"Good point."
Nick glanced into the room where Bubba and Mark were. Guilt gnawed at him as he saw Mark's condition. They were both innocents who'd been caught in the cross fire of his screwed-up life.
Kody and Xev were right. His enemies would never take mercy on him. It was why he had to be so careful who he allowed into his circle. Ever on guard of those he loved best.
So long as he was around them, they were all in danger. And only a tiny handful of them really knew why. The rest, out of necessity, had to be kept in the dark.
Xev came outside. "So what's our next move?"
Before Nick could answer, his phone rang again. It was Caleb's number. Worried his condition had worsened, he clicked it on to find Livia on the other end. "What is it?"
"I found her, Nick."
"What?"
"Your mom. I just got her home for you, and put her to bed. She's asleep, with no idea what happened to her."
Relief slapped him so hard, he staggered back from it. "What? How?"
"I played a hunch and it turned out to be right."
Nick pulled Kody against him and let out a nervous laugh. "Liv found my mom. She took her to the condo. They're there now."
"Oh, thank goodness! Is she okay?"
"Yeah." For the first time since he'd left school, he felt good again. "Thanks, Livia. I owe you."
"Think nothing of it. I won't let her out of my sight until you get here. Believe me, nothing's going to happen to her on my watch. You can trust me."
"Again, thanks. I'll be home soon." Nick hung up and stuck his head back into the room to let Bubba and Mark know.
"Thank you, Jesus," Mark breathed. "That's the best news I've heard since the garage told me my Jeep wasn't doomed from that electrical fire I started with my cell phone wire that short-circuited."
While that might sound odd to most, that was a testament of supreme love from Mark, who had an unnatural attachment to his old, beat-up Jeep.
Bubba ruffled Nick's hair. "How you holding up?"
"Much better now that I know she's safe, at home. You?"
"Much better now that I know I'm not going to prison for first-degree murder for killing whoever took her."
Nick laughed. "I hear you."
Bubba nudged him toward the door. "Y'all go on. I know you want to check on your ma as soon as possible. See her with your own eyes. Tell her I'll be over to bug her as soon as I get Mark home and tuck him in."
"Thanks, Dad," Mark said sarcastically. "Can you mop the drool off my chin, too, while you're at it?"
Bubba ignored him. "You need any money for a cab?" he asked Nick.
"Nah, we got it. Stay in touch."
"You, too."
Heading out, Nick texted Kyrian and Acheron to let them know that everything was okay on the home front.
You sure? Kyrian texted back.
All good. Mom's safe at home. It was a false alarm.
Good to hear it. I'll pass it along to the Squires. Let me know if you need anything else. Rosa's on standby, too.
Thanks, boss. As Nick started to slide his phone into his pocket, he got a text from Acheron, asking about his mom. He paused in the hallway to answer. I'm on my way to check on her.
AR. Keep me posted. PN. There's an ill wind blowing. Keep it at your back, Cajun. Call if you need anything. Pax.
Nick returned his phone to his pocket as another weird feeling went through him. One that raised the hairs on the back of his neck again.
For a second, he thought he saw another zeitjager as the time on the clock showed 11:34.
Kody frowned. "You okay?"
"Strange feeling in my gut."
"I'm really learning to dislike that phrase."
Yeah, he wasn't a big fan of it, either.
She held her hand out to him and Xev. "Let's go see Cherise."
Nick placed his hand in hers and let her take him home. At first, he didn't see or hear anything. The condo was completely still and quiet.
Only that special fissure in the air that was unique to a paranormal entity let him know that there was something out of place here. And since the only creatures who could penetrate the barriers were those he approved, he knew it had to be Livia.
Nick rushed to the bedroom to find his mom lying on her side in the bed, fast asleep. In jeans and a white blouse, Livia sat in the corner.
She smiled as soon as she saw him. "Ah, so glad you're home. As you can see, she's fine."
Nick stopped her as Livia started to leave. "Wait."
