Standing down, Nick felt that strange sensation again. While Caleb had assured him this was human in origin, he wasn’t so sure.
There was something else here. Something dark. Cold.
Lethal.
And it wasn’t Caleb.
Adarian froze as he felt a sensation he hadn’t experienced in thousands of years. For a full minute, he didn’t move as he tried to pinpoint it. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear it belonged to Noir’s primary guardian. But he’d made sure when he escaped the dark lord’s Nether Realm that the only creature who could find him would be punished to the point he’d never be able to track him down.
No, it couldn’t be Seth. Seth was still being tortured. Noir would never take a chance on sending Seth after him.
This was something else.
Where are you…?
More to the point,
What are you?
He felt the creature pulling back before he could locate its exact position. Had it detected him? That was always his biggest concern. While he couldn’t be defeated openly, everyone was susceptible to a sneak attack, especially when they didn’t know what was stalking them.
“Malachai! You have a visitor.”
His gut tightened. Was the visitor the one he’d sensed? Or was it someone or something else? His senses and powers on full alert, he allowed the guard to cuff him so that he could be escorted to the visitation center.
As one of the most ferocious and feared inmates in Angola, he was always heavily guarded and never allowed near civilians without being fully shackled. Something he found hysterical since the only thing that kept him here was himself. There were no walls built by man that he couldn’t tear down with a whisper. No chain forged he couldn’t melt.
But he chose to live here for several reasons. The primary one being that all of this concentrated human malice cloaked his presence from those who were searching for him. The inmates’ negativity and hostility also fed his powers. With so many willing victims and predators on tap, his juices never thinned. He always had someone feeding him.
To a demon, this was paradise.
The guard opened the door and stood back so that Adarian could enter the small cubicle. As he sat down, the lights dimmed and he was allowed to see his visitor on the other side of the glass.
Adarian glared at the blond man who was drumming his fingers idly against the tabletop. “What are
you
doing here?”
“You told me to keep you posted.” That gravelly tone was spoken at a level that no human could hear. Only a demon.
And while he’d wanted updates on his son, he’d assumed they’d come through Caleb or in his cell at night. Not out in the open like this. The last thing he needed was for someone to identify the creature in front of him.
“Then speak and be quick about it.”
His visitor arched a brow at Adarian. Shifting slightly in his chair, he caused a portion of his black button-down shirt to fall open, revealing a grisly skull tattoo in the center of his chest. His black eyes flashed with anger. “You don’t order me around, Adarian. I’m not one of your slaves. I’m your master.”
“No,” Adarian corrected. “You’re my partner.”
“
You
bargained with me,” he reminded Adarian.
“True, and you accepted, thereby making us equals. You help me. I help you. That exchange of services makes us partners.”
Grim didn’t appear to care for that in the least. But then Death thought himself above everyone and everything.
One day, he would learn the truth. No one was above dying.
Not even Death.
Grim growled in the back of his throat. “I now know where your son gets his most irritating qualities.”
Adarian didn’t comment on that. “How goes his training?”
“Slowly. He lacks focus. Not to mention, whoever blocked his powers did a great job of it. Unlocking them isn’t as easy as it should be. Some of that is because he hasn’t been really hurt. Yet. His mother has wrapped him in a layer of love so thick, it’s hard to breach. The kid needs tragedy in his life. Without that, it’s impossible to push his hatred and make him act on it. He needs someone to hate with a burning passion.”
Adarian curled his lip. He couldn’t afford for his son to be slow. The sooner Nick learned how to hate, the sooner he’d learn to kill, and the quicker Adarian would be able to leave this place and have the freedom he’d craved since the moment of his birth.
Unlike his son, he’d always known who and what he was. His mother had purposefully conceived him to destroy his own father and to buy her freedom from the dark primal gods she served. From the moment of his birth, he’d been breastfed venom and succored on bitter hatred for everyone and everything. As soon as his powers had manifested and he’d killed his father, his mother had sold him to Noir to be enslaved and used by the sadistic god who’d wanted to destroy his enemies and take over the human realm.
Adarian still had nightmares over
that
quaint experience. If he’d ever possessed a shred of decency or humanity, his time spent in Azmodea had destroyed it.
