Avenger: A Halflings Novel Part 7

"Yes. He tracks your blood. Wherever it spills, wherever you leave a drop on the earth, it's like a homing device. You see, a spirit of anger grew within Cain, causing him to kill his brother. That spirit became the first seeker. Tracking blood that's. .h.i.t the ground is a seeker's strongest ability. They are only released only at the most intense moments of betrayal. Once out, he will track your scent, your energy, your fear. But your spilled blood screams to him. Spilled blood screams in the spiritual realm ... for those who have ears to hear it."

Nikki's heart dropped. "I know what you're talking about." She turned to Raven. "When I was in the Hummer in Vessler's garage, I found some blood on the seat. When I touched it, I saw a flash of my dad's face."

Raven reached over and took her hand when her voice cracked. "You knew it was your dad's blood? Just by touching it?"

She nodded, drawing strength from his hand against hers. "Yes."

"So, your ability as a Seer is growing." Raven squeezed, and for an instant all that icy coldness melted. "The guy in the Hummer killed your parents?"

She nodded again.

Christopher flipped some pages. "Do you know about water?"

They turned to him.

"We really are starting from scratch here, aren't we?" He placed the pad on the table. "Seekers are from the pit. They were not meant to ever reach this realm, but occasionally one is sent."

"It's after me," Nikki said.

"Lucky you." Christopher tapped his pad. "Things of this realm confuse them."

Raven leaned forward a little. "Things like water?"

"There's no water in h.e.l.l so they have trouble with it, can't navigate well through it." He snapped his fingers as if trying to dumb down the explanation. "Water's dimensional property is confusing to them."

"That's great to know if you're a fish, but we can't exactly hide underwater."

"Not just underwater, behind water. Say you're looking through a giant aquarium. You can see the seeker clearly. But it has trouble seeing you."

"That doesn't make sense, because scent would travel around the aquarium," Raven offered.

"Of course, it would smell you - uh, her - but it couldn't easily find her. Many things of this realm create difficulties for the seeker. Water is the biggest."

"What else?" Raven tossed his head.

"Temperature changes. Extremes. If you're trying to stay ahead of it, going from cold climates to warm are difficult for the creature. It doesn't adapt well. But you can't stay anywhere too long, because eventually it will adapt."

"What about the midplane? Is she safe there?"

"No. The midplane is the doorway to both the heavenly and earthly realms, so the seeker has to pa.s.s through it to reach this realm. If he can go in once, he can go in again. Traveling the midplane can get you places quickly, but don't linger there too long."

"It's hopeless." Nikki didn't mean to say it out loud, but facts were facts.

Raven gave her his full attention. "It's not hopeless. Stop saying that."

"He's right," Christopher agreed. "The seeker also relies on your emotion to draw him closer. Your fear, discouragement, all those things are like smoke signals to the creature. When he gets close, he'll rely on your emotion to draw him in. In fact, it's rumored that once he gets in close proximity, he can no longer get a fix on your scent and has to rely on your emotions to bring him to you."

"If he can smell me from far away, he can smell me up close. What you're saying doesn't make sense."

"In close proximity, he frenzies. It's not like he can't smell you, it's more like you're all he smells. All around him. So he can't find you. At that point, he has to rely on your fear or something like that to draw him to you."

"So, the aquarium isn't any good if you're hiding and terrified? He can't see you, he smells you everywhere, and your fear will lead him right in." She gave a quick nod. "That's what you're saying."

Christopher's face fell. "Unfortunately, that sums it up. The water wouldn't do much good in that case. Once you leave here, stay full of faith that you will overcome. You will find a way to beat the seeker or to send it back to the pit."

"How do you know all this?" Raven didn't seem like he was questioning Christopher's information, just how he gathered it.

"I have a friend who came up against a seeker years ago. It became my life's study after ... after ..." He gathered some papers to his chest. "Anyway, as I said, you'll find a way to beat it or send it back to the pit. I have faith you will."

Nikki spoke up. "I have faith." She thought back to the faith ball Will taught her to hold on the yacht.

Raven cut her a hard look. She had no idea why. He was the one who'd helped her tap into the well of faith within herself. Mace had tried, but mostly ended up frustrated with her, and she with him, while Raven had gently guided her fingers over his until she felt the sphere of faith vibrating in her hands. That's when she was able to hold it for herself.

