Infinity (28 page)

The look on Ambrose's face seared him. "Will you trust me, little brother?"

/ guess. But only as long as you don t betray me.

Ambrose gave a cocky grin. "I'm the last person who would ever do that, Nick. I would sell my soul and give my life to keep you from becoming what I am."

Nick nodded.
Then tell me what I need to know

"You're going to have to learn to take control of the zombies.

Nick laughed out loud, which caused Caleb to jump in startled alarm and glare at him. "Sorry," Nick said out loud. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Caleb snorted before he relaxed. "It takes more than
you
to scare
me.
Must be amusing in that head of yours, Gautier. But remember the rest of us aren't in there with you."

Yeah, only Ambrose seemed to have that power.

Nick returned his attention to Ambrose. Car lights shone through his body, making it shimmer in the darkness.
Can Caleb not sense you?

"Only if I allow it."

And obviously, he wasn't allowing anyone but Nick to see and hear him right now.

What are you?
he asked Ambrose.

"We"--he indicated the two of them--"are the last of a cursed race. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it's our prime nature to hurt others. When they're weak and hurting, we swoop in for the kill. But I'm hoping you have enough of your mother in you that you'll learn to curb those impulses and learn to let the things go that I never could."

Nick hoped so too. /
dont want to be anything like Adarian.

That eerie red tint returned to Ambrose's eyes--not that Nick needed a reminder that the creature next to him wasn't human. "Neither did he and he's not quite the jerk you think he is. In time, you'll understand him better than you'll want to. And together, if we're lucky, we'll keep you from following in his footsteps. In the meantime, I have to teach you everything I know as quickly as I can."

What's the rush?

Orange flickered in his red eyes, like dancing flames. "My time's running out and soon I won't..." His voice trailed off.
You wont what?

"I won't care anymore. About anyone or anything ... not even
you."
Ambrose took Nick's hand and manifested an ornate gold dagger in his palm. The pommel held an elaborate pattern that looked like a circle of ancient birds spiraling out. And on the cross hilt was a bloodred ruby that seemed to be radiating warmth. Nick frowned at it.
What's this?

"The seal of the Malachai. With that dagger, there's nothing you can't kill. Gods, demons, zombies ... you name it or, more to the point, stab it and they'll all fall to you."

Why are you giving this to me?

"In part so that it won't tempt me, and so that you can cut through the zombies who'll come for you tonight." He took Nick's hand and laid his palm over the center of the dagger. "Close your eyes and imagine it the size of a pocket knife."

Do wiat?

"Trust me, Nick."

Nick did as he said and the moment he had the image in his mind, the dagger shrank. Gasping, he opened his eyes to see it no longer than his index finger.

Ambrose handed him the sheath for it, which was a matching size. "You can carry it with you anywhere you go. To make it bigger, just imagine the size you want it. It can be a sword, a dagger, or a knife."

Are you serious?

He nodded. "It'll even go through airport security. No creature or machine will ever detect it."
Howis that possible?

That familiar sadness returned to Ambrose's face. "I'm going to show you things you never thought possible. Show you a world you never dreamed existed. And for that I'm sorry. But it has to be done and better I show it to you than you learn it the way I had to."

It was obvious from his words and demeanor that he was a summa cum laude graduate from the school of massive groin kicks. And as Nick watched him stare at his dozing mother, he couldn't help wondering one thing.
Howold are you?

Ambrose sighed before he answered. "I've lived hundreds of years."

Nick gaped in awe. Ambrose didn't look a day over twenty-four. Was it really possible to live that long?

Then again, Ash had. And with that thought came another one that he was dying to know, even though in his gut he already had a good idea of what the answer was.

What about my dad? Howold is he?
'Cause right now, Nick was going to bet he wasn't the midthirties he appeared to be, either.

Ambrose took his mother's hand into his and held it to his heart. "Much, much older than I am."

He'd suspected it, but the truth hit him like a cheap gut shot. He tried to imagine what it would be like to live through centuries. It had to be a lot of fun.

And extremely lonely.

Will I live that long?

