Avenger: A Halflings Novel Part 18

His eyes were bright and sparkled, looking lighter and less exhausted than she'd seen in a long time. "If you were, maybe you'd be some compet.i.tion for me on the trail." His face broke into a brilliant lopsided smile.

Her heart was pounding, but she c.o.c.ked her head, eyes narrowed playfully on him. "And you need a lesson in manners. I'll be sure to give you one while we're out there. If I decide to let you catch up."

Mace joined the group, and he and Raven shook hands. "That's a dangerous thing, challenging a rider like Nikki."

"She doesn't scare me," Raven said.

"Yeah, well, you haven't ridden with her when a crazed maniac is on her tail."

"Anyone can ride fast when they're scared."

Winter folded her arms over her chest. "Boys are all talk. If you guys are so good, why don't you stop strutting your feathers and get on the bikes? By the end of the day, we'll see who's the best."

Nikki turned back to Thomas, who seemed to be enjoying their argument. He approached the group. "I think you need to lay down some ground rules. First man - or woman - to the river wins. The trail cuts in three directions, but all are the same distance to the river and have about the same number of obstacles. The western trail has more handlebar checks, but the eastern trail has a washboard that will rattle your brain out of your skull. The central trail, however, has its own brand of toxin thanks to a creek bed that's slick as b.u.t.tered gla.s.s. Pick your poison." He pointed to the wide mouth of the trail. Through the brush you could see where it veered into three directions.

Nikki considered each and decided to go for the western trail. Handlebar checks didn't scare her - she barely slowed down for them. Her only real worry was the fact she hadn't ridden a dirt bike in years. She'd grown up on them, even did a little bit of motocross racing when she was in junior high, but karate had consumed her attention after she'd ranked in the top five at her first national tournament. At seventeen, she'd moved on to her street bike.

Thomas waited while the Halflings scoped out their plans. "Now for the rules. Wings or no wings?"

This question surprised Nikki even though Will had called them Halflings in front of Thomas. The man must be a Xian. She wondered if he was one of the ex-Halflings Mace had talked about-leaving the battle to spend life on earth with his match. There was a gold wedding band around his left ring finger.

Mace was staring at her. "No wings," he said.

"Wings are fine," she retorted and gave him a long look. A warning look.

Vegan spoke up. "No, Nikki. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Fair to her?" Raven scoffed.

Nikki's gaze shot to him, her wide eyes giving a solid threat. He'd almost blown her secret. "No, seriously, I can still beat all of you. I mean, it's not like you're going to lift the bike and fly to the river." She laughed, stared at Raven, and watched the realization spark in his eyes.

"Well," Vegan said, trying to act tough, which for her was almost impossible. "Maybe Miss Super-Rider needs a lesson in Halfling ability. But to be fair, wings can only be used to slow down." She looked around the group until they all nodded.

"Fine," Vine mumbled. "Only to slow down."

Thomas went on. "You'll only be able to use them in the clearings anyway. It's too dense in the woods. But there are plenty of open areas and hairpin turns on each trail. If you take the western route, be cautious. The bridge is washed out near the end, and I don't recommend jumping the last hill. A few guys have tried it, but the woods on the other side are too close. Several bikes have ended up wrapped around trees. I'm serious. I want you guys to run these bikes full out, but please don't total one. That's really hard to explain to the insurance company."

They all nodded.

"Help yourselves to the gear in the truck. I brought samples of our new riding pants and leather jackets. We've changed the cut." He raised his arms shoulder high and drew his elbows together. "We added extra room at the shoulder blades to accommodate for long rides. I'd love some feedback. There are helmets for you guys as well."

After thanking Thomas, they all headed off to gather their gear. Nikki chose a black leather jacket and black leather pants. Her folks had never been able to afford high-end riding gear like this, and the soft leather was amazing against her skin. Not to mention she knew she looked awesome in the pieces she'd chosen.

