Mace crawled over the shards of glass that littered the area, his eyes fixed on the burning doorway. Raven was still inside. He’d lost his soul mate and his brother in the same day.
Smoke billowed over Mace’s face, enveloping him in its darkness. His only thought a futile prayer running through his head. “No. Please. I can’t lose them.”
There was noise behind him. An irritating one calling his name, pulling him from the blackness. Mace fought it. This new darkness was beautifully simple. But the sound kept tugging him. First a request, then an order. He wished whomever it was would stop and let him enjoy the dark, inky sea he was sinking into, but then he recognized the voice.
The next voice was Winter’s. “Mace, it’s Nikki. She needs you.”
Sheer will caused him to drag his eyes open and reject the dark he had wanted to succumb to. Vine and the others were there, and through the noise and the haze they helped him stand and stumble to the spot where Nikki’s body lay. People parted as he neared her. Her pale form looked asleep there on the green grass, almost like she was waiting on a kiss to awaken her. But Nikki was gone. And even though he knew — had begun to accept—still, his mind continued to pray.
Many were standing around him as he knelt to her, and he could barely stand entering an atmosphere so heavy with sadness. Someone had arranged her hair so it framed her face perfectly. A tremor, small but noticeable, made its way through the crowd that had all but closed the two of them in. Mace took Nikki’s hand in his. He bent forward and put his head on her stomach. And one more time, he prayed.
He couldn’t stop himself; his spirit was determined. He’d pray every minute of every hour of every day of every year if that’s what he had to do to survive in a world without Nikki.
Someone gave his hand the lightest of squeezes. A collective gasp exhaled from the crowd. Someone whispered “Stop,” and his head moved against Nikki’s stomach again. But he didn’t remember moving an inch. Mace shot to his knees and stared down at her open eyes.
“Stop praying, Mace. I’m here,” Nikki whispered.
Everything went black around him. Someone — Vine? — caught him by the shoulders and held him fast while he tried to breathe.
He blinked away the haze, looked down at his hand locked in hers. She squeezed, little more than a tremor, but she did indeed move. Mace stared at her hard. Am I hallucinating? Am I just seeing what I want to be true? Then came her voice, a little stronger in tone.
“I was with him. It was beautiful. We walked by the River of Life and I drank. He took my hand. You know what he said?”
Mace couldn’t speak. Alive … she was really alive. Vine bumped his shoulder. And he remembered she’d asked him a question. He shook his head, the only response he could manage.
Nikki moved, which caused her to wince. “He said, ‘You can’t stay here.’ And I was frightened, because I knew Halflings weren’t promised heaven. But he told me that wasn’t why. I couldn’t stay because you, Mace, wouldn’t let me.”
And then Nikki passed out.
Nikki awakened to unfamiliar smells and the sound of someone shuffling across the room. She tried to focus.
“Mace!” someone hollered. A familiar voice. Lilting and beautiful. Vegan.
Mace appeared at Nikki’s bedside and snapped his wings closed. He dropped to his knees and kissed her hands, her hair, her face. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. But his feathery touch seemed so real.
“Where am I?” she whispered. The words were a gruff croak through a sand-dry throat. A horrid contrast to the perfect angel kneeling beside her.
“In my arms,” he said, scooping her off the bed and onto his lap. “That’s all that matters.”
She tucked her head against his chest in the safe circle of his arms. He surrounded her so completely, so fully, it left no room for fear. He dipped a finger beneath her chin, and she realized his breaths were as ragged as her own.
Still weak, she glanced around the room, struggling for equilibrium. Giant rock walls, tall windows, and a wide wooden door. Viennesse.
“We’re in Europe. You’ve been unconscious for three days.”
“I was in … I saw …” The lab, Vessler, the cage rushed to her mind. “Zero?”
“Shh.” Mace nuzzled her closer. “He’s fine. Cranky as ever though. Right now he’s downstairs with Dr. Spong fighting about where to set up the new computers.”
“New computers?” she echoed.
“Didn’t you hear? Zero runs the network.” Mace smiled, bright cerulean eyes sparkling and filled to their depths with love. “He said you called him a girl.” But even as he spoke, he pulled her closer, as if to integrate their bodies so there’d be no distinction where one ended and the other began.
She supposed three days was a long time to watch your perfect match fight to survive. When she smiled, her lips cracked, and she winced. “Think I may need some lip balm.”
“No,” Mace corrected. “I’ve been waiting for days to kiss away your boo-boos.”
She tilted her head back, letting it fall against his shoulder. “Did you hear me tell Krissy you’d done that? That was forever ago, Mace.” Not long after the beginning of this journey, shortly after her hands had been burned in the laboratory fire the night they’d confiscated a computer. A computer containing a file with Nikki’s name on it, with the words Genesis Project. If only they’d know then it was a clue she was Vessler’s prized creation.
“Yes, I heard you talking to Krissy that day. And I couldn’t think of anything else afterward.”
“That’s a terrible waste of your time,” she teased. His chest pressed against her, his scent wafting over her. Hints of soap from a recent shower, the cotton of his shirt, that faint tinge of spearmint all invaded her senses as he dipped closer to her mouth.
“And why was it a waste of my time?” His hand roamed over her shoulder, down her spine, and flattened against her back.
“Because you don’t need an excuse.” Her hands circled his neck, fingers sifting through his dark-blond hair. Nikki’s lips met his. They were warm, moist, filled with anticipation and want, and a hint of sugar cookies. But mostly the promise of peace.
They were interrupted by a flock of Halflings, some materializing in the room with loud snapping wings, some opting for the more conventional method of running through the large door. “Wow,” she said to the huge group. “You guys move fast.”
Zero grinned. “All our ancestral homes were built with rooms large enough to leap in and out. It’s good practice while we’re training.”
“Whoa, whoa,” an unfamiliar voice hollered. She heard a crash at the window. Half in, half out, giant wings and one arm clung to the sill.
Mace shot a disgruntled look toward the window and shook his head. “That’s Crash.”
Two Halflings grabbed the arm and tugged him inside.
“Hoo-wee!” Crash said in a thick southern accent. “Y’all see that?” He leaned out the window and almost fell, clambering for the sill again. Somehow, his wings got tangled in the drape. He smacked at the thick cloth until he noticed every set of eyes in the room watched him. He flashed them a crooked smile. “I was follerin’ Vine, then he cut left, but I was headed right. He was gonna show me this perty place. Then he shoved me into the wall.”
Vine face turned pink. “I didn’t shove you into the wall,” he said through clenched teeth. “And don’t tell people I was taking you to a ‘pretty place.’ It makes me sound like a little girl. I was going to help you work on your landings somewhere safe.”
Vine moved next to Glimmer. Beside her, Winter sat down on the edge of the bed, and in one corner, Vegan was arranging the various plants and flowers that seemed to cover the room. Their scent saturated the space, offering life in great bundles of green and splashes of red. Nikki took in the other faces, several she didn’t recognize.
Then, her heart thudded and a sick sensation rolled through her empty stomach. “Where’s Raven?”
Gold and
blue gazes ricocheted around the room. Glimmer dropped her head in her hands and let the tears fall.
Mace pulled Nikki closer, but she felt his chest constrict. “He …” His stomach convulsed, and when she searched his eyes, she found only pain. “He didn’t make it out.”
She shook her head to clear it. “What?”
Silence answered her.
She pushed away from him. “No, no. That’s not possible. You … you saved us. Zero and me. If we got out, he could.”
Mace swallowed and looked away. “No, Nikki. There was an explosion.”
“Couldn’t he have leapt?”
“The hallways were too confined. He brought you to me and went back to stop more explosions from happening. The FBI was coming to investigate Vessler. Raven knew they’d need something concrete, so I think he went to stop the charges.”
Nausea rolled through her system. She grabbed Mace’s shirt and buried her head. “I’m so sorry,” she finally uttered, mouth quivering. “He’s gone?” But the very idea seemed inconceivable to her. Life without Raven.
