Catch Me When I Fall (38 page)

After you, miss
, Nolan said, holding out a hand for me. I glared at him then followed the rest of the coven into the room, flanking left. The factory was so dark, only a little starlight from the few windows provided light, and only the faint
thump
of footsteps filled the room. I clutched my daggers in my sweaty hands as my pulse raced in my ears. If Richard was waiting for us, he was hiding very well.

Lights flipped on, illuminating the vast, empty space, and from every corner of the room came hostile Magus and Catchers alike. I sprang into action, going invisible. As long as only Giovanni’s Catchers could see me, I’d have a chance of finding Richard and putting my dagger through his heart.

Turning in a circle, I scouted the vast room for a sign of him. But there was none.
Come on, you bastard
.

Three conveyer belts away, Giovanni’s head popped into view. His black hair had come loose from his ponytail, and the strands flung around his face as he spun, digging his blades into the bodies of those who’d once looked up to him. I sprinted across the room, weaving through the battles taking place around me. One of Giovanni’s Catchers jumped in my way, and I kicked his feet out from under him before bringing my blade down into his chest. He gripped my wrist as the life left his brown eyes. Hot bile rose in my throat. I’d never killed one of my own before.

Drawing my dagger from the Catcher’s chest, Giovanni stared right at me, a twisted grin on his face. With a snarl, I closed the gap between us until we circled each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

“How’s Kayla?” Giovanni leered.

My grip tightened on my blades. “Where’s Richard? I’m surprised he’d miss all the fun.”

“Oh, he’s here. You just can’t hear him.” Then I spotted a familiar “G” branded on the inside of Giovanni’s left wrist, and it clicked—Nolan had worn the same unity mark. Richard wasn’t here at all. He was hearing the play-by-play through Giovanni. My hands shook as a heat wave flooded my body. I was going to lose Kayla.

My moment of weakness gave Giovanni his opening. He kicked my left hand, sending my dagger flying, and threw one of his own blades at my chest. I spun out of the way in time to avoid a major hit, but groaned when the blade sliced my shoulder.

“Not bad. But I have four hundred years on you, Daniel. You have a long way to go.”

And just like that, he charged me. His dagger sliced at my neck, but I smacked his arm away and punched him in the nose. Instead of staggering back like anyone else would have, Giovanni grinned at me, blood gushing down his face. Chills rushed down my spine.

Again, he lunged at me, his arms moving so fast I barely had time to breathe. For someone who’d spent so many years behind a desk, Giovanni could
move
. He swung at my face with his knife, but I raised an arm just in time, blocking his attack. His other fist collided with my jaw. I swore as I ducked to avoid Giovanni’s dagger and jabbed him in the stomach. A soft grunt escaped his lips, but his arms never stopped moving. His blade caught my cheek.

Two more times I managed to block his hits, unable to get in a jab of my own. Then, as I spun out of the way a third time, I found my opening. While he was focused so hard on his handiwork, he completely forgot about his feet.

I ducked one of Giovanni’s punches, spinning and crouching low to the ground. Swinging my leg out to the side, I caught the back of his ankles. With a shout, he came tumbling down. I dug my dagger into his leg and stood, kicking Giovanni’s blade out of his hand.

“Where is he?” I shouted as Giovanni tried to rise to his feet. I kicked him in the side of the head, and he fell onto his back with a groan.

“Tell me where Richard is, and I’ll spare your life.”

Giovanni laughed. I stepped on his leg, digging the heel of my boot into his knife wound. He screamed and reached for my foot, but I kicked him in the face. Blood spurted from his mouth.

“I will ask you one more time. Where is Richard?” I raised my blade to his throat.

“Stop!” he shouted.

The room around me silenced as the fighting ceased. Richard’s coven and Giovanni’s followers dropped their hands and weapons. Giovanni’s body convulsed, and his eyes rolled back into his head. I stepped back as a cold chill ran through me. When his eyes opened again, they were black—just like Seth’s had been in the club.

“You win, Daniel. Let Giovanni live, and I will give you what you want most. This was never really about finding me anyway, yeah?” Richard spoke through Giovanni’s body.

My jaw clenched. He knew that if I had to choose between his location and Kayla, I’d choose her.

“Now, step back and send one of your friends to see if Kayla’s awake.”

I did as he said.
Sam, check on Kayla now
. “Why are you letting us go?”

Giovanni’s face smirked. “Because simply destroying the world wouldn’t be much fun, now would it?”

