Avenger: A Halflings Novel Part 12

On a long breath, she uttered, "Mace."

Raven squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the icy-cold dread, but there was no stopping the ice pick to his chest. Moisture rushed to his eyes. "Nikki." Oh G.o.d, please give me the strength to do this. "Tell me about Mace."

Her words came slowly at first, as if trying to remember a movie she'd watched a long time ago. "We had a picnic ... at Viennesse." As she talked on, deep into the night, she became stronger. He'd tried to route the conversation back to the stolen moments the two of them had shared, but each time he did, she became afraid, agitated, fearful. It was only when she spoke of Mace that she was peaceful.

His heart cracked further with every moment she described. Every look Mace had given her, every brush of hands ... or lips. And when she tried to trail off, because she was tired or felt embarra.s.sed, Raven coaxed her on because he loved her too much to allow her to stop. Though it meant clearing his throat often to mask his sorrow. As the night wore on, he began to peek at her neck more and more, where the ash-black cut and graying skin of the wound was becoming like live flesh again. "That's good, Nikki," he said, stroking her hair with his hand. "You're doing great. Tell me more."

And she did. Sitting with Mace by the lake, watching the fog roll in and consume them both; working in the kitchen on the sailing yacht, where she would have broken every dish in the galley if Mace hadn't showed up and helped her store them just in time.

After awhile, the stories became dreamlike memories told with long pauses and breathy words. When she seemed very calm, he tried to alter the subject slightly. "Do you remember when we were in the woods and I was teaching you how to fight?"

Her body tensed. "I said some horrible things to Mace that day."

Raven's eyes closed. That memory had been his last chance - the day he'd fallen in love with her. And she with him. But now, to her that day was just one more time she'd disappointed Mace.

For Raven, it was like dying two deaths. He resolved himself to the reality that had always lived within all her mixed-up feelings. She loved Raven, there was no question. But Mace was her match. He was her soul mate. Raven slid a hand between them to press against his heart. It hurt so badly, he wondered if he'd find two separate halves.

By the time Mace stepped through the dark water at the mouth of the cave, Raven knew his days would continue. They had to, because it would be too humane for him to die.

Curled with a sleeping Nikki before the fire, Raven half expected Mace to become livid. After all, wasn't that what the two of them did? Get mad at each other for cozying up to Nikki? Instead, Mace came over slowly and dropped to his haunches.

But his eyes weren't on Nikki. They were on Raven. Those weird blue-green eyes scanned his face a few minutes beyond uncomfortable. Raven gestured down at her with a nudge of his chin. "I think she's going to be okay."

Mace's eyes didn't leave him; he could feel them burning into his flesh and hoped the redness in his gaze would be mistaken for exhaustion. "So she is. I'm worried about you, brother."

Raven looked away, grateful for the slashes of light the fire created. Maybe it would disguise what he was feeling. "I'm good."

Mace drew a heavy breath and dropped a backpack down beside them. He busied himself pulling out a sleeping bag and some canned food. Raven took the cue and slid from Nikki without disturbing her. The two boys worked silently, and in a moment's time Nikki was snuggled into the sleeping bag.

Mace tugged at the neck of her s.h.i.+rt to reveal a section of the wound. He winced. "Looks bad."

Raven snorted. "You should have seen it before."

"Before?" Mace echoed.

"Yeah, before she started talking about you." Raven swallowed hard and reached for a couple cans of food. "Tuna and fruit c.o.c.ktail? I ordered shrimp."

"Sorry. I guess I thought tuna and shrimp were about the same." Mace's smile was a flash of white in the dark cave, and it disappeared when he looked down to unzip a pocket on the side of the backpack. He handed a fork and can opener to Raven.

Raven nudged the tuna into the edge of the fire for a few moments, and for that span of time the boys sat with the sparks from the flame and the waterfall providing the only sound. He tested the sides of the can, found the temperature manageable, and took a bite. "Tuna on an open fire tastes pretty good," he lied. In reality, he could be eating last week's cafeteria special and it would have tasted the same. His mind was still reeling over the fact that he'd been wrong about Nikki all this time. Emotions were horrible things. He'd been right to avoid them before, and he never should have let himself feel.

