Avenger: A Halflings Novel Part 9

Nikki folded the throw. "Sorry I turned your green room into my personal nap area." She tried to run her fingers through her hair but they snagged instantly.

"No problem. Kaylyn had to do an interview right after the concert, and it's taking a little longer than we expected."

Nikki shot a worried glance to Raven, who was just turning from the table with a full plate. "Don't worry. Stopping on that mountaintop in the Alps bought us a little time."

Nikki's hand went to the cut on her arm Raven had healed with his painful kiss.

He handed her the plate and she began eating like it was the last food she would see for months. Her mouth was full when the person they'd been waiting for entered the room.

"Raven!" Kaylyn squealed, and took two leaps, landing in his arms. An incredibly long and gorgeous waterfall of wavy blonde hair trailed her and sort of entombed Raven when their bodies met.

Nikki swallowed, choked a little on a half-chewed chunk of cauliflower, and tried to melt into the couch.

Blue eyes glanced around the room and found Nikki. But Kaylyn fired her questions at Raven. "Are any of the others with you? Can you stay awhile?"

Raven's nodded to Nikki. "Just the two of us, and no, we can't be here long."

Kaylyn traversed the room toward Nikki. "Raven hasn't been around in forever." She threw an accusatory glance at him with those giant, bright eyes. Then she was back to him, clasping his hands. "Did you get here in time to hear your song?"

So she really wrote that song for him? Guess he wasn't full of ... himself.

"You sounded great." Raven lit up when he said it. Actually lit up. Eyes, face, all brighter and ... happier.

Nikki realized she didn't like his reaction at all.

Perspective. She needed perspective. Kaylyn seemed like a genuinely sweet person; after all, she'd welcomed them, didn't even get mad at Raven for beating up her bodyguard. Didn't get mad at Nikki for eating her food.

She was also beautiful. Of course, Nikki had seen her on TV and on the covers Kaylyn's numerous CDs, but in person it was intensified. She wore studded jeans and a flowing dark blue top that set off her eyes and made them look like they were alive behind her eyelids. Her face was perfect, her teeth were perfect. Her posture was perfect.

Nikki stood up a little straighter.

Kaylyn motioned for Kevin to close the door, the green door. "I know you guys aren't here on a social visit, so what's up?"

Raven sighed as if he really didn't want the "getting reacquainted" party to end. "We need information about seekers."

Her pearly skin went chalk white. She wavered, like someone had struck her with a syringe full of something lethal. Raven reached out to steady her. Not a difficult task since he was already standing so close.

Long seconds ticked past before Kaylyn lifted her chin and sort of chased away the moment by slamming it with determination-jaw set, eyes fierce, mouth firm. "I'll help however I can. What do you need to know?"

Nikki admired her bravery - the mention of a seeker had practically knocked the girl off her feet, but she was still ready to help. Nikki cleared her throat. "I'm being hunted."

Kaylyn nodded. "Okay," she said on a long breath. "Let's talk about it."

Fifteen minutes later, they had no new information and Raven was pacing the floor like a caged tiger. Nikki wondered if he might be sensing hounds, but she hadn't picked up on anything. Of course, last time she picked up on the hounds when it was almost too late.

Nikki turned to Raven, hoping her worries didn't set him off. "Do we need to go?"

Kaylyn answered instead. "I need more time. It's been a lifetime since I thought about seekers and I'm scared I'm leaving something out."

Raven returned her plea with a stare, and Nikki was left wondering what conversation was pa.s.sing between his and Kaylyn's eyes.

"Okay, let me just run through everything again." Words flew from her mouth so quickly, it was hard to keep up. Now and then she'd tilt her head and stare at the ceiling a few seconds before continuing. One by one, she rattled off things she'd already told them.

"You already know about blood. What about fear?" Kaylyn didn't give them time to answer. "It feeds off your fear when it gets close. And trust me, there will be plenty of terror for it to use."

She paced in a tight line. "You need to stay as fresh as you can. Rest, eat, keep your spirit up, and mostly, pray. Actually, you're going to need to call on some pros for this."

"Pros?" Raven said.

"Yeah, intercessors." Kaylyn tapped her foot, the sequined shoe glistening from the overhead light. "In fact, I've got a friend who leads a church in Philadelphia. You need to go there. And I can let him know you're coming."