And those gory centuries spent there were why he’d gutted his mother the instant he’d escaped Noir’s custody. Why he would never allow himself to be enslaved again. Not to anyone.
Even Grim.
But Grim wanted to see the Apocalypse he’d been created for. And like Adarian, Grim didn’t want to be in a subservient role when he delivered it. He wanted to lead. Adarian could respect that.
However, he didn’t really care about Grim. He wasn’t capable of caring.
At least that was the lie he told himself.
“You want your Apocalypse, I want my revenge. Train my boy and deliver his powers to me. I need them.”
Grim nodded. “If you would allow me to kill his mother—”
“No!” Adarian growled. “You harm her and I will rain down a hell on you that you can’t even imagine.”
Grim’s eyes snapped fire from the fury he kept repressed because he knew better than to show it to Adarian. Not even Grim would get away with that. “Fine. But you better remember what I’ve done to work this little miracle for you. I want a piece of Nick when all is said and done.”
“You can have it. Now go and don’t let me see you here again.” Adarian got up and left the room. His original plan had been to use his son to rebuild his army. But this last year, as Nick’s powers had grown, he’d felt his own start to wane—something he couldn’t allow anyone to know.
There couldn’t be two Malachais in existence. It was forbidden. But if he could unlock Nick’s powers and have Death kill his son before Adarian lost all of his, he could feed on Nick’s heart and absorb his powers, too. It would give him the strength of two Malachais.
Then no one would ever be able to defeat him. He wouldn’t have to fear Noir or anything ever again.
That
was what he lived for. Then he’d be able to find the ones who’d cursed him to this existence and end that curse once and for all.
But first, Nick had to die.
* * *
After finally being liberated from his detention, Nick wanted to hunt down whoever had humiliated Brynna and beat them until they begged for mercy. Never in his life had he been angrier.
His stomach knotted, he headed into the gym to meet up with Kody, Madaug, Caleb, and LaShonda. The son of two scientists, Madaug was one of the smartest people Nick had ever met. The kid knew something about everything. And like Nick, he felt invisible unless one of their resident bullies needed someone to kick or shove into a locker. Just under six feet tall, Madaug had dark blond curly hair and bright blue eyes. He always wore glasses, and preferred hoodies over all other attire.
LaShonda was one of the prettiest girls in the school. Barely an inch shorter than Madaug, she had a pair of hazel brown eyes that practically glowed. And her dark brown hair was ever changing. This week, she wore it straightened and to her shoulders. She’d been one of Brynna’s best friends since second grade and the two of them were almost always together.
“Are we it?” Nick asked, dropping his backpack next to Caleb’s.
LaShonda’s eyes sparkled furiously. “Everyone else banged out. They didn’t want to be on a committee with a slut like Brynna.” She curled her lip. “I take that back, but I won’t repeat what some of the guys said. Gah, people disgust me.”
“It’s ridiculous so don’t get me started.” Nick let out a long breath, then frowned at Madaug. “Boy genius? Any chance you can shed some light on who planted that crap against her?”
“I wish, but they deleted it from Tendyk’s computer immediately and reformatted the harddrive before writing over it. Since it’s legally considered child porn, they were afraid of a lawsuit. Head is hoping he can scare someone into a confession.”
“Yeah, ’cause that works so well on hoodlums,” LaShonda huffed. “I don’t know about you guys, but without Brynna, I really don’t want to do this. Screw the dance. Let the jerks show up to an empty gym. It’s what they deserve. I just want to go home and make sure she’s okay. I’ve been trying to call her, but she won’t pick up.”
Kody folded her arms over her chest. “I think we all want to check on her.”
Nick agreed. “I’ve been over it a thousand times in my head and I can’t figure out who or why anyone would do this to her. Shon? You have any ideas?”
“None. It’s not like she goes around collecting enemies, you know? We’re talking about Brynna, here. Has there ever been a nicer person created? Ever?”
Nick would say his mother, but he didn’t want them to mock him for it.
LaShonda checked her phone. “Why don’t we call in a rain check and do this on Monday? Hopefully, Bryn will be back by then.”
Nick nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Are you going over to Brynna’s from here?”
“Yeah.”
“Call me and let me know how she’s doing.”
LaShonda patted him on the arm. “Will do. I’ll see you guys later.”
