Inferno (Chronicles of Nick #4) 1

And her betrayal cut him to his soul.

At least I’m not alone in this. Kody might reject him or try to kill him, but his mom was one woman he knew would never betray him or let him down. No matter what, she would love him regardless.

He gave her hand a light squeeze. “You’re doing it, Mom. Besides, I’ll get over it eventually. Right?”

“Definitely.” She leaned her head down on top of his and gave him a fierce hug from behind. “Ever my strong little soldier. I love you, Nick. More than my life. I’d do anything for you.”

“I know. I feel the same way.”

She kissed his head, then released him. “Don’t worry about doing your chores tonight. I’ll get them.”

He gaped. “Really? Dang … remind me to get a broken heart more often.”

Laughing again, she put away the ice cream. “I was going to watch some reruns. I’d love to have you join me … if you feel like it.”

Strangely, he did. In fact, he couldn’t think of anything better than putting his head down in her lap and having her baby him a little tonight.

You’re too old for that.

Maybe, but no one would know, and it would mean a lot to his mom. And it would go a long way in making his stomach not hurt so much.

As far back as he could remember, his mom had said that no matter how old he got, he’d always be her baby. Now he understood what that meant. It wasn’t just for her. There were times when men and women needed to be kids again. Needed to know that there was someone out there who did love them, no matter what they did. Someone they could turn to for a hug whenever life coldcocked them. While girlfriends would come and go, his mom would always be with him.

Until I do something stupid that causes her to die.…

He winced as he remembered that one detail that Ambrose had dropped on his head.

I have less than ten years to stop it.

While that might seem like a lot of time, he knew it wasn’t. Time moved quick. Too quick most days.

Not wanting to think about that tonight, he finished off his sundae and rinsed out the bowl before he took the trash out for her even though she’d told him he didn’t have to. He never liked her going outside alone this late at night. For all her ferocity, she was still a tiny woman who would be an easy mark for someone like the animals he once ran with. They wouldn’t hesitate to mug her.

After putting a fresh bag in the can, he joined his mother on the couch. She was already curled up under the thick, fluffy pink blanket he’d given her for Mother’s Day last year. For some reason, she was forever cold. Nick sat down, then leaned over, onto his side so that he could place his head in her lap.

His mom immediately put her hand in his hair and stroked his scalp. Something that went a long way in making him feel better. “I’m very proud of you, Nick.”

“Thanks, Mom … for everything.”

She kissed his head, then handed him the remote. “I know you can’t stand my girl shows. Just don’t find us something scary or bloody. You know how much I hate anything to do with the supernatural.”

Gee, thanks, Mom. He wondered how she would feel to know what she’d really given birth to.

Would it matter? Would she hate him, too?

No. He knew better.

But again, he didn’t want to chance it. Ambrose had already warned him that when he’d told their mother the truth about his birth in a former life, she hadn’t handled it well.

Not that he blamed her. There were times when he faced it that he wanted to run into a corner and cry like a kindergartener himself.

And unlike her, there had been a time when he’d hoped vampires and shapeshifters were real.

Let’s hear it for my stupidity.

All of a sudden, he felt something in the air. He glanced up as the sensation spread through his body like a harbinger, stirring his powers so that whatever it was didn’t catch him unawares.

The invisible protection symbols Menyara had painted above their front door started glowing. His mother couldn’t see them. But he did and he knew exactly what that meant.

Something inhuman was trying to get to him.

Thank you, Menyara.… He didn’t want to contemplate what would happen to him tonight if his godmother wasn’t a Voodoo priestess. The symbols were really bright overhead. As if the being was testing them for a weakness it could exploit.

Was it the same thing he’d heard earlier? The harvester out to get him?

Or was it Kody trying to finish him off?

He had no way of knowing for sure, and never had he been more grateful to Menyara for her overly cautious ways. In fact, he was going to sleep tonight with his little bag of gris-gris she’d made for him around his neck, clutching it tight.

Closing his eyes, Nick used what little powers he’d learned from Grim and Caleb to push against whatever was trying to get in. For a full minute, the glow turned so bright, it was like the sun was shining in the room.

Then it went away as quickly as it’d come.

His heart pounded. What are you?

Times like this, he’d give anything to have Kyrian’s or Ash’s abilities. They didn’t have to take crap from anyone.

And one day, I will have those powers, too.

No. Not true. His Malachai abilities would make a mockery of theirs.… He couldn’t wait to wield them when they no longer backfired on him.

But no sooner had that thought finished in his mind than he heard someone whisper in his ear.

Be careful what you wish for.…

You just might get it.

CHAPTER 7

“Nick!”

Walking down the hall toward his English class, Nick barely had time to brace himself before Casey latched on to his arm like Velcro.

“Hey.”

She scowled at him. “Hey? Is that the best you can do? Really?” She tsked at him. “You look awesome in your football jersey, by the way.”

Man, he hated compliments. They always made him feel strange, especially when they came from people who shouldn’t be deigning to speak to him. “Thanks. You look good in your uniform, too.”

She grinned at him and swished her hips to show off the white panels on her pleated black and gold cheerleader skirt. “I know, right?”

No one could ever accuse her of having low self-esteem. Not that he blamed her. She was gorgeous.

Out of nowhere, Stone grabbed the front of his shirt and body slammed him into a bank of lockers. “What do you think you’re doing, Gautier?”

