Instinct (10 page)

Kody turned toward Xev. “Nick is still in charge, right? He can stop all this from getting worse?”

“Yes and no. You have to remember, he's not the only creature who can call out Armageddon.… He's only
one
of them.” Xev grimaced. “Granted, he's a very scary one, but he's not the only threat the world has. And we don't know who or what started this. It might be someone after him, or another entity entirely. Someone or something we haven't even thought about yet.”

Nick was so beginning to hate this day. “Look, I don't want to be a threat to anyone, except who or whatever took my mom and hurt Mark and Caleb. I'm an easygoing Cajun. Live and let live.
Laissez les bon temps rouler
. That's my motto. I just want to live my life in peace.” He paused. “After I kill whoever took my mama.”

Xev snorted. “Unfortunately, with your parentage, it doesn't work that way. But I agree. We need to speak to your strange homicidal duck urine friend about what happened.”

“Can we teleport past the Memitim?” Kody asked Xev.

“We should be able to. The worst thing is they might follow the scent, thinking we're Malphas.”

“Then buckle up, buttercup. Let's see how bad I screw this up this time.” Nick took Xev's arm so that he could flash the two of them to the hospital, since Xev wasn't familiar with the layout of the building. Sad to say, Nick had been there enough over the last couple of years that he was rather intimate with it.

Even so, teleporting was still a risky move, but given the weather and the crows, he didn't want to chance driving there while being dive-bombed by piranha birds.

As soon as they were clear and had materialized at the hospital, Kody appeared right behind them, inside a small broom closet. “Nice choice.”

“Yeah, I was aiming for a bathroom and missed. Oh, well. At least it wasn't the lobby and no one's needing therapy from having seen us appear out of thin air. Remind me, I really need to get one of those flashy things they have in
Men in Black
. That could really come in handy for embarrassing mistakes.” Nick glanced down and smiled. “And look! I'm fully clothed this time! Awesome! I can be taught!”

Sobering from his rampant sarcasm, he opened the door and checked the hallway to make sure it was clear before he stepped out and motioned for them to follow. So far, it wasn't too bad. They might survive to make it to dinner.

Nick hoped for the best, but prepared himself for the worst. Just in case. Pulling out his phone, he called Bubba, who answered immediately.

“Boy, where the devil are you?”

He looked about on the drab walls for their location. “Floor three. Where you at?”

“ER, looking for your sorry hide. I swear. You done worried me to death. Taken at least ten years off my life.”

“Aw, don't worry, Bubba. I didn't take them off the good end.”

“You ain't funny. Now where are you?”

Nick headed for the elevators. “We're on our way. How's Mark doing?”

Bubba hesitated before he answered. “Why you asking about Mark?”

“I know about him and my mom.” Nick led them into the elevator. “We heard it on the radio in the ambulance, on the ride over.”

Bubba let out a tired breath. “I didn't want you to find out like that, Nick. I'm sorry, son.”

“Thanks. So how's Mark doing?”

“They busted him up pretty good, but as soon as they get the X-rays back, they'll release him. Just want to make sure there's no internal damage. What about you? I asked and they said you weren't even here.”

“I'm fine. Just worried about my mom and Mark.”

Nick stepped out of the elevator and paused. “We're here. Where are y'all?”

Bubba came out a few seconds later to lead them to Mark's room, where he lay with one arm in a sling. His blond hair was brushed back, and one side of his face was swollen and red. Whatever had attacked him had gotten the best of him and then some.

He rubbed sheepishly at his injured arm. “I'm sorry, Nick. You know I wouldn't have let nothing happen to Cherise if I could have stopped it.”

Nick inclined his head to him. “I know. So what happened to you two?”

“No idea whatsoever. I'd just opened the door to let Cherise into the Jeep when I heard something shriek out like a banshee. One second I was on my feet, the next I was dating asphalt.… I don't even know what hit me. I saw nothing but thick darkness. Like the ground rose up and jack-slapped me.”

