Exaltation (30 page)

“You ain’t leaving this house, no sir. Mr. Jamison said you were guarding her, that he had things to attend to. You opened this box, you walked into this, and you’re staying if I have to tie you to her.” She grunted. “When it comes time to be ‘fessing your sins I’ll have your back. The good lord knows you gonna need it,” she said. In a lower tone she said. “The woman is gonna
shred
you. Beauregard has no mercy, none at all.’”

Rydell furrowed his brow, not understanding any of that. He had confessed his sins, and Raven, even as mad as she was, would not hurt him, not right now at least. Who was Beauregard? All Rydell could assume was it was one of the originals who’d looked at him like he was from another world. He didn’t have time to care who they were.

“She wants me here?” Rydell asked, looking over this woman a brave man would think twice before crossing.

“Raven lives in the now. You’re in the now.” She walked over to Rydell and peered up as if he were an alien. “Sometimes you have to give a damn just so you can lose it all, just so you can find where you’re supposed to be. I don’t know why you’re here now. But you are. So deal with ‘dat so we can all move on.” She pointed. “Go on, get now.”

Rydell ran his hand over his face and sighed before he made his way to Raven.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Raven was curled up on her bed, laying in the dark fighting the weight of tears when she sensed Rydell come into the loft. Her breath caught when she felt the weight of his body ease next to hers.

Carefully he reached his arm around her and pulled her into the cradle of his arms. No words. They just lay there. From the loft you could hear the entire house. Emery and Thelma Ray downstairs rummaging around, the phone ringing every other second.

Soren came in and made his way to the twins’ room, the three of them in there whispering. Apparently the plan was for all of them to be in one location so it was easier for the coven to protect them.

Over and over Raven heard Miss Thelma Ray tell someone on the phone, “No, Rydell is here. So is Soren. Fortress, that’s what we are.”

Rydell’s arm just tightened around Raven. He buried his face in her neck, in her hair. Every time she shuddered he would kiss her skin.

Long after the house became ghostly quiet, somewhere in the wee hours of the night, she turned to face him. She could see the moonlight from the window cascading in his otherworldly ice blue eyes.

“You came here to kill me. You sent people to do that before. You sent Benjamin to kill me. All those people I fought in those hurricanes,” she whispered.

No denial.

“And you expect me to believe kissing you, a result of an adrenaline-charged carefree, teenage high changed your mind?”

His long fingertips outline her lips carefully. “Your vim is powerful. You brought a fever to me. You changed my life. I’d never felt anything like it before.”

Raven’s eyes glassed over. “You’re not from a coven are you?”

His eyes confirmed he wasn’t.

“An Escort.” She breathed in deeply. “I don’t know anything about that world. Why people think I have to kill others.”

“You’re going to bring change. You’re going to bring bliss.”

“I can’t do that. Bliss is already in everyone. It’s their own fault if they don’t recognize it.”

He let his fingertips trace her tender young profile. “You’re right. But your purpose is more complicated than I could ever explain. You will be a breath of fresh air.”

“I’m not killing you,” she said as she mirrored his movements, outlined his face with the tips of her fingers. “I only hurt those others because they were after me, and I don’t even clearly remember how I knew to do it.”

“Instinct.”

“Tell me I don’t have to hurt you,” Raven said as she traced his lips.

“This is bigger than you and me.”

Raven slammed her eyes shut. All she wanted was
one
promise.

Rydell kissed her cheek before he spoke. “I’ll figure out how to win this for you, to spare you the agony of war. But if all else fails you have to do what’s right.”

“Not doing it,” Raven said as she draped her leg over him. “I don’t care what happens.”

His eyes searched over hers. “You’re young. You’re growing into life. Your perspective over time could change. Everything could change.”

“Why you? Why are there five?”

“I don’t know,” he said as his thumb caressed away a wayward tear of hers. “Right now we’re going to bear this storm. We’re going to lay low and let time ease us forward, let time explain the master plan before us.”

“How much time?”

“Whatever is needed,” he whispered. Carefully, tenderly, he kissed her lips, then pulled her to his chest and let his hand graze down her back as he ushered her to sleep. As he laid there he planned his attack on Benjamin, on Revelin, all he could do to keep Raven safe, her guardians safe.

At dawn, after whispering a kiss across her brow, he left her to go and meet with his faction.

River was the one who woke Raven hours later.