She rematerialized with an arched brow. "Yes?"
"Where did you find her? Who took her and why?"
Closing the distance between them, Livia placed her warm hand against Nick's arm and whispered in his ear. "I hear things others don't know I do. Even though I'm risking my life to return her to you, I owe you more than I can ever repay. It is my honor to serve you, Malachai. But if I were you, I would be very careful who I trust her with in the future. Who you put your faith in. You can never be too careful."
The bad feeling in his gut worsened. "What have you heard?"
She blinked quickly and glanced about nervously before she whispered her answer. "I can't say exactly. Just be careful. You have many more enemies than even you know."
"Is that what happened to Caleb?"
Livia glanced past his shoulder to the hallway where Kody and Xev waited. "We should talk later." And with that, she vanished.
Grimacing, Nick went to the bed to make sure his mom really was okay. He sank down to his knees by her side before he reached one trembling hand out to touch her soft cheek. It took all of his strength not to gather her into his arms and hold her there in a steel grip like King Kong with Fay Wray and dare anyone to ever try to take her from him again.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Nicky?"
"Hey, Ma."
She frowned at him. "What are you doing here, baby Boo? Shouldn't you be in class?"
"They let us out of school early. Weather knocked out the power."
She sat up and looked around. "Is our power out, too?"
"Don't know. Didn't test it. Just got home and came looking for you." For the first time, he let out a real breath before he launched himself into her arms and held her close.
Holding him tight, she rubbed his back and rocked him. "Nick? You okay, baby? Something happen at school?"
"Yeah. I'm all right. Just missed you."
"Missed you, too." Laughing, she kissed his cheek. "Not sure why I went back to bed, though. Last thing I remember was fussing about the milk. Then I was going for the paper. Hmm ... must be getting old. Losing my mind."
Nick snorted. "You're not old. That's just me aging you before your time." He winked at her. "By the way, I have friends from school with me."
"Usual suspects? Caleb and Kody?"
"Kody and Xev."
"Xev ... the cute, sweet, bashful boy with that lovely accent and extravagant hair?"
He smiled at her kind description of Xev's unorthodox appearance that had been known to make others scream and cross the street whenever they saw him for the first time. Some had been a lot more cruel, which was why Xev preferred to stay in his cat form, for the most part. He only appeared human around Nick, Kody, and his mom.
Leave it to his mom to not judge Xev on anything other than his character and heart. "That's the one."
"Well, just don't make a mess. Do you need me to do anything for you?"
Stay safe and don't ever get hurt because of me. But he could never say that out loud.
Nick shook his head. "Nah. We're good. You rest." He stepped away from the bed and closed the door before he returned to the living room, where his friends waited.
Kody looked at him expectantly. "Well?"
"She remembers absolutely nothing. Her last memory was when I went to school."
Xev moved to check on the windows and see if the crows were still there. "Where did Livia find her?"
"She wouldn't tell me. Only that she'd ov
erheard some things she wasn't supposed to, and found her that way."
Kody screwed up her face. "What could she have possibly heard?"
"No idea."
Kody looked at Xev, who in turn shrugged. "I've only spoken to you and Nick." He paused before he spoke again. "And while I don't mean to downplay this matter with your mother ... I think we might have bigger problems at the moment."
Nick groaned as even more dread filled him. He really was going to give birth to a diamond before all was said and done. "What?"
Xev stepped back and opened the curtains for them to see the dark clouds and clear sill. There was no longer a single bird in sight. "The Memitim are gone. Given our luck, I'll take odds that means they've found Caleb's location, and are currently in the midst of making lunch of him."
CHAPTER 7
Nick would definitely take those odds that Caleb was currently the main course of a Memitim hoedown feast. But he hesitated to go after Caleb, even to protect him, and leave his mother alone again. Unlike Caleb, his mother wasn't a warrior demon. She was human. Completely defenseless in their world.
Could this be another trap?
