Xev turned on Dagon. “Claim a side to die for.”
Dagon frowned as his gaze went from Simi to Kody to Menyara and Nick. “Fine, but I’m not sure what side this is. Are you?”
“Meaning?”
He scowled at Nick’s hand on Kody’s. “Since when does the Malachai fight beside Cam and the daughter of Bathymaas?”
Nick flashed him a devilish grin. “I’m not your average Malachai.”
“So it’s true, then. There is a Malachai born of the light?”
Xev hesitated about confirming it in so many words. “He fights against Noir and Azura.”
“And the ušumgallu?” Dagon asked. Not that Nick blamed him for being suspicious. Before picking a side in a war this deadly and scary, it paid to ask a few questions and do some homework. Once a flag was chosen, it was hard to surrender it. “Where do they and their allies stand in this?”
“Mostly undeclared. Malphas is temporarily down, but fights with us, unequivocally. Livia is with us. Bane undecided. We know nothing of Grim or Laguerre. We assume Yrre is against us, but we don’t know for certain.”
Nick grimaced as he realized his allies were even fewer than he’d thought.
Ouch.
Dagon’s gaze went to the window, where it narrowed sharply. “I’d say they’ve declared enmity. Those carrions are seeking Malachai blood. Once they have it, you’ll have no choice. You either ride with Death and War. Or die.” He scowled at Nick. “Why didn’t you drain your šarras while you could?”
In retrospect?
Stupidity.
But that wasn’t what he said out loud. He answered with the truth. “I didn’t think I had to. Caleb said all I had to do was confront them, show them who’s boss, and seal the gate. We did that. Yrre was never released. Only Livia and Xev, and they relented to me. At least that’s what I was told.”
“Someone lied to you. Yrre made it through to this side, and is roaming free.”
Nick searched his memory as he tried to remember who’d told him that Yrre had stayed sealed in. For his life, he couldn’t recall who’d said that.
Crap. Where had that come from? He knew he hadn’t imagined it. Someone had told him that. Had they set him up intentionally? Could they have meant to betray him or was it a misunderstanding or mistake?
And if it was intentional …
I’m so screwed.
No, worse than that. Someone would have intentionally betrayed him. Set him up for this so that they’d all get their butts handed to them in this massacre.
He passed a look between Kody, Xev, and Dagon. “So what do we do?”
Dagon hesitated before he answered. “Where are the Arelim or Sephiroth?”
Snorting with bitter amusement, Xev looked at Nick with a smirk that said he’d let him explain. Oh goody!
Nick was less than amused as he ran with the cue. “The last Sephiroth is imprisoned. I have no idea where. From what I’ve been told, I don’t want to know where, either, as it’s highly unpleasant. The Arelim are in the middle of a horrific civil war, and both sides hate my guts with a passion that burns brighter than a binary star system. Needless to say, we’re a little low on allies. I do have a few Dark-Hunters and two lunatics I can count on. Along with one awesome Charonte.”
Simi grinned.
Menyara sighed heavily. “He’s right. Rezar is missing. Verlyn captured. Our side has been losing ground for a long time now, which is another reason why we had to secure the Malachai and limit his powers any way we could. But that being said, I can summon Acheron and Savitar, as well as Thorn.”
Dagon cocked his head. “Thorn?”
“Leucious of the Brakadians,” Menyara explained. “He and his Hellchasers are still firmly against Noir and Azura. Though their numbers aren’t many, they’re as strong as ever, and they fight them every chance they get.”
Xev inclined his head to Menyara. “Summon them all and do it fast. We need every sword.”
No sooner had he spoken than a strange light permeated the room, washing it with a weird glow that came from outside.
Dread filled every pore of Nick’s body. “What is that?”
“Takiramon,” Dagon and Xev said in unison.
“And that would be what brand of Pokémon, Ash Ketchum? Should I fetch Pikachu’s ball and have at it? I choose you, Dagon!”