Madaug shrugged his backpack over his shoulder. “I wish I could have seen the photos.”
Caleb arched his brow at the comment.
“Not for
that
reason,” Madaug snapped as he realized what Caleb was thinking. “I don’t want to see her in any kind of graphic portrayal, but I know the pictures had to be Photoshopped. If I had a copy, I could prove it.”
Nick scoffed. “Given how foul they were, you’re better off not seeing them. I’m still traumatized.”
Madaug pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. “You know, I tried to invent eye-bleach when I was a kid. Didn’t work out, though. But I haven’t given up. One day, I will find a way to erase recent memories before they move into permanent storage.”
From anyone else, that would be a joke.
From Madaug …
You could put it in the bank.
Madaug retrieved his hoodie. “I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”
Nick didn’t speak until he was alone with Kody and Caleb. “Is there really no way to do some of the voodoo whodoo mojo things you two do to find out who was behind it?”
Caleb snorted. “Nice rhyme there, Dr. Suess. And sorry. There’s nothing I have to trace it.”
Kody dittoed Caleb’s sympathy and his comment.
Nick checked his watch. “Fine. I need to head over to Kyrian’s for work anyway.”
Caleb retrieved his backpack. “I’ll walk you over.”
Nick hated the thought of being walked home like he was incompetent. “Not your prom date, Cay. Don’t want to be, neither.”
“Have no fear. You’re too hairy for my tastes, Gautier. And no offense, you’re not pretty or sexy enough to change them.”
Nick gaped. “Now that was just hurtful and mean. Why you want to hurt me in my tender place like that,
cher
? Don’t let this calm exterior fool you. I got feelings, too.”
Kody laughed at them. “I swear, there are times when it seems you two are the ones dating, and I feel like the third wheel.”
“Ah, baby,” Nick said with a grin. “You know better. You’re the only girl for me. Caleb is no competition whatsoever for you.”
Caleb shoved Nick’s backpack at him. “Get out of here before
I
hurt you.”
Laughing, Nick opened the door that led to the back hallway, then froze as he saw a small group of students gathered around graffiti someone had painted across several lockers.
Spencer Sexton is gay!
If that wasn’t bad enough, there were photos of Spencer necking with another guy taped all around the words.
What the …
“Students!” Mr. Head snapped as he came rushing toward them. “Get out of here. Now! Disperse!”
As Nick left the building, Spencer grabbed him and hauled him to the side, away from the cameras and any possible faculty sightings. Even though he was only fifteen, Spencer was already over six feet tall, with enough muscle on his body that most people thought he was a lot older.
Caleb started to follow after them, but Nick motioned to him that it was all right. He could handle Spencer without help, and he had a pretty good idea what Spencer wanted with him. And the last thing Spencer would want for this was an audience.
“Who did you tell?” Spencer growled in his ear.
“Nobody.”
He glared at Nick. “You’re the only one who knows about me, Gautier.” Something Nick had discovered purely by accident one night when he’d stumbled across Spencer on a date with another guy in the back row of the almost empty movie theater.
“I told you I’d take it to my grave, Spencer, and I meant it. I haven’t breathed a word of it to anyone. Ever. Not even in my sleep. Are you sure your boyfriend didn’t spill it?”
He saw the doubt in Spencer’s eyes. But he didn’t know if that was for him or the boyfriend.
“On my life, Spence, I wouldn’t do this to you. I wouldn’t. I know what it’s like to be picked on for things you can’t help. I’m not about to do that to someone else.”
Spencer finally let go of him. He raked a trembling hand through his hair. The anguish in his eyes made Nick feel for him. “Those photos aren’t me. Where did they get them?”
“I don’t know.” Nick glanced over to Kody and Caleb who were close enough to watch them, but not enough to overhear their conversation. “Someone’s trying to mess with people’s lives for some reason. We know what they did to Brynna is a lie. Maybe that’s what they’re doing to you, too. Maybe they have no idea that you’re really gay.” But those rumors had been circling about Spencer since grade school. While everyone pretty much suspected the truth, no one had proof of it. Spencer even had a girlfriend he’d been ‘dating’ for over a year now. The last thing Spencer wanted was to be bullied or attacked for being different.