Daniel, she’s waking up, just like he said,
Samantha said.
The mark is gone.

I let out a deep breath, closing my eyes for a brief moment. Then I opened them and stared down Giovanni, a smug smile on my face. Richard had shown me his weakness. He cared as much for Giovanni as I did for Kayla. He was going to get what he deserved.

Twirling my blade in my fingers, I dropped to my knees. “Thank you, Richard, for holding up your end of the bargain. But see, I’m not interested in playing your game.”

Giovanni’s eyes opened wide as my blade entered his throat. All around the room, Richard’s coven and Giovanni’s followers retaliated. But we were a bit quicker. Because they had dropped their weapons, within minutes, Giovanni’s Catchers were dead, leaving us to team up with the rest of Trishna’s coven. Richard’s Magus didn’t stand a chance. The thirty of us who remained took them out, and by the time the battle ended, the floor was coated in red blood.

“You can see her now, Daniel,” Trishna said.

I lifted my head out of my now-clean hands and jumped off the bed, forcing myself not to sprint into the other room. Instead, I entered slowly, holding my breath. Tabbi and Kayla stood, embraced in a hug. Seeing me, Tabbi grinned and whispered something into Kayla’s ear. Then Kayla turned. With a soft cry, she ran into my arms.

Holding her tight, all the emotions I’d held bottled inside exploded. I kissed her, hard, as a single tear fell from my eye—the first one in a long time. She was safe. Resting my cheek on her head, I breathed in the scent of her strawberry shampoo. The tension that had plagued every part of my body for weeks disappeared. I closed my eyes and let the feeling of floating take over.

Kayla didn’t move as she spoke. “My dad?”

My eyes opened. “Nolan’s going over all of his known hiding spots with Trishna. It won’t be easy, but we’ll find him.”

She was quiet for a few minutes, then she spoke again. “I won’t turn out like him, right?”

I leaned back to look into her eyes. They were framed with red. “Where is this coming from? He might be your father, but you’re nothing like him.”

Kayla shook her head. “I killed those two guys and started that fire. What if I can’t control myself?”

“You’re part of Trishna’s coven now. She will train you. And don’t forget, your father didn’t have something you do.”

“What?”

“Me.” I touched her cheek. “If you ever feel like you’re going to fall, I will be here to catch you.”

Kayla smiled softly. “I forgot you were invincible.”

I grinned. She’d used the same line when we’d visited Paris. “Invincible, no. But you’d be surprised how much I’d do for the girl I love.”

Her hazel eyes sparkled as her arms wrapped around my neck and her lips met mine. I squeezed her tight in my arms. The war was far from over, but right now, even if only for a few minutes, the world was perfect.

“Writing a book is [an]…exhausting struggle. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can [not] resist.”
—
George Orwell

To my agent, Sarah Negovetich: Thank you for helping me navigate the publishing waters and find the perfect home for my novel. Your advice and expertise are invaluable! I’m so blessed to be going through this journey with you—and to have someone in my corner who doesn’t mind answering a thousand questions. One of these days, I’ll make your Superagent cape.

To my editor, Jessa: I owe you thanks for not just making my book a thousand times better but for giving this manuscript a chance to shine in PitchMas. You, in more ways than one, have helped make my dreams come true. So glad it was you who helped me whip my story into something beautiful.

To my team at CQ: Thank you to everyone who had a hand in helping this book get into readers
’
 hands. You all have been so fantastic to work with and have really made my first publishing experience an exciting adventure. And Dean, what an awesome cover. Your ability to read my mind and put together such a stunning picture is truly a superpower.

To my amazing critique partners: Ava, Emily, Laura, and Jessica. I definitely could not have written this without you four. You saw my manuscript when it was at its conception and helped me make it into something beautiful.

To the thirteen others who had a hand in helping me shape my novel: M. Andrew, Angi, Bess, Catherine, Jen, Marika, Nikki, Sarah, Stephanie, Summer, Tabitha, and Vikki. Thank you all for your encouragement and wisdom.

To my street team: I cannot wait to share this journey with you, Dreamweavers. You guys rock, and I’m so lucky to have so many awesome people in my corner.

To my friends and family: It’s such a blessing to have people in my life who get as excited by book news as I do, even when you have no idea what I’m talking about. Your love and enthusiasm keep me going on the toughest days.

And to my parents, who supported me before I even knew this was possible: Thank you for sending me to all those writing conferences and for investing not just your dimes but your hearts in me and my book. I love you both.