Nick groaned silently. This told them nothing. They were right back where they started.

Nowhere.

And still his mom was out there.

Unprotected. Alone.

He couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her. All his life, she'd protected him. Guarded him with everything she had. Now he felt completely responsible for her, especially since he was the primary reason she was in danger. If he wasn't her son, no one would ever target her for harm.

I've got to find her.

And yet, in a strange way, he didn't sense that she was in imminent danger. He couldn't explain it. He had an overwhelming need to find her. But at the same time, there was a part of him that seemed to know she wasn't under immediate threat.

It was such an odd sensation. One that made his skin literally sizzle and crawl. It moved as if it were alive.

Yeah, this was a weird, funky feeling that defied description.

Suddenly, his phone went off. Nick glanced down at the ID to see who it was. “My boss,” he said to Kody and Bubba. “Gotta take it.” Stepping out of the room, he answered the call.

“Where are you?” Kyrian's stern tone was undercut by a note of hostile concern.

“Hospital.”

That only elevated his boss's worried tone. “You okay? What happened? Why are you there? Were you hurt? Was there an accident?”

It took Nick a second to realize that Kyrian wouldn't have any idea what had happened at school or with his mom. His concern came strictly from the shock of hearing that Nick was in a hospital. Period.

“My mom was kidnapped and Mark was assaulted while she was taken.”

“What!” Kyrian's roar was deafening. “When did this happen?”

“Right after school started.”

“And you didn't call me?”

“I thought you'd be sleeping.”

“Nick—”

“Kyrian.” He duplicated Kyrian's agitated tone. “No offense, boss, there's not a lot you can do this time of day.” As an immortal Dark-Hunter whose job was to protect mankind from the soulless Daimons who preyed on them at night, his boss had a nasty tendency to burst into flames should daylight touch any part of his body. “Not like you can come out and check on me. It's fine, really. Bubba's right here, by my side.”

“Still … I can call Acheron and have him—”

“Really, it's okay. Why you calling, anyway? You should be asleep.” Since Daimons preyed on humans at night and Kyrian couldn't be in daylight, he usually slept all day and didn't wake up until about an hour after Nick showed up for work after school.

“The weather woke me this morning, and when I checked my phone for voicemail, I saw the notice about the Squire alert at St. Richard's. I wanted to check in with you. Make sure I didn't have to start looking for a new Squire. I hate that crap. Hard enough to deal with
you
. Last thing I want to do is start breaking in a new pain-in-my-keister. Gah, I'd have to change all the locks on the house again.”

Nick smiled in spite of the awful day and Kyrian's feigned surly tone. He'd gone from having no one look after him to an extended family that still amazed him whenever he stopped to think about it.

“Bad news. Still alive, boss.”

Kyrian scoffed irritably at Nick's light tone. “Don't worry, kid. I'll get the Squires looking for your mother, immediately. And Acheron. As soon as the sun goes down, we'll all be on it.”

“Thanks. We have absolutely no leads on where to begin hunting her. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

“We'll find her.”

Yeah, but in what condition? That was the nightmare that was currently haunting him while he was awake.

“Thanks. Appreciate it.”

As Nick hung up the phone, Kody approached to rub his back. Closing his eyes, he savored the warmth of her touch. His fear and anger churned inside him and he needed her to ground him right now. He wasn't sure what he'd do if she wasn't here to keep him calm.

“Kyrian's contacting Acheron.”

He felt her hand tremble at the mention of her uncle. Acheron had no idea who Kody was, which made sense given that she wouldn't be born until centuries from now. They couldn't let Acheron know, either, especially since his brother, Kody's father, was currently being held by Artemis in a hellish prison. It would totally wreck Acheron's world.

For that matter, Nick couldn't imagine how hard it had to be for Kody to be here in this time with her loved ones who had no idea she was related to them, knowing that if they didn't change things, she'd lose them all over again. That if they made one wrong move, she'd never be born at all.