When she looked over to give Raven an appreciative smile, he dropped his gaze and almost looked ... guilty of something. What was that about? It didn't matter. He'd taught her how to use her faith. Which may help save her from the seeker. Right now, she'd forgive him anything.

She could keep up a positive att.i.tude if it would help her stay alive. After all, without it, she was doomed.

"I think you should talk to someone else," Christopher said, after a few moments consideration. "Her name is Kaylyn Quick, she's a ..."

"A Xian. I know her." Raven shrugged. "If it's the same Kaylyn."

Nikki leaned toward him. "Do you mean the singer?"

Raven ignored her. "What does Kaylyn have to do with this?"

"Her uncle fought a seeker once."

"What happened to him?" Nikki asked.

Christopher answered her with silence. He rose and filled his coffee cup. "Kaylyn may know some things that can help you. I've not talked to her in a while, but I have contact information here somewhere."

He rummaged through a drawer then handed a card to Raven. Nikki was about to ask Christopher if he'd let them send an email to Zero when she noticed the change in Raven. His foot tapped noisily, and he acted like a few hundred ants were trekking down his spine. "What's wrong?"

He stared at the window for a second. "Nothing."

She wasn't convinced. Her shoulders began to tingle in that way they'd done when h.e.l.l hounds were close. "Raven ..."

He held out his hand to silence her. "Something's happening." He rose from the chair and went to the window.

Nikki stared at the books and notepads. That's when she sensed it. "Hounds."

"I forgot to mention that if a seeker doesn't find you quickly, h.e.l.l hounds will be released to help in the search. Since they drop in and out of the midplane after you've used it, they can sometimes get to you more quickly."

"Time to go," Raven said, pulling Nikki to her feet. All positive thoughts were gone.

They threw the front door open, but it was too late. The hounds were making their way across the snowy meadow, their hideous black forms and fur-matted paws beating against the ground. Seven hounds in all, the most Nikki'd ever seen at one time. Her lungs sucked the cold outside air and it chilled all the way down, causing her T-shirt to feel way too light. Christopher had offered them warmer clothes the night before, but there was no time to get them now. "What do we do?"

Behind the hounds, a smattering of wings materialized, dropping from the sky at such a rate it forced another breath into Nikki's already full lungs. In the mix she spotted Mace.

Three Halflings flanked him. From the distance, she couldn't make out faces, but she didn't need to. She knew Vine by his hair. Glimmer's bow and quiver of arrows were held ready as she ran toward the cabin, aiming at the h.e.l.l hounds closing the distance to Nikki. Winter, her dark hair streaking behind her as she ran, pointed to the lead hound, and Glimmer let her arrow fly.

It cut through the air and found its mark. With a yelp, the h.e.l.l hound skidded to a halt and turned to face Glimmer. Blood ran from its side in a red-black river.

"Get her out of here," Mace screamed to Raven. "We'll follow you when we can."

Chapter 7.

Raven lifted Nikki in his arms and leapt into the sky.

She squirmed against him as she looked down and saw the fight. Hounds moving toward the Halflings, Glimmer sinking another arrow, and Vine leaping onto one hound's back. "Raven, we have to go back. We have to help them."

"No. If the hounds found us, the seeker might be close behind. And if you get so much as a scratch ... Our best chance is to get you away from here."

Nikki couldn't help the convulsions that started in her stomach and wrenched outward, finding voice in a desperate wail. She clung to Raven.

"Don't cry, Nikki," he whispered, and pulled her into more of an embrace than a hold. His wings flapped against the mountain air, causing the two of them to rocket toward the midplane.

She couldn't stop shaking, and realized part of it was relief. She'd seen Mace. That meant he was alive.

"Mace and the others will find us when they've killed the hounds."

"How?" She couldn't think clearly - the image of Mace landing, his powerful legs propelling him toward her, and his authoritative voice booming the words, "Get her out of here" kept rolling over and over in her mind.

"Christopher will tell them where we've gone." His voice was almost soft.

"What if the seeker gets there before they can kill them all?"

Raven stopped in midair - like hitting the brakes after careening down a roller coaster's deepest hill - and considered her for a moment, then rocketed west so quickly it jolted Nikki's head straight back.

