Avenger

by Heather Burch

  “Don’t move!” someone yelled from farther in the corridor. The crowd cut a path for the voice until Nikki could see an older man rushing toward her. Dane had interlocked his fingers with the man’s, but the man was trying to get away. Dane did that slick-as-an-eel thing he did and clasped tighter.

  “No, no!” the man yelled down at him, and Dane let go.

  “Solomon?” Raven leaned over and asked Nikki.

  “Guess so,” she answered. As the man approached, all she could think was cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo — especially when he snatched a do-rag off one of the boy’s heads as he passed by. Two fully functioning hands — now free of Dane — tied the bandana into a loose knot. Solomon grabbed Nikki’s hand, mumbling about blood, and wrapped the fabric around her fist.

  All this for a tiny cut?

  He squeezed hard, pinching her fingers. “It’s the blood,” he said, pulling her close to his plump face. His breath wasn’t all that fresh and his eyes weren’t all that clear. Cuckoo, cuckoo.

  Nikki leaned back.

  He leaned forward. “The seeker tracks your blood.”

  Instinctively, Nikki slammed her free hand over the wound. Her heart kicked up, this time beating out of more fear than anger.

  “Did your blood touch the ground?”

  “No,” she said.

  He grabbed her arms and squeezed. “Don’t let your blood touch the ground. The blood cries out. That’s the easiest way for the seeker to find you.”

  Over Solomon’s shoulder, she watched Skinny wipe his mouth as if removing the Nikki-blood plague, then step farther and farther away until his back bumped the wall and there was nowhere else to go. He continued staring at her like she was the reaper come to collect his soul.

  No one laughed now. Raven eyed Dane, then Solomon. “How’d you know?”

  Solomon ruffled Dane’s hair. “He came and found me.”

  Raven’s gaze narrowed. “Dane didn’t know it was a seeker. How’d you figure out a seeker was involved?”

  “It wasn’t that difficult. Dane said you were being hunted. Something worse than demons and hounds. That narrowed the options. When he told me you came with a question about why a creature would track you to a place you’d barely been rather than finding you at your customary dwelling, the answer had to be spilled blood. A seeker.”

  Customary dwelling. He must mean Viennesse.

  Raven’s shoulders dropped a degree, and Nikki was reminded Raven didn’t trust anyone. Well, he’s still alive, so you can’t argue with success.

  “You know about seekers? Do you know how to defeat one?” Raven said with enough encouragement in his voice to lift Nikki’s spirits.

  “Oh, no.” The man shook his head.

  Hopes dashed.

  “I don’t even know how to fight a seeker, and I’m not sure anyone ever has successfully.”

  Okay, that removed all hope.

  “I can tell you what I know about how they track, what they do to their victims.” Gray eyes found Nikki. Wrinkle lines framed Solomon’s watery gaze as he tried to force a smile. “But it’s best not to dwell on that if you’re trying to stay ahead of one.”

  “Stay ahead?” Raven spat. “What, for eternity? We have to figure out a way to stop this thing, not keep running from it.”

  The old man grabbed Raven by the shoulders and yelled, “I can’t tell you what I don’t know, half-man.”

  Dane grabbed Nikki’s unbandaged hand and mouthed “cuckoo.”

  Solomon let go. “I’m sorry.”

  “Right.” Raven’s eyes slowly went from saucer size to normal. “We’d appreciate all the help you can offer.”

  “Come with me,” Solomon motioned them into the darkest part of the tunnel.

  One hour later, after numerous glasses of lukewarm tea at the Owl’s kitchen table in his underground apartment, they knew little more than when they’d arrived.

  The only helpful tidbit was that seekers knew but one thing: find and neutralize the target. “So, basically, they never rest and they never stop hunting?” Raven asked, circling back to what the Owl had told them.

  Solomon rifled through the mix of journals and books he’d scattered across the table. “Here it is. I wrote this a few years back when the seeker caught my attention. I’d spent a year in the Middle East researching biblical monsters —”

  “Biblical monsters?” Nikki interrupted. “Like demons?”

