Instinct (2 page)

Eh, ca c'est bon
. That was life. Some days you ate the
rougarou.
Some days the
rougarou
devoured you.

And in this city, and in his particularly screwed-up life, that phrase seriously had significance.

Sprinting up the steps of St. Richard's High School, he entered the two-story redbrick building and headed for his locker to change out his books so he could start his day right, and with as little drama as possible. Which would be a really nice change of pace.

“What are you smiling about, Gautier?”

Nick grinned even wider as he shut his locker and turned to face his recalcitrant demon bodyguard. “It's almost 8
A.M
. and nothing's tried to kill or eat me yet. Dang good day, if you ask me.”

Rolling his eyes, Caleb stepped around him to open his own locker. “I really hate chipper morning people. Thinking I should have hand-fed you to your enemies last night.”

Nick laughed. “But you didn't,” he teased against all common sense, in a singsongy voice he'd learned from a very special Charonte demon named Simi, while Caleb pulled books out and shoved them into his expensive designer backpack. “Which means you think I'm all cute and fluffy. Besides, you'd miss me if I were gone.”

With a rude snort, Caleb zipped his bag shut. “Careful, Cajun. I wouldn't test that theory, were I you.”

Nick leaned up against the locker bank and tried not to envy Caleb his dark, perfect Hollywood good looks that made every female in their school pass a longing gaze at him as she walked by. Student and teacher. “That would hold more weight if you weren't here.”

“Meaning?”

“You said if my demonic overlord of a father were dead, you wouldn't be in high school anymore to guard me. Now he's gone, and yet here you remain … ever my faithful, handsome protector.” He batted his eyelashes playfully.

Ignoring Nick's feigned flirtations, Caleb shut the locker and brushed his hand through his stylishly coiffed jet-black hair. His dark eyes flashing orange, he gave Nick a harsh, unamused stare. “Yeah, well, my self-preservation and common sense kicked in. If something eats you, they inherit my servitude and soul. As annoying as you are most days, I'd rather deal with you than one of my other possible choices. 'Cause let's face it, my luck and past experiences say it would never be a sexy succubus who spends her days working as a supermodel in a bikini, but rather some scaly elderly male exhibitionist who likes to pull the wings off daeves and stick us in jars … or nail us to walls.”

He shoved a chemistry book at Nick. “Been there. Done that. Reloop's a bitch and whoever designed it should be relegated to the lowest level of Thorn's special pit.”

Nick tsked at him. “Poor Caleb. Thousands of years old and still in high school. Dude, you seriously need to speak to a guidance counselor about your transcript.”

“Don't push it, Gautier. My maternal instincts don't kick in till noon.”

Laughing, Nick stepped away from the lockers so that LaShonda could open hers. Dressed in a J-pop-style navy suit, she had her newly done sisterlocks pulled back into a matching bow.

“Morning, Miss Sunshine.”

LaShonda scowled at him as she pulled books for her first period. “Someone's in a good mood this morning.”

Nick winked at her. “What can I say? The sight of your beautiful face can cheer my most soured mood.”

“Better not let her boyfriend or your Kody hear you speaking to her like that, Gautier, or they'll be having a pair of fried Cajun nuggets for lunch.”

Smiling, Nick stepped aside for Brynna Addams, LaShonda's best friend, and one of the few people he knew he could count on whenever it mattered. Unlike LaShonda, with her daring style, Brynna was much more sedate in her wardrobe choice, with tan pants and a white shirt. “Morning, my other Miss Sunshine. Ever a pleasure to see you.”

“You
are
in a good mood.” Brynna started to scowl until her gaze went past him. By the shift in the air, his instincts told him someone with the highest level of supernatural abilities approached him from behind. Someone who was lethal and could kill him in a heartbeat. And without looking, he knew exactly who it was. A gifted celestial being whose qualities he was more than well acquainted with.

