Medusa's Dagger: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Aya Harris Collection Book 1) (12 page)

“But, you have to promise me something.”

Nicky didn’t even hesitate. “Anything.” He smiled, warmth filling his eyes.

I looked away. He couldn’t fool me with his false smiles and charming lies anymore. 

“Once this is over with, you will leave Arcana forever.”

It felt like the air dropped a degree. I looked back at Nicky in time to see the smile slide off his face.

“You’ll leave Arcana and never contact me. I don’t ever want to speak to you again.”

The words stung the very deepest parts of my heart. Pain of a similar sort filled Nicky’s eyes. He pulled away from me, freeing me from the heating unit. I rubbed my sore wrists. He’d left dark red rings on my skin which would surely turn into bruises by the morning.

Nicky walked back to Johnny. He sliced through the rope between Johnny’s hands and shoved him forward. “You might think I’m delusional, Little Bird, but I know things. Secrets about our world and the people in it. I’m just trying to protect you.”

A disgusted sigh tore from my throat. “You’re not protecting anyone. Least of all me. Do you know what happened after you left? How my life was ruined?”

Not to mention, Mrs. Beckett’s life and everyone else he’d slaughtered since then. He was a madman if he thought he was protecting people.

“I’m sorry. I know the HQ came to you and asked you to hunt me down. And I know you refused.” Nicky’s eyes zeroed in on mine. He rubbed a hand across the scruff of his beard. “Thank you for that.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” I snapped.

The door to the roof access flung open with a metallic bang. Gideon came sailing through the open door, gun in hand. Following close behind him was his partner, Agent Silva, and a man dressed like a building guard. They spotted Nicky almost immediately. He was halfway between Gideon and me, hunching down low to the roof. They aimed their guns at him and shouted for his surrender. Nicky grimaced, but remained still.

“Aya, get behind me,” Gideon shouted.

His eyes flickered to mine, multiple emotions washing over his face at once. Concern, relief, and anger all made an appearance. It was hard to tell who the anger was directed at. I hoped that he could forgive me for running off without telling him.

“No, Aya, stay there.” Nicky raised his hand at me. He stood slowly, the knife barely visible in his hand.

I remained frozen in place, unsure what to do. Johnny was edging toward me, the ropes hanging off his wrists like bracelets. He’d managed to untie the gag around his mouth and mouthed the words
come to me
.

I took an involuntary step forward. Nicky watched me out of the corner of his eye. Every muscle in his body was tensed, like a cat waiting to pounce. I was the little starling caught in his sight, ready to be devoured.

Maybe I could stretch out my wings and make a flying jump for it. Harpies couldn’t actually fly, but they had the ability to make giant leaps. I could probably even jump to the next building if I got a good running start. But my wings were rusty, and that didn’t solve the problem of leaving behind one of my best friends and Gideon with my insane brother, so I nixed the idea.

“Put down the weapon, Nicolo Harris. You’re under arrest.” Gideon slid forward, his finger on the trigger. He took a pair of handcuffs off his belt and threw them at Nicky’s feet. “Put those on your wrists and we can all walk out of here.”

Nicky laughed and kicked the cuffs. They landed next to Agent Silva.

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Do you think I’m stupid?”

Dark clouds rolled over the city, the smell of rain heavy on the air. The moon’s thin sliver of light was snuffed out by the angry clouds. A storm was coming. It could burst at any moment.

“Do yourself a favor, Nicolo. Don’t make us kill you.”

Agent Silva’s harsh voice drew Nicky’s haughty glare. He licked his bottom lip and smiled at her, the glee clear in his eyes.

“No, I’ll do
you
a favor, Agent. I’m going to extinguish the monster that took those people. I’m going to do your job. And later, you can take all the praise if you want. But, let me do my job.”

A flicker of confusion went through Gideon and Agent Silva’s eyes. They still believed Nicky was the one who’d taken the Yonas family. If they killed him, we’d never find Theo or his two remaining victims. I had to stop them.

“Don’t shoot him.” I held my hands up and walked toward Nicky.

Gideon threw me a warning glare.

Stepping in front of my brother, I shielded him from their line of fire. “A Gorgon took that family and Nicky’s the only one who knows how to find them. We need him alive.”

Agent Silva’s gun remained pointed at me, while Gideon lowered his a few inches.