  Solomon reached around his tea mug and pulled a black leather-bound book to him. “Much worse than demons. Vile things that aren’t allowed access to the earthly realm. It’s all in Scripture — if you’ve a mind to look closely enough. Leviathan, the behemoth, the angel of death, they’re all there. This creature seeks whom he can devour. The word devour actually translates to shred. Seekers shred their victims.”

  Nikki’s heart plummeted to her stomach.

  Raven pushed his tea away. “I am so going to regret asking this, but why does it shred its victims?”

  The Owl swallowed, his gray eyes darkening. “It’s trying to remove the soul. It digs into the victim in hopes of capturing it.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think I wanted to know.”

  “The issue is souls can’t be removed. Once a physical person is dead, the soul sails on its own.” Solomon sipped his tea.

  Nikki’s brow puckered. Mr. Cuckoo wasn’t making any sense.

  She chewed on her lip. “I remember reading in my Bible that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So, everyone who dies goes to God?”

  Solomon patted the leather book again, and Nikki realized it must be a Bible. “To be absent from the body is to be present with your lord. Whoever that is. If you serve the Throne, then the Giver of Life is your Lord. If you reject him, the hater of men’s souls is your lord. Either way, your soul is gone from the physical body instantly.”

  “Unless you’re a Halfling,” Raven mumbled.

  “But the seeker tries to dig through you to find it after you’re dead?” Nikki tried to stop the nausea the mental picture raised.

  “That’s what I understand, at least. Seekers aren’t my specialty. I have a friend who has spent more time than me studying them. I think you should talk to him.”

  Raven stood. “No time like the present.”

  “He won’t be reachable this late at night. He’s in the Bernese mountains.”

  “Swiss Alps. One of my favorite ski areas.” Raven began to gather the tea kettle and cups “Can you give us directions?”

  “Of course,” Solomon said. “But don’t you think you should sleep here tonight?”

  Nikki yawned. “I’m exhausted. But I don’t want to put anyone at risk.”

  Solomon reached to pat her hand across the table. “For those of us in the underground, we specialize in risk.”

  Choices, choices. Raven glanced down at Nikki. She looked spent. Dark circles under her eyes, worry tilting the edges of her mouth into a frown. Even now she was gorgeous.

  And exhausted. Yeah, they needed to rest a few hours. Winter had suggested the tunnels to him as a safe place for the night, but he’d managed to keep them one step ahead of the seeker, and maintaining that advantage was paramount. Plus, there was something really delicious about being her guardian, the only one protecting her. For the first time ever, he had Nikki to himself, and she truly trusted him. But no matter how much he enjoyed their current arrangement, his feelings had to take second place to her safety.

  “Solomon,” Nikki said, leaning forward. “We need to get a message to a friend in Germany. Do you have a computer with an internet connection?”

  Raven stood. “No time, Nikki.” He dragged her out of her chair and she rested against him. “If we want to stay ahead of the seeker, we have to move. Tonight. Now.” He briefly stared at his hand, wrapped around Nikki’s wrist, realizing the decision he’d made the moment he pulled Nikki to her feet. He couldn’t allow them to connect with the others, as that meant sharing her — and it seemed like sharing her m
eant more risk. Too much risk. For all of them.

  Her long exhale assaulted him, and he tried — unsuccessfully—to avoid drawing Nikki into his lungs. Her breath was sweet where it blew against his skin. Ignoring the Owl, he cupped her face in his hands. “You can rest while we fly,” he whispered. “We’ve been here too long already.”

  She nodded, the motion causing strands of her hair to dance over his fingertips. Man, it felt good to have Nikki alone. And he simply wasn’t ready to give that up.

  Chapter 5

  Raven pumped his wings, taking in the snow-dusted mountains below him. His arm was numb with a thousand prickly spots begging for fresh blood flow, but he wouldn’t readjust. Nikki had fallen asleep, her skin against his, her breathing heavy with exhaustion. She’d groaned once, and he’d drawn her closer, rewarded by her nuzzling into him and whispering his name. There, in his arms while he hovered above the mountains, everything was perfect.