He dropped onto a mountaintop. Raven set her on her feet, and when she wobbled he grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "We're about a hundred miles from the cabin, so this should be good enough."

"What are you talking about?"

He picked up an ice-covered stick and examined the meaty part of her upper arm. Before she could protest, or even react, he raked the stick across her skin. Searing pain filled her senses. "Raven what are you -" But as bright red blood appeared on her arm, she knew.

Raven dredged the tip of the stick in the blood and dropped it onto the ground.

A second later, they were airborne again.

"Sorry about that," Raven said, nodding down to the sc.r.a.pe. "Your blood's on the ground, and apparently that's irresistible to the seeker. It should draw him here. Hopefully, Christopher is right and it's spilled blood, not blood on you, that is easiest for him to track."

Her gaze followed his below her shoulder. A jagged line marred her skin. "You did the right thing." But even she wasn't convinced by those words. He traveled farther west then shot straight up.

Before long, they entered the midplane.

There was no question they were in another realm. The midplane - the zone between heaven and earth - resembled the world she's always known - with trees, hills, rivers and forests - but all of it was bathed in a warm golden glow as if the sun had burst and scattered its particles into the air. It was beautiful, serene, and only safe for a short while, since they were being tracked.

Raven touched down at a stream and released Nikki slowly. "Doing okay?" He studied her. Her sh.e.l.l-shocked eyes and bewildered look proved she was unsettled from seeing Mace and Glimmer, and it made him wonder if he was doing the right thing. She is alive. That's all that matters.

She squeezed her upper arm. "My arm stings a little."

He took her by the hand and led her to the water. "Let's wash out the cut. That wasn't exactly a sterile hunk of wood."

She nodded and he reached a hand into the water. He drew his cupped palm toward her, but paused. Raven's gaze left the wound and considered her face. What if ...

Nikki peered down at the wound and nodded. "I agree. Don't rinse it." He felt her pull back slightly. "It'll leave my blood in the stream."

He let the liquid drain through his fingers then wiped his hand across his jeans.

Of course, there were other ways of helping heal a wound. Not that he should try. But as she squeezed her forearm and frowned down at the cut, he knew should didn't matter.

Before she could protest, Raven licked his lips and pressed them to the cut.

She flinched, a hiss escaping her lips. "Raven, ouch." She pulled from him, horror filling her golden eyes. "Why did you do that? My blood is on you now. That makes you a target, genius."

Her lips were a hard straight line, but as she clutched her arm with her free hand, her eyes ablaze, all he could think was, Man, she's hot. Hot mad, but also hot s.e.xy. He allowed himself a half smile. "Did you know your cheek dimples when you get angry?"

She smacked his arm. "This isn't funny, Raven. That burned! And was ... incredibly stupid!"

She dropped her attention to the wound. It had healed, like he knew it would. Nikki blinked a few times, then ran her hand over the tiny, silvery scar.

Raven sniffed. He knew Mace had done the same angelic healing thing when she'd burned her hands.

"You healed my arm with your spit."

"Wow, it sounds really gross when you say it like that."

"It burned, Raven. Why did it burn? Mace kissed my hands after the lab fire and it was far from painful." She grabbed his chin with her finger and thumb and peered into his mouth like the answer was there, resting on his tongue.

He pulled away from her, though part of him wanted her to continue her scrutiny. "Yeah, well, Mace is a little purer than I am." Raven shrugged and sat down on a rock. "Bitter blood in me."

"But your eyes have lightened, so you're not close to falling into darkness anymore, right?" It was both a question and a plea. Nikki dropped to her knees on the ground to look him eye to eye. Maybe to make sure she understood the whole iris-darkening thing. Either way, he liked her like this, all interested in him and full of questions. Especially when she leaned in a little closer. "Vessler fought me on the lawn of my house, and you and Mace knew I was a Halfling because you watched my eyes darken."

"I was there, Nikki. You don't have to tell me what happened." But keep talking. She'd dropped her hands to his knees; heat from her fingers radiated through his jeans and vibrated into his gut.

"Your eyes were slowly darkening until ..."

"Until I met you."

She withdrew her hands quickly. "But they're light now."