"To what?" Linds asked.
"What?" His brows pushed together in a frown.
"Usually you drink to celebrate something."
"Yes, it is custom. Then, to Raea."
Me? She warmed, wishing she could hide the blush she felt on her cheeks the way she could the cold in her heart. He wasn't making this easy for her. "All right."
Linds lifted her glass to Raea and took a drink.
Raea followed. The smell wasn't what she expected. Not sweet in the way soda was. When she sipped, she tasted sweetness, but not like anything else. It was different, but she'd never had anything alcoholic before. If alcohol caused this odd flavor, she wasn't interested in drinking. But she could humor Pallin. She tolerated a little more before setting the cup down.
Seconds later, the room melted around her. Voices buzzed like insects in her head.
"Raea? Raea! What's wrong?"
She fought to clarify the blurring colors around her amid the confusion. They swirled and pain—or was it?—tingled through her arms and legs.
* * *
The girl went down, her eyes glazed and unfocused. He had what he'd come for. He'd gained her trust and found something better than he could have imagined for incapacitating her.
"Raea. Raea, are you all right?" Linds knelt over the Crystal Keeper.
Pallin set his glass down without having dared to touch the substance. His preparations for this assignment hadn't mentioned the effects of alcohol on the Inari system. And this stuff was easy to find.
Now to deal with the friend. Obviously the wine didn't affect humans the same.
Pallin had the answer in his hand. After dealing with the nosy Nina Russet, he had been sure to have it ready. He pressed the neutralizer into the bony part of her neck to be sure it knocked her out. The girl collapsed over her friend, unconscious. He shoved her aside and bent over the Crystal Keeper. The neutralizer had been intended for Raea, but she didn't need it yet. The wine was enough to keep her from causing trouble, for a while.
The Starfire hung in its finely woven wire on the chain around Raea's neck. Raea he didn't care about, except to get her back to the homeworld and force her to place the crystal with the other shards in the heart of Heffin's Gate. He'd have to be careful not to touch it. None but the Keeper chosen to bear it could safely handle it, exactly the reason he would need to take her back alive when the portal opened. They had given him almost two Earth weeks to locate and incapacitate the Crystal Keeper.
Only by accident had his superiors discovered that Padina had left a child on Earth and realized she must have left her shard with that child. Those on the ship sent to Earth thirteen years ago had found no trace of the crystal in Padina's human dwelling, and they hadn't thought to look for a child but had destroyed the house and its tenants to eliminate evidence of being there.
Now, he had her. In three days, the portal would open. He had only to keep her subdued long enough to take her back.
But he had one other problem—the other Keeper. Elis would search. Of that Pallin was certain.
The hotel would be the first place anyone looked and too easy to reach. The empty house he doubted. Pallin had cleared it upon arriving. From his office in Sacramento, Prime Commander Loran had given specific instructions of how to proceed after Pallin arrived on that world. Although the others on Earth couldn't help him physically, they provided more than enough information for him to formulate a plan.
Still, he used caution. Elis might figure it out.
Exactly what he expected to use in his plan to eliminate the other Keeper.
Pallin would be ready for a confrontation. He slipped on the black coat and gloves of the Shirukan over his flightsuit. He packed a flask of wine into an inner pocket and secured Raea's wrists with a rope. If a Keeper wanted, they could escape anything but the tala gel. He hoped to spare what he had for emergency use. Besides, with the liquor, he had only to poor a swallow every few hours into Raea's mouth to keep her intoxicated. He had discovered the hard way, and had Nina to thank for it.
Sunset would come soon. After dark, he would leave. Only his golden yellow wings might be seen, but with the superstitious nature of humans, he doubted anyone would think anything was wrong.
The Chase
Where was Raea? She should have come for her training already. Elis walked to the front door and opened it to check, but she would have come in without waiting. Still no sign of her, and the sun had set. He didn't like this. Had she changed her mind?