  Except for the fact they were being hunted.

  He spotted a cabin and a thin sliver of road leading to it. Smoke rose from a chimney and the ground around the building glowed warm yellow with the illumination of lights from inside. Solomon had said they would have to wait until morning to talk to his friend, but Raven had never been one to listen to other people’s opinions about what he should and shouldn’t do. He dropped altitude and landed silently at the edge of woods beside the house.

  On the ground, he could give his full attention to Nikki. Her long hair fell in windswept waves around her shoulders and spilled over him. Her eyes were closed, and those impossibly long lashes rested against her skin. When a breeze worked its way around the mountainside and collided against them, Nikki burrowed deeper into Raven’s arms.

  He closed his wings around her, sheltering her from the cold. What are you doing? a small voice whispered inside his soul. Nikki had said she wanted to be with Mace, that he was her match. But Raven knew she was wrong. At least, he believed she was wrong.

  And it wasn’t just her. No one thought Raven and Nikki were right for each other. The words Winter spoke to him when they were on the yacht echoed back. “What will happen when you’re not the shiny new penny anymore?”

  Raven pushed all the negative words aside. He wanted Nikki, and knew they had a connection no one else could fathom. And that made it right.

  He roused her by gently kissing her cheek. His lips lingered against her skin. She smelled different this close. With his powerful senses, his mind clicked off the fragrances as they entered his nose: coconut shampoo, baby powder, lotion. He lifted one of her hands to his face. Yep, hand lotion, vanilla. And there was that aroma that was simply her. The smell of wind and life. It was Nikki, and it was freedom. The one thing he never thought he’d have.

  He wasn’t just in love with her. She was his salvation.

  Her eyes fluttered open. Taking in her position in his arms and the surroundings of his gray wings, a slow smile spread on Nikki’s face. “Are we safe?” she whispered.

  “You’re always safe with me, Nikki.”

  “I’m starting to think you’re right.” She yawned, stretched like a cat, but he wouldn’t let her slip that easily. His hand pressed to the small of her back.

  “Then why don’t you stop fighting me?” His lips brushed against hers, and for a moment she melted into him. But just as quickly her mouth hardened and she leaned back.

  “I’m not going to do this, Raven.”

  He studied her eyes, still inches from his face, yet suddenly miles away.

  “If this is your plan, take me back to Viennesse.”

  The muscles in his body twitched, and he hoped she hadn’t noticed her words caused him to loosen his hold. Since when did Nikki react to him like this, and with such conviction? Since when was he no longer irresistible?

  “Take you back? That’s a stupid idea.”

  She cocked a brow. “Maybe, but I didn’t come with you so you could try to change my mind.”

  “If your mind couldn’t be changed, you wouldn’t be so worried about it.” Though his grip had loosened, his hand pressed into the small of her back. He knew what that did to her.

  She lifted a hand and pushed firmly against his chest. “I’m serious.”

  Maybe I am in trouble.

  “I don’t want to put them in danger, but I’ve hurt Mace over and over by being drawn in by you. He saw us kissing when we fed the dolphins, and at my house the night my parents died, and I … I left Viennesse with you.” She gathered fistfuls of hair in both hands. “I can’t believe I did that. How’s he going to feel?”

  “The same way I do, like we need to do whatever it takes to keep you alive,” Raven spat.

  Her eyes cooled. “I won’t hurt Mace again. If you’re going to play the “get her alone and make her forget her boyfriend” card, you can forget it. Because I’m not playing that game with you anymore.”

  He’d gotten plowed by an ATV once, before he’d tapped in; this felt about the same.

  “We have to concentrate on staying alive, staying ahead of the seeker. All our energy needs to go there. If you’re not committed to that, take me back.”

  She was right, even though it killed a part of him to admit it. Raven released her and opened his wings. “Okay, okay. What’s our next move?”

  The wind caused her to shutter while she scrutinized him, no doubt judging his motives. “You’re still willing to help me?” There was a new strength in her voice, her posture.

  “Of course.”