Kody gently nudged him toward Xev. "Go. Protect Caleb. You know I'd die before I let anyone take your mother. I'll call Simi and get her here. Nothing will get through the two of us. You know that. We are the epitome of the immovable object and unstoppable force in one team."
Only then did he relax and incline his head to her. "You're the best."
"Remember that the next time I annoy you and you want to break up with me."
Laughing, he gave her a quick kiss before he and Xev flashed to Caleb's antebellum mansion.
In the elegant black-and-white marble foyer, they could hear the storm outside, slamming against the windows. Everything was dark and creepy as lightning flashed and crows cawed. Shattered glass and puddles of water littered the floor. The decapitated head of a stone angel statue lay near the wall where it must have landed after being flung through one of the shattered windows and shutters. Its soulless eyes stared at Nick as if accusing him of not being here for the fight.
Where the heck was everyone? It was so incredibly sinister and quiet. He couldn't detect a single living soul inside the house.
Terrified they were too late, Nick took the stairs two at a time until he was inside Caleb's bedroom. Frowning in sudden confusion, he froze at the doorway and took in the peculiar scene.
Caleb was awake and on his feet. Weak, pale, and shaking, he stood in the corner, holding his ancient demonic battle sword with Livia in front of him. They were alone in the room with the crows dive-bombing the windows, trying to break in, and Caleb egging them on with every bit of stupid bravado only a demon on the verge of collapse could pull off and still sound badass while doing it.
"Thank the gods it's you," Livia said between her ragged breaths. "I thought the Memitim had finally broken through his protection spells. I've been so terrified of what we would do if that happened! Oh, Nick! Once again, you're my hero!"
Xev scowled in distaste of her melodramatic praise as he glanced around the walls that were alight with the ancient oils and symbols Caleb had used to seal off his property from his enemies.
Snarling, Caleb angled his sword at Xev. "What's he doing here?" His disgusted tone likened Xev to the fecal matter of a dung beetle's tick.
"He came with me to make sure you were all right."
"Yeah, I bet. You sure he didn't tell the Memitim where to find me, and then lead them here just to ensure they didn't get lost on the way over?"
Xev winced at the accusation. Ignoring Caleb, he closed the distance between him and Nick. "I'll--"
"Get out!" Caleb's voice wasn't human as he stepped around Livia. It carried the full weight of his demonic power. "I don't want you here!"
For a moment, Nick thought Caleb's powers had returned, until Caleb tried to blast Xev and nothing happened. Instead, Caleb fell back against the wall, dropped his sword weakly, and slid to the floor.
Gasping, Livia went to him to help him up. "It's okay, Malphas. I won't let anything happen to you. Nothing will get through me."
His expression stricken, Xev sighed as he clapped Nick on the back. "I'll help guard your mother. See to Caleb's safety." He vanished, but not before Nick felt him strengthen the shields around Caleb's house to keep the Memitim at bay.
There was also a mysterious and powerful blast that made the crows shriek and scatter in the storm. One he knew came from Xevikan.
Snorting at Xev's twisted retribution and his insistence on protecting Caleb even though Caleb continued to curse and insult him, Nick went to help Caleb back to bed. "Where's Zavid?"
Livia shook her head. "I don't know. He was gone when I returned."
Weird. It wasn't normal for Zavid to go out on his own. Like Xev, he wasn't exactly a people demon, and he didn't have much more than the most rudimentary understanding of the human world. Modern man baffled him, so he typically avoided all interaction with them like a social plague on his crotch. Gaming was about as close to humanity as he wanted to come.
Even then, he only gamed with Caleb and Nick.
"I'm just glad I got back when I did," Livia said as she tucked the covers around Caleb. "Another minute and I think they'd have penetrated his barrier and had him."
Caleb grimaced as he shifted in the bed. "Where's Kody?"
"She's with my mom."
He grabbed the front of Nick's shirt in a deceptively strong grasp. "Keep her safe."