“He didn’t take them?”

Gideon’s momentarily puzzled expression was replaced by a blank poker face. I couldn’t tell if he was buying it. The guy was good.

“He’s saying someone else took them?”

“Don’t believe this bull.” Agent Silva stepped closer, her gun pointed at Nicky’s face. “He’s just lying to get us thrown off his trail. He took them and he’s got them hidden somewhere. Give me five minutes with him. I’ll make him talk.”

I felt the cold metal of the knife slide around my throat. Nicky’s arm encircled my ribs, pulling me close to him. He pressed the blade of the knife to my skin just deep enough to sting a little. I blinked in surprise, grabbing his arm and digging my talons into his flesh. He held on, breathing in my ear without a hint of pain.

“Put the guns down or I’ll cut her throat,” he growled.

Without hesitation, Gideon set the gun at his feet and put his hands in the air. His eyes flicked back and forth across the rooftop as if analyzing the scene. Even I could tell he was going to do something stupid. Something that would get us both killed. I shook my head at him, but he didn’t make eye contact with me.

“Nicolo, let her go. She’s not a part of this.” As he spoke, Gideon stepped forward, his hands still in the air. “Take me, instead.”

Nicky yanked me backwards, dragging me a safer distance away. There was the sweet scent of sweat in the air. Even with his stony composure, I could tell my brother was nervous. He wasn’t the type of guy who usually lost his nerve. This wasn’t good. My brother tended to do rash and stupid things when cornered.

“I’m warning you, Agent Ward…” Nicky backed us up to the edge of the rooftop.

Glancing to the right, I could see the fifty foot drop to the alley below. If he jumped, he’d probably take me down with him. Maybe I could use my wings to break the fall, but it wouldn’t be pretty.

“Don’t!” Gideon stopped his forward momentum. He looked at me, fear clearly written on his face. “Leave Aya alone and we’ll let you go. I won’t follow you.”

Nicky’s grip loosened around my waist. He laughed in my ear, startling me. I couldn’t see what was so funny.

“You like her, don’t you?” he asked.

The blood rose to my cheeks. This wasn’t the best moment for Nicky to step back into the annoying big brother role. He’d forfeited those rights years ago.

Gideon cocked his head to the side, a deep frown pulling down at the corners of his mouth. He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowing together, and then back at my brother.

“I’m just doing my job. Now let her go.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Immediately, I felt ridiculous for feeling that way, but I couldn’t help it.

Suddenly, Nicky spun me around so that we were eye to eye. He leaned down to my ear. For a moment, I thought he was going to hug me. But instead, I heard the rasp of his voice, loud enough only I could hear.

“Get the dagger. Wait for me to contact you.”

He pushed me backwards and I fell hard on the ground, scraping my elbows and the palms of my hands. The warm sensation of blood began to trickle down my arms, but I ignored it, and pushed myself up enough to watch Nicky jump up to the edge of the rooftop.

A shot rang out in the quiet. Twisting around, I saw Agent Silva aim again and pull the trigger. The guard to her right charged forward. He had a baton in his hand, raised over his head like a sword ready for the strike.

“No! Don’t shoot him!”

Agent Silva ignored my scream and chased after the guard. Her gun went off again, startling a group of pigeons nesting on a nearby roof. Nicky ran along the raised edge of the rooftop, ducking low to dodge the bullets. If he didn’t jump off soon, she was going to hit him. Gideon rushed after them, pulling the Taser off his belt. In a mad dash, they surrounded him in the corner, with no place left to go but down.

“Are you okay?” Johnny kneeled down next to me.

He tried to stop the bleeding on one of my arms, but I waved him away. I was too busy watching the scene unfold in front of us.

Nicky looked over the edge of the roof. He stood up straight and faced his foes, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. I didn’t like that look. Something told me he had a plan up his sleeve.

I pushed myself off the ground, ignoring Johnny’s protests, and ran in their direction. Nicky clasped his left hand around the pendant dangling over his chest and closed his eyes. He raised his right palm, fingers splayed.

“I’m sorry this had to happen this way,” he said, his voice flat.

I froze to watch a fireball of enormous diameter spring from his hand. It spun toward the guard, encircling him in a fiery tomb. As a painful scream tore from the guard’s throat, he fought off the flames without success. The acrid smell of burning flesh and hair filled the air, causing my stomach to retch.