Maybe he should check with Debbie. Since Raea slapped him over the confrontation with Pallin, he had been hesitant to follow her everywhere.
He closed the door and went off to find the kitchen phone. Before he dialed, it rang in his hands. His heart skipped a beat and he clicked it on. "Hello?"
"Elis. I'm glad I caught you. Have you seen Raea?" Debbie sounded worried.
"No. I was just about to call you."
"Oh, dear God. I hoped she was there. She left to hang out with friends at the Baum house and hasn't come back. Apparently Lindsey didn't make it home either. Her mother called Josh, who said they left around five-thirty. She gave Raea a ride to the Prairie Rose Inn to see Pallin, but she isn't answering her cell."
His heart froze. Pallin. It was now a little after eight, and still too light to fly. "I'll go." What had Pallin done? If he was Shirukan...
"Thanks, Elis."
"Okay." He clicked off the phone. The Prairie Rose Inn? He knew where that was—downtown. Hopefully Pallin hadn't done anything to harm Raea already, but if he had—
Elis shook the thought away. The Shirukan had killed his family. He couldn't let them take Raea. Why had she gone? Why couldn't she give up on Pallin? Shirukan or not, he was trouble.
Why couldn't she accept him—Elis?
The rejection stung, but he pushed his feelings aside. Right now he had a duty to perform.
He opened the closet and pulled out his coat. "Evelyn!"
"Yes, dear." Her voice came from the sitting room where he had left her.
While zipping up, he peaked through the doorway. "I need your car."
"Take it."
"Thanks." He rushed to slip on his shoes and headed out into the cold. Debbie had taught him to drive and helped him secure a license. He had seen no reason to at first, but at times like this, he was glad he had learned.
On the quiet drive, his mind whirled with possibilities. What happened to the girls? Did they make it to the Inn? What if they didn't? He could backtrack afterwards. His suspicions about Pallin worried him more. Linds drove all the time. She knew how to handle a vehicle. Nothing would have happened on the roads.
The moment he arrived in the lot of the three-level hotel, his insides twisted and tightened. Linds' car sat empty in a parking space. Please be all right.
Elis parked close to it and hurried into the hotel.
At the front desk, he stopped. "I need to know what room a foreigner named Pallin Montran is in."
The girl checked her computer.
Impatience raced through him, until she finally said, "three-oh-two. Up the stairs and down the hall to your left."
"Thanks." Raea better be all right.
He shot away around the corner of the lobby.
And nearly collided with a familiar face.
"Elis." Nina's shock turned into a grin. "I wouldn't expect to see you here."
"No time to talk." He didn't need her snooping into his affairs. By Starfire, she'd better stay out, or he'd have a bigger mess than he could clean up.
Up the stairs to the top and down the hall to the left. He followed the numbers to 302 and pounded on the door. "Pallin, open up!"
No one answered. He pounded again. "Raea! Linds! Are you there? Raea!" He put his ear to the door.
A faint voice reached him from the other side. He lifted a fist to pound harder.
The door opened.
"Elis?" Linds blinked and rubbed her eyes groggily. "What's going on?"
He glan
ced down the hall and pushed past her into the room to shut the door. Someone would hear. Where was Raea? Why was Linds alone? Someone could have punched him in the gut for all the worry twisting inside him.
She wobbled but he caught her.
"Whoa." Linds groaned.
Elis guided her to the bed. When she turned he noticed the burn mark on her neck. His pulse quickened. It couldn't be! The burn mark of a neutralizer at close range. Now he had a true reason to worry. "Where's Raea? What happened?"
Linds glanced around. "I don't know. Pallin offered us some wine. She collapsed after a few sips..."
Alcohol. Raea probably didn't know about its dangerous effects on their kind. He'd been warned before coming not to consume it. Pallin must have known of its immediate narcotic effect.
"I don't know. I leaned over, trying to see what was wrong and I guess I collapsed too. He must have drugged us. Your pounding woke me up."