"With luck, and I hope you live those years much happier than I have."
Meaning?

"Meaning, I need you to focus. If you want to save Madaug, you need to listen to me or the mortents will eat both of you Pop-Tarts for breakfast."

I'm listening.

Ambrose cursed as the car slowed down. "We're at Kyrian's house. This'll have to wait."

Nick started to ask what he meant, but the moment he looked out the window, he understood. There was a small crowd of people gathered in front of the house. Male and female, half of them carried baseball bats and staves. Interesting weapons that made him wonder what they carried that he couldn't see.

Nick looked at Caleb. "Uh, is it just me or is that half our class?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking it's a reunion or, since it is our classmates, a collection of idiots. Let's call it a meese. Like geese, only with morons."

Bubba pulled into the driveway, where Tad was issuing orders to the others.

Nick got out first while Ambrose materialized beside him.

Tad had his back to them while he spoke to a group that included Kyle and Alex Peltier, Stone, Casey, but oddly enough no Brynna. "Since there are only four Dark-Hunters in the city tonight, they're doing everything they can to combat the Daimons, who are taking advantage of the zombie situation to come out in force and feed and blame the deaths on them."

Nick frowned at Caleb while Bubba went to the back to get his mom.

"What's a Daimon?" Nick asked Ambrose. "You really want to know?" "Enlighten me."

Astrange light flickered in Ambrose's eyes. "Soulsucking vampires. While theydrain humans of blood, they don't feed on that. They only drink the blood to kill you and then once you're dead and your soul leaves your body, they suck it into their bodies and live on its essence."

Nick took a step back in disbelief. "You're screwing with me."

Ambrose shook his head. "No I'm not, and you will one day be very intimate with several of them."

"I don't like your tone, Ambrose." Most of all, he didn't like what Ambrose was implying.

"You'll like it even less on the day you meet a Daimon named Stryker. But that's another story...." Ambrose indicated Tad with a jerk of his chin. "He, on the other hand, is a good friend to have. Entertaining as all get out."

Nick scowled as he listened to Tad's speech while Bubba carried his mom into the house.

"Since the Dark-Hunters are busy, Eric needs us. For those who haven't heard, who are wondering why you were called, his mother and brothers are missing. Taken, we think, by the bokor. Eric doesn't know where they are." His gaze went to Stone and the Peltiers. "We need you guys to help us track them and find them."

Stone sneered at the Peltiers. "They can't track for crap."

Alex started for him, but Kyle caught him and held him back. "You don't want to kill the wolf, A. They taste like dry chicken."

Stone stiffened in outrage. "Who you calling a chicken?"

"Bock, bock,"A\ex
said with a grin. "If the beak fits ..."

This time several others came between them as Stone lunged for Alex.

Tad growled at them. "Were-Hunters down. This is not the time for /all to be acting up. We need you."

Nick scowled. There was that word again. And in spite of what Tad had said, he was convinced itwasn'ta gamer's term.

Russell turned around and saw him and Caleb. "How long have the mundanes been here?"

Caleb scoffed. "Not mundanes, dweeb. We have more right to be here than any of you."

Stone sneered at Caleb. "You're out of your element here,

Malphas."

Caleb opened his hand. Just like Ambrose had done in the alley, he manifested a fireball. He threw it at Stone so that it landed at his feet and illuminated Stone's entire body. "Don't cross me, Scooby-Doo. I'm not an old man in a mask waiting to be thwarted by you meddling kids."

Tad nodded. "And Gautier is now working for Kyrian. It's not like he's not going to find out what we are sooner or later."

"And what are you?" Nick asked.

Carl Samuel, one of Tad's friends who had blond hair and blue eyes, stepped forward. "We're multigenerational Squires.

"Which means what?" Nick asked. "You prance around with tinfoil armor and plastic swords pretending to be knights?"

Carl laughed while Russ insulted both Nick's intelligence and parentage.

Tad ignored them as he answered the question. "We are humans in the service of the goddess Artemis who help her and her soldiers protect mankind from the evil that preys on us. St. Richard's is our New Orleans training ground for those of us who come from a long line of Squires."