His heart even lighter, he turned and, blatantly ignoring the PDA laws of his school, wrapped his arms around Nekoda so that he could breathe in the light vanilla scent that was uniquely hers. Her brown hair was twisted up into a messy braid that framed a beautiful face. A face that held a pair of bright green eyes that never failed to set his blood on fire. Even though she'd originally been sent here to assassinate him before he fulfilled his prophecy of doom, and Caleb still had his doubts about trusting her loyalty to them, Nick couldn't help his feelings for her.

She was his first love.

Honestly, he couldn't imagine ever feeling like this about anyone else. And if he had to die, he'd rather it be by her hand than that of an enemy. His heart would always be hers, and no one else's.

He gave her a tight squeeze. “And here's the brightest part of any day. Good morning,
cher
.”

With a fierce frown, Nekoda brushed the dark hair back from his face. “You okay?”

Brynna smirked as she opened her locker. “Girl, he's in a strange, strange mood. I'm wondering if Madaug's been programming games again.”

Nekoda laughed nervously at the reminder of the Zombie Hunter game Madaug St. James had created that had accidentally turned half their football team into mindless zombies and caused their former coach to eat their previous principal.

“He hasn't, has he?”

“No. Definitely not. He hasn't even played Solitaire on his PC since that night.” Nick took Kody's backpack from her hand so that he could carry it for her. “I'm alive. In New Orleans, where I'm supposed to be. Here with you, the most beautiful girl in the entire universe.” He kissed her cheek before he jerked his chin toward Caleb. “And we have King Grump scowling at us and plotting my death and dismemberment. All is right in this world. And I'm just really glad to be at this school, in this time where I belong, with all of you thinking I've lost my ever-loving mind.”

Caleb scoffed. “For the love of all that's holy, would you stop saying that crap?” he ground out between clenched teeth. “Personally, I wouldn't tempt the Fates, kid. They have a nasty way of ramming those pleasant thoughts down your throat and making you weep for them.”

Nick considered that for a moment. Then, closing the distance between him and Caleb, he couldn't resist whispering the question that comment most begged for, “In a fight between the Malachai demon and the Fates, who would win?”

Placing a hand on Nick's shoulder, Caleb gently shoved him back. “Beware of arrogance, Gautier. It's a foul, fatal thing.”

“I was only postulating a question.”

The look on Caleb's face was intense and chilling. “Pray you never find out the answer. The price of war is always a lot higher in the end than you think it will be when you go in for that first battle.”

Okay then …

Suddenly, a shiver went down Nick's spine. Something he couldn't quite identify. For a moment, he wasn't in the hallway of his high school.

Rather, Nick stared down at himself as he stood inside the ruins of a Greek temple. A temple he remembered visiting one time before when he'd saved Nekoda's life after she'd almost died in an attack on him.

Home of the enigmatic Artemis, goddess of the hunt.

Only the Greek goddess wasn't here this time. He knew without being told that this was another glimpse of the horrific future to come.

The post-Apocalyptic future where he destroyed everything and everyone. Where he and his army laid waste to the entire world.

All of Olympus was on fire around him, and each temple had been leveled. Nick, in his true demonic form with black and red marbled skin and glowing eyes, stood defiant and strong, his wings tucked in at his back. His army hovered nearby, awaiting more orders from him. Blood from the ancient gods dripped from their armor.

And his.

Time slowed down as he watched himself searching the ruins, looking for something he seemed to have lost.

All sound stopped. He only heard his heartbeat. Fierce. Strong.

Defiant.

Ambrose …

He flinched at the unfamiliar voice in his head.

Well, crap. Unknown voices in his head was never a good sign. Especially when they wanted his undivided attention and used a name they weren't supposed to know.

And as fast as it started, it ended.

Like a sped-up video file, everything around him caught up to real time. He was back at his school, in his hallway with Caleb, Brynna, Kody, and LaShonda staring at him.

“Nick?”

He opened his mouth to respond to Kody and couldn't. Again, he had that frightening surreal feeling as everything in the hallway slowed down to a crawl.

Suddenly, he heard the strange eerie drumming of hooves rushing toward him. The sound of a horse screeching. It drowned out all other high school noises. Against his will, Nick turned in the hallway to see a rider in white billowing robes racing down the north hall on the back of a black horse as it passed through students and faculty. Snorting fire, the horse had blood-red eyes, searing with their hatred.