“Get dressed.”

“Where are we going?”

“The race. Jamison said we had to be seen, that we could not drop our plans because it would look suspicious. He’s still taking care of Berries.”

“What do you mean ‘taking care of?’” The nightmare of yesterday caused Raven to feel sick and weighted all over again.

“They gave him the herb that helped us forget, and they have all of our stuff back. They’re just tracking down any connections he may have and such.”

“Where’s Rydell?”

“He left a while ago. He’s coming back for you. Ash and I are following you guys out there with Soren.”

Raven couldn’t shake the dark feeling she had. She felt like something horrible was about to happen. She had to tell herself to breathe more than once.

Rydell came for her, led her to his passenger seat. Kade and Dagen were parked behind him. The twins and Soren pulled out to follow them to the secluded race track.

Just the sight of Rydell had done as Raven wanted it to, gave her calm.

“You okay?” he asked as he put his arm across the back of her seat.

God he smelled so good.
“Are you? You’re not talking much.”

“Worried about tonight.”

“The race?” Raven asked as she reached to rub her hand across the dash. “Promise me you will never put this baby through something like that.”

He laughed. “You like her?”

“Are you kidding? I’m not really a car girl but I know a pretty one when I see it.”

“Pretty huh,” he said with another laugh.

“Promise.”

“If I ever did I could build her back, make her stronger than before.”

“Why mess with perfection?” Raven argued.

He shook his head.

“You’re worried Kade will lose tonight?”

His smile fell. “Worried about the curse.”

“Curse?”

He clenched the steering wheel. “Sometimes when you get what you think you want you lose what you need, what would make you truly happy. It’s a curse. What happens when Escorts in my line cause an emotion.”

“You think Kade is cursed because you helped give him what he wanted?”

One nod.

“I think you taught him it was more than a race. I’ve watched him with you guys. He’s always been a shy one, easy to overlook, but you gave him confidence.”

“Raven, it’s still a gamble, but the thing is I know Benjamin is lurking. I know he staged the races so Kade would be here tonight.”

Raven stopped breathing—terror took over her expression. “Did someone forget to tell my
father
that when he advised us to be ‘seen’ tonight?”

No they didn’t. Jamison, as well as Rydell, knew a host of Escorts were aligning to attack the dome of energy over the Quarter. The plan was to move Raven and the others to the field the race was in. Benjamin would sense that, scramble then move there, where Rydell’s faction could handle him.

That was their battle plan. Jamison protecting the Quarter, and Rydell’s faction protecting Raven. Neither Jamison or Rydell cared for it but it was the best they could come up with at the time.

Rydell reached for her hand. “I have plenty of people from my faction there tonight. You’re going to be safe.”

“What about Kade?”

“I’ll keep him safe, too, even if I have to destroy his car.”

“Destroy it?”

“I have before. I hoped it would make him realize it was just a race, but it made him want it more. He and River seem to be distant so I hope whatever the curse is it turns out to be mild.”

Wide eyes. “Why would it matter if he and River were together?”

“I don’t think he races because his family does, he races to get her attention. The curse will give him the reward but take away what he was trying to reach.”

“What do you mean, take away?” Raven was sure this had to be why she had felt sick all night—why this night felt ominous.

He clenched his jaw. “It can be bad. I’m going to keep your friends safe tonight. I swear it.”

Meaning Kade was not winning this race—nope, Rydell and Dagen had already planned to help build the boy another car, right alongside his confidence.

Raven stayed silent until they got to the field. Rydell parked and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her temple and caressed her arm. After a long while he spoke. “I’m so sorry.”

Raven clenched his shirt in her fist. “Promise me we’re going to finish this, do this, and all of us are going to go home safe and sound.”

Before he could answer Dagen pounded on his window. A second right after, Rydell’s body tensed. He pulled Raven close to him like something was going to rip her from his arms within the next breath.

Rydell looked in every direction, nodded at Dagen, and the next thing Raven knew she was moved. She was standing on the edge of the property, hidden under the moss on the trees.

“What is going on?” Raven demanded.

“Benjamin is here.”

“Where?”

Rydell glanced in the direction of the track. “Stay up here.”

“Rydell! No!”

Dagen and the others had arrived around them, bringing the twins and Soren to Raven.

