“You are Nick.” Her tone was testy.
“Exactly. How can I not know who she is?” How could he not have seen her as he looked back? For some reason, she was a complete ghost to him. No matter what power he used, he couldn’t find this piece of his past. Even with certain aspects altered, he should stil be able to hone in on her.
Yet he couldn’t.
Why?
Artemis shrugged her thin shoulders. “You forgot her. It happens. You were human … once.”
But he wasn’t human now. Now he was the type of creature he and Tabitha had once hunted and put down like a rabid animal. More than that, he was hungry.
Starving.
Artemis took a chance by being here with him. Every time he fed from her blood, he grew stronger and deadlier. It was getting harder and harder not to kil her with his powers and absorb her godhood.
Harder to not destroy everyone and everything.
I won’t do it.
Yes, you will. In time. You can’t change what you are. Fight all you want. In the end, you are what you were born to be and nothing will ever change that.
But he refused to believe it.
He stared at himself on the wal as the younger him innocently rode in the back of Bubba’s SUV toward a destiny that had been carved in blood onto his heart. C’mon, Nick, don’t let us down. I need you to be strong, kid.
Smart.
Most of al , he needed himself not to make the same mistakes. Some things, such as meeting Simi while he was young, were already changed.
But others …
He ground his teeth as he saw the future as clearly as he saw his past.
Karnarsas, the final battle where he would command his father’s army, was coming. And when it did, if he didn’t change the past, he would destroy the rest of the people he loved. …
All of them.
CHAPTER 14
Nick got out of the SUV in front of Bubba’s store and checked the time on his cel phone. Ooo, he was cutting it close. So much for food. . . .
“Hey, guys? I need to be heading up to my mom’s club before I get grounded.” Again.
Mark, who was standing on the sidewalk, shot his head up in a gesture reminiscent of a spooked deer. “Hey, Bub? You catch a whiff of that?”
What? Had someone ripped one in the car?
Nick was just about to blame Caleb when Bubba froze. Two heartbeats later, he tossed keys at Nick. “Kids, get in the store. Now!”
He started to ask them what was up when he saw something that left him stunned.
Zombies.
Not like the ones who were his converted classmates.
These were the real thing. Flesh rotting. Bad smel ing. Limb losing. Eye jel y oozing …
Zombies.
And they were coming at them with speed a puma would envy. Madaug let out a yelp as he ran to the door. Nick and Caleb fol owed while Bubba and Mark pul ed out two basebal bats from under the seats of the SUV in an act that strangely reminded him of Mary Poppins and her bag of goodies.
Simi came out of the SUV and acted like she was going to head for the zombies until Bubba caught her arm.
“Get inside with the boys, Simi.”
She actual y pouted. Nick could tel she wanted to argue, but with a curt nod, she ran to them.
Bubba cursed. “Tel me again why I put the flamethrower up in the store?” he asked Mark.
Mark hefted his bat over his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure the cops had something to do with that.”
Bubba popped the first zombie to reach him in the head with his bat. “Wel , the next time I decide to do something so stupid, remind me it’s better to be in jail than dead.”
“Hurry, Nick!” Madaug pushed up against him as Nick fumbled with the keys and lock.
Nick ground his teeth. It was hard to do this with only one hand. “I’m trying. Dang, Bubba. How many keys you got on this ring, anyway?” He’d already tried a dozen and not a one worked. He only had ten more to go.
“It’s the one with the green rubber piece around it.” Bubba knocked the head from the zombie closest to him. “Green.” Strike two. “Rubber.” Strike three. “Piece.” Caleb pul ed the keys out of his hand so that he could open the door. “They’re getting through, Nick. We gotta hurry.”
“I knew I should have left that duck urine on!” Mark snapped.
“That’l teach me to bathe when I know better.” Nick could feel the putrid breath of the zombies on his neck when he final y slung open the door and fel into the store. Simi ran inside, Madaug started in, then cried out as one of the zombies grabbed him and yanked him back toward the street.
Caleb had to force himself not to expose his powers and use them as he fought the zombies off and let the other two into the store. He could feel the stank of dark magick. It permeated even the air he was breathing. Whoever control ed the zombies was a force to be reckoned with.
An ancient force.