Rolling her eyes at Nick’s sarcasm that went over Xev’s and Dagon’s heads, Kody let go of Nick’s hand and summoned her Arelim battle armor and swords. “It’s the veil of mortal sleep.”
“The who … what?”
Kody checked her weapons. “Veil of mortal sleep. There aren’t many creatures strong enough to conjure it. It casts that red glow over the earth and puts the humans into a trance so that they are unaware of us.… Like your mother, they sleep, completely safe, and totally ignorant of what’s happening around them.” Kody jerked her chin toward the window. “See for yourself.”
Nick went to look, and sure enough. Everyone outside, who’d been walking around just a few minutes ago, was lying sprawled out on the sidewalks like corpses in open graves. It was creepy and chilling—not something anyone wanted to see outside of a zombie movie.
His blood ran cold at the unnatural sight that left him terrified for the world and everyone in it. Worse, it made him feel powerless against who or whatever had sent that. How could they even begin to fight against something so powerful? Were they nuts?
“Are they okay?” he asked Xev.
“For the moment.”
“Meaning?”
Kody sighed nervously. “They’re easy pickings. If we don’t do something, they won’t be okay for long. Anything or anyone could attack them. And if they stay that way until morning, they’re all dead. There won’t be any way to bring them back, then. Including your mom.”
Simi spread her wings and broke out her barbecue sauce. “The Simi ready to battle and chow down. Show me them demons! It’s snack time!”
Kody turned to Nick as he felt his eyes starting to change to demon red. “You need to stay mortal. Keep your Malachai powers leashed.”
“Why?”
“Because you can’t control them. Every time you break them out, we lose a part of you. Can’t you feel it?”
At the moment, what he felt was sick to his stomach that all of this was happening to innocent people because of him and what they’d failed to do.
Protect them.
“She’s right, Nick.” Xev stepped closer to him. “I saw it, too. We barely got you back earlier. Another minute, and I’m not sure we would have.”
Dagon brushed at the bloody wound on his neck. “Since I was the one bitten and I’m still weak from it, I concur. You don’t need to invoke powers you can’t control. It’s just a real bad idea.”
Menyara strengthened the spells for the condo. “We’re still hidden here. They can’t find us. Stay with Cherise while I get our reinforcements.” She vanished instantly.
“I don’t like staying here and waiting,” Nick shouted at Menyara, but she was already gone and didn’t hear a word of it.
Irritated, he watched as the birds began to land on the ground and transform into demonic warriors who searched the bodies as if looking for someone. And he had a bad idea that person was either him or Caleb. “We need to get to Caleb’s and protect him.”
Dagon snorted. “You use that kind of power and they will sense it instantly, follow you, and attack.”
“He’s right,” Xev concurred. “They’d be all over us.”
“So what do we do? The Hokey-Pokey? Turn ourselves around? Feed them my best friend and say bon appetit? ’Cause no offense, I’m not really okay with that. Caleb’s been there for me since the very beginning. He’s bled for me when no one else has, and has never failed to save my butt. So you can stand here, watching Demon Kingdom out there, which is a fascinating show, all you want to, but I’m going to stand and fight for my friend.”
Dagon’s frown deepened. “Is he always like this?”
Xev nodded. “I told you. He’s not like the others of his ilk.”
“No … definitely not. All the Malachais I’ve known would have hand-fed Malphas to their enemies to buy themselves time to get soldiers.” His tone said Dagon wasn’t so sure that was a good thing, though.
Nick’s grin widened. “Relax. It’s just all the paint chips I ate as a kid. No real lasting damage. Ignore the extra finger and toe. They actually come in handy and toey at times.”
And that, too, appeared lost on the ancient god who had no measurable sense of humor. How very sad for him.
Groaning as if his bad jokes caused her physical pain, Kody shook her head.
Simi wrapped her arm around Nick’s shoulder. “So, it demon chow time? The Simi getting hungry while the buffet is down there and getting bigger in number. I vote the Simi go cull the herd while we wait.” She flashed an eager grin.