"Okay. Why?" What can a pastor do that Raven can't?

"Two reasons. You'll be safe there for the night, and right now they're having an all-night prayer vigil - one orchestrated by the Throne. They can intercede for you - for when you do have to face the seeker. You will have to face it."

"Am I safe in any church?"

"Only one bathed in prayer. And only for a day at the most. Intercessors can keep the seeker at bay through prayer for a number of hours, but they're human. Eventually, they will tire and the seeker will overwhelm them."

Nikki shook her head. "There's no way I'd go to a church and draw a seeker there to kill all those people."

Kaylyn pointed at her but again directed her inquiry to Raven. "She doesn't know anything about spiritual matters, does she?"

Raven shrugged. Nikki felt the urge to slap him.

"Nikki, the intercessors are warriors. They go head-to-head with the being from h.e.l.l on a daily basis. It's what they were created for."

"Head-to-head?" Nikki echoed.

"Not physically. More like battling in the realm of the spirit."

"So, the fight with the seeker is a spiritual battle as well as a physical one," Raven said.

Kaylyn nodded. "Very much so. Almost more a spiritual battle than anything else. You need weapons. Faith, peace. As I said, you will have to face the seeker. You can't run forever."

Nikki agreed. "I'm tired of running already. I'd rather just get it over with."

Kaylyn reached over and touched Nikki's arm. "Not until you're ready. Trust me on this one. But Pastor Layton can help prepare you."

Nikki imagined herself being encouraged onto an armored horse at a jousting tournament.

Kaylyn smiled. "Layton will help you prepare spiritually. Right now, your spirit is probably just about dry."

Nikki'd never given much thought to her spirit - practically her entire life had been spent learning to protect her body. But if preparing her inner defenses would help end this nightmare, she was game. She thought back to the faith ball, and the breakthrough she'd had. "I do have faith."

"You don't have faith, Nikki!" Raven's outburst shocked her.

"It wasn't your faith, okay?" he almost whispered. His face looked like a small child's.

A thousand icicles sliced through her stomach. "But I felt the faith ball. I held it in my hands. I did what you told me to do and I succeeded."

He looked everywhere but at her. "It was a trick. I used my own faith to make you think you'd found yours."

A short puff of air forced all the oxygen from her lungs. A trick? "Are - are you kidding? Why would you -" Then she knew. He'd wanted to do something Mace couldn't. Raven had let her think she possessed something she didn't have - that she needed to have - just to make Mace look like a fool.

Her head was hot, her ears were ringing, and if she didn't get away she was going to scream or faint. The tiny black spots in front of her eyes suggested the latter. He tricked me. Boiling anger chased the spots until they all but disappeared in the periphery of her vision. All that time, she'd been frustrated with Mace's slow instruction. Now she understood he was the only one actually trying to help her. And just that quickly, she made a decision. "I'm going back to Viennesse."

Raven grabbed her. "Nikki, you can't. They're on their way here. I was trying to help you back on the boat. I wanted -"

She pulled away from him. "To trick me into thinking I have a weapon I don't? That's not help, Raven. My life is on the line."

He grabbed her again, this time harder, so she couldn't even thrash. "You think I don't know that? Look, I wouldn't have done it if I'd had any idea this was going to happen."

"Oh, right, because it's so unlikely I'd be hunted and chased by people and things wanting to kill me!"

"I figured if you held the faith ball and believed in it enough, it would become a part of you."

"You figured? Well, thanks for gambling with my life."

Kaylyn stepped between them, and Raven let go. "This isn't helping the situation. The fact is, Nikki, whether you have faith or not right now, you better find a way to tap into that well inside you. Layton can help you do that."

Nikki swallowed, and Raven's betrayal slid down her throat with all the other emotions that were bubbling to the surface. She was just so tired of being a victim, being hunted. First by h.e.l.l hounds, then by evil men and demons, now by a monster from h.e.l.l. It wasn't fair to release all her anxiety on Raven, she knew, but at the same time what he did was almost unforgivable.

Kaylyn's bright blue eyes were now pleading. "Let Raven take you to Philadelphia."

After a long time, Nikki gave a reluctant nod. What choice did she have? She couldn't fly, and she clearly couldn't protect herself on her own. Why is it even a rebel like Raven has more spiritual power than me?

