Illusion

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  She gave him a small damp towel that he pressed to his lips. "Better?"

  His breathing ragged, he nodded, then shook his head. "You have an iron constitution, you know that?"

  Laughing, she brushed the hair back from his forehead. "Compared to what you see in battle, vomit's not so bad."

  He heard the pain in her voice that belied her light tone. Honestly, he didn't want to know what horrors she'd been through that this was preferable to them.

  And all because of him and what he'd do to her and her family in the future.

  Not wanting to think about that, he looked down at his hand that had finally returned to normal. He balled it into a fist. "Are my powers back?"

  "Not sure. Care to try them and see?"

  Nick cupped his hand and concentrated so that he could manifest a fireball. Instantly, fire engulfed his hand. Now it was his turn to laugh as he repeated it with his other arm.

  Oh yeah ...

  He was back and he was ready to battle.

  Extinguishing his arms, he rose to his feet and headed for the door with a deadly intent.

  "Nick?" Kody chided. "What are you doing?"

  "Going to ruin Thorn's day."

  "Do you think that's wise?"

  "Not at all." He kept going.

  She tried to stop him, but he gently shrugged her hold off. He was too set on payback. Nothing, not even Kody, was going to get in his way. Determined, he headed straight for the front door and ignored Mark and Bubba, who were armed to their teeth as they gaped at him and his apparent intentions.

  Without a word, Simi and Caleb fell in behind him as his escorts.

  Nick opened the door with his telekinesis and stood on the front porch. Caleb took position just behind Nick's left side while Simi squared off on his right.

  Arching a brow, Thorn froze a few feet from the bottom step. "Well, well ... how stupid and brave of you, little boy. But it'll take something more than two demons and elementary parlor tricks to scare or stop us."

  Nick glanced to Simi and Caleb, then looked over to where Thorn's soldiers were dragging what he hoped was only an unconscious Acheron and Savitar onto the front lawn so that they could dump them by the driveway. He wanted to go to them and make sure they were alive. But that would be all kinds of dumb.

  And while stupid was his better friend most days, this wasn't the time to court it.

  Forcing that urge down, Nick locked gazes with Thorn and gave him a slow, taunting smile meant to irritate the other being into performing his own kind of idiocy. For further effect, he rolled out his thickest Cajun drawl. "Oh now, why you want to go and insult me, eh, Boo? What'd I ever do to you?"

  Thorn stepped forward.

  Nick rubbed at his jaw. "I would advise against doing that."

  Another step. "I don't take orders."

  "That's where you're wrong, bon homme. Last I heard, you are my general ... and you take orders from me."

  Thorn scoffed with a mocking laugh.

  Nick tsked. "Last chance."

  "Or what?"

  Nick unfurled his wings and let the fire roll down both his arms until it pooled into his hands where it flamed in pulses that matched his rapid heartbeat. "I'm gonna barbecue me some Thorny meat and let the Simi here break out her hottest sauce and say, bon appetit, cher."

  Simi sucked her breath in sharply. "Don't go teasing me, Akri-Nick. Don't say something you don't mean. That's just wrong."

  "I mean it, Simi." He glanced back at Thorn. "So what's it to be? You ready to make Simi's day or you want to back down and leave with all limbs attached?"

  Thorn paused as he considered his answer.

  "He's bluffing," Tabitha said as she walked through the demons to reach Thorn's side. "He doesn't have his powers. They're trying to trick us. I saw what he looks like as the Malachai and that's not it."

  Thorn swept a speculative glance over Nick's body. "My girl's calling you a liar."

  "If my girl was here, she'd be calling you an idiot."

  Thorn growled.

  Nick growled back.

  Caleb laughed at them both. "Simi, we should be filming this. We could make a killing on it."

  "Already recorded, akri-demon. Just let the Simi know whenever you want the full-color playback."

  "Good." Caleb turned back to Nick. "This is probably where I ought to inform you that the way you subdue the usumgallu is you have to confront each general in your army, and prove yourself worthy of leading them."

  The fire went out on his arms immediately. Nick held his hand up to Thorn. "Hang on a minute." He glared at Caleb. "Clarify that last statement."

