Page 13 (1/2)
He swung his mother up to carry her to safety as he ran inside Once Kody closed the gate behind them, he set his mom on her feet But he was far from safe As soon as his mother was assured the demons couldn’t follow them in, she turned on Nick with the wrath of the Furies
“What do you think you’re doing?” She poked her tiny finger into the center of his chest hard enough to hurt “You’re supposed to be at school, boy Instead, I get a call saying you’re about to be arrested and then I find you covered in de sory Chihuahua he was used to facing, but it’d been awhile since he stood eye-to-eye with her He’d forgotten how scary it was to be within her actual striking range
His rowled at him “What have you to say for yourself, boy?”
“Sorry, Ma, I’net?”
She actually pulled the bat back like she was planning to hit hi around, ready to battle until she saw thethem with the same fear in his eyes Nick was sure he had “Don’t you even take that tone with me, Mr Triple-Threat-I-don’t-have-to-listen-to-anyone-because-I’ht as well pack a bag ’cause you’re going to be in there so long your naraved on the mailbox”
Bubba placed his hand over his heart as if her words wounded hier, and you—” She turned on Savitar then “Are you one of the hatever answer doesn’t get me swatted with that bat”
Bubba disar here?”
“What do you think? I’ my boys Both of you … Because Mark values his own life and in particular his ot off the phone with you to tell ” She raked Bubba with an angry glare that made Nick take a step closer to Kody for protection “You didn’t honestly believe that I’ve been ignorant of what you and Mark do at night all these years? Did you?”
Bubba shifted nervously “Um, yeah”
“Well then you’re a fool, Michael Burdette And I’estured up at the sky where the deet rid of those?”
“Not easily, and we need to get into the building before they start throwing—” Savitar’s voice broke off as a car ca theainst the wall on Nick’s left “–things at us”
With Savitar leading the way, they ran for the old convent Savitar used his powers to unlock the door Nick stood back to allow Kody and his mother to enter, but then Savitar shoved him in headfirst
“Hey!”
Savitar curled his lip “Don’t hey me, kid Not after the hour I’ve had because of you”
Bubba locked the door behind them “That’ll keep the deround won’t stop the in after us”
“I don’t know … it stopped Tabby and Aave him a droll stare “What say we don’t bet our lives on whether or not hue our bets and assume they can That okay, punkin?”
Nick snorted “Yeah, sure”
Kody agreed with Bubba “And let’s also assuht here as soon as the demons tell Thorn where we are” She let out a half-hysterical laugh “Or they could just follow the circling demonic cloud over our heads Surely they have to know that’s not norhed “Too bad they know you’re a ghost We could have used that advantage Now it’s just a liability”
“Yeah” She glanced at Nick “It wasn’t infor circuer “I knew better than to let uard down I can’t believe I was so stupid!”
Cherise patted her on the back “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Boo We all have reed “How you think Cherise ended up with me for a husband? I swear, that woood one could have had her off for good behavior by now”
Cherise walked into his ared him “That wasn’t stupid, Michael A bittherabbed Nick’s chin and held hier, Cherise started for theht her “Don’t, baby While that’s our son’s body, that ain’t our boy”
“What?”
Bubba nodded “Our Nick itched out with another soul”
Dumbfounded, Cherise couldn’t speak as she sputtered
Savitar narrowed his gaze on Nick while he turned Nick’s head from side to side to study him “And whoever did this to you, boy, knew exactly what they were doing There’s no sign of your bloodline I didn’t even knoas possible to hide a Malachai so completely”
Kody folded her arms over her chest “You should be with him in our world He has stood next to Acheron Parthenopaeus many times, and not even Ash can tell”
Savitar finally released him and stepped back “You’re sure he’s a Malachai?”
Kody lowered the neck of her sweater to show a vicious scar over her heart “I was looking him in the eyes when he killed me It’s him” She paused before she continued “Well, not hi her lip, she faced Cherise, as still struggling with the unbelievable reality “Have no fear for your Nick, Mrs Burdette Your son is safe in my world He couldn’t be more protected I promise you I left him with terful men ould die before they allow hiain “Hoap thehed “I wish I knew”
Savitar moved to ato check on the location and activities of their demons “We have to find the one responsible It’s our only hope to undo this and get him back to your world before it’s too late”
“Well, I can tell you it’s not Thorn He had no idea the Malachai was here until I accidentally told hirateful that she’d survived the attack to mind her slip to their enemies, Nick took Kody’s hand “How did you escape Karlanced back at theiven the trap they’d both walked into with the Devereaux sisters “How did you know to call for Savitar?”
“I took a wild guess and bet our lives on it I was hoping he’d be strong enough to be on our side, even in this world So glad I wasn’t wrong”
Nick, too Still, it didn’t anshat he was really asking “But how do you know him?”
She hesitated like she normally did whenever he asked her a point-blank question Instead of her usual hedge, for once she answered it “He’s odfather”
Savitar held his hands up as if those words offended him “Yeah, I had a hard time with that one myself I’m not exactly a people person and I have never s no one else could possibly know Things et a looser tongue in the future Like you becoe I’ll live through that would allow that to happen Guess we’re all future fools for so Nick’s hand between their bodies “I’lad those events happened in both worlds Otherwise, he’d have left me to die under torture”