The soldier glanced over his shoulder to the rