the pain they held nearly stopped Nikki’s voice. But he had to understand this, because right now — fresh from a victory and laden with wings — she was strong enough to face his hopes. But what about another day when she was weary and exhausted from the fight? On a bad day, he could easily convince her with a look much less wrenching. “Raven said you’d challenge me to be everything I can be. Instead, you’re asking me to run away from my destiny?”
He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “That’s all I have left, Mace. I have the promise that my life — my actions — matter. That they’ll make a difference. I won’t walk away from that. Not even for you.”
She pushed against him until he let her out of the seat. Hands fisted, Nikki walked to the restaurant door. Once she was safely on the other side, she broke into a run until her wings lifted her back to freedom.
Mace touched down on the mountaintop and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Nikki tucked into the rock ledge. It was the same place they’d once sat and watched the elaborate ritual he’d hoped to share with Nikki.
Who was he kidding? She’d been right about everything. They were warriors, and warriors don’t willingly leave the battle. They win it. Or they die trying.
The rustle of his feathers caused her to look over. Her hands went to her face and smeared tears in a feeble attempt to make them disappear.
“I’m sorry I’m such an idiot.”
She sniffed. “You’re not an idiot.”
“Yes, I am.” He closed the distance between them and motioned to the rock. “Can I sit with you?”
She slid over.
A cluster of trees moved with the mountain wind. Clumps of snow drifted from their branches and landed in heaps on the ground. This would have been the perfect time to soar with her.
She angled to face him. “Could you really have done it?”
He drew in a long breath. But I had to make a mistake. “I wanted to think I could leave this war. But I don’t know. If it’s what you would have wanted, yes.”
“Leave Vine and Will?” Her eyes were red. “Leave Raven to his own devices? And what about Vessler? Just walk away from the chance to stop him? Vessler was planning to make wingcuffs. Thousands of them to take – our friends — as prisoners.”
And use Nikki’s DNA to build Halflings he could control. A detail she still didn’t know. And he wasn’t about to tell her. But to think she could be the catalyst able to bring about his insane plan … that was more of a burden than even he needed. In truth, he’d reasoned that leaving the battle, and undergoing the change accompanied with that decision, could protect her. No angelic side, no DNA to turn dark.
Her gaze narrowed. “What is it?”
Mace looked away. “Nothing.”
Beside him, he felt her angle closer, which normally he enjoyed. “Mace, tell me what’s going on. You know something, don’t you?”
“Contrary to what you might think, I know a lot of things,” he tried to joke.
“Don’t keep secrets from me. People have kept secrets from me my whole life.”
He’d be no better than the rest if he didn’t tell her the truth. But can I deal with what that truth will do?
“Mace.”
He turned to her and took her face in his hands. “Nothing, Nikki. Really. I was just expecting to spend the evening catching branches you dropped for me. Instead, I’m having to think about going back to the battle.”
“I’m sorry, Mace.”
“Me too.” Sorry he couldn’t tell her the truth about her godfather. Vessler didn’t just want to turn Nikki into a dark creature. He wanted to cut her open and use what was inside to spawn an impossible number of dark creatures. Nikki wasn’t just a warrior. She was an army.
Chapter 15
Are you ready to go inside?”
Nikki chewed her lip. For some reason, the Halfling’s house on Pine Boulevard looked different. It had been awhile since she’d been there, and well, a lot had changed. Mostly her. Being back in Missouri caused her to realize just how much had been altered in her life.
She tightened the muscles in her shoulder blades, felt her wings begin to respond, and smiled. Yes, quite a bit had changed.
She and Mace had left the mountain and the whole running-away conversation behind them. Neither had uttered a word until now. “Are you excited to show them