Infinity (29 page)

"Isn't that backwards? Shouldn't I have instructions first?" Ambrose shook his head. "It doesn't work that way." He indicated Nick's pocket. "You still have the dagger I gave you?

"Yeah."

"Pull it out and place it on the first page."

Nick set the book on the dresser since he only had the one arm. He pulled out the dagger and did what Ambrose said. The moment he did, a peculiar script wrote itself across the page in bloodred ink. He started to ask Ambrose what it said, but as he looked at it, he understood.

How could that be?

The veil is thin and so you see. What lies beneath the surface tree. In this regard they'll never fool. But still be wary of becoming their tool.

Ambrose took the dagger from his hand and used it to prick his fingertip.

Nick cursed. "What are you doing?"

Ambrose didn't answer. Instead he let three drops of blood splash on the page.
"Dredanya eire coulet,"he
whispered as they fell. Then the blood droplets rushed in a circle before they exploded and added more words to the page.

Tonight the moon rises full.

And you w'll feel evil's pull.

Stand strong and fight them to the end.

Only by remaining faithful w'll you w'n.

Ambrose handed him the dagger back. "Anytime you want advice or instruction, you can use that spell. In time, you'll be able to use it to find prophecy and foretell the future."

Nick gaped. "Really?"

Ambrose inclined his head. "And on that note, I have to go." He did look a bit pale, like something was draining his powers. "Good luck, Nick."

"Thanks."

Ambrose inclined his head before he faded out.

Nick took one last look at his mom, then the book, before he slid it into his back pocket. Steeled by determination, he left the room and went downstairs, where Phil and Bubba were still talking. He'd overheard Phil saying earlier that Kyrian had told him to come and look after him and his mom.

It didn't make sense to Nick that Phil would be at Kyrian's beck and call, but far be it from him to question it. If he knew anything it was that adults didn't like telling kids anything they didn't have to.

Phil smiled at him. "Don't worry, Nick. I'll protect her till you get back."

Bubba eyed Phil suspiciously. "I don't know if there's much you could do if someone broke in."

An insidious smile curved Phil's lips. "Don't let the suit fool you. I promise I'm a lot tougher than I look."

Nick frowned as he saw the strangest thing ... it was a spiderweb tattoo on Phil's hand. Granted it was faint, but there was no missing it. It completely went against Phil's posh dress and upper-crust demeanor. "That's cool. You get it when you were young?"

Phil covered the tattoo with his other hand. "I did indeed." "Nick?" Bubba said to get his attention. "We need to head out."

He thanked Phil for watching after his mom before he followed Caleb, Alex, and Bubba to the SUV. Nick sighed as he got in and took his seat. "Is it just me or has this been the longest night?"

Bubba snorted. "You do what I do, kid, and they get even longer."

Nick noticed there was a thick air of sadness around Bubba as he started the truck. "You're worried about Mark?"

Bubba bristled as if offended by the question, but Nick recognized that bluster. Bubba was definitely upset and concerned. "Why would I be worried about him? He's a tough little son of a biscuit eater. No zombie could get him. He's better than that."

But Nick could hear the truth in that gruff tone. Tough or not, it only took one hit to end a life, and that was what they were all keeping in mind as they headed out.

"So, Alex?" Bubba asked. "How you going to track?"

Alex held up a small handheld device. "GPS." He turned around in the seat to wink at Caleb and Nick.

Bubba wasn't so easily fooled. "How are you getting coordinates?"

"Madaug's cell phone."

"Ah, okay. Just tell me where to go."

Alex gave a sly grin as if he was holding back. After a second, he closed his eyes and Nick could tell he was using some kind of preternatural powers to seek out Madaug and his family.

While he did that, Bubba turned on the radio, which was playing an emergency broadcast signal that was followed by a newscaster telling them the mayor was issuing a citywide curfew due to a vicious outbreak of severe flu.

Caleb scoffed. "I told you they'd blame this on a disease."

Bubba turned left down Canal. "They don't want people to start panicking. For once I can't blame them. The more people on the street, the more vies in the morgue."

The newscaster continued. "The police are implementing a citywide curfew. All residents are urged to stay in while they secure the Quarter. Anyone found outside will be arrested."

"And all zombies will be shot," Nick added with a laugh.

"Should we head back?" Alex asked.

Bubba shrugged. "That's what common sense would say. What do you think?"

Nick leaned back in his seat. "Far be it from me to ever let my common sense get in the way of my stupidity. I say we press on. Caleb?"

He flashed a cheesy grin. "What's an arrest record anyway? Me, Alex, and Nick are minors."

"To infinity then."

Nick frowned at Bubba's words. "What's that mean?"

"It's something my dad used to say when I was a kid. To infinity, meaning you'd see something through to the end."

Nick didn't get it. "Infinity is never-ending."

"That's right, which means you keep going and going no matter what happens or what obstacles you meet. Over, under, around, or through. There's always a way. And if you have to chase something to infinity, strap on your big-boy pants, hiking boots, and go."

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, something slammed into the SUV. One minute, they were fine.

The next, they were spinning out of control.

Nick's head slammed into the glass so hard, he saw stars as the SUV rolled over and over, careening out of control. It felt like it was never going to stop, and it didn't until something catapulted them against the concrete wall of the 1-10 overpass. They hit it so hard, he was amazed it didn't snap the truck in half.

Groaning, Nick saw Bubba lying unconscious, pinned between the steering wheel and seat. His brow was split and blood trickled down his face, dripping onto his shirt. Alex was breathing like a woman in labor as he tried to open his door. He was covered in blood with a split lip and swelling eye. But the most shocking was Caleb, who'd lost his human appearance entirely.

