Again.
The memory of their battle to come was what he lived for. Especially after having been forced to endure in this primitive time period. Gah, it was amazing that mankind had survived as long as they had. Why they were so upset with his eradication was beyond him.
Honestly, he’d done them all a favor by wiping the human scum from the planet. They should have given him a medal.
Had they?
No. Instead, the thankless beasts had sent an Arel back in time to stop him.
Cyprian cocked his head as he heard his mother speaking with Grim.
“He’s getting too big for his britches.”
“Shh!” his mother snapped. “He’ll hear you.”
“It’s ridiculous. We were riders of the Apocalypse. The chosen ušumgallu! You were the Šarru-Tahazu and I the Šarru-Namuš. Now …”
“We will ride again. My father’s almost dead. All we have to do is ensure the timeline remains as it should and return to our time period. Once Noir is weaker, we can take his blood and use it against Cyprian to bind him to us. Once we do that, we’ll be the ones in control. Have patience, my love.”
Cyprian felt the Malachai surging, wanting their blood. But as his mother said …
Patience.
He’d come this far. He could make the distance. And if they thought to overthrow and enslave him as Noir had once done his grandfather, then they were about to learn the truth behind the Malachai.
Only one of his own blood could stop him.
That would be a son, which he didn’t have.
Or his father …
“Not on my watch, old man.” Just as that day in battle when he’d driven his sword through his father’s heart and kicked him away to die, he would emerge victorious again.
It was the Malachai destiny to reign over this world. And while his father might be weakened by the kindness he’d learned from his Seraph mother, he was not.
Forget dancing in the rain. Before all was said and done, Cyprian intended to dance in the blood of every living creature.
And none more so than Ambrose Malachai.
Nick jumped as his phone rang. Stunned, he glanced to Takeshi, then to Simi and Nashira. “Um … anyone have any idea how there’s a cell tower in this dimension?”
Takeshi snorted. “It’s magick.”
“Seriously, bruh? You took it there?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “You asked. That’s the answer. I have to allow it for all the times Acheron comes to visit. Those Dark-Hunters of yours never leave that poor boy alone. I don’t know how he stays sane.”
Simi made a rude noise. “Ain’t that the truthest? Ring. Ring. Ring. That ole phone ring so much, I swear The Simi hears it even in her sleep. I et it once and it made him real unhappy. Didn’t make the Simi as happy as the Simi thought it would either. And no one wants to know what happens when it has to come back out ’cause them phones are not biologically degradeable.”
Not wanting to think about that comment at all, Nick pulled his phone out. “Hey, Ma, sorry I’m—”
“Where are you, Boo?”
Nick winced at her hysterical tone. That was what his mom was most famous for. If he ever got out of her sight, she was like a bloodhound, tracking him down to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. He was surprised she hadn’t tethered them together on his arrival from her womb, and insisted, rather than cut the cord, they find some way to fuse it together permanently so that he could never leave her side.
And while he hated to ever lie to her, telling her that he was in an alternate dimension with a couple of preternatural super beings was just a really bad idea. “I was feeling better, so I went out to grab a bite with friends. Didn’t you see the note I left?”
Something strange was going on in the background. Were those sirens? He wasn’t quite sure.
When his mom spoke again, it was in a low tone that sounded like she had her hand cupped over the mic. “Listen, baby. There’s a situation here. Can you stay away for a while?”
What the heck? His mother never said things like that. At least not to him. All he ever heard was Nick get your butt home. Now!
He screwed his face up at the first thought that came to his mind. Especially since she’d gone to dinner with his mentor and best friend, Big Bubba Burdette.
Ah man, what had lunatic Bubba and Mark gotten her into now with their shenanigans? Those two could find trouble in a padded room, with both arms tied behind their backs.
His stomach sank to his feet as an even worse thought hit him.
“Ah, Ma! Please tell me you ain’t doing nothing with Bubba. I swear to God, if I come home to a tie on the doorknob I’ll be scarred for life. I am not ready to deal with the thought of that man as my new daddy.”
“Oh my Lord, Nicholas Ambrosius Gautier! The things that you get in your head, boy! Don’t make me hunt you down to spank you. Seriously! This has nothing to do with Bubba. Oh my Lord, boy! Really! Really?!”
“Then what?”
“The police just came here to arrest you!”
Nick froze as every bit of blood faded from his face. Bad flashbacks went through him from the last time he’d been wanted for something he hadn’t done. “W-w-what?”
“You heard me! They’re looking for a suspect to all the murders that’ve been going on.”
Yeah, but why blame him? Only thing he was guilty of was hogging covers and sneaking french fries when Kody wasn’t looking.
And one time only, he’d taken a sip of Xev’s beer by mistake ’cause he thought it was Ginger Ale. Even that, he’d confessed promptly the following Saturday to Father Jeffrey and had done every one of his Acts of Contrition. And sworn to the Heavenly Father he’d never do it again until he turned twenty-one. Even then he wouldn’t for fear his mom might not let him make it to twenty-two.
“What’s that got to do with me, Ma?”
“Two of the victims were your friends, Alan and Tyree!”
Her words slammed into him like a physical blow. No … it couldn’t be.
Nick staggered back into the wall. He wouldn’t have been more stunned had she named Acheron, and Nick’s Dark-Hunter boss, Kyrian, as victims. In fact, Alan and Tyree jumping him was what had led to him meeting Kyrian in the first place. When Kyrian had saved his life after Alan had shot him on the street.
“Someone overheard you threatening to kill them, Nick. To get back at them for beating you that night. So the police want to question you about it. They think you wanted retaliation. You’re their primary suspect.”
“I didn’t do it, Ma!”
“I know, baby. Kyrian and Acheron are talking to a lawyer about it, right now. But I didn’t want the police picking you up and hauling you to jail without warning, like you’re some kind of hoodlum. We’re going to take you in, with their lawyer, so that you won’t be booked and processed. I just need to know when you’re coming home so that we can take care of this mess and not let you spend any time in jail!”
He was truly grateful for that. Last thing he wanted was to be locked up like his father. Especially now that he was a Malachai.
That kind of anger and viciousness fed his powers. Made him ruthless and stronger. Ate away his will and left him vulnerable to the bad side of his demonic tendencies. If left too long among those kinds of people, he might lose control and become a full blown demon …
Yeah, that was a terrifying thought.
And it was the last thing anyone needed.
Nick swallowed hard. “I’m with Simi.”
“You’re safe?”
“Definitely. There’s no way the police can get to me here.”
“Okay. Stay there and I’ll call and tell you where to meet us so that we can handle this.”
Nick hung up the phone and shook his head as he tried to make sense of the insanity. But that wasn’t possible.
Alan and Tyree were dead. How? While it was true they’d been known to run with a rough crowd and get into things they shouldn’t, it was still a shock to him. They’d once been inseparable brothers who had each other’s backs, through thick and thin.
Dang …
“You okay?”