  "You. Malachai." Caleb stepped forward to clap him on the back. "Must sally forth unto each sarru and proclaim yourself the Uma-Sarru. For lack of a better term, head badass. Then when they laugh in your face, you throw them on the ground and make them cry uncle. Clear enough for you?"

  A little too clear, honestly. His stomach pitching again, Nick nodded. "You know, Cale. This information would have been a lot more useful to me before I walked out the door."

  "Yeah, well, you got that whole bad habit of leaping over a crack while not noticing that it's right in front of a cliff with no guardrail. Maybe you should look a little farther ahead than the tip of your nose from time to time. Just saying."

  Thorn laughed out loud. "Seems Tabitha was correct then. You belong to us."

  This time when Thorn moved forward, Nick set him on fire and forced him and Tabitha backward, into the yard. "Did I say you could move, Alpo? Pretty sure I told you to stay put. Think you, I didn't mean it?"

  "Nice work," Caleb congratulated in an amused tone.

  "Thank you. Now back to what we were talking about."

  "Uh, not to interrupt, but..." Caleb pointed to the demonic army that was now attacking them.

  Nick let out a sound of fierce irritation before he sent a wave across the yard that knocked them down and sent them skidding toward the street.

  When they rose back to their feet and ran at them again, he passed a droll stare to Caleb. "They ride the short bus, don't they?"

  "Pretty sure that big demon in back is the short bus."

  Kody grimaced at them both as she joined them on the porch. "Gentlemen, this isn't a video game. Those are real live, breathing monsters on the lawn who want us dead. Could you please focus?"

  He took a step, but Caleb grabbed him. "Stupidity! It's taking over the world. Run, Nick! Save yourself before it's too late."

  Nick snorted at Caleb's words then winked at her. "Fine, belle." He glanced to the demon over his shoulder. "Simi ... lunch time. Break out your sauce, baby."

  With a giddy laugh, she took off after them.

  "But don't eat Thorn or Tabitha or Selena or Mandy!" Kody called. "We might need them!"

  Caleb heh'ed as he watched their enemies splinter and run from a jubilant Simi, who was all intent on adding them to her menu. "Chaos. It's a lovely thing, isn't it?"

  "My grandfather always thought so," Kody mumbled. "Me, not so much. I'd like to try boring for a few days. Months would be even better."

  Nick scoffed at her wish. "So long as you're with the Malachai, cher, 'boring' will never be in your vocabulary."

  She sighed. "Sad, but true."

  "Malachai!" Thorn shouted.

  "Khan!" Nick returned with his best Captain Kirk imitation. "Do we have to put down every creature in your army? Really?"

  Thorn headed for the steps again. "Fine. You want me to stop? Prove yourself to me."

  Caleb turned to face Nick. "Remember. Make him cry uncle."

  "Cry uncle, my posterior. I'm going to make him cry like a girl who broke her mom's designer heels at the prom." Nick headed down the steps to meet Thorn.

  Thorn raked him with a stare that said he didn't think Nick would be much of a challenge. As soon as Nick was close enough, he swung out at him.

  Nick ducked and rammed his shoulder straight into Thorn's stomach, knocking him down. Rolling on the ground, Tho

rn shot to his feet, then sent a fireball straight at Nick that Nick blocked with his powers.

  He sent it straight back into Thorn, who barely dodged it. And it succeeded in wiping the smirk off his face. Nick followed it with a blast of his own that caught Thorn's shoulder. Yelping, Thorn manifested a sword and lunged forward.

  With his powers, Nick created a staff and deflected it, then parried with a blow that caught Thorn across his spine.

  Kody gaped as she watched Nick and Thorn spar. She met Caleb's equally stunned expression. "When did he learn to do all that?"

  "Not one hundred percent sure. But remind me the next time I say something snarky that he's come a long way with his battle skills."

  Yes, he had. In the past, Nick could always take a punch. Now, he was able to give them.

  He fought like a boss.

  Until Thorn turned it on him. Kody started forward, but Caleb stopped her. "He has to defeat Thorn on his own. Without help. Otherwise, he won't be able to subjugate the usumgallu."