He set the can aside. There was something else too. Something was tugging him in a different direction, pulling him from this journey. From her. He'd always felt as though his part in their mission was more about Dr. Richmond than Nikki. If he'd listened to his heart in the beginning and concentrated on Richmond, maybe he wouldn't be hurting so much right now.

Mace's gaze traveled to the tuna then back to Raven. "You should eat, bro."

"There are a lot of things I should do. But will I? People always a.s.sume I'll do the wrong thing. Maybe they're right."

Mace frowned. What happened in here? Something had changed inside Raven, and not for the better. "What are you talking about?"

Raven picked up the tuna can, but didn't take a bite, instead sticking his fork into the meat over and over until the p.r.o.ngs were filled like an overstuffed s.h.i.+sh kebab. "What would you do if you knew something no one else knew, information that could change everything?"

Mace opened his mouth, but couldn't answer.

Raven chuckled. "Never mind. I know what you'd do."

It sounded like an accusation. "What do you mean?"

Raven's eyes trailed to Nikki.

"Raven, if you know a way to help Nikki and aren't talking -"

"Back off. It's nothing like that."

This wasn't going the way Mace had expected. "Sorry, Raven. I'm not following you."

"You know this is all Vessler, right?"

"What?" Mace had just opened the can of fruit c.o.c.ktail, but he discarded it at Raven's words.

"If a seeker doesn't kill the target, it releases enough poison to -"

"To turn her? That's what this has been about?" He felt the urge to run to Nikki.

Raven stared him down and motioned him to stay put. "Vessler killed Nikki's parents, but when her desire for vengeance wasn't enough to get her to turn, he tried to lure her back, but that failed too."

Mace focused on the fire. "So he pet.i.tioned his G.o.d to release a seeker. Not to kill her, just to turn her. Unbelievable. We're back in the fight with Vessler again. I figured we'd get a little break while he recovered from the gunshot wounds Nikki inflicted, but I guess not." He reached for the tuna, slid most of the meat off the fork, and held it out to Raven again.

He rolled his eyes and took the can. Finally, he took a bite.

"Do you know of a way to stop this insanity, Raven?"

"No. I just think about all she's been through." Raven looked down at Nikki, and Mace followed his gaze.

"Yeah." Her hair lay across her cheek and feathered out around her, catching light from the fire.

"It's enough," Raven said.

"What do you mean?"

"She's been through enough."

Mace nodded in agreement. There was something very final about Raven's words, however, and if he didn't know better, he'd swear Raven held the power to end some of Nikki's pain. But that was crazy. How could Raven stop even part of her suffering? He stared at Raven, who was now poking at the flames. Something wasn't right.

Nikki stirred. They both turned to face her. Her eyes flittered open and she mumbled one word. "Mace?"

He moved from where he'd been sitting and reached to run a hand over her hair, her face. "I'm right here."

"I know what I have to do," she said, words forming on cracked lips. "I have to beat the seeker. I saw it in a dream. And you can't help me. Either of you."

Mace's gaze shot to Raven, who stared at her then shrugged. "I don't know what she's talking about."

Both boys leaned a little closer.

Nikki yawned. "I saw it. It'll come here to find us. And I'll fight it." She closed her eyes. "Promise me you won't intervene."

"There's no way on this planet that's going to happen." Mace's body tensed. "We fight together."

Nikki shook her head. "We can't. I saw that in my dream too. If we fight it together, it'll kill me."

Chapter 12.

I can't believe I'm even considering letting you do this."

Nikki sensed Mace's apprehension. He wiped a hand over his forehead, where tiny beads of sweat broke out.

Raven had left for the nearest town to get more food. But there was something in his eyes that Nikki couldn't place, couldn't understand. He was usually so easy for her to read, but a wall had closed him off, and for the briefest of moments she'd wondered if he'd return.

She examined the contents of the backpack, focusing on the monumental task at hand. "I have to kill it. Alone." Her hand went to her wound on her throat, fingertips running along the b.u.mpy flesh.

"It's still healing." Mace took her hand and drew it away from the scar.

Would she forever carry the mark of the seeker? Probably. Just below her throat, visible to the whole world. If she had to live with it, she'd do it with pride. It was the mark of a girl who wasn't going to run anymore. She would fight. She'd fight alone. And if her dream was right, she'd win.

