“Not exactly our fault, you know? It’s all pretty and shiny. If it came in looking like Nosferatu, we’d know to run.” Nick finished pouring the salt mixture, then returned to Xev’s side.
He was laying out the crystals.
Kody frowned. “You’re summoning him here?”
“We can’t exactly leave. Not to scare you two, but you might want to peek through the blinds.”
Nick did, then wished he hadn’t as he saw the demon spectacle going on in the street. “Is that viewable to the rest of humanity or are we just cursed?”
“I think we’re cursed,” she said, stepping away from the glass as a giant demon came up and screamed at it.
Nick jumped away and let the blinds fall back into place. “Okay, the hell-monkeys have returned and are having a party on our block. All they need is a float and krewe, and they’re ready for Mardi Gras season. Have I said today how much I don’t like them?”
“I think that feeling’s mutual.” Nekoda cringed as they slammed against the glass, trying to break through.
Nick winced. “That didn’t sound like them slinging beads at us. Think if I whip my shirt off, they’ll go blind and leave?”
No one commented on his stupidity.
Instead, Kody turned back to Xev. “I didn’t think he could be summoned unless it was at an oak tree with full moonlight.”
Xev passed her an irritated grimace. “I’m not a demon. Those rules don’t apply to me.”
That was true. He’d been an ancient god, which made Nick curious. “What exactly were you a god of, anyway?”
Caleb answered for him. “He was a chaos god, Nick. The god of blood disease, fire, plagues, famine, violent death, fear, and destruction.”
“Yeah,” Xev said drily. “I was in charge of all the fun stuff.”
Wide-eyed, Nick passed a concerned look to Kody that he’d been dumb enough to set Xev loose in the world again. That might have been a mistake, in retrospect.
“Don’t give me that.” Xev passed an irritated smirk at him. “Through chaos, order is born. I was the balance for a goddess whose powers negated mine. And before you judge me, need I remind you of what your role is in this universe, Malachai?”
“Valid point. You’re right. But while I was born of destruction, I’m trying not to end the world in an ugly war I lead. Which is my big bone of contention. I’ve read the books and seen the movies. The guy in my role is supposed to be the Chosen One. The good guy in a white hat. The kid who gets superpowers and saves the world. Not the one who eats it. Who do I have to see about an upgrade of my role?”
Xev shook his head. “We are all victims of our births, Nick. And if we’re lucky enough to survive childhood, then it becomes a race to see if we can overcome those roles we’re assigned the moment we draw our first breath by those who judge our parents, and the labels everyone else wants to place on us. The labels we use to define and hem our own destinies with. Saddest curse of humanity is the day someone teaches you how to hate. And gives you a cause for it. You come into the world a pure, unscarred soul. And your first experience is being slapped on the ass by a callous hand, supposedly for your own good, to draw your first breath.”
He winced as if some horrible memory went through his mind as he looked down at Caleb. “Sad really that people would rather focus on what makes them different than on what makes them the same … compassion, hope.” He glanced from Kody to Nick. “Love. For all the differences between us, we’re more alike than anyone wants to admit.”
And with that, he began a chant.
Caleb tried to interrupt him, but he was too weak. Xev ignored him and continued.
Nick fell silent as he watched the two brothers who’d been divided by a single tragedy that had ruined both their lives.
Forever.
It made him want to seek out his own brother. The thought had occurred to him a lot, especially lately, but since his brother was also a cursed god, he’d avoided it. There was no telling what he might end up with.
Or how his brother might feel about learning of Nick’s presence. Nick wasn’t even sure if his brother knew Adarian was his father.
Even though his brother was a god, they didn’t “know” everything. Case in point, Menyara was currently missing. And she wouldn’t have been had she known demons were at her doors.
Like everyone else, gods could be fooled, too. And if his brother didn’t know he was part destructo demon, Nick definitely didn’t want to be the one to drop that bombshell on him. Lesson learned, never be the bearer of bad tidings to an angry god. It just didn’t pay. They tended to rip the wings off and eat those messengers.
As Xev chanted, a loud crack popped. A bright light flashed.
Two heartbeats later, something even uglier than the hell-monkeys outside rose up to come at Nick and Kody.
Instinctively, Nick threw his hands out to attack it, only to remember he was powerless. Kody stepped around to deflect it before Xev caught it and banished it back to whatever dimension it’d come from.