She glanced at the others and found herself sizing them up. Nikki knew she had a compet.i.tive streak, but right now, she'd give her national karate trophy to beat Raven. Maybe my compet.i.tive streak is a little deeper than I thought.

She chose a bike and Mace settled onto the one beside her.

"I'll follow you?" he said, tossing his hair back and putting on the helmet. He looked good too.

"You'll all be following me," she joked, and gave him a wink.

"I mean I'll stay with you. Whichever trail you pick."

"You don't have to do that, Mace." Was he going all psycho protective on her again?

"No, I know. I ..." He looked down at the gas tank, and since she couldn't see his eyes, she grabbed the edge of his helmet and jerked it so he had to look at her. He laughed. "I really enjoy watching you ride, Nikki."

Oh. She dropped her hand from the helmet, because something about the way he said that sent a fierce spike of hot lava into her belly. Her cheeks burned so she hid inside her helmet by shoving it on quickly. "Okay, then."

"Western trail, right?" He kick-started his bike and it rumbled to life.

"How'd you know which trail I'd choose?"

"I know you, Nikki."

Her heart fluttered, and she wanted to scream at him because she really needed to keep her attention on beating Raven, not going all girl-mush. To lessen the effect he had on her, she revved her engine until it shook the whole bike.

"Raven will take the washboard trail. Uses his wings to lessen the b.u.mps."

She sucked in a breath. "That's cheating. He can only use his wings to slow down."

"Trust me," Mace said.

Raven slid to a stop beside them, having taken a small lap to test out his bike. Already, fresh clumps of dirt spattered the tires and frame. "Who's up for the washboard?"

Nikki's mouth dropped open and she resisted looking over at Mace. "I have a different plan, but I'll see you at the finish line."

Raven gunned his engine hard enough to make the bike fishtail. Dust settled as he disappeared into a nearby patch of brush.

Before she went to the starting line, which really was just a wide opening to the trail, she waved at Thomas, who'd produced a clipboard and was making notes. "Have fun," he yelled.

Will stood poised at the line, using a shop towel as the starting flag. The second he dropped his arm, eight motors revved then whined as each fought for pole position on the dirt track. Nikki slid into third right behind Raven and Winter, but she pressed toward them as they slowed once they neared a section of ruts and protruding rocks. Nikki gunned her bike and didn't slow until she felt the first stone beneath her tires. This put her in second with Raven, who'd needed to back off a bit as the path narrowed before opening to the separate trails.

She cut onto the western trail as Raven took the eastern. Casting a glance behind her and past Mace, she saw Glimmer and Vine both veering to the washboard route and Vegan and Zero - who seriously was going so slow a toddler on a tricycle could fly past him - take the central route.

Nikki concentrated on the path ahead, easily navigating a creek crossing and climbing a hill that offered a panoramic view of the woods around them. She paused at the crest while she decided which path down to take, as Mace came up close behind. Several narrow trails scarred the hillside: some shot straight down, while others were less steep and cut curved lines into the valley below. She made her choice and shot a quick glance at the surrounding scenery. It was her idea of beautiful, thanks to all the mountains and valleys dissected by motorcycle trails. Heaven, she decided. This was heaven.

The far-off whine of engines snapped her back into focus, as their rumbling echoed off the mountains and valleys. She had a job to do - beat Raven to the river. Enjoying the view would have to wait for another ride.

She started down the slope. Her lips were quickly covered in a dusting of dirt, and when she licked them she tasted it. It shouldn't taste good, but it did.

They navigated the drop to the valley, and Nikki entered the woods again with Mace close behind. Climbing another hill and pausing at the top gave her a view of the washed-out bridge Thomas had talked about. The problem was obvious: to garner enough speed to jump the river below, you'd have no choice but to slam into the tree line. If she wanted to survive in one painless piece, that wasn't an option.

