Page 33 (1/2)
Nick rolled his eyes “Gah, you sound like my mother”
“And you sound like an idiot”
That went over him like a bucket of ice For a moment, he almost lashed out at Caleb Only the fact that he knew the de him “I don’t have to take this fro the oils out and threw his head back so that he could let loose a bellow that shook the massive to-wet skin s shot out as he gave in to a rage the likes of which Nick had never seen before Caleb was always in control Always cal reminder of what Caleb really was
Deadly
And it was several more heartbeats before Nick realized the deony reached out and wrapped itself around Nick like it was his own
Wanting to comfort his friend, Nick approached him slowly “I’m sorry, Caleb I didn’t know”
His breathing ragged, Caleb glared at hi them “Of all the people in all the worlds, you picked the one being I truly cannot stand The one whose name makes me sick to hear or to say And it’s one I cannot banish froain, I’m sorry You knoould never hurt you Not intentionally”
Caleb let out a tired breath as he wiped at the tears on his cheeks that blended in with the rain “Why are we fighting?”
“Because I did so about that I’estured at the ritual he’d started “Why do we bother, Nick? Really? A anyway All we’re doing is delaying the inevitable Why not stop our suffering now and just get it over with? Let the dark powers take it all”
Nick was aghast at the , but you didn’t throw everything away over a painful past You didn’t just quit a fight because you got a bloody nose No s, and fired back with another punch
Surely, Caleb of all beings understood that
“Because this is bigger than just us, Cay I saw that when I died This isn’t about you and me or even Xevikan This is about billions and billions of lives If I don’t stopthe Ambrose, it’s not just this world that will end It’s all of theht It’s hard to get up every day when you know you’re going to be slapped back down Hard to o face the people who hate and nity in a world that hates you and begrudges you every breath you take But you knoe do it?”
“We’re stupid?”
“No,” Nick breathed “We do it for those tiny er alone Those moments e realize that we aren’t the center of the universe, but to one single person, we’re their entire existence We are what they live for and we et knocked doe stand back up, and we face the darkness that’s inside us and we raise our fist at it and tell it, not today You won’t have me yet I won’t let you take that last bit of my soul”
Caleb shook his head in denial and turned away
But Nick wouldn’t let hiazes locked “You still care, Caleb In spite of everything you’ve been through I’ve seen it I know it You’re wounded and you’re hurt We all are But we’ve made our own screwed-up family of misfits out of the chaos that is our life You Me Kody Menyara Simi Acheron Bubba Mark Kyrian My mom We have bled, inside and out, for each other And yes, all of us will die eventually, but that isn’t what matters What ht for ourselves We fight for who and e love And if there’s any chance to save the less than our absolute best, and by all the gods of all the universes that’s what I plan to give to you and the others My absolute best Always”
For several seconds, Caleb said nothing as the thunder rolled around the hate you, Gautier”
Nick grinned at hi his hand, Caleb yanked hiet Kody back, Nick I swear it”
“I’ to hold you to that” Nick clapped hiestured at the mess Caleb had made “So have we coain?”
Caleb shook his head “It’s done You just need to stand in the center and assume the rest of your powers”
Nick arched his brows “All of them?”
He nodded “And try not to set the world on fire Definitely don’t make my head explode”
“Great way to build upfrom Caleb, that said a lot
Nick took a deep breath and walked to the center, where Caleb had used the oils to draw the Malachai ehtning lit the sky above theroaned “By the power of Grayskull, I’ to cleave your skull fro his arm, Nick snorted “Dude, you’ve seenseriously” He winked at the demon, then used his powers to transform from human to his Malachai form
Nick stared down at histhat “Tellas a demon than you are”
Caleb rolled his eyes “You’re not lier than a three-toed warthog, and Mark after a four-day swamp zombie hunt”
“Ah, man Now that’s just plain mean”
Caleb shoved at his shoulder “Get on with it before I get hit by lightning”
Sobering, Nick cleared his throat before he spoke the words he needed to seal off the rest of the ušuallu “Ahira, ahira, esh’in ay El ee, el loh door … duh … d…” Crap, he’d forgotten already
“Dor ey uh”
He inclined his head to Caleb “Dor ey uh Dash ee Malachai tirre tirre el lan de um” Honestly, he had no idea what he’d just said, but no sooner had he spoken the last syllable than the stor?” he asked Caleb
“It’s working”
Relieved that he hadn’t had to attack Xev or Livia, or anyone else, Nick returned to his hulad I didn’t have to bleed this time It’s a miracle”
“Actually…” Caleb pulled the hem of Nick’s T-shirt up to expose the scar on his chest where Ameretat had stabbed him “You did bleed Most of it’s still on the floor of ered the scar that formed an intricate pattern that eerily reminded him of Noir’s and Azura’s syhed “No It’s not It’s a memento from your eneery scar look cooler”
“Speaking of, how do you feel?”
Nick took a minute to consider it Honestly, it was hard to put into words what he felt now “Stronger More powerful … like a target”
“You are all of those”
Great Just what he wanted
But he was done co did was make Caleb crankier than normal