  She glanced around the yard where Simi had already routed the other demons. Selena and Amanda had vanished into the crowd. Tabitha was heading for Nick and Thorn. I might not be able to help with Thorn, but ... She could definitely take that witch down. No one was going after Nick while she was around.

  Kody headed for her.

  Nick saw Kody from the corner of his eye. That distraction cost him as Thorn moved in and caught him a significant blow to his jaw that sent his head spinning. He staggered back. Thorn kicked him hard in the solar plexus.

  Everything darkened. And for a second, he honestly thought he was going to black out. Until he saw the darkness slithering again. It was like a living, breathing creature.

  I'm hallucinating.

  What if he wasn't? Given all the other weirdness in his world that wasn't crazy, what if ...

  Nick held his hand out to pet it. The dark rose up to caress his arm and lick it. Before he could rethink it, Nick slung his hand out and sent the darkness for Thorn. With his thoughts, he commanded it.

  One second Thorn was about to stab him, and in the next, the darkness jerked him out of reach. It was only then that Nick saw it for what it really was. Not one single creature, but an amalgam of night. Lifting his hands, he orchestrated it to go after the others, including Tabitha.

  Holy crap ... it was working. He could actually do this and the power wasn't malfunctioning on him. At least not yet.

  Kody froze as Tabitha was pulled back from their fight and held immobile by nothing. No, not nothing.

  By the element of night.

  Terror filled her as she realized what was happening. Nick had embraced the darkness. He was commanding it. Something he shouldn't be able to do for decades yet. And for him to do that now boded the worst kind of evil for them.

  Biting her lip, she watched breathless as Nick started to transform from a human into a demon. He stalked toward Thorn with eyes so red they glowed and snapped like a living fire. The Malachai powers were alive and they had possession of him. Completely.

  What have we done?

  Once tapped, Noir's powers were seductive and all-consuming. Irresistible. Worse, they allowed the primal god to locate his property. So long as Nick used them, Noir could hone in and attack him.

  She met Caleb's concerned gaze and saw the same horror mirrored on his face.

  "Nick!" he cried.

  But it was too late. Nick was transforming in front of them. And he was about to kill Thorn and absorb his powers, too.

  CHAPTER 17

  You command the power of the universe. Life, itself, is in the palm of your hand. There is nothing that can stop you. No rules that apply to you. You are the only one who matters in this existence. The rest are pawns and tools to be used and destroyed as you see fit.

  Embrace your fate, Malachai. Become what you were born to be.

  Nick let the truth ring in his ears as he effortlessly pinned Thorn to the lawn with one hand. The demon lord wasn't so powerful now that he squirmed like a worm caught on drying pavement by the heat of a sun he couldn't fight. He was every bit as pathetic and helpless as those insignificant creatures that crawled up from the belly of the earth and were used as nothing more than bait for and by their betters.

  Kill him and you'll be even stronger than what you are now. You'll have powers the likes of which you cannot imagine.

  Nick scoffed. I don't know, disembodied voice in my head. I have one heck of an active imagination. You'd do well not to underestimate it.

  In his mind, Nick saw himself as he wanted to be. Confident. Suave. Sophisticated. Tough. Like Kyrian, Talon, Caleb, and Acheron. The epitome of badass respectability. Not the pathetic loser dork who banged his arms and feet into everything he passed. One who bumped his head anytime he neared low-hanging signs or plants.

  Just once, he wanted to walk into a room, without tripping over nothing, and not have someone snicker or comment about his clumsy awkwardness or foul clothing.

  Kill him and it's all yours. Everything you want. You will be the very top of the food chain. No one will ever dare to mock you again.

  Nick tightened his hold on Thorn's throat. It was so tempting. All he'd ever wanted in his entire life was respect.

  And the voice was correct. Right now, he saw terror in Thorn's green eyes as he struggled against Nick's iron grip that would not be broken. Gone was any hint of condescension or contempt. Thorn definitely wasn't smirking now as he began turning blue and his eyes bulged.

  I could kill him and no one would care. Who would miss a creature like Thorn?

  No one. It would be easy....

  So very easy.

  But as Nick felt Thorn's weakening grip on his hand, he loosened his hold. I am the Malachai. The baddest beast in the land. What would killing Thorn really prove?

  A truth he already knew? That he was stronger? Better?