Nick shoved him back. “I ain’t your ’ho, boy. And you ain’t my pimp. You don’t knock me around. I know you’re attracted to me and all, but—”

Stone swung at him.

Nick ducked and came up with a punch that would have laid the punk out cold had Caleb not grabbed Stone and jerked him back one nanosecond before Nick’s fist slammed into his jaw.

Caleb planted himself between them. “Have you two lost your minds? You want to get suspended from the team and school?”

“I was minding my own business,” Nick growled. “He accosted me first.”

Stone grabbed Casey by her upper arm. “C’mon, baby.”

She pried his hand off her. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Stone glared at her. “You want to go off with a rapist? Fine. Don’t come crying to me when he violates you.”

Nick’s gaze darkened. “Dina lied and she admitted it … publicly.”

Stone sneered at him. “Yeah, right. Like we don’t know your boss paid her off.”

Was he insane?

His anger spurring him to violence, Nick started for him, but Caleb caught him and pushed him back two steps.

“Let it go, Gautier,” Caleb growled in his ear.

“What’s going on here?”

Nick calmed down as their principal, Mr. Head, stopped next to Stone and raked the two of them with a curious stare.

Nick caught the flash of red in Caleb’s eyes as the demon released him.

“Nothing,” Nick mumbled to the principal. “Nothing at all.”

Head looked to Stone. “Is that true, Blakemore?”

Stone curled his lip at Nick. “We have a predator in this school, Mr. Head, and I was trying to protect my girl from him.”

Casey gaped, then scoffed. “I’m not your girl, you knuckle-dragging Neanderthal.” She moved back to Nick’s side. “Stone attacked Nick for no reason whatsoever, Mr. Head, and Nick is being kind enough to not get Stone into trouble, even though he deserves it.”

Nick gaped. Dang, Casey … did anyone happen to get the license plate of the bus you just threw him under? Remind me not to ever do anything wrong around you.

Disloyalty, thy name is Casey Woods.

Head turned to Caleb. “Is she telling the truth?”

Caleb passed a meaningful glare at Nick before he answered honestly. “Yes, sir.”

“All right, then. Stone, my office. Now.” Head hesitated, then turned back to Nick. “I better not see you in another fight in my school, Gautier. You got me?”

“Yes, sir.”

To Nick’s complete shock, Head actually left him alone and took Stone to his office.

Wow, this was a first. Always in the past, whenever Stone started something with him, Nick paid for it and Stone danced away scot-free. It actually scared him that he wasn’t headed to the office to be given detention instead of Stone.

The earth poles have reversed. The entire world is upside down. Houston, we have some kind of weird problem, ’cause this just doesn’t happen to me.

I’m in an alternate reality.

Yeah, that made sense. He met Caleb’s dark gaze. “The world is coming to an end, isn’t it?”

Caleb snorted. “Not that I’m aware of, and I would probably know if it was.”

“You two are so funny.” Casey kissed Nick’s cheek. “I’ll see you after class.” She darted off into the crowd.

Nick was still shell-shocked over what had happened. “I swear, this really has to be a sign of the Apocalypse.”

Caleb clapped him on the back. “Take the good and let’s get to class before you rack up another tardy.”

Yeah, but it was hard to take the good when he’d been fed a steady diet of bad from as far back as he could remember.

As he reached the room, he saw Kody heading for him. Against his will, his heart skipped a beat. Then it headed straight to his stomach when he saw that she no longer wore his necklace.

Well, why should she? Not like you didn’t break up with her or something.

Yeah, okay, she had no reason to wear it anymore. So why did it hurt so bad that she didn’t?

Trying not to think about it, he headed into the room and took his usual seat next to Caleb. Kody sat in the front and kept her back to him.

He glanced to the empty desk on his left. The desk that had been Kody’s up until today. His throat tight, he tried not to glance at her. But his eyes kept betraying him. He couldn’t help it. She was so beautiful. And today her perfect body was wrapped in a pink sweater that had been strategically designed by some sadistic jerk who wanted to make sure no mortal man could focus on anything except her.

Or in his case, semi-immortal demon.

What’s going on, Nick?

He slid his gaze to Caleb. For once, he welcomed Malphas in his head, since it distracted him. I didn’t sleep much last night. Something weird has been happening.

Caleb arched a brow. Define weird.

Good point. In their world, weird had many connotations. None of which were usually healthy for Nick. Menyara’s symbols lit up like Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras. And I kept hearing a voice telling me that it was going to get me.

Kody?

Against his will, he glanced over to her again. While I am sure that it is her current and constant occupation to kill me, it wasn’t her voice I heard.

Did you recognize it?

Nick shook his head.

Why didn’t you call me when it happened?

I figured I was safe so long as the symbols glowed. Right?

Caleb growled at him. You don’t make that call with your safety, Gautier. In the future, when you get death threats from disembodied voices, call me. Night or day.

Why? All you do is complain whenever I bug you.

Caleb glared at him. Bug me anyway.

Fine. Whatever. Caleb could be so testy for no known reason. At times, it was like dating a woman with irritable bowel syndrome.

Or rabies.

Finally, he felt Caleb’s cranky butt retreating from his head. Alone with his thoughts, Nick tried to focus on class. But it was hard to care about English when he had an unknown hit man and an ex-girlfriend out to kill him.

It was a thought that hung heavy in his mind all through the day.

When the final bell rang, he let out a relieved sigh. He’d survived another school day without death, zombie attacks, or massive ego annihilation.