"That was the plan. I'm not intending to sacrifice her to an ancient god anytime soon."
Nodding, Caleb let go, and passed out with a sigh.
"Wow," Livia said as she covered him with another blanket. "Kody means a lot to him, doesn't she?"
"How do you mean?"
"Just that I've noticed how much care they take of each other. How much time they spend together. Whenever Kody's not with you, she's over here, sequestered with Caleb. Even late at night. They seem to really care about each other. I wish I had someone who cared for me like that. It must be nice."
He'd never really given it much thought, but now that she mentioned it, they were together a lot. And, in spite of his concerns about her possibly betraying them one day, Caleb did watch over Kody with a great deal of concern....
Nick glanced at the bed as a bad feeling went through him.
No. It was a stupid fear. While Caleb could be a serious horn-dog when it came to those of the female persuasion, he tended to go after a specific type of woman who was older and much ... less wholesome-looking than Kody.
His girl was definitely not Caleb's type. At all. Not even a little.
Besides, neither Caleb nor Kody would ever cheat on him like that.
Would they?
Heck no. Refusing to let that seed be planted in his mind, Nick scowled at Livia. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
She took his hand and led him from Caleb's room. When she spoke, it was in the lowest of whispers. "I want you to be careful, Malachai. There are so many out to harm you. I don't think you're aware of exactly how many enemies surround you on any given day."
He bit back a laugh. She was definitely wrong about that. "Think I have a pretty good idea."
"Do you?" She gestured at the damage the Memitim had done to Caleb's house. "Then you're aware that Caleb is looking for a way to break free of his service to you?"
Yeah, okay, that one caught him off guard. He'd had no idea. "What?"
She nodded. "I think it's what weakened his protection barrier and allowed them in. He's been summoning stronger powers for some time now in an effort to find someone who can reclaim his soul from you. It could be why he has no powers now. I'm thinking he might have traded them off for it. If you were to die while he's essentially mortal, he'd be freed from what binds him to your bloodline."
Could that be true?
Nick swallowed hard at something that really wasn't all that farfetched. Caleb did want his freedom. Even bad
enough to die for it. "He didn't tell me that."
"Of course not. Why would he?" Livia bit her lip. "And I could be wrong, but I find it strange that all of this started after he supposedly sealed the gates for you, don't you?"
Her dark eyes sad, she shook her head. "You know, if someone were to take you with his help, they could easily free him as a reward. I know Noir or Azura would be eternally grateful, and more than happy to show their appreciation with just such an act."
Nick's frown deepened as he considered what she was saying. Could there be any truth to it?
Would Caleb sell him out?
She sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, my lord. I don't mean to upset you with such possible truths to consider when everyone lies to you. I know it must be hard."
"How do you mean?"
"Well ... you know.... First, you find out that you're not human. That the woman you thought was your benevolent godmother is a goddess in disguise who hid your birthright and bound your powers from you. Without your permission or knowledge. That your father was never what you thought. Instead of a human criminal, he's a demon hiding amongst them. That he wants you dead, so you won't take his power from him. Then you learn that your friend Caleb isn't a friend in school, but a demon sent by your father to watch over and kill you if necessary before you drain his powers from him and take his place as Malachai. That Nekoda is a girl sent by your enemies to carve out your heart and deliver it to them before you can claim your birthright to fight them, as is your full right. Your own mother kept the real truth of your birth from you. She let you think that she cared for your father, instead of telling you how much she hated him, and what really happened between them. Is there anyone in your life who hasn't lied bitterly to you?"
He winced as she laid bare just how unbelievable his life and conception had been. Truth really was stranger than fiction. If he'd put this in a book or movie, no one would have ever believed it.
Some days, he still didn't.
But she was wrong about one thing. There was always one person he could count on for the truth.
"Bubba," he said defensively.
She arched a brow at that. "You sure?"
Well, he was until she gave him that evil look.
Now ...
"I'm positive." But his tone belied the insecurity she'd created.