She was pretty certain the other riders were behind her, even if they were on other trails. Their engines sounded far off, at least, and she could see the finish line past an open field and beyond the bridge - no other bikes were approaching.

As she contemplated her next move, Mace caught up and skidded to a stop beside her. Beneath her bike, the ground rumbled. Nikki shot a look to him, then inspected her front tire, where dirt was separating from rock. "Mace, we have to get away from here! We have to -"

A rock the size of a basketball gave way beneath her front tire, causing the bike to s.h.i.+ft. Nikki gunned the engine in an attempt to outrun the rockslide, but one rock became several and her bike was caught in the debris careening toward the ravine below. She fought to keep the motorcycle upright as stones materialized and disappeared once tossed by gravity's pull. A rock struck her ankle, but the leather of her riding boots cus.h.i.+oned the blow. By the time her bike stopped at the bottom, Mace was off his bike and hovering in the air above her.

"You okay?" he yelled down as dust settled around her.

"Good," she said, but her heart was pounding. "That was intense."

He chuckled. "Glad you liked it."

"How'd you get down here so quick?" But a look to the hilltop, where his bike lay on its side, answered her question. "Go get your bike. I'll wait for you."

"No. You go on and I'll catch up. You've got a race to win."

Nikki lifted her hands from the handlebars and crossed them over her chest. "Some things are more important than winning races. Now go. I'll be here."

Mace's blue eyes filled with some deep appreciation that made her ears burn in a strange but good way. This was what it meant to be a couple. To be in it together. It was an odd, new sensation, but as she waited at the bottom of the hill, hearing other bikes sail past her as they moved closer and closer to the finish line, she realized she loved it. It was better than winning. Winning was solitary. This ... this was complete.

Chapter 18.

Mace pulled ahead just slightly when they reached the drop to the river. "I'll check out the best route on this side, you check the other?"

"Why don't I meet you at the bottom?" she asked. Nikki'd been doing some calculating in her head. The jump across the bridge was possible only if she had a way to slow her stop before hitting the trees on the other side. But no one has breaks in midair. Except her. And she was going to use them.

She paused at the crest of the hill and looked down into the clearing below. The other Halflings were already there. Why hadn't they crossed the clearing and pa.s.sed the finish line? The only reason Nikki could think of was they'd decided to run out the last bit together in a sprint race to the end.

"All right," Mace said, and started down one of the trails to the bottom.

Nikki recalculated one last time. If she jumped the bridge, she'd sail right over the Halflings waiting in the clearing, land on the other side, and cross the finish line ahead of all of them. The temptation was too great to resist.

Mace pulled to a stop beside Raven, who looked behind with a shrug of one shoulder. "When's your biker chick planning to join us?"

"We separated at the crest of the hill. She's headed down the side where the ..."

"Where the what?"

Mace didn't answer. She wouldn't. He turned to stare at the washed-out bridge and the hillside beyond it. He could hear the whine of Nikki's bike engine; it sounded wide open, which meant - Less than a heartbeat later her bike crested the final ramp that would send her airborne over their heads.

"Look!" Raven yelled.

Nikki took the ramp like a pro, tires straight and smooth, and a second later she was above them. All seven Halflings watched as Nikki sailed over. But awe quickly turned to panic when Vegan yelled, "Nikki! The trees!"

Nikki snapped her wings open, and gasps filled the air around Mace. Stretched out alongside her bike were the most brilliantly beautiful red wings trapped between sky and sunlight. She angled them, and the momentum of her bike slowed as her feathers fought the wind.

Vegan was now screaming excited words that got lost in the others' jumbled yells. Behind Mace, Winter's voice broke through. "I knew it. I just knew there was something different about her when she returned."

Nikki landed on the other side and slid to a stop just short of the tree line and a good fifty feet from the finish line. She removed her helmet and shook out her hair before turning toward the group with a "What did you think of that?" glint in her eye.

Glimmer clapped wildly, Zero gave her a thumbs-up, and Vegan was off her bike, jumping up and down squealing.