But there'd been another dream too. One where Mace and Raven intervened. In that vision, she died at the hands of the seeker. Her thoughts must have played out on her face, because Mace pushed the backpack out of her hand and pulled her to him. "Let's leave here," he said, the strength of his words tempting her to listen. "If you have to face it, let's do it on our grounds."

Nikki pushed away and looked into sorrow-filled eyes. "Why? So more Halflings can watch helplessly and have to stay out of the fight? No, Mace."

"You could have more time to heal."

"No. It happens here. It happens now."

He cupped her face. "You know I hate watching you fight."

A tiny laugh escaped her lips. "Yeah. No choice this time."

"Nikki, if I've ever made you feel like you weren't a good fighter ..." His words trailed off. She knew what he meant. He didn't have to spell it out.

"You've always tried to protect me."

"I should have been helping you train. I never thought you'd be expected to go up against something like this."

Nikki reached into the backpack again and found a hunting knife. "I can do this, Mace. I have faith that I'm going to win."

Mace swallowed. "Me too."

So many emotions crackled in the cave around them. "Promise me you won't intervene."

Mace fisted his hand at the back of her neck and pulled her close enough to rest his forehead against hers.

She couldn't melt, not this time. "Promise me."

He closed his eyes. His breath, hot and sweet, fanned against her skin as he mumbled, "I promise."

"And Raven. Make sure he stays out of it too." She realized her pleas were killing him, but this is how it had to be. "You know how he is. All act now, think later."

Mace nodded. His eyes opened.

She studied him, dissecting the portions of his face with great interest. A face she could sketch by memory. Every quirk of the brow, every twitch of the cheek, they all meant something. And Nikki understood each one as they appeared, from his fear to his commitment to honor his promise. "Stay alive, Nikki."

"I will," she said, and knew the words sounded sure. She only wished she felt as confident. "When this is over, we need to talk about something." Nikki pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down. She'd really like to stay lost in the moment, her and Mace together, but reality nagged her to speak. They'd approached the difficult subject before, only briefly-when she tried to kill Vessler. But Mace needed to know the truth before she left - their future relations.h.i.+p rested upon it.

"Sure, we can talk later. Right now, you just need to concentrate on beating the seeker."

He knew what she referred to, she could see it in his face, hear it in his voice. Just as she knew he wouldn't let her broach it when she returned. "Mace, I'm not the same girl you fell in love with." Now, after being on the run with Raven, that was even more obvious. Through Vessler's machinations, she'd changed into someone who frightened her at times, but who also felt more authentic than she ever had before. "I don't think I can pretend to be her anymore."

"I don't want you to, Nikki. Life is change. If any of us thinks we can stay the same, especially on a journey like this, we're fooling ourselves. With every step we take, we're growing into something new."

"What if the old was beautiful, the best I'll ever be?" She searched his face, willed it not to flinch.

"The new is beautiful too. Just different. You've learned so much already."

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "How to be a killer."

"You haven't killed anyone."

That much was true. Each time the opportunity to take a life arose - a life she'd deemed unworthy of living - something had stayed her hand. On the plane, she could have shot Vessler in the chest, but opted to aim the gun at his leg. She could have easily shot Keagan Townsend - the man Vessler had hired to kill her parents - until he took a wounded b.u.t.terfly into his hands and tried to help it fly ... She'd been halted by a stupid insect.

How long until she was able to make a lethal shot or slit a throat? Could Mace watch her do that?

Nikki couldn't change what she was becoming, and she didn't expect Mace to understand. Her "beautiful" changes made her dark like Raven - and that darkness was the one thing Mace loathed about his brother-in-arms. Now, poison from the seeker had been released in her system, and she had no way of knowing how that would play out over time. It wouldn't be fair to Mace to not warn him. Maybe he could love her or maybe he would loathe her. It would have to be his choice. Because right now, she was far from the innocent girl he'd first met.

A guttural scream echoed from outside. Nikki closed her hands over Mace's arms, heart hammering in her chest. The seeker was close.

Raven rushed into the cave. "You hear that?" He tossed a bag of groceries near the fire.

Nikki swallowed and refused to let her two protectors see her fear. "It's coming."

Raven grabbed her arms, turning her from Mace. "There's still time to get away, Nikki."

But Mace placed his hands over Raven's. "She wants to do this," he whispered, his throat catching on the words.