Or apparently demons of any kind. Not even when they were right in front of her, and after she birthed one.
It was as impossible for her as for Nick to believe that Stone at school had a heart, or any semblance of decency. Instead, Nick always saw the evil in everyone around him. No matter how hard they tried to hide it. That was his “gift.”
“Are you afraid yet?”
Nick went ramrod still at the disembodied voice. “I fear nothing.” He never had.
“Good. That makes it more fun.”
Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind and yanked into darkness.
CHAPTER 6
“Rubati?”
At the sound of Monakribos’s voice, the warrior demon set aside the sword she was sharpening and stood to greet him. The fire was almost out now. Strange, but she’d lost all track of time while she’d been working on preparing her weapons for the upcoming inspection. Because Kree had put his reputation on the line to get her into the guard, the last thing she’d wanted was to embarrass him. So she’d been even more careful and studious about tending her weaponry and making sure to do nothing to cause him to regret his decision to back her.
She thought too much of him for that.
“In here, my lord.” She quickly smoothed her hair and straightened her burgundy leather uniform at the sound of his approaching footsteps on the black marble floor.
Ru was just reaching for the door latch when he pushed it open, almost striking her with the ornate iron. Nervously, she stepped back with a gasp.
He drew up short. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be right on the other side.”
Any thought of a response died on her tongue as she caught sight of his handsome Malachai form. Incredibly sexy and muscular, he towered over her and made her feel tiny and petite. Something hard for the majority of males to do as she was taller than most, and rather muscular.
He flashed an adorable smile at her. One that was framed by an unbelievable set of deep dimples. “Charonte got your tongue?”
She felt the heat creep over her face at his teasing question. He was ever unexpected and flippant. And something about him always left her breathless and hot. “Did you need something?”
The humor in his eyes died instantly. “Aye. There’s a rumor that we’re about to go to war.”
“War?” Her blood rushed through her veins in eager excitement. It was, after all, what their kind lived for. What they’d been bred to do. She would welcome such a task with both arms.
He nodded. “My mother and her siblings are at each other’s throats.”
“There’s nothing new about that.”
“This is different. I hear it in her voice when she speaks. They’ve had enough of Verlyn, Rezar and Cam, and their dictates. And Lilith is making it worse. Pitting them against each other. Soon, they’ll declare it and this world will burn down around all sentient beings. I fear what will be left when they’re done with it.”
“I will be ready.”
Heat flared in his eyes. “I don’t want you ready, Ru. I want you safe.” He took her hand into his and led it to his heart. “And before you say anything, I know you’re capable of protecting yourself and reigning down entrails of any who dare attack you. It’s not an indictment against your skills. This is a matter of my fear and feelings. I couldn’t live if something happened to you because of my mother and her warring nature.”
“I don’t understand.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “I love you, Rubati. I don’t think I knew how to breathe until the day you stumbled into my worthless life. Please come and fight only by my side so that I can make sure you stay strong and allied throughout all battles …”
Those words echoed around Nick’s head as Nick slammed into a dark, mossy wall. That memory of his ancestor felt like someone had ripped it from his mind to make it real. It was crystal clear as if it were his own meeting with her he witnessed. As if it’d happened to him this very morning.
He felt it.
More than that, Monakribos appeared suddenly in front of him. Larger than life and in full armored Malachai form. A living, breathing monster.
He was even larger than he’d appeared in the vision. More clear and terrifying with the same swirling black and red skin that Nick had in his Malachai form.
Nick felt his jaw go slack at the ferocity of the beast. Since he’d never seen himself in his demonic form, he’d had no idea just how massive they really were. How much evil they exuded.
No wonder other creatures were so skittish.
And since they inherited the powers, knowledge and strength of all their predecessors, his Ambrose form would be even more intimidating and fierce than this one.
Dang!
There was no other reaction to have.
Duly quelled, he swallowed hard as he tilted his head up to stare into the flaming red eyes that seared him. For the first time ever, he was grateful to have been spared seeing his dad like this. No doubt that would have given him nightmares for all eternity. “Are you real?”
Monakribos snorted. “I would have thought we’d have gained more intelligence over time.” He shook his head in disappointment. “Pity, we got dumber.”
“Hey now! I’m not the one who got us into this mess. So don’t be pulling that attitude on me, boy. If there’s an idiot between us, you’re the one hogging it.”
“At least you’re not a coward.” He lifted one clawed hand to wipe at his mottled red and black chin before he narrowed those menacing eyes at Nick. A tic started in his jaw. “So why have you summoned me?”
“Didn’t know I had.” Nick scowled as he considered that possibility. “Didn’t know I could.”
“Only in a time of crisis.”
Well that explained it, then. This was definitely that. And it made him wonder when he’d picked up that new skill. ’Cause he’d never had it before. “In that case … yeah, I could definitely use some help.”
Monakribos reached into the brown leather pouch at his side that was attached to his sword belt, and pulled out a small silver flask. He held it out toward Nick. “Drink this and I’ll be able to answer any question you have.”
Without thinking, Nick reached for it. Yet the moment his hand brushed the metal, a bad feeling went through him. What are you doing?
You don’t trust anyone.
He never had. And for good reason.
Don’t take candy from a stranger. And for the love of the gods, never, ever accept a treat from a Malachai!
Yeah, that had to be written in the great, grand hall of special stupidity. What kind of friggin’ moron would take anything from a demon and ingest it? For all he knew, it could be anything. Drano. Snot.
Or something a lot worse. After all, drinking blood from a cup was what had gotten Acheron made into a Dark-Hunter and tied to Artemis …
Yeah. Beware the cup.
Holding his hands up, Nick stepped back. “Um, yeah. I don’t think so.”
Monakribos gaped in disbelief, “Pardon?”
“You can pardon all you want to, buddy. Do-si-do, too. Even dance a little Cajun fais do-do and play some zydeco. Changes nothing. There some things Nick Gautier don’t do. Lie to Big Bubba Burdette. Disrespect my mama. Miss any Holy Day of Obligation. Stand behind Acheron’s back at any given time, and enter Kyrian’s bedroom without knocking until he yells at me. And never, ever, will I fight Simi for food or cheat on my girl. Or be one minute late for a date.”
He jerked his chin toward the flask. “And the devil will be eating on some icicles before I take a swig of something a stranger hands to me, especially one of your ilk and out of a magic flask. ’Cause I know what happened to Alice and I don’t mean Cooper. For all I know, you’re gonna roofie me and I’ll wake up naked some place weird, without my clothes, and with some awkward photos posted online that I’ll have to try and explain to my girl and my mama. No thank you, very much. I have little enough dignity as it is. Don’t need any less.”
The demon scowled even more. “Did you suffer a head injury?”
“Probably. Stone’s been known to slam me into a number of lockers at inconvenient times. Wouldn’t be surprised if he knocked out all my brains at some point.”