Nikki's face broke into a sunbeam-strength smile.

A grin Mace understood. She finally felt like she belonged, like she was a part of their group. Maybe now she could move forward with her life and ditch the whole idea of poking into her past. Mace hoped so, because one thing he knew: Rummaging around in her past would bring nothing but pain and offered nothing but death.

Early the next morning, Nikki took Mace's car and drove down County Road 182. Though nearly forty miles from home, she knew these back roads from motorcycle trips last summer. Gold-polished nails - compliments of Glimmer - winked at her as they caught the sunlight. The ride the day before hadn't wrecked the prissy manicure like she thought ... which was both good and bad, because she sort of liked looking down and seeing golden jewels at the end of her fingers but sort of hated how girly liking them felt. Kind of the same divided feeling she'd had after the ride yesterday-being on the bikes had been awesome, though at the end of the day, there were still questions that needed answers. Late last night she'd decided it was time to take a road trip and confront Zero.

The first time Mace took her to the underground, she'd slept most of the way. He'd covered her eyes when they left, but not before she got a good glimpse of the area.

Sneaking out of the house early this morning proved no easy feat due to Will keeping such close tabs on her. But she'd managed, and now, after making ridiculously long circles on back trails, she arrived at Zero's lair.

A big part of her wanted to turn back. Answers often meant consequences, and she was still getting used to the idea of being a Halfling. It wouldn't be easy to deal with being a mutant. After all, isn't that what they'd said the horses at Vessler's lab were? Genetically mutated creatures. Maybe that's why her wings were blood red when they showed up. She'd also being thinking a lot about her childhood lately. Nikki was positive her mom and dad weren't Xians - she'd never gone to church or even cracked a Bible before meeting Mace and Raven, so if the Throne had chosen them as her caregivers, he'd made a big mistake. They also didn't look like Halflings at all. And yet Halflings came from Halflings, so if she was her parents' child, she must have started as a regular baby. Then there was the fact her name had been in the database Zero recovered from Vessler's lab. Too many things pointed in the same direction. Vessler mutated her into a Halfling - it was the only thing that made sense. And that meant she wasn't a Halfling at all.

She navigated the underground's stairs and tunnel without bothering to turn on the lights. Each metal step clicked as she descended, tiny little warnings to turn back. At the bottom, she mustered her courage and knocked on the metal door. She waited, knocked again. And again and again for a full five minutes until Zero answered.

"Did you think I would just eventually give up?" she asked, stepping past him before he offered her entrance.

He wore shorts with ducks all over them and a rumpled T-s.h.i.+rt with a roll of toilet paper on it. Emblazoned across the chest it said Just how I roll.

She looked him up and down. "Nice," she mumbled, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Sorry, I already bought Girl Scout cookies." He continued to hold the door open. "So, thanks for stopping by, and maybe try my neighbor about three hundred miles west of here."

"Cute, Zero. Don't you want your present?"

She reached into her backpack and shook the package at him. "Juice boxes."

Zero licked his lips. His hair was a ma.s.s of white-blond sprigs sticking out everywhere.

She rattled the gift again. "The newest flavor. Watermelon Zinger."

Zero lurched at her but missed. He crossed his arms in a huff. "What do you want?"

She dragged a box from the package and tossed it to him. "Answers."

He snagged it in the air, tore off the straw's plastic covering, and shoved the straw into the small hole. Pink liquid squirted onto his arm. He grumbled and lifted the drink to his lips. "I'm sworn to secrecy."

She dropped into his computer chair and spun it around to face him. "So there is more to the story."

He held up a finger. "Didn't say that."

"I'm not a real Halfling, Zero." Hearing the words from her own mouth, Nikki fought the onset of tears. Her cheeks tingled. She busied herself with a juice box. She slid the straw in easily and handed the drink to Zero, who'd just finished the first one.

"Of course you are."

"No, I'm a freak."