Nicky turned to the remaining agents. Agent Silva was standing with her feet far apart, her gun pointed at him. She fired another shot as a ball of fire rolled in her direction. The bullet whizzed past Nicky’s shoulder and into the inky night sky. Agent Silva ducked behind the heating unit with inhuman speed, the fire singeing her pants but missing the rest of her.

Gideon’s puny weapon was no match for the stolen magic. The murderous look in my brother’s eyes said he knew it, too. Leveling his palm at Gideon, Nicky shot off one last gigantic round of fire before free falling off the side of the roof.

The fire raged at Gideon, surrounding him in a ring of flames eight feet tall. I urged my legs to run, stretching every tightened muscle and tendon in my body to the max. My wings unfurled on my back as I ran. I felt them flap against the wind, black glossy feathers at the edge of my vision.

I wrapped my arm around Gideon’s waist and pulled him with me. Flapping my wings as hard as I could, I jumped in the direction of the roof’s edge.

The harpy in me rejoiced. It’d been too long since I’d enjoyed the freedom of my wings, and the thrill of the air current beneath my feathers. But, the celebration was cut short as the edge of the firestorm raked over my back. I screamed in agony, my skin and feathers baking in the heat.

A pathetic flapping of my injured wings slowed our descent to the ground, but not fast enough. We both tumbled on the concrete, landing on shards of broken glass and rock. The pain was nothing compared to the searing ache along my back.

What used to be my favorite t-shirt was now hanging off me in shreds. I knelt on the ground, my wings flapping uselessly behind me. Somewhere in the dark, Gideon called my name. He sounded miles away. I tried to lift my head to him, but the darkness consumed me once again.

Chapter Ten

My body lifted into the air. The pain I’d felt only moments ago had already begun to dull. I opened my eyes a crack. It was still dark, but Gideon’s face loomed above me. He carried me out of the alleyway, his arms cradling my back and the space behind my knees.

I felt like a little child. The burns weren’t that painful. I could probably walk myself.

“Stay still.” Gideon glanced down at me as I squirmed.

“I can walk. Just put me down,” I huffed.

Gideon shook his head. “I don’t think so. You need to go to a hospital. I called an ambulance and they’ll be here soon.”

“No, no hospitals.” I struggled to free myself, but Gideon held tight. “Let me down. I’m serious, I can walk.”

“No, I’m carrying you. You can’t see your injuries like I can. And you’re going to a hospital.” He shifted my weight in his arms, pausing a moment to get a better grip. “Now, put your arm around my neck. You’re heavier than you look.”

Rolling my eyes, I wrapped my arm around his neck and breathed in the scent of his cologne. It worked like anesthesia, dulling the pain in my wings and lower back. I could’ve stayed there all day if it wasn’t for the flashing lights of the oncoming ambulance in the distance. Their presence meant needles and doctors and stitches – all of which I wasn’t particularly fond of.

“Just take me back to my apartment. Please, don’t make me go to the hospital.” I looked into his eyes, hoping that my pleading would work.

He hesitated for a second, signaling my victory. “Fine, fine. You’ll regret it.”

I silently cheered and leaned against his shoulder. My body relaxed into his arms, soaking in the heat of his chest. I knew I shouldn’t be enjoying this.

Only minutes ago, Gideon had declared he was only doing his job. This was his job. Saving creatures like me and putting the bad guys away. Although, this time, I’d saved him too.

“Are you okay? Is she okay?” Johnny raced toward us. He grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. “I thought you were dead.”

“Not dead. Just roasted alive.” I chuckled, but it hurt to laugh.

In the dark, the whites of Johnny’s eyes shined against the black of his skin. He ran his gaze over my body, taking in every injury and scrape.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” I told him.

He gave me a frown that told me I had yet to convince him. With its sirens blaring, the ambulance pulled up behind him and two men jumped out. They ran to the rear of the vehicle, grabbing a stretcher and two big black bags.

“There’s a guard on the rooftop. He’s been badly burned. My partner, Agent Silva, is tending to him.” Gideon nodded in the direction of the train station.

The paramedics thanked him and ran inside. He shifted my weight again and then walked past the ambulance and onto the street. Johnny followed us, scrambling to keep up with Gideon’s pace.