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“Don’t te on and where Kody went, we need to keep protecting hiave Zavid a droll stare “Nick’s my friend and I don’t have many of those No offense, I don’t want to lose hiet lost”

Those words stunned the real Nick as he watched them It wasn’t like Caleb to admit that to anyone And it touched hiht all this time that Caleb would rather cut his head off and use it for a bowling ball than put up with him At least that’s what Caleb had always told him

The Hel Hound held his hands up in surrender “Never have understood thethis any easier”

Caleb began chanting, strengthening the spell that was supposed to protect his house fro hit theclosest to him “You should have never bound Gautier’s powers If he had them, he could just sneeze the vermin back into their hole”

“It’s not that simple”

Zavid scoffed “How is it not?”

Caleb started toward the other Nick then paused to look back at Zavid “Do you kno a Malachai evolves?”

“Yeah, they’re spawned by mothers who hate them with every breath they take, and are beaten into beasts”

Caleb nodded “Nick has been shielded from that kind of hatred his whole life While he’s had a few people who despise him, he’s had many more love hiates it She calms and cares for him Loves him It’s why Cherise is so important to all of us She is his anchor For Nick to be blasted with the full weight of his bloodline … we don’t knohat it’ll do to him Every time those powers have taken hold inside hi that’s in his vicinity He’s not in control And an out-of-control Malachai is the last thing any of us need Especially when that Malachai has not only his oers, but those of his extrehly valid points” Zavid rubbed his hand over his brow “And you’re right I barely got a taste of Adarian Malachai and that ith hiine how deadly he was at full strength”

“Don’t have to iine Was there, and had ”

Suddenly, thebehind Zavid shattered A blast of fire ca Caleb’s curtains ablaze

Without thinking, Nick started toward it to help put it out He’d only taken a step before so pulled hiravated, he spun away fro out flames until he was alone in utter darkness Even so, he felt a subtle stirring in the air by his side

“Will you help my brother?”

He turned to find a woman there who bore an uncanny resehost, too”

“I’host” At least he didn’t think he’d died while sleeping

Scowling, she looked at the fake Nick then back at hier darkened her eyes “You guess?”

“Yes,” he said more forcefully “I’et separated frohost?”

Hoished he had an answer “I’ht have about that Ticked off the wrong body-changing god?”

She paused to consider his words “They s are, but who are you referring to?”

“Your generals” She stepped back “Soed They wanted you to claim and develop your powers from your father so that they could use and control you But to separate your soul from your body … death is the only reason for that”

Nick scowled at her She had a lot of pertinent infore bank “Who are you?”

“I’ to him, but if she was related to Zavid, that would make her a demon, too “You’re an Aamon?”

She winced at his question “I was Then I was betrayed and left to die alone” A tear slid down her cheek “I just wanted to be loved by someone Just once in my life But perhaps you and I are alike in that no one can love our species We don’t deserve it We are both born to suffer endlessly”

Nick shook his head She rong She had to be “I don’t believe that Everyone deserves love”

Denial burned bright in her eyes “The only one who ever lovedthe one person he loved above all, to save me And I ruined him” A tear slid down her cheek “His heart is so pure and true Please You must help my brother”

“Help him how?”

“Keep him safe from Hel I should never have allowed hi I was scared and stupid No excuse, I know, and yet I didn’t stop him when I should have But you will help hiht on that loop Not that he blamed her He’d be the same way if he’d hurt soet back to et your powers back”

She said that as if it were easy and under his control “If I kne to do that, I’d have done it already”

Zarelda’s gaze burned into him “You are the Malachai The most powerful of all demonkyn Your powers are alith you They are a part of your very soul … not your body No one, except your son, can ever take them from you You just have to believe in the