  “And you won’t be trying to …” She pointed between them and made small circles with her finger.

  Frustration increased but he fought it. “No.”

  Nikki’s chin dropped and she eyed him. “Not at all?”

  He released an angry breath. “Not at all, Nikki.”

  A mix of triumph and relief were visible in her crooked smile. “Good. Thanks.” She turned and tromped toward the cabin’s front door.

  “As I said, what’s our next move, oh dear person I see only in a platonic manner?”

  “Our next move is to go wake up Solomon’s friend. And if you keep up that tone of voice, I’ll dig my fingers into your eye sockets.”

  Huh, so this is what it feels like when the shine wears off.

  Introductions had gone as well as one could expect. Christopher, Solomon’s friend, invited them in with barely a word. Raven had entered slowly, trying not to gawk at the weirdness of it all. Hello, we’re here to pick your brain. Why? Oh, we’re being chased by a seeker. Got any coffee?

  Once they were inside, he was only slightly shocked to see the entirety of the cabin’s walls were covered in shelves and shelves of books. Books to the ceiling. No paintings, no photographs, just books and the occasional window. Every direction held evidence of either an untidy housekeeper or a very one-track mind. Stacks of folded clothes had taken over one corner, while piles of dirty ones comprised another.

  The tall, thin man had been kind enough, though he’d taken one look at Nikki, one glance at Raven, and demanded there would be no discussions until they’d all rested. “It will take all of your strength. All of your cunning to stay ahead. Tonight, you need your rest,” Christopher had said, like some Dad trying to make sure his kids got enough sleep before the big algebra test. Moments later he’d shooed Nikki into a small bedroom and shut the door behind her, leaving Raven alone with him in the living room.

  Why were the men who helped them always such weird dudes?

  After several minutes in the Twilight Zone that was Christopher’s cabin, Raven slipped back outside, trying to wrap his mind around the situation.

  He wouldn’t sleep, of course, so he sat on the front porch beneath a patio heater that actually kept the temperature comfortable. The quiet and stillness of the Swiss Alps closed around him like a protective armor. He lingered there, thinking about all the things he should leave tucked into that other protected place, his heart.

  Nikki’s words had stung. But he’d give her what she’d aske
d for. Shoot, he’d slice open his side and give her a kidney if that’s what she needed. Maybe by backing off, she’d actually see the truth. That’s what she’d wanted him to do on the boat, and in the end she’d raced off to his favorite place, choosing his motorcycle, just because she had an urge to be near him again. She just had to see he wasn’t a back off kind of guy. Regrettably, that was part of the path he’d chosen. A choice that hadn’t quite gone as planned.

  But her ability to pull away this time was something different. Nikki was different. Maybe she’d been battered and knocked around so much, she finally settled into who and what she was. Even Mace wouldn’t be able to deny determination and strength came off her now in undeniable ripples.

  She’d become a survivor. That, he could use.

  And that, that quality he’d helped her hone, might be the thing that drove her away from him.

  The door creaked open.

  Nikki peeked out onto the porch, pulling the colorful afghan she’d found tighter around her shoulders. “I thought you were going to sleep.” She’d almost panicked when she’d left her cozy bed and found he was no longer in the living room. But a pale light from the front porch slipped beneath the door, and she’d breathed relief before coming out to him. Raven was still there. Guarding her.

  “I guess I’m just not tired,” he said, and turned back toward the endless sea of blue-white mountains.

  She stepped onto the porch and a shiver entered her feet and climbed up her body. “It’s cold out here.” She considered the mountains, the smoky gray moon hovering above. “Is sitting out here really necessary?” What is he looking at?

  Raven pointed. “See that peak over there? It reminds me of my favorite place to ski.”

  Nikki settled onto the porch swing beside him. “You’re exhausted, Raven. Why are you out here thinking about skiing?”

  “Keeping watch. I don’t like being surprised.” There was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

  “If you’re talking about what I said earlier —”

  “I’m not.”

  Off to the right, the wind moved a tree enough to collapse the small peaks of snow on the branches. Sparkling flakes fluttered to the ground.