  What was the point? He didn't need blood on his hands to show the world who and what he was. Nick already knew, and so did the people who mattered to him.

  The devil take the rest. He didn't owe them anything. And they weren't worth his life.

  Definitely not worth his soul.

  Nick Gautier had nothing to prove to anyone in this, or any, realm.

  But he still had people to protect. People he cared about and loved.

  With that in mind, he slackened his hold to give Thorn some breathing space. "Do you yield to me?"

  Thorn growled at him.

  "That's not an answer." Nick traded hands and increased the pressure on Thorn's throat again. "Do I really have to kill you on the front lawn of Bubba's house? Is that truly what you want? Because, no offense, killing you is not the way to get my girl to kiss me at the end of the night. And I'd much rather snuggle with her than step over your dead body and tick her off. Pretty sure you'd rather I not kill you, too. Or am I wrong? Are you suicidal? Do we both go home happy or will I later be defacing your corpse because you got me in the doghouse?"

  Thorn's eyes glowed red in the darkness. "I will follow no one ever again. And that includes you."

  "Good. 'Cause I'm not leading. There will be no battle and you're not being summoned to my army or to any kind of fight on my behalf. The only war I want is the solo one against my own stupidity--which seems a losing battle most days. And while I'd like to defeat that, I don't want to end the world or you or anything other than this ridonkulous standoff.... However, I will kill you if I have to, to stop this, but I hope it don't come to that. Honestly, all I expect is for you to crawl back to your hole and stay there like a nice demon lord. Because the next time I confront you, boy, I won't show mercy. You will bleed and I will be in the perpetual doghouse with both the women in my life. Got it?"

  *

  Kody started for Nick, but Caleb caught her arm. She glared at the demon. Did he not understand what was going on? If they didn't do something fast, it would be over for all of them. "Nick's metamorphosing."

  A slow smile broke across Caleb's handsome face. "Yes, he is."

  How could he be so nonchalant? So happy? Did he want Nick to become a bloodthirsty monster? If Nick gave in to his dark powers, Caleb would suffer as much, if not more, than she would. Especially now that Nick knew his real name.

  Terrified, she glanced to Nick, who was about to finish Thorn off, then back to Caleb. "We have to stop it! If he becomes the Malachai--"

  "Kody," Caleb said in an even tone, breaking her words off. "Can you not understand what they're saying?"

  She shook her head. "It's demonkyn. I only know a handful of words."

  "Yeah, well, I know a few more."

  All of a sudden, Nick stood and backed away from Thorn. With a glower of fury at him, Thorn slowly pushed himself to his feet. She expected him to attack Nick again.

  Instead, he saluted him, then gathered his demon minions and Tabitha and her sisters, and left.

  Completely confused, she stared at Nick as he went to check on Savitar and Acheron, who were still lying as lumps on the lawn. By the relieved expression on his face while he felt for a pulse, she knew they were okay.

  And while that thrilled her, it didn't take away her shock at Nick's actions. She gaped at Caleb. "He's in control of himself?"

  Caleb nodded. "Completely. Somehow he pushed the darkness out and resisted it."

  How? It was unheard of. No one turned down Noir. And they definitely didn't do it like this.

  As Nick headed toward her, he gave her that devilish grin that never failed to speed up her heartbeat. But as fast as that smile came, it vanished with a curse. Clutching his chest, Nick fell to his knees on the lawn. Then he collapsed.

  Petrified, she ran to him. "Nick?"

  Arching his back, Nick screamed out. He shook all over. She met Caleb's and Simi's wide-eyed stares as they joined her by his side.

  "What is this?"

  They shook their heads in unison.

  Kody knelt and placed her hand to Nick's cheek. "Sweetie? Can you hear me?"

  He bit his lip and cursed again. "It burns like fire."

  "What?"

  He pulled his shirt down so that he could blow across his chest. And as he did so, an ancient symbol formed over his left pectoral. It was a circle that held Noir's emblem on top and Azura's on the bottom. The mark of their ownership.

  But why was it appearing on his temporary body? That made no sense at all.

  Swallowing hard, she met Caleb's wide gaze. He paled instantly. "What is this, Caleb?"

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