“He made a choice to sacrifice his life for our protection.” Around her, the Halflings all nodded. Glimmer hadn’t raised her head from her hands, but tears fell in streams from her fingers. Several tried to sniff back their own tears, but the pain filtered through the room, unmanageable in its scope. “We have to honor that sacrifice. Even if this journey is over, there’s still much work to be done. We must be ready to fight, Nikki.”
She sucked in a firm breath and tipped her head back. “Then we’ll fight.” She raised a weak fist into the air. “For Raven.”
A room full of Halflings answered. “For Raven.”
Will materialized at her bedside. Bright blue eyes smiled at her. “You’re looking fit, Miss Nikki.”
“I just heard about Raven, Will. I know you loved him like a son.” The words poured out of her before she could stop them, or even think about them. Will had sacrificed much. All for his Lost Boys.
His face collapsed, but his words were even and sure. “As a heavenly angel, I am not engineered to feel love as the humans do.” He squared his shoulders. “Raven will be missed. His sacrifice was great.” Will nodded, lips thinning. “A good fighter. A good soldier.”
“A good son,” Nikki insisted.
The giant of a man’s shoulders began to quake. Not even a breath moved the air in the room. For a moment, life seemed to stop.
Dropping his head into his hands, Will wept.
Later that night, sitting in the gathering room of the mansion, Will hushed the Halflings with the only phrase able to stifle thirty teenage voices. “Heaven whispers.”
Twenty male and ten female Halflings had been ordered to reside at Viennesse until further instruction. And while Will was somewhat used to the level of madness, the other caretakers were going crazy.
Normally, males and females crossed paths sporadically, but they were never meant to reside in large groups in a single dwelling for extended periods of time. Will worried what the implication might be.
In addition to the new Halfling relationships, something was changing. The earth groaned for the return of its creator. He had to wonder if the end of days was upon them.
Like volts of electricity, the room lit with power. Tongues of fire licked at the air. The ground shook as if the building quaked in fear. Dust rose from every corner, seeping from every crack. Brilliant light appeared, so radiant that even the ancient rocks comprising the walls glowed.
An angel emerged from the glow, carrying the essence of heaven upon him and its glory with him. Another angel appeared beside him, gleaming in the dingy room. They bowed as another became visible between them, appearing like fire wrapped in flesh.
“You are the product of the sons of God and the daughters of man,” his voice boomed.
Will knew well the one standing in the center. He cast a glance to Nikki and saw the recognition in her face. She knew the lover of mankind as well.
“Halflings.” The authority in his voice shook the room.
Thirty sets of eyes rounded as if the nitrogen had been sucked away, leaving the air pure and cold.
“You’ve chosen to pay a staggering debt. Not of yourselves, but of your fathers. Some have paid with their very lives. I am honored to have you in my service. A new dispensation is upon us. Male and female Halflings will work together until the end of days. Time is short. Know clearly which side you dwell on.” When he said this, his burning eyes fell upon Viper.
Viper’s gaze dropped to the floor.
“I will hold you accountable for your actions on the Great and Terrible Day.”
No one moved, but apprehension had clearly developed in the onlookers.
Then the son of the Throne smiled, and like a warming sun rushes away the darkest winter night come spring, fear melted. He then looked to each Halfling gathered around. “But you have also captured my heart. I will petition the Father on your behalf.”
Questioning looks flittered from one face to the other as he pointed to Nikki and motioned her to step forward.
Slowly, she rose and came to him.
“When I give a gift, I do not take it back. Open your wings.”
Nikki closed her eyes and stretched. Almost instantly she felt the familiar weight of her wings on her back. The Throne’s son reached out and touched the bend in each wing, and as she opened her eyes he said, “You were crimson, but I washed you white as snow.” The blood-red color then drained away, leaving each feather as pure and white as porcelain.
He bowed to the Halflings, and they bowed their heads in return.
In a flash of light and fire, his feet lifted off the ground. Hovering above them, he spoke once more. “Oh, yes.” A soft smile. “Raven says hello.”
Chapter 29
THREE DAYS PRIOR.
OMEGA LABORATORY
When he realized there’d be no way to stop the explosives, Raven ran to the small air duct leading to the stables. Once inside, he’d hopefully be shielded from the bulk of the blast. That or he’d be like a baked potato wrapped in tinfoil once he entered the metal vent. Either way, it would be over quickly.
As soon as he shimmied out of the vent and stood up, the scent of hay and horses assaulted his nose. It was weirdly calming. He glanced to the right. At the end of the corridor, the equine leader, Debra, and the other horses roamed. To the left, the stable doors were wide open. Moments later he felt more than heard the blast coming from the lab. It shook the ground, causing dirt to flutter over him from the slatted roof above. The horses whinnied frantically, but within moments they began to calm.
Raven turned to leave. He needed to join the other Halflings, if only to let them know he was okay. Then he’d disappear and mourn Nikki’s death alone.
From a vantage point at the open stall door, he could see the parking lot filled with his friends. They gathered around two beings. One was Nikki. The other was closer to the lab door. When someone moved, he caught a glimpse of his face. Mace.
Raven grabbed the door for support. “No!” The fool must have tried to come back in after him. But then the clump of flesh moved. Vine was there, supporting Mace, who soon looked up. Raven released a long breath. Mace was okay. But Raven’s heart shuddered when he saw Mace standing and slowly going toward Nikki. The crowd made room for him. Mace knelt by her body and cried.
Bodies closed in around them, but from the distance Raven thought he saw her … move. No, it must be a mistake. He rushed to the other side of the door just as he heard a gun cock behind him. Yes. He was certain this time. Nikki was moving on her own. Alive.
“Turn around. Slowly.”
Raven ignored the command. He wanted one more glimpse of her, but the Halflings closed in and he couldn’t see her any longer.
“I said turn around, Raven.”
Raven glanced over his shoulder.
“Now.” Adam Cordelle’s voice shook along with the .45 caliber pistol in his grip.
Raven turned slowl
y, raising his hands in a show of surrender. “I’m not armed, Cordelle. Put down that gun before you hurt yourself.” The man was the worst guard Raven had ever encountered. The two had actually become friends at one point while Raven was spying on the lab. Cordelle had thought him a vagrant and treated him like a wayward son.
Adam gripped the gun tighter. “You’re with them, aren’t you? You lied to me all that time.”
Raven drew a long breath and let his weight rest on the edge of the doorjamb. “Nothing personal, Cordelle.”
His mouth dropped open. “Nothing personal? I helped you. I trusted you.”
“Yeah, uh, sorry about that. It was all for a good cause.”
Adam’s face reddened with indignation. “I’m glad you can be so flippant about it.” His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “I know what you are. Mr. Vessler warned us about you … you evil monsters.”
“Whatever.” If Raven could keep him talking for a few more minutes, Cordelle would eventually put the gun down or drop it from those chubby hands and scrawny arms. “You want to know who the monster is? Take a look at your boss. Vessler is the worst kind of evil, and you’re working for him. You need to take your family and go away. Take that job you offered me at the chicken plant.”
The barrel of the gun dropped marginally. Raven had him. But then the man’s face hardened. “No. You lied to me. All along.” The gun trembled in his hand as he raised it higher.
“You’re not going to shoot me, Cordelle. You know you can’t.”
Something off to the right, beyond the door, caught Adam’s attention. Raven then heard what Adam saw: men coming at them quickly. From where he stood, Raven wasn’t sure if the men approaching could see him or not. Cordelle looked at Raven, then the group coming closer, then Raven. Then he fired the first shot.
Raven was so shocked he didn’t have time to move. He felt the bullet plunge deep into his side, tearing flesh and muscle. He dropped to the ground just as another shot rang out and caused fresh pain to sear through his arm.
Avenger Page 24
