Invision Page 11

  "Valid point. You're right. But while I was born of destruction, I'm trying not to end the world in an ugly war I lead. Which is my big bone of contention. I've read the books and seen the movies. The guy in my role is supposed to be the Chosen One. The good guy in a white hat. The kid who gets superpowers and saves the world. Not the one who eats it. Who do I have to see about an upgrade of my role?"

  Xev shook his head. "We are all victims of our births, Nick. And if we're lucky enough to survive childhood, then it becomes a race to see if we can overcome those roles we're assigned the moment we draw our first breath by those who judge our parents, and the labels everyone else wants to place on us. The labels we use to define and hem our own destinies with. Saddest curse of humanity is the day someone teaches you how to hate. And gives you a cause for it. You come into the world a pure, unscarred soul. And your first experience is being slapped on the ass by a callous hand, supposedly for your own good, to draw your first breath."

  He winced as if some horrible memory went through his mind as he looked down at Caleb. "Sad really that people would rather focus on what makes them different than on what makes them the same ... compassion, hope." He glanced from Kody to Nick. "Love. For all the differences between us, we're more alike than anyone wants to admit."

  And with that, he began a chant.

  Caleb tried to interrupt him, but he was too weak. Xev ignored him and continued.

  Nick fell silent as he watched the two brothers who'd been divided by a single tragedy that had ruined both their lives.

  Forever.

  It made him want to seek out his own brother. The thought had occurred to him a lot, especially lately, but since his brother was also a cursed god, he'd avoided it. There was no telling what he might end up with.

  Or how his brother might feel about learning of Nick's presence. Nick wasn't even sure if his brother knew Adarian was his father.

  Even though his brother was a god, they didn't "know" everything. Case in point, Menyara was currently missing. And she wouldn't have been had she known demons were at her doors.

  Like everyone else, gods could be fooled, too. And if his brother didn't know he was part destructo demon, Nick definitely didn't want to be the one to drop that bombshell on him. Lesson learned, never be the bearer of bad tidings to an angry god. It just didn't pay. They tended to rip the wings off and eat those messengers.

  As Xev chanted, a loud crack popped. A bright light flashed.

  Two heartbeats later, something even uglier than the hell-monkeys outside rose up to come at Nick and Kody.

  Instinctively, Nick threw his hands out to attack it, only to remember he was powerless. Kody stepped around to deflect it before Xev caught it and banished it back to whatever dimension it'd come from.

  "What was that?"

  "When Menyara wrote the protections for her store, she trapped a number of entities in the fields around it. That was one of the things she pissed off." Kody sighed. "What is going on here?"

  "There's another Malachai," Caleb growled.

  "Ambrose?" Kody arched a brow at Nick.

  "That would make sense, but the last time I saw him, he told me to get the Eye, and reset everything. He said he was out of juice. That he couldn't time travel anymore. He was on the verge of slipping over and destroying everything. I don't think it's him. It doesn't feel the same. This is a very different kind of power."

  Caleb groaned. "I agree. Totally different essence and feel. More powerful."

  "More powerful?" Kody gaped. "That's not possible. There's never been a more powerful Malachai than Ambrose."

  And speaking of ...

  Nick's pocket began to burn him. Hissing, he realized it was coming from the amulet. "Why's the Eye hurting me?" When he started to reach for it, Kody grabbed his hand.

  "Your powers keep waning. We don't know what's going on. If you touch that right now..."

  It could kill him.

  "She's right. You need to get that off you without touching it."

  "How?"

  "Drop your pants!" all three of them growled at once.

  "Flipping great!" he yelled back. "Woman finally gets me out of my pants and it's humiliating. Only my luck!"

  Unbuttoning his fly, he quickly toed his shoes off and pulled his jeans down before kicking them off. Thank goodness he'd worn boxers this morning.

  Worse? His mom was right. It paid to always have on clean underwear.

  You just never knew.

  Lesson forever imprinted on his psyche for all eternity. Especially when Kody glanced down, looked up, and started snickering.

  "Kody!" he snapped. "Do you mind?"

  "Sorry. It's just adorably cute."

  "Cute? Really? That is not something a guy wants to hear the first time his girl sees him without his pants on. Dang, woman. Could you make this any worse on me? You know I have no ego as it is."

  "Sorry. So sorry." And still she laughed. Pressing her lips together in an adorable expression, she batted her eyelashes at him. "It's just ... how Cajun are you that even your underwear is the New Orleans Saints? Seriously? I guess I should be grateful it's not purple and yellow with masks and beads."

  Caleb snorted. "You should just be grateful it's clean and that he's actually wearing some that doesn't have holes in it."

  Nick glared at him. "Shut up and die already! I thought you were on your last breath an hour ago! Shouldn't you have bled out by now?"

  Just as Caleb opened his mouth to retort, another bright flash almost blinded Nick. He expected it to be a new hell-monkey.

  It wasn't.

  No, this varmint was far worse. Far more sinister.

  Tall, dark, and terrifying, it was something that hell itself had spawned and spat out. Forget the Malachai. This made Nick's father look like Mickey Mouse up against Godzilla.

  They had bantered about the term primal power, but until now Nick hadn't understood what that meant.

  Yeah ... if this was the good guy, he dang sure didn't want to meet the bad ones.

  Ever.

  His head was bent low like a vicious predator that smelled fresh meat as he met Nick's gaze. He had one eye that was a vibrant green and the other a dark, earthy brown. That stark contrast was as unnerving as it was startling. Shockingly enough, his features were almost identical to Caleb's whenever Caleb was in human form. Same sculpted jaw. Same aquiline nose and arched brows, tawny skin, and jet-black hair. They were even the same height and build.

  Only difference was the height and length of hair. Whereas Caleb's hair was short, his father's brushed his shoulders. There was also something even deadlier about his father's demeanor. Colder.

  Far more sinister.

  Nick wouldn't have thought that possible.

  And when he turned to face Xev, his eyes blazed a vibrant red. The green amulet around his neck glowed with an ethereal fire a moment before he blasted Xev so hard, it lifted him from his feet and sent him slamming into the wall behind him.

  "I warned you!" He snarled at Xev as he closed the distance between them. "This time, I will rip out your worthless heart and feed it to you!"

  CHAPTER 8

  Nick tried to reach Xev to help him, but some unseen force held him in place. He couldn't move or speak.

  Kody?

  She could only move her eyes. I'm frozen, too. Jaden's got me locked.

  Horrified, he couldn't do anything other than watch as the ancient god grabbed Xev by the throat and held him against the wall. Cut and bleeding, Xev appeared to be as helpless against his father as they were.

  His breathing ragged, he fearlessly met his father's gaze. "Kill me if you must, but help Malphas. He carried your banner and paid the highest price of all for it. The least you could do is save his life. Cam needs him in this fight. Without him, Jared dies. If you have any feeling for anyone besides your own selfish hide, save them."

  Raw fury and hatred twisted Jaden's handsome features as he snarled at his son. "What did you do to him this time?"