the Halflings’ smooth manner and breathtaking beauty. Instead he looked beat up by life, but stronger for it. There was wisdom and fearlessness in his gaze.
“Well, you’re wrong about a couple of things.” Frank reached to the ground and snagged the soda. “First, you
’re here. And that makes it our business. Second, you didn’t put us in any more danger than what we live in day by day, baby. So stop with the pity party.”
Nikki closed her mouth abruptly.
“I may not know anything about seekers, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t afraid to fight whatever tries to infiltrate our domain.”
Raven reached a hand to Frank’s shoulder in a brother-in-arms sort of way. She’d learned warriors had their own language, one Raven and probably Frank spoke fluently. “I appreciate that, but this creature just destroyed three of our friends. Halflings named Deux, Paix, and Tronc.
Frank slowly sat the soda can back on the floor. When he rose, Nikki could tell he was struggling to maintain his composure. “They were our friends too. You sure? Deux is an amazing fighter …”
“We’re sure.”
Nikki chanced a glance at the corner table. The guys seated there reacted to tragedy the same way—all dropped their heads a degree, while one rubbed a hand over his face and another leaned back, sniffed, stared at the ceiling.
More pain and sorrow to leave in her wake.
Frank moved a millimeter closer to Nikki and trapped her in his stone-cold gaze. Beside her, Raven bristled. Frank’s entire composure had shifted once more — now something was boiling in the depths of Frank’s eyes. His teeth were clenched so tightly, she wondered if his jaw might shatter. As he took a predatory step toward her, Raven countered with a defensive stride between them.
Tension rose until Frank reached out and grabbed her by the shirt. “Stop it, Nikki!”
Now what did I do? She tried to ready for a punch, an attack of some kind, but instead he pulled her to his face. Nikki wanted to search for Raven, but couldn’t drag her eyes from Frank. “W-what?”
He drew her even closer and growled, “Stop it now.”
Where is my sworn protector while I’m being manhandled by this Xian bully? Beside her, she actually felt Raven relax.
“I — I don’t understand.”
“It’s not about you, little Halfling. This is the battle we’ve chosen. Stop feeling sorry for us. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It reeks like yesterday’s trash. You want to help? Be a fighter. Be a soldier. Stop being a baby.” Frank released her with a shove. “You were called into this war. Start acting like you’re worthy of it.”
Avenger Page 3