Nick returned his attention to the army that was marching nearer, searching for them. As he watched, a strange thought went through him.
Maybe, just maybe, there was some hope left.
He glanced over to the two ancient former gods. “I’m Patton, right?”
They exchanged a puzzled frown.
“Patton?” Xev asked.
Yeah, that reference was probably lost on them. “General of the great demon horde out there? I guess in your days, a like comparison would have been Styxx of Didymos, since you both predate Alexander the Great.”
Nick scowled as he realized what he’d just said. “Wait. How do I know that? I know nothing about history. Holy crap, I was actually listening when Ash and Kyrian talk? Don’t nobody ever tell them that. They might get more egotistical and we’d have to find a bigger house for it.” He jerked his chin toward the demons. “Anyway, they might answer to another commander for now, but ultimately that commander is my bitch, right?”
Dagon had an expression that said Nick had lost him around the bend.
Luckily, Xev was keeping pace. “Yes. Your point?”
“What would I need to do to go out there and claim them as my guys?”
Kody snorted. “A miracle.”
“Not helping,” Nick said drily.
Xev took a deep breath before he slid a speculative glance toward Simi. “A miracle,” he repeated and concurred.
Nick rolled his eyes.
Xev cracked an irritating grin. “You can always go out there with your charming personality and try to win them over.” He nudged Nick toward the door. “Go on. I dare you.”
Nick headed for the door. “I will. I mean, think about it. Everyone attacks them, right? They’re used to fighting. If I go out there to talk to them, it’ll throw them off guard. It worked earlier when I talked to the Memitims. No one attacked me. They actually seemed kind of reasonable. So if I go out there and assert myself, tell them that I’m their supreme poobah, they’ll fall in line, right?”
“To kill you?” Xev asked. “Most likely. To listen and obey? Wouldn’t stake my life on it. But far be it from me to interfere with your stupidity, in any way.”
Nick shrugged his hold off. “Ha, ha. Real funny.” He swept his gaze over them. “Anyone got something better?”
“Molotov cocktails?” Simi volunteered. “That way, they be cooking while they fleeing.”
Choking on Simi’s solution, Kody bit her lip in a most adorable way. “I might have an idea. But I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
Before Kody could tell Nick her plan, everything in the room froze. Even time itself.
Only Nick seemed unaffected by whatever was causing it. Was this the Takiramon? Could it also affect preters? He had no other explanation.
At least nothing that made any sense.
Even Simi was frozen in place and that never happened. Nothing like this ever affected her. Nick waved his hand before her face, half expecting her to bite at his fingers and laugh at him for being so gullible.
She didn’t.
What is this?
He poked gently at Simi. She didn’t move or flinch at all. His heart pounding, he heard the shrieking sound of a horse from outside his window. Literally, right outside his window.
With a fierce scowl, he went to investigate. As soon as he parted the curtains, he jumped back with a startled piercing shout that would have rivaled scream-queen Marilyn Burns confronting Leatherface. Not the manliest sound he’d ever made. Thank goodness none of the others could bear witness to it.
Outside the window, floating in midair, was the king of the plague doctors. Only this guy looked like he’d not only gotten the plague, he’d picked up scabies, rabies, and a few other flesh-rotting diseases along the way.
A bony finger emerged from bloody robes to point at Nick and motion him outside.
Nick shook his head. “Sorry. I’m grounded. My mom won’t let me come out and play until all my homework and chores are done. Should be at least a decade or so … maybe a couple of centuries.”
It held up a large hourglass that only had a few grains of sand. “When this empties, if you’re not out here, Malachai, everyone you love will die.”
Nick scoffed until he realized there was a zeitjäger standing over everyone in the room, with a bloody sickle angled for their throats.
Everyone.
Including his unconscious mother.
How was that possible?
Stunned, he looked back at the king of all death and realized the sands in the glass were almost gone.