Suddenly, Nick had an image he really didn’t want of why Xev had hated being locked in his nether prison. “I’m sorry. How could you even talk to your father again?”
“He wasn’t the only one who did this to me. And in the case of Zavid, for once, I don’t mind. ’Course, I’d rather feed him with a cup. But your mother would most likely freak out if she saw that.”
“Is this why you wanted to stay here?” he asked Zavid.
He wiped the blood from his lips. “Yes. If I don’t feed, I’ll return to them.”
Xev sighed. “Because my blood is the lock, it can keep him on this side of the gate.”
Nick winced as he felt bad for both of them. “Is there any way to make it permanent so that you don’t have to keep doing this?”
“There’s only one way I know.”
“And that is?”
“The Cup of Hebe.”
Nick frowned. “Is that like a cup of coffee? Where do we buy it? Neiman Marcus?”
Groaning in absolute misery, Xev pressed his fingertips to the bridge of his nose before he shook his head. “No, Nick. Hebe’s the goddess of immortality. She’s the cup-bearer for the Olympians. If he were to drink from one of her cups, it would restore him to what he was before Noir took his body over and pulled him out of this dimension.”
Nick duplicated Xev’s groan. “I’m going to assume we can’t just walk up and ask to borrow one.”
“No. She’s going to want something for it.”
And experience had taught him that it wouldn’t be a Mardi Gras throw. Nor would it be pleasant or easy.
Great. Just great.
But right now, his fears weren’t the important thing. He saw the expression on Zavid’s face that said he was waiting for Nick to send him back and condemn him to living with Noir and his animals for eternity.
That was the last thing Nick would do to anyone.
“It’s okay, guys,” Nick said, offering them a reassuring smile he didn’t quite feel, but one he hoped he was faking well. “We will get through this.”
Nick had no idea how. Yet they would muddle through as they always did. Even though they still had enemies at the gate. Allies missing and unaccounted for.
And a future even more uncertain. With an unknown Malachai.
All they currently had in their corner was that his powers were holding. For the moment.
Of course, that could change in the next heartbeat.
Worse? Ambrose had been wrong. The Eye hadn’t helped him even a little bit. If anything, it’d confused him more. And given him a migraine that still hadn’t let up.
At this point, Nick was at a loss. They all were. Meanwhile, the Mavromino was gathering strength. Nick could feel it. The darkness would win if they didn’t stop it.
And all the gates would come crashing down.
But come heck or high water, he would stand and he would fight. They all would. Because the only guarantee they had in this was that if they didn’t fight, they would definitely lose, and losing wasn’t in his stubborn Cajun genes.
You’re right, Grim. It’s on. And I’m coming for you.
EPILOGUE
Kyrian listened to the police as he stood with Acheron and the parish coroner off to the side. “This is crap and you know it.”
“Crap or not, those are the boys who attacked Nick the night you met him. How many times has he sworn, quite publicly, he’d get them back?” Acheron’s voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Yeah, but you were there when he had the chance. He handed them over to the police.”
“And now they’ve been found slaughtered. Nick’s prints are all over the murder weapon…”
Kyrian cursed under his breath. “He didn’t do this, Acheron. You know he didn’t.”
“Yeah, but they’re calling in a warrant even as we speak. You better go warn him and Cherise, while I call Bill and let them get started on bailing him out. If they’ll set bail for something this brutal.” Acheron looked over at the mutilated bodies and winced. “Our little Squire’s in serious trouble this time, Kyrian. And I have no idea how we’ll get him out of this.”
*
“That was brutal, even for you.”
Standing on the rooftop of the old building in the French Quarter, Cyprian didn’t speak as Laguerre moved to stand by his side while he watched Kyrian and Acheron talking down below. “You wanted him shaken and destroyed.”
“Have to say, you are definitely surpassing our expectations.”
A slow smile curved his lips as he shifted his form to take on the appearance of Ambrose again. “Oh trust me, putting the Eye in his possession was just the first move. Before I’m done, he won’t even trust himself.”
Laguerre shuddered as she took in his disguise. “It weirds me out whenever you do that. You look just like him.”
“I should, should I not, Mother? After all … I am his son.”