Whoa, not only was his skin red, but it glowed in the faint light. And those serpentine eyes with their diamond-shaped pupils were off the creepy weird chart.

Nick tried to move. But raw pain pounded through him, making it hard to breathe while Caleb tried to unbuckle his seat belt. One of his hands looked like it might be broken. Even so, Caleb didn't let it deter him at all.

"Alex?" Caleb said, his voice reverberating with a deep accent. "We're under attack. Can you get out?"

Alex made the sound of an angry grizzly. "Something has my powers locked. I can't do squat, not even undo my seat belt. Are your powers working?"

"No. I can't even hold my human form."

All of a sudden Nick smelled the pungent stench of sulphur and death.

Caleb cursed as he started kicking the side window. As soon as the glass was out, he grabbed Nick and shoved him through the opening he'd made. Nick hissed as agony erupted down his shoulder and arm from the manhandling.

Dang, it hurt.

Caleb climbed out and grabbed his good arm. Dragging him along behind him, Caleb was speaking in a language that Nick couldn't understand.

"Dude, I don't think we're supposed to be moving until the medics get here after a wreck like that. I think I broke something. We could sever our spines or something."

"You're about to break a lot more than your spine." Caleb turned and looked up over their heads. Cursing, he grabbed Nick and shoved him into a drainage pipe. "Don't move, and breathe only if you have to."

What kind of stupid comment was that?

Nick started to argue until he saw what had Caleb so worried. These were ...

Flying monkeys?

You wish.
'Cause instead of being cute little blue things in weird suits and hats, the things after them were huge, ugly creatures that turned his stomach. With bald heads, talons, and Shar-Pei-like skin, they gave foul a whole new meaning. And they smelled like rotten eggs. No, they smelled like four-day-old powdered eggs that had been left to mold in the August sun.

Or Bubba's shoes...

Their stench was so pungent, it was all he could do not to heave.

Caleb turned to fight them. They swarmed over him like the birds in the old-timey Hitchcock film. Nick couldn't even see the outline of his body as they took him down.

Terrified, he fell back deeper into the drain, out of their sight. Pulling the sword out, he whispered a prayer for some serious divine intervention.

The sound of wings beat against the night like a thunderous heartbeat. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he considered his options. He couldn't see much of anything in the darkness. If he went out there to run, they'd see him and swarm him too.

Gah, wiatdoldo?

"Nick?"

He froze as he heard his mother's voice and what sounded like her sobbing.
It's a trick.
There was no way she could be here. None.

"They're hurting me, baby. Help me. Please!"

It's not her. It's not her.

But what if it was?

What if it's not?

He put his hand on the cell phone, tempted to call her and see. But if it was a trick, they'd hear him.
What do I do?

He tightened his grip on the sword as he heard something crawling along the ground outside. It sounded like it was coming closer. He looked down at the bright ruby in the hilt and hesitated. This was his only weapon. If he lost it, he'd be completely at their mercy.

No, wait...

He had something else that might help. At least he hoped it would. Pulling out the book, he crouched low with it and used his cell phone as a light so that he could see the blank pages. Repeating whatAmbrose had shown him, he pricked his finger with the dagger and let his blood fall on the page.

"What are these things after me?" he breathed.

His blood drew a picture of them that was even uglier than what he'd glimpsed. Then words appeared underneath the image to explain what they were.
Taahiki demons. Third subculture w'th limited powers. They are fetchers sent in to retrieve objects and creatures for their masters. In this case. .. you.

"How did they immobilize Caleb and Alex?"

Beneath the picture, another image appeared. This one was a small medallion that was highly ornate. Once again, words appeared.
Starof Ishtaryn. Demon kryptonite. Will weaken and cage any demonkyn who comes into contact wth it, which includes half-breeds such as you.

And it's not good for werebeasts either.

The book had some serious attitude.

"So what do I do?" Nick asked it.

The blood crawled to the opposite page.

When all is said and all is done,

The best thing for you to do nowis to run.

"Run" appeared as a giant, jagged word. Nick slammed the book shut, put it in his pocket, and did exactly what it said. He tore out of the pipe and hesitated as he saw the remnants of Bubba's SUV.
Please dont be dead.

He barely had time to finish that thought before the demons saw him and reversed course. With a shriek, they turned like a flock of birds and came for him, wings flapping. He shrank the sword and put it in his pocket. With his head down low, he ran with everything he had.

For several minutes he seemed to be making ground.

Then, just as he was sure he'd escape, they dropped and shoved him hard. The motion propelled him forward, to the ground. Nick cried out as his shoulder and arm hit the street. The pain was so severe that for a moment, he thought he'd pass out from it.

Run/The word screamed through his mind. He pushed himself up, but the demons hit him again and again across his back. This time, they stabbed him with their talons repeatedly until the pain overwhelmed him.

Dont pass out. Dont you dare.

But it was too late. His sight was already dimming. The last thing he saw was Bubba's SUV bursting into flames and exploding.

Then everything went black.

Nick came awake to the worst pain imaginable pounding through his skull. He felt like someone was clawing out his right eye. How anything could hurt this bad and not kill him, he couldn't imagine.

Then he heard the faint sound of a little kid crying. Blinking open his eyes, he realized he was lying facedown on a cold earth floor in a tiny cell. The crying came from a boy around the age of ten who sat in a corner with his legs pulled tight to his chest. His brown eyes swam with tears as he sobbed against his knees.