Infinity Chronicles of Nick

chapter 11

The raven left Nick and flew up to the sky, then vanished as it was summoned away from New Orleans. When it reappeared, it wasn't in the Quarter where it preferred to feed. It was miles away, flying over a razor-wire fence.

And because he was summoned here so often, the bird was as familiar with Angola prison as any of the inmates.

Buzzing past the guards' tower, he headed to the Reception Center—the building where the death-row inmates were housed. He slowed as he approached the correct window.

/ really dont want to do this.

But he had no choice. When he was summoned, he had to obey. Those were the rules and any hesitation would only end badly for him.

One minute he was perched on the sill, the next a hand appeared out of nowhere to grab his throat and haul him inside.

Caleb manifested into human form as he stared at one of the most powerful demons ever spawned. Absolute pure evil, Adarian Malachai was incapable of any kindness or mercy.

Without a word, he drove Caleb headfirst into a wall. Then he pulled Caleb up and held him by the hair of his head. "What do you think you're doing?" he snarled in Caleb's left ear.

Caleb grimaced as he tasted the blood that was seeping from his nose. He knew better than to fight. It would only make Adarian more cruel and worsen his beating. "Training Nick like you ordered."

He tightened his grip in Caleb's hair. "With mortents? Are you out of your mind? He could have been killed! Why didn't you stop them from attacking him?"

Those words stunned him on more levels than he could count. Why would Adarian care if some snotnose bought the farm? "I didn't know he'd run into them, but since they showed up, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for him to start learning to fight. I was there the whole time, watching. He was never in any real danger. Besides, if he dies, you live. What's the crime in that?"

"You're so stupid." He released him.

Caleb turned and shoved him back as he took his true form. He knew he shouldn't, but it wasn't in him to not fight back. At the end of the day, he was a demon and he never swallowed crap from others without vomiting venom back up. "Stand down, Malachai. You're not as powerful as you think."

Adarian laughed. "And I own you. So don't even try to intimidate me. I've picked my teeth from the bones of demons stronger and older than you."

That was probably true. But it didn't change the fact that Caleb would give anything to have the power to destroy Adarian. Howdid I become enslaved to this ... There was no word foul enough to describe him.

Unfortunately, Caleb knew exactly what had led him here and he hated that as much as he hated Adarian. "I've done exactly what you've asked. I've watched over your sniveling spawn for these last few years while not interfering with anything he's done."

"You should have befriended him before now."

Caleb was stunned by those words. "You told me not to."

Adarian seized him by the throat. His eyes glowed a deep, deadly red. "And now I'm telling you to guard him with your life. There's a new power here. One I can't discern, but it's following him and I want you to keep him safe. So help me, if anything happens to my son, I will come for you, and when I'm through, you'll wish you could crawl back to the slime hole where I found you."

Caleb felt his teeth sharpen and elongate in response to that threat. "I command legions."

"And I command you. Never forget that."

If only he could. "One day I'm going to break free of you, Malachai."

"And until you do, you will do exactly as I order. Now guard my boy and his mother. Let nothing happen to them. Do you understand?"

"I understand. But how am I to train him if I can't have him attacked?"

Adarian's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "You're resourceful. Find a way. And remember, I'm in this jail because I choose to be. I can leave it and come for you anytime I want to."

It was true. Adarian lived here because he fed off the cruelty and evil of others. This prison was like living in an Energizer factory as far as he was concerned. It kept him superstrong and able to deflect anything that came at him.

Except for his son. Nick's presence could weaken him instantly. Little prick had no idea that by avoiding his father, he was allowing Adarian's powers to remain at full strength, which put the rest of them at a major disadvantage.

Adarian pulled him closer. "You better not betray me, Malphas. Not in this."

Caleb would accuse him of loving the boy, but he knew better. This wasn't about love. It was about power. If Adarian could keep Nick alive and awayfrom him, he could rebuild his army through Nick and there would be no power on this earth or beyond that could stop him.

None.

Other than Nick, the only one who was capable of bringing down the Malachai army was now imprisoned and kept as weak as a sick kitten. While Adarian's powers grew, Jared's deteriorated under the care of a vicious guardian who had no idea just how important her prisoner was.

The balance of power was shifting, just as it'd done in the days before recorded history.

Then the bloodiest of all battles had raged. One of the fiercest soldiers, Caleb had barely survived it and the memory of it burned inside him. The fight withAdarian's father had cost him everything.

Now he was servant to his son.

Life really sucked.

"I will obey you ... master." That title stuck deep in his craw.

Adarian smiled. "Good boy. And remember, my son must be evil to the marrow of his bones. You have to turn him. No matter what it takes. Do you hear me?"

"What if the only way I can turn him is to kill the mother?"

Adarian seized his throat again. "You touch one hair on her head ... you allow anyone else to, and I will make you pay in ways you can't imagine in your wildest nightmares. Cherise is mine and no one else is to ever lay a hand on her."

That was the one order Caleb couldn't understand. Again, he would attribute it to love, but there was no way the Malachai could love anything except himself and his quest for power.

Bowing low, he backed away from Adarian.

Caleb had to force himself not to sneer as he retook his raven form and flew through the wall. But once he was out of sight, he used his talons to flip off the demon lord.

Protect the boy, my arse.

What irony, really. The fate of the entire world, of humanity and demonkyn, was in the hands of a fourteen-year-old boy who had no idea of the untapped powers he'd been born with.

A fourteen-year-old boy whose biggest fear was getting grounded by a mother who wouldn't even be a decent snack for Caleb and his kith. What a waste of power.

And I'm the schmuck wio has to protect him.

Not just from the demons, but also from the werewolves like Stone, and others who had a natural inclination to pick on Nick because they could sense that he wasn't quite human.

Caleb let out a tired breath. Would his indignities never cease?