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“Wait!”

“Save my brother” The words whispered and echoed around him as she vanished

Nick cursed at the darkness that was now so thick it pressed in on him Made it hard to breathe

“You know,” he shouted, “if it was that simple, I’d have done it already!” He knew she couldn’t hear him, but he felt the need to state that out loud

Believe in , he clenched his fists and in the most enthusiastic voice he couldhappened Other than he sounded like an Oz h …

Just follow the yellow brick road Follow the yellow brick road

“Gah, I a hell-h heels” Or drop a house on him That was all his screwed-up life needed

But as he drifted through the darkness, one thing crystalized for hi the part of himself he not only hated most, but the part of him that terrified every cell in his body

And if he had to sell his soul to keep his loved ones safe, he’d draft the contract himself and nail it to the devil’s forehead

CHAPTER 11

Nick jerked awake as the air around him shifted Ready to battle, he opened his eyes to find the scary Acheron standing by his bed Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes “Oh look, it’s Mr Happy-Creepy come to feed me to more of his pets”

“How can you not be afraid of ed “Guess I knew you in a foraze on hi to the ether for clues or information That was yet another unreliable power Nick ain to hand you over to his?” Nick looked down at hi to pack” He sighed wearily “Not even a toothbrush My dentist would be so disappointed in me”

Ash let out a sound of supreme irritation Not like that was a first for the two of the we have to fear is fear itself,” Nick said in his best FDR accent, then he shrugged nonchalantly “Worst you can do is kill irinned at his threat “Pain I can take Really Doesn’t scare me, either”

Acheron rolled his eyes before he pulled so it at Nick So, Nick wiped the clear, stringy goo off his face “Ew! What is that?” It sym socks

Incredulous, Acheron tucked his vial into his pocket “Proof you’re not the Malachai That would have seared your demon’s flesh … which still makes me curious as to why Thorn wants you so badly if you’re human”

Nick continued to wipe it away “Told you I’m irresistibly cute”

“I should probably kill you, just to be safe”

Pausing, Nick wiped his hand against his jeans “I’d really rather you not”

“Thought death didn’t scare you”

“Roaches don’t either, but I don’t want to be covered in thelint lit those weird eyes “Strangely, I do, kid”

“Grandpa?”

Acheron froze at the sound of Simi’s hesitant voice Before he could move, she appeared in the roo

“Siainst hi had cut her in the stomach

She showed Acheron her blood-covered hands that shook with the weight of her pain “T-t-they said I was evil That I-I needed to die”

Tears filled Acheron’s eyes “Who did this?”

Her breathing labored, she couldn’t respond as she collapsed Acheron laid her down on the floor Now his hands trembled even more than hers did while tears streaked down his face

“Don’t leaveher hand into his

Nick was stunned by Ash’s actions Why wasn’t he helping her? Where were the glowing hands and … stuff that Acheron normally did whenever solared at Nick “I can’t!”

Huh? Nick scoffed at him “You have the power I’ve seen it”

Acheron shook his head “I’ve never had the power to heal Not since I crossed over and becaer welled up inside Nick as he watched her breathing grow shallower Her features paled She wouldn’t last er And as the hopeless fury built inside him, his hands heated up to a volcanic level His heart raced

She didn’t deserve to die Not like this and definitely not because of him

In that moment, Nick remembered the words Menyara would use whenever he was sick as a boy—which was a lot, since his huain, doctors had told his

In true Cajun fashion, Nick had defied them all, and he now refused to let Simi die like this Without hesitation, he closed the distance between them, knelt on the floor by her side, and placed his hands over her wound

Letting out an elongated breath, he whispered the words that his godmother had impressed into his memory:

Hear me Isis as I pray

See her pain and take it all away

Let the heaven’s light shine bright from above

And wrap her in your most benevolent love

Let no evil touch this child

Protect and hold her all the while

Save her from the darkness, ills and fevers of all kind

Heal her wounds by yourmore earnest I can say