"You need to call home," he said. Where was Pallin now? Where had he taken Raea? "Did Pallin say anything about going anywhere?"
"No." She pulled out her cell phone.
Crystal Fire. Where—
The farmhouse. Pallin must have killed the family to clear a place to hold Raea. It had to be his work—burn marks in the chest could only be from his weapon set to kill. That's where they'd be.
"Contact Debbie and let her know that Raea's in trouble."
"She is? What kind of trouble?"
"Just call. I'll take care of it." He turned to leave, anxious to get in the air and hunt down Pallin. This was about more than Raea.
Linds grabbed his sleeve. "You'll take care of it? Elis, Raea's my friend. I have a right to know what's going on."
What could he say? Raea wasn't ready to tell her friends. He had to honor that. "Pallin isn't who we thought he was. He's a criminal." At least by the governments of most of Inar'Ahben, the Shirukan were. Only in the Empire were they the authority.
" Raea. What did she get herself into?"
"Tell Debbie." He hurried away as she dialed her phone.
"Where are you going?"
"After them." He let the door slam behind him.
"Elis. Fancy meeting you here, at Pallin's room."
He cringed. Not now. That woman had a way of butting into everything she shouldn't.
"Is he in?"
"No."
"But you were talking to someone."
He whirled on Nina, his patience wearing thin. "If you want to talk to him, I suggest you find him yourself. Otherwise, go back to your room and stay out of this." He didn't wait for an answer but headed for the stairs. The hotel opened to the roof for snow blowing, since it was flat. He'd seen it from the air before. They could only get up by stairway.
He found it without trouble and climbed out. He closed the trap door at the top and stepped into the chilly night. No one seemed to follow. Good.
With a touch on the resonance, he grew out the wings. The pain burned in his back, but he worked through it. One of these days Raea would have to, if she survived.
No. He couldn't think that way. She would survive. Pallin would be the one to suffer.
With his black wings out, Elis took off into the starry sky.
* * *
What was going on? Elis wasn't getting away that easily.
Nina ran to the elevator. With luck she could meet him downstairs and find out exactly what was going on. Unless...
He wouldn't. Would he? Had she missed her chance to catch him?
Where were Travis and Jake with the equipment?
Damn it! She had one chance yet to salvage this opportunity. When the elevator opened, she stepped in.
On the main floor, the guys waited in the lobby. They hadn't wasted any time getting ready for some observations. Perfect. "Jake, get the vehicle started. Travis, get that camera on."
"What's up, Nina?"
"Our angel. Get a move on." She shoved past them and others coming in through the doors. Outside, she looked up.
There. Against the stars of the encroaching night. The black shadow of an angel. She had him.
Jake and Travis finally joined her. About time. Man, these guys moved slow. "Hop to it, boys!"
"Ahem."
"You too, D.C."
"What is it?" the other woman asked.
Nina pointed to the shape in the sky. "Our Angel. Let's go."
"Dear God! He's real."
"Yes, he's real. And if we don't get moving, we're gonna lose him." And the chance to expose him.
They raced to the SUV and piled in, Nina riding shotgun next to Jake, who drove. "Stay with him. We don't want to lose this. Travis, you got the camera out?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Get us a clean shot." She glanced out. Still in sight, and heading northeast. "D.C.?"
"On it."
Nina smiled. This was bigger than a small specialty program. She was going to make big news when they exposed Elis for what he really was and get some answers about his purpose.
* * *
Now to wait for the Keeper. Inevitably, he'd come. The murder of the house's occupants had been quite the story the last week, something Pallin hadn't anticipated. But things had settled down and the house remained empty. He had checked every night.
But Raea and Elis had been there. Their feathers littered the floor of the pantry. He had found them because of the feathers outside the door. They must have hidden inside.
So, Pallin could anticipate trouble. This was too perfect. He could take out the other Keeper and be free to continue his mission.