It was enough to make him lose his mind whenever he stopped to think about it.

How could she stand to be near him, knowing he was the sole reason they would one day die? That he, alone, would one day single-handedly wreck her entire life and everything in it?

Kody's capacity for love defied explanation. It made no sense to him. He doubted if he could be so forgiving in her place. She had every right to kill him.

But then, that was what made her so incredibly special. What made her hold a part of him that no one else ever would. Like his mother, she was a creature of pure light. One who never failed to warm him no matter how beat down or cold he felt. They could always make him feel better. Make him feel important.

Make him feel loved and cherished.

Heroic.

Cupping her chin in his hand, he leaned down to press his cheek against hers and inhaled the warm, vanilla scent of her skin.

“What am I going to do, Kody?”

“What you always do. Fight with everything you have, no matter what they throw at you. Over. Under. Around, or through. There's always a way.… Your enemies will not take mercy on you. The world will not take mercy on you. Therefore, I will not be doing you any favors if I take mercy on you.”

He laughed at something her brother used to say to her. It was something her brother had learned from their father. “Love you, Kode.”

“Love you, too.” Rubbing his arm, she stepped back. “You want me to contact Suriyel and see if they know anything?”

He shook his head. “Let's keep the Arelim out of this for as long as we can. If they don't know anything, I don't think we should notify them. Might stir them up. Make them do something stupid. 'Cause while I like to think I own the majority share of that, it's the part I don't own that others do that keeps me up at night, terrified of what they'll do with their portion of it.”

“Good point.”

Nick glanced into the room where Bubba and Mark were. Guilt gnawed at him as he saw Mark's condition. They were both innocents who'd been caught in the cross fire of his screwed-up life.

Kody and Xev were right. His enemies would never take mercy on him. It was why he had to be so careful who he allowed into his circle. Ever on guard of those he loved best.

So long as he was around them, they were all in danger. And only a tiny handful of them really knew why. The rest, out of necessity, had to be kept in the dark.

Xev came outside. “So what's our next move?”

Before Nick could answer, his phone rang again. It was Caleb's number. Worried his condition had worsened, he clicked it on to find Livia on the other end. “What is it?”

“I found her, Nick.”

“What?”

“Your mom. I just got her home for you, and put her to bed. She's asleep, with no idea what happened to her.”

Relief slapped him so hard, he staggered back from it. “What? How?”

“I played a hunch and it turned out to be right.”

Nick pulled Kody against him and let out a nervous laugh. “Liv found my mom. She took her to the condo. They're there now.”

“Oh, thank goodness! Is she okay?”

“Yeah.” For the first time since he'd left school, he felt good again. “Thanks, Livia. I owe you.”

“Think nothing of it. I won't let her out of my sight until you get here. Believe me, nothing's going to happen to her on my watch. You can trust me.”

“Again, thanks. I'll be home soon.” Nick hung up and stuck his head back into the room to let Bubba and Mark know.

“Thank you, Jesus,” Mark breathed. “That's the best news I've heard since the garage told me my Jeep wasn't doomed from that electrical fire I started with my cell phone wire that short-circuited.”

While that might sound odd to most, that was a testament of supreme love from Mark, who had an unnatural attachment to his old, beat-up Jeep.

Bubba ruffled Nick's hair. “How you holding up?”

“Much better now that I know she's safe, at home. You?”

“Much better now that I know I'm not going to prison for first-degree murder for killing whoever took her.”

Nick laughed. “I hear you.”

Bubba nudged him toward the door. “Y'all go on. I know you want to check on your ma as soon as possible. See her with your own eyes. Tell her I'll be over to bug her as soon as I get Mark home and tuck him in.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Mark said sarcastically. “Can you mop the drool off my chin, too, while you're at it?”

Bubba ignored him. “You need any money for a cab?” he asked Nick.

“Nah, we got it. Stay in touch.”

“You, too.”

Heading out, Nick texted Kyrian and Acheron to let them know that everything was okay on the home front.