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Just as heback On his knees with one shoe in his hand, Nick looked up to rabbed Nick by the arm and wrenched him to his feet

For once, Nick held his smart mouth at bay as he saw Mark, his mom, and Bubba in the custody of deainst his chest while she sobbed uncontrollably Another group came forward and dumped an either dead or unconscious Savitar into the foyer

“I told you, you wouldn’t escape h Thorn’s taunt set fire to every piece of Cajun in hi for an opening

Thorn grabbed his arain “Noe’re—”

“Don’t touchhis biceps away froo And Bubba and Mark”

Thorn laughed “You have no power here”

“There you be wrong, boy” Nick dug down deep for every piece of courage he’d ever had and stood strong in front of his eneht have been a littleone in his hand, but looking like an idiot had never stopped hi brave before It certainly wouldn’t stop his stupidity today

Nick dropped the shoe to the floor and stood up to his full less-than-iht, which barely reached the middle of Thorn’s chest Even so, he refused to be intimidated Or rather refused to let Thorn knoas inti

Thorn seized him by the throat “You’re a Malachai with no powers Do you knohat that makes you?”

Dead was the most obvious answer But Nick never ith the first answer to anything That otyou know”

Ignoring that, Thorn leaned down to whisper in Nick’s ear “No, little friend It makes you bait”

Nick snorted “Trust s that want to ive you even estion than I am”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Akri-Nick The Siestive track than theo down Kick the whole way Scream a lot, too”

A slow smile broke across Nick’s face as he heard the inable A blessed accent that belonged to only one person he knew

“Silad to see you You are truly a sight for these hty sore eyes”

The look of confusion on Thorn’s face was comical as he turned his head to take in the exceptionally tall teenage demon Dressed in a black fishnet shirt that was covered with a reen She wore a frou-frou short black skirt over purple and black leggings, and the tall Goth biker boots Nick was used to At first glance, there was nothing to mark her as supernatural But only an absolute moron would make that mistake

Unfortunately, Thorn wasn’t an idiot “Get her!” he roared

Sis unfurled and she took flight Thorn went to grab Nick

Twisting away, Nick headed toward Simi She seerabbed hi with intent, until he realized it was Kody

Nick barely caught himself before his fist made contact with her beautiful face “Ma bele,” he breathed before he kissed her cheek “Did you bring Siree my retreat He said he’d join us as soon as he could”

For a ain Until he went to blast the de Luckily, Kody could, and she nailed it, but as she did so soered back as he felt that weird sensation he’d had at school Glancing down, he saw his hand was translucent again

“Nick?”

He heard Kody’s voice, but he couldn’t respond She see away from her It was hard to tell for certain

Why is this happening again?

What was happening to him?

“Nick!”

Kody’s scream echoed in his head He tried tolistened Not his head or pounding heart And definitely not his fading skin

Instead, he drifted faster away froain The one he’d heard when he’d been yanked out fro him that?

“Don’t you know?”

Na hard and unyielding At first he thought it was a wall, until he realized the wall radiated warmth

And was covered with hard muscles Ew!

“Barely one day a Malachai and you’ve already screwed it all up You are even ht”