Rydell pulled Raven to him and gave her the deepest, most passionate kiss she had ever had, and she knew it didn’t feel like that just because they were in public. With that kiss she felt a surge of vim surround her like a barricade. A powerful shield. He vanished when his lips left hers, so did Dagen. The men Rydell obviously led stayed behind.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Rydell couldn’t fool himself. No matter how many precautions they had put in place this was
not
safe.

“It didn’t take them long,” Dagen said to Rydell as they emerged on the bank of the track. They expected Benjamin to be tracking Raven the second she left the spells her father had in place over the Quarter.

“I don’t like these mind games.”

“Are you going to kill him now? Risk finding a different way to take Revelin out later?” Dagen asked, not really liking the plan but failing to find another way to get past this threat. At least nothing beyond putting Raven and the others in some kind of storm shelter covered in spells for the next century or so.

If they stopped Benjamin, it would stop Revelin for a time, too.

Rydell saw Benjamin close the hood on the car Kade was opposing. A second later Rydell felt him to the east and saw him on the hill top. “He’s mirroring.”

That was a risk and not a good one. Benjamin had enough power to manifest an army of his images. They would be nothing more than cloud when you went to attack him, but they would be a distraction.

“I’m counting ten now,” Dagen said, keeping his stare forward. “Nine are moving in around Raven.”

Each of those images had a part of his power in them. There were only ten, which meant he was greedy. He was keeping himself tight. He knew he was outnumbered but was stupid enough to force the war tonight.

Rydell tensed with rage. “And one is getting in the car.”

“This war is going down in the swamp, not the Quarter. Go protect your girl. I’ll make sure Kade doesn’t get around this track.” They couldn’t let him win, not when they thought Benjamin had attached a curse to him. The one they had been trying to avoid for months.

This was no drag race. There were curves in the uneven track. Half of it couldn’t even be seen even though lights lining the mounds were shining down.

Kade had gotten into his car. Benjamin, or the image of him, winked at Rydell and gave him a pout before he got into the opposing car. The girl before them held up the pinks as they revved their motors.

Rydell heard Raven scream over the crowd.

“Go, man, I got this!” Dagen yelled.

Rydell only had a second to think and in that second a thousand thoughts and scenarios raced through his mind. Bottom line, Benjamin was a racer. He would expect Rydell to run to Raven. He would expect Rydell to fight the war and not go on a joy ride. And in the end he would truly win, for he would have laid the curse down.

“You go,” Rydell said.

“What? No!”

“Dagen. I gave her a shield of my energy. You know I did. Which makes you currently more powerful than me. Go protect her. I got Kade.”

“What do you know?” Dagan demanded.

“Do not defy me. Grab Kade so I can slide in.”

“King—”

“You keep my girl safe, all of them. Now!” And they were off.

Dagen manifested in the car and pulled Kade away. Rydell appeared in his spot a split second later, so fast the gas pedal didn’t even have a chance to leave the floor.

***

The swamp at night is never a calming sound.

Knowing you are being guarded as your friends are cheering on a race in the distance is not soothing by any means.

Raven paced, and so did the twins and Soren.

Every time the wind picked up they would glance at each other. Raven kept trying to think of what she learned in The Realm, the rink, how she made it a game, pull the rope.
Pull the rope.

The boys Rydell had left with them had given Raven and the others a wide enough berth so they didn’t feel like prisoners.

Raven was staring at one of them, thinking to herself how he looked so much like Rydell. They all had an outward image that reflected him.

Then to her horror she saw a hand push through his stomach, smoke rush from the wound and him fall to the ground. She screamed then.
Really
screamed.

A man in black, like the ones they fought before, was behind him. Smiling at her next to him was Benjamin. Benjamin leaned closer to him. “Now go get her,” he said to the man in black.

Others descended then. Raven and the others moved into battle formation—the twins just behind Raven, Soren before her—and began to fight. Benjamin never touched them. It was like he was pulling the strings though.

Seconds later Dagen appeared. He started to help his boys. They had lost at least two so far, but far more men in black had fallen. So much so, Raven wasn’t sure how all this black smoke had not caused everyone from the race to look over there.

***

The real Benjamin was right beside Rydell. Rydell knew you could make your mirror mock anything, but he’d taught this boy to drive, to race. He knew this was no mirror he was racing.

Benjamin was after the slow kill, after the curse tonight, but Rydell had stopped that. He’d protected Raven, all of them.

