Maybe that was selfish.
The world or his mother. If you were to ask anyone, they’d choose the world. To them, the choice would be simple. One life for billions …
Yet his mother was his world. And he was willing to sacrifice a billion strangers to save her. Because living out his life, knowing there was a chance he could have prevented her murder and didn’t at least try …
He understood the source of Ambrose’s madness.
God help him for that.
Kody wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know, Nick. I do. Remember, I chose you.”
“Woman, you chose poorly.”
Laughing, she kissed his cheek. “Let’s find Aeron and we’ll work on this puzzle once we have more pieces.”
He liked that plan. “Okay. As we all know, procrastination is my middle name.”
“The Simi thought it was Ambrosius.”
He laughed at her baffled tone. “Ambrosius Procrastinatius.”
She pursed her lips. “Hmm, that be as hard to say as Parthenopaeus. How you fit all that on your driver’s license?”
“Very carefully. And with a lot of practice.”
Winking at Simi, Nick teleported to Caleb’s huge, sprawling mansion of a house. He popped into the living room and was quickly joined by the rest of his crew.
He didn’t move as he waited for all of them to appear. Though to be honest, it was eerily quiet like this. Nick had never been over when there wasn’t loud, obnoxious music playing or demons attacking.
“So…” He cocked a brow at Simi once everyone was there. “Where do we find this mysterious hellhound?”
“Follow me.” Caleb led them to the kitchen where the cellar door was. He passed an annoyed glance at Simi and Nick over his shoulder. “I’m really hoping my houseguest wasn’t so inconsiderate as to invite a guest of his own. But I’m thinking I’ve been played.”
Turning on the light and opening the door, Caleb headed down the narrow spiral stairs.
They followed him into the “cellar,” which was an illusion since it was technically the first floor of the house built with tiny windows where they used to keep perishables back in the day before they had real refrigeration.
At first, it didn’t appear anyone was here. But as they neared the southern corner, there was no mistaking the presence of something highly powerful attempting to mask itself. The air literally crackled with the paranormal static of emanating power. Most creatures wouldn’t be able to detect it.
The Malachai wasn’t most. Whatever was there lit up every bit of his psychic sense and had it singing a soprano chorus. Nothing could hide from Nick’s breed.
Or Jaden, apparently. He stiffened and reached out to stop his sons. “Don’t move.”
Nick heard the subtle growl off to his right. It was low and powerful, and only registered on the demonic plane. Yet it was enough to let him know that the beast was ready to come for his throat. The sound rippled in the air like low thrumming thunder, with enough energy that he had no doubt the growl, alone, could be weaponized. “What exactly are these things again?”
“Watch and learn, akri-Nick! The Simi will shows you.” She flounced around him to kneel a few feet away. “Here, here, akri-Kaziel. No one gonna hurt you, the Simi promises and you knows you can banks it all day long.” Clicking her tongue, she held her hand out.
The growling subsided. A slight rustle sounded before the largest wolf Nick had ever seen came out of the shadows.
“Holy mother of God!” Nick involuntarily crossed himself. If he’d had holy water, he’d have flung it at him, too. Not that he thought it’d do any good.
Just for good measure.
As it was, Nick could barely refrain from holding up two fingers in the sign of a cross against the beast.
Yeah, it was that scary.
Give him a demon, a hell-monkey …
Anything over this monstrous thing. Even on four legs, it had to be over four and half feet tall from paws to haunches. Completely snow white, the hound was all muscled sinew and furry beast. That would be scary enough. Add to that unholy bloodred ears and matching demonic, glowing, flame-red eyes and fangs that showed even when he closed his mouth, and yeah, that wouldn’t blend on the street no matter what you tried. Especially given that every other breath shot flames out his muzzle. What it would do, though, was give you nightmares and send you to a psych ward, especially if you were dumb enough to try and tell anyone what you’d seen.
“What did they use those for again?” Nick asked in a voice that came out a lot squeakier and in a much higher octave than he’d intended. One that sounded like he hadn’t quite reached puberty yet.