"Before you leave, I'm going to need some of your blood." Both Raven and Nikki gave Kaylyn a quizzical look, but she was too busy inspecting items along the table to notice. "You're headed to Philadelphia, we're headed out West. Miles and miles of desert."

Nikki and Raven exchanged shrugs, as if it was the only form of communication they could now share.

"Ah, this should work." Kaylyn brought an empty Perrier bottle to Raven then held out the dented cap. "Bend it back?"

Raven took the lid and smoothed out the crease.

Kaylyn slid the cap back onto the bottle and gave it a couple of shakes; apparently, it needed to fit snugly. She smiled sweetly, turning to face Nikki. "About that blood ..."

Chapter 9.

I don't think it's a good idea, Kay."

Nikki noticed the nickname and Raven's tone of voice as he said it. It raked against her spine.

"Raven, it might buy you more time. We're leaving within the hour, and I can drop the bottle out in the desert. The seeker likely won't pick up the scent until the blood touches the ground." Kaylyn placed her slender hand on Raven's arm. "Nikki needs time."

That seemed to be enough motivation for him. His eyes caught Nikki's as she began to say no.

"Nikki, I'm not going to argue about it." Raven's voice rose a little.

"I'm not giving her blood. No way. Too dangerous."

Kaylyn and Raven shared a sort of conspiratorial look, then the blonde singer was back at the table.

Nikki started to move away, but Raven's arms surrounded her. When Kaylyn swung around with a cheese knife in her hand, Nikki screamed and tried to wriggle free.

Cold first, then a burning sting as the blade sliced her arm. It didn't hurt that bad, but emotion welled in her. Maybe because these two were putting their lives on the line while she tried to stop them-just like a bratty kid would stop her mom from pouring peroxide on a wound to clean out the infection. Tears stung her eyes and her nose tingled. Ugh. She hated that. She looked away, off to the left, as if courage was hiding in the corner and she only had to make eye contact to possess it. But no courage came, so she bit her bottom lip while Kaylyn held the bottle to the edge of the cut, where a fine line of blood flowed.

Kaylyn's voice was annoyingly soothing. "I'm sorry we held you down, Nikki. But if you're anything like the girls Raven usually goes for, it was the only way."

Just when I figured I couldn't possibly feel any worse ...

Kaylyn pressed her shimmery lips into a straight line. "I appreciate that you're worried about my safety. But believe me, I can handle myself, and I won't take any stupid risks."

Not trusting her voice, Nikki gave a quick nod and uttered a thank you.

"Okay, you guys need to go."

Raven bent and kissed Kaylyn on the cheek. The whole exchange made Nikki's world tilt. Kaylyn was trying to help, but again, Nikki'd been bullied into doing what she didn't want to do. Was she ever again going to have control over her life?

Yes. One day she would. Deep in her soul a promise bloomed, and she knew with absolute certainty that one day she'd choose her own destiny. Awareness filled her. She didn't deserve the people she'd been given, and yet here they were.

She didn't deserve the unmerited favor that surrounded her on every turn. And yet, it sought her like flowers seek the sun.

The sensation overwhelmed her. Something deep within her was changing. Her gaze trailed to Raven first, then to Kaylyn. It gurgled in her stomach and rose to settle in her chest.

A bit confused by it, she stood statue still as waves seemed to flow both outward and inward at the same time, washing over her flesh and splashing through her system.

The green room looked a little brighter. Had someone turned up the light?

"What is it?" Raven's voice reached her through the veil.

She whispered, "Faith."

Kaylyn clapped her hands. "Raven, she's tapping in."

By the time they made it to the church in Philadelphia, Kaylyn had contacted her friend Pastor Layton. The forty-something man ushered them in and closed a ma.s.sive door behind them. Nikki recognized his face, especially the dark hair and green eyes, from TV, although she hadn't known his name. He was probably on some church show she'd flicked past a thousand times on Sunday mornings.

A gargantuan sanctuary swallowed them, lit only by some dim overhead lights, and she took it in as they walked. At the edge of the chair-filled room a door was propped open, spilling bright light into the s.p.a.ce.

Nikki chewed on the inside of her cheek. Guess they didn't have such a great turnout for the prayer meeting. But as they moved to the door, a low rumble of voices grew louder. Pastor Layton turned and addressed Nikki with a smile. "I'd like you to meet your intercessors."