Raea hung tied to a beam in the unfinished basement with its clutter of garbage. The odd thing about Earth homes. But on the water-covered world of Inar'Ahben, even the dug-out homes of the floating Searoot islands didn't have more than one level, nothing like a basement. The cities floated among the clouds with generators at their bases.
Without her wings Raea had been easy to carry. And with the liquor, he could keep her from causing trouble. He was ready to face the Keeper, or anyone else who dared enter. The house was also well-stocked with food, so he could hide there for several days.
Until a portal was opened to return home with her, he would have no trouble. At least, no trouble after he killed the other Keeper. With Elis out of the way, his only obstacle would be the local authorities, and Prime Commander Loran promised to provide a distraction when he needed it.
He was ready. Now to wait.
Hell on Earth
Raea better be all right, but Elis doubted it. If Pallin was at the farmhouse, he had plenty of time to abuse her. Please be there. Be safe.
Part of him wished he was wrong, but he knew the truth deep inside. He had to find them before the empire opened a portal. If Pallin took her back, Elis would likely never see her again, and he would be stuck on Earth with the others unless a ship came or Saffir opened a portal. But if the Shirat Empire got their hands on three of the four shards, they might have the strength to threaten Starfire Tower and gain the last shard. Then nothing could stop them but the Starfire itself. And he would likely never see his home again.
Headlights of vehicles moved over the roads. One set in particular seemed to follow him north and east. They were too wide for a car, and it didn't stand out as white. This was larger and darker. Could it be Nina following him? Would she have taken a new rental? Or was it purely coincidence?
He didn't need this. Not now. Whoever it was, he couldn't let them interfere. This was too big for humans to get in the way. He had to do something.
He had only one weapon—himself. He had to do it.
Elis folded his wings and dove towards the headlights.
In the wan moonlight, he saw a shape stick out of the side of the vehicle as it slowed. A spotlight tracked from the vehicle towards him. That answered the question of whether they followed him or not. It had to be Nina and her crew. He didn't feel so bad about doing what had to be done.
Elis swerved and dove. The light flashed across his path and
he swerved left, then right, closing in on the vehicle and averting the light. Whoever it was searched for him. He couldn't allow them to follow, not only to keep their secret safe from humans—whose governments would likely also seek the power of the Starfire if they learned of it—but also to avoid anyone being injured or killed when he faced Pallin.
When he could make out the details, he lifted his hands before him and found the resonance. The power warmed through him. The Starburst marks glowed bright. After a couple seconds of the energy building up, he released it in a narrow, focused stream as he passed along the side of the vehicle.
Smoke rose from the tires until they popped, carrying the foul odor of burned rubber with it. That would take care of his trackers.
Now to rescue Raea.
Elis spread his wings and caught the breeze. He flapped higher into the air. Rescuing Raea was his goal, and facing Pallin wouldn't be easy. He would need all his strength to face the Shirukan. Having to disable the vehicle had used a lot of that. The energy he released would have killed several people.
That was the difference between the Keepers and the Empire. Keepers sought to protect the Starfire and keep it safe. It had chosen them as its emissaries. The Empire wanted its power to control others for their own greed.
He approached the Lake house surrounded by sloppy mud from the melting snow. As he descended, he made out yellow feathers and man-sized footprints before the door. Pallin had come.
Elis landed at the front door. He opened it—unlocked. Pallin expected him.
What would he find inside?
Cautiously, Elis stepped inside. If he were Shirukan, where would he be?
Nowhere near any windows, but somewhere that he could secure a Crystal Keeper away from sight if anyone entered.
A basement. There must have been a basement or cellar. Elis would bet that's where Pallin was with Raea.
He passed the pantry and his emotions hardened in his throat. If he ever hoped to be close to Raea again, he had to keep her alive. He continued to a washroom, where he found a door. It opened on creaky hinges to a stairway lit by lights below. Pallin.
Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) Page 15