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“I don’t kno”

Nick was flabbergasted “Big Bubba Burdette’s your father and you don’t kno to throw a punch? Seriously?”

“I was never allowed to fight Myhis eyes, Nick heard a strange gurgle co to a sword stroke as a group of Areli this battle And there was nothing he could do He didn’t have his gri

“Simi!” Caleb snapped “Behind you!”

She turned and barely ducked a blow that would have beheaded her Breathing out a stream of fire, she tried to barbecue the Arel, but they were too fast and too well trained Not even the Charonte could ht as they were fighting, one blast would take out at least three of the Arelim

For thatof Clorox

A can of hair spray and a lighter …

It just wasn’t in his genetic code to go doithout a fight Nick manifested a fireball, but unlike before in the other realed his opponent to help Zavid cover Nick’s body He cast an angry glare at the dise as useless as he felt

A side”

Backhanding the Arel in front of him, Xevikan snorted “Win, lose, or draw, if it’s opposite of you, I consider it a definite win”

Ameretat raked him with his distaste “You think it was painful when they ripped out your wings? You haven’t ht his verbal tor Trustyour pathetic kind does in co touch”

Ah the side He knocked Zavid away before he grabbed Nick Two and held a dagger to his throat

Nick and the others froze instantly

“Stand down,” Alare to Simi “And drop your barbecue sauce, demon”

The look in her eyes said that she wanted to send out a blast of fire for him Just as Nick was sure she would, she knelt down and placed her barbecue sauce bottle on the floor

Sioing to enjoy the day she gets to eats that big old head of yours”

“Please don’t hurt me,” Nick Two sobbed as he tried to pull Ao home to my parents I don’t understand why I’m here I can’t hurt anyone I’ve never hurt anyone”

“Shh!” Ameretat snarled in his ear “You don’t speak!”

Caleb took a slow step forward “Let hi”

“You think I don’t know that? But it is his body His blood His heart”

“Yeah, and his shoes and shirt What’s your point? None of that holds his power That stays with his soul”

A Nick Tith him “But we both know his poithout his blood is weak at best And without his heart … he’s nothing more than a blind pup who can’t even find his mother’s teat to suckle”

Nick screwed his face up in distaste So not the ie he wanted in his head C’h the wall

Instead, the daeve kept talking “You know you can’t kill hi will eventually end by his hand, anyway What difference does it make if it’s now or a thousand years in the future? Either e all die”

“Please!” Nick Two cried “Just letto hurt anyone”

“Oh shut up!” Aasped as pain exploded through his chest while he watched the other Nick sink to the floor It burned and ached so badly that he could barely breathe

It’s over I’ he could do

Ameretat stepped back from his body and sn of the Malachai! Forever!”

“No!” Livia shrieked, crawling toward Nick’s body

Xevikan and Zavid stood motionless as the Arelim withdrew Simi made her way to Livia and they tried to heal Nick Two

But there was nothing they could do

Siathered him into her arms so that she could rock hio ho, Nick Two clung to her while he wept

Nick aze At first, it was stone cold Then, as Nick began to fade away, a slow, insidious smile curved Caleb’s lips Nick couldn’t believe it Caleb was actually happy that he was dying And here he’d ht they were friends Fao

Tears filled Nick’s eyes as he realized all the things he’d s he’d planned to do that he would never be able to do now All the things he should have said to the people who o unsaid But the worst was the pain he knew his one She’d be alone in the world, with no one to watch over her

And in that moment, he truly understood the love Kodyto have someone say that they loved you, it was another to actually understand the sacrifice they’d ret firsthand

Nick glanced over to Xevikan as his words to Anitude of their shared pain hit him hard They were all puppets and paho’d been placed into a gaame with no rules and no boundaries

Winner take all

If I could have one ht clarity And in that moment, Nick realized that what he ain Never have a chance to prove to her that he could be more than what he’d been born for

That even he, Nick Gautier, could defy his cursed destiny and becoht him to be Noould never be able to do better for them