"Yeah," Carl said. "It's why some of us haven't been real welcoming to you. We don't like being with mundanes who don't know about us. No offense."

No offense? Most of them had been royal jerks to him.

Carl indicated the Peltiers and Stone. "They're shapeshifters. Most of the football team is." His gaze went to Caleb. "We didn't know about you and your powers."

Caleb shrugged. "There was never any need for you to know about me, and none of you will know about me when you get up in the morning, either."

Stone snorted. "That don't work on us."

"Oh yeah, Scooby, it does. You and I have gone round many a day. I'm the reason you keep thinking you've had alien abductions."

Nick laughed. "I knew there was a reason I always liked you.

Caleb leaned forward, between Nick and Ambrose, then said in a low tone, "By the way, boss ... you're not as covert as you think, and I've heard everything you told the kid in the car." He looked straight at Ambrose. "Nice coat, but I prefer the black suit you had on the last time we met."

Ambrose made a Vader move that made it look like something had grabbed Caleb in an invisible choke hold. "Don't push your luck, Malphas."

Caleb relaxed as Ambrose moved away. "You know, Nick, I like you so much better than that prick."

For some reason, Nick wasn't sure that was a compliment.

"All right," Tad said, demanding everyone's attention again. "We need to break into four groups and see what we can find.

Alex Peltier indicated Nick with his thumb. "I'll head out with Bubba, Nick, and crew."

"All right. If anyone finds anything, remember to call it in, and we move as a group. I don't want anyone to be a hero. We don't need to die tonight."

Nick still wasn't sure what was happening as Alex came over to them. "Why did you pick us?"

"I like helping the newbs and most of the rest of them get on my nerves. If nothing else, Bubba and Mark are always good for a laugh."

Nick's stomach hit the ground. "Yeah, but I think the zombies ate Mark." "What?" Alex looked shocked.

"Yeah," Caleb said sadly. "When we were at Madaug's house, the undead zombies attacked and we haven't seen or heard from him since. It's not looking good."

Alex appeared ill. "That's a shame. I really liked whenever Mark would drink too much and play cards with my uncles and Eros. It's highly entertaining."

Nick indicated the door with his thumb. "I'm going to check on my mom and Bubba. I'll be right back." He took a step, then paused and returned his attention to Alex. "Are you really a shapeshifter?"

Alex nodded. "You know the club Sanctuary on Ursulines?" "Yeah."

"My family owns it and almost all of us are shapeshifters." Nick shook his head. "Get out." "Nah, for real."

Nick knew he wasn't kidding, but it was really too much to believe. "So what do you turn into?" "A bear."

Nick laughed as he finally understood one of Sanctuary's long-standing traditions. "You the bear people wrestle for free drinks?"

"Nah. That's my uncle Quinn."

And on that note, Nick went inside to find his mom. Bubba was in the living room talking to Phil. He interrupted them only long enough to find out where Bubba had taken her, then he headed up to the guest room.

Entering the bedroom, Nick approached the huge bed that was decorated with maroon and gold, and looked down at his mom as she slept. She looked so frail against the dark gold sheets.

Protect your mama, boy.
His father's voice rang in his ears, but he didn't need to hear his dad to know his obligations. He was the man of the house and it was his job to protect her.

Even when she didn't want it.

And right now, they had to go stop an apocalypse and hopefully save a friend. Not to mention the city that would be overrun by zombies soon if they didn't get to the mortents and drive them back to their hole.

Nick shook his head at the irony. Just yesterday his biggest concern was catching up in chem class after having been shot. Now it was saving the world.

I'm too young for this....

"Unfortunately, you're not."

He turned at the sound of Ambrose's voice. "Where'd you go?"

"To get this." Ambrose handed him an old leather-bound book that was just a hair larger than a thin paperback novel.

Nick opened it, then frowned as he saw nothing but blank pages. "What is this? A journal?"

"Your grimoire. As you unlock your powers, incantations will appear that will allow you to further hone your skills. Pages will be added."