The rider held a set of old-fashioned scales in its hands. “Ambrose!” The voice was neither male nor female. It was strictly demonic and cold. Terrifying. Without pausing, it came straight at him in a dead run.

Unable to move, Nick was frozen as horse and rider tore through him and left him completely breathless and cold.

“Nick!”

Blinking at Kody, he shook his head to clear his vision as the main doors were blown open by the rider only he could see. Not even Kody or Caleb had detected it. They stared at him with duplicate frowns as teachers rushed to close the doors they thought the wind had caught.

How was
that
possible? They always saw things like that when he did. Usually
before
he did.

He opened his mouth to answer Kody at the same time the bell rang.
What the…?

Nick blinked as he glanced around at everyone in the hallway. They were now all scrambling to get to their rooms. He'd had fifteen minutes until class a heartbeat ago.

Hadn't he?

He glanced to the hall clock that confirmed it was time for school to start.
That can't be right.

“Gautier?” Caleb barked from the door of their homeroom. How had he gotten there so fast? Surely he hadn't teleported in front of the humans. “You shooting for another tardy?”

A big negatory on that. He spent enough of his teenhood in this building. Last thing he wanted was to donate any additional time to it, especially when he didn't have to. Shrugging off his delusions that he attributed to some kind of weird Nintendo-induced flashback, Nick headed into the room where Nekoda, Brynna, and Caleb were taking their seats.

Still, something seemed off. Like he was walking through heavy, thick foam … He leaned over to whisper to Nekoda. “I'm where I'm supposed to be, right?”

Her scowl matched his. “Are you my Nick?”

God, he hoped so. Why else would he be dressed in this fugly orange trout Hawaiian shirt? Last time he'd been in another dimension and body, he'd had a much better wardrobe. He'd also been a lot shorter than his normal, gangly, six-foot-four, bang-my-knees-into-everything stature.

He hesitated. “Are you
my
Kody?” he asked her.

“Yes,” she dragged the answer out. “Why are you asking?”

Nick rubbed at his neck. “Don't know. Got a weird feeling all of a sudden.”

“It's called detention, Mr. Gautier.” Richardson ripped off the paper with times and a room number for said punishment, and set it on the desk in front of him. “See you after school.”

Epically awesome.

Nick wasn't sure what ticked him off more. The detention or the fact that the troll still couldn't pronounce his name right. She always said “Gah-tee-ay” when she knew it was Cajun and pronounced “Go-shay.”

Don't say a word.

He grimaced at Caleb's voice in his head. Normally, he wouldn't have listened. But for once, he was too grateful that this was typical of his luck, and decided to heed Caleb's good advice. No need to antagonize the establishment.

Today, anyway. He just wanted the rest of the day to settle down and return to normal. No more freaky ghosts in the hall. No more unknown voices in his head.

Normal.

Please, for the love of God, let my day be normal for once.…

“What?” Richardson snarled. “No smart retort, Mr. Gautier? Cat swallow your tongue?”

Nick gave her a charming grin he didn't really feel. “No, ma'am. A gator named Sense Formerly Known as Common.”

Sneering at him, she tottered her way to her desk so that she could insult someone else and ruin
their
day.

Caleb let out an annoyed breath.
Great,
he projected to Nick.
Now I have to get detention, too. I really hate you, Gautier.

Nick batted his eyelashes at Caleb.
But I wubs
you,
Caliboo.

That succeeded in wringing a groan out of Caleb.

“What was that, Mr. Malphas?” Richardson asked.

“Severe intestinal woe caused by an external hemorrhoid that seems to be growing on my right-hand side.” He cast a meaningful glower toward Nick.

The class erupted into laughter as Richardson shot to her feet. “Enough!” She slammed her hands on her desk. “For that, Mr. Malphas, you can join Mr. Gautier in after-school detention.”

Caleb let out an irritated sigh.
More quality time with my hemorrhoid. Just what I wanted for Christmas. Yippee ki-yay.