Benjamin figured it out right as they went to the dark side of the track. He plowed his car into the side of Rydell’s. At that point it was an all out war. Rydell had to keep him occupied. If they took this fight outside the car Benjamin would win. Rydell was too close to mortal, too low on vim. He just had to keep him busy until Dagen came back.

***

Every time someone came near Raven, they were repelled away. Raven could see them clashing against vim, vim Rydell had given her. As soon as she figured that out she took the lead. She wasn’t going to let any more of Rydell’s friends fall, or any of hers.

She charged for the image of Benjamin and did her rope pull deal. He was hollow, no rope, no black smoke, just a poof and he was gone. He had to be fake like the fake Berries she’d seen at school. Raven figured out when she made the fake one go away, the men in black around that image vanished, too, so that was her new plan. The others tried to take down the image of him but nothing happened besides him flickering. So Raven did it. She took down nine. She finished it.

Right then she heard Kade moan and saw him against a tree, holding his head. But the race was going on. Raven could hear it, meaning
Rydell
was racing.

Raven had taken down nine fake Benjamin’s with the energy he had given her, but Rydell was fighting the real one, depleted, no doubt. She took off in a sprint, fearing the worst.

***

Rydell was almost having doubts this was Benjamin—he started making mistakes, even weaving like someone was stabbing his energy. He must have found a way to agree with the pain because he charged up on Rydell’s bumper. When he rammed it they were going over a dip. His hood went under Rydell’s car and sent it soaring upward.

Raven reached the dune just in time to see Kade’s car flying through the air and the one racing him flipping and then spinning under the other. The scream that left her was blood curdling. She charged down the hill. The crowd stayed on the bank screaming, ‘They’re going to BLOW.’

Raven told herself Rydell moved. The second the accident happened he moved out of the car. He was safe—had to be—on the bank, and would be furious at her for charging down there but the sense of doom, the deflation of her very soul told her she was
lying
.

Raven screamed his name as she rounded the dirt mound the steaming cars were behind. He was laying across the ground. Dagen was there, trying to help him. Raven charged forward, pushing him aside. She pulled his head up and put it on her lap.

“Go get help! Get a doctor!” Raven screamed at Dagen. “Take him to one!” He just stared down at Raven with a pained gaze.

Raven forgot him and looked down at Rydell. She felt him move. His eyes were just barely open. Raven’s tears were raining down on him. They were coming so fast she could not see. “Don’t. Just Don’t. Don’t leave.” She kissed his lips, trying to give him the vim she knew he gave her before. She had to give it back. If he hadn’t given it to her he would’ve
never
felt this pain. He would’ve walked away from this.

Please, please don’t leave…Creator of all don’t take him—he’s divine and I
need
him.

Rydell’s hand reached for the hair around her face. His lips moved under hers but it was a weak kiss. Raven’s cascading tears rained on him as she felt how weak he was, how cold he was.

“My innocent,” he breathed.

“You’re not leaving!”

Right then he became weightless. He started to fade, and after a rush of warm air he vanished. Tiny lights, a deep purple color manifested for the briefest second before they faded.

Raven heard someone moan and stood, thinking Rydell had just moved to another spot. Dagen tried to hold Raven back but she pushed forward and found Benjamin lying on the ground.

She’d never felt hate before that moment. Not once. But she was drowning in it then. She walked over to Benjamin and knelt down. “Tell your maker the Black Widow will have her
vengeance
when you see him in
hell
.” And with that she reached into him and thought,
“Pull the rope!”
and she did.

Raven pulled his soul and released the massive fog of darkness into the air. A violent vibration of energy exploded around her.

Dagen had his arms around Raven in an instant and pulled her away. They emerged on the side of the track a millisecond before the cars exploded. The fireball went so high in the air Raven thought it would touch the stars.

Raven sagged in Dagen’s arms. The tears came again, along with the empty hollow feeling. She was sick, so sick. She jerked away and ran as far as she could before she fell to her knees and heaved. The explosions just kept going. The ground was shaking, and people were screaming as they ran away.

The twins were at Raven’s side. River was holding her hair back, and Ash was rubbing her back. Not one of them, not one single one of them told her not to worry, that Rydell was fine. That he would be right back. None of them said it to her. No one would say the only thing she wanted to hear.

I lost more than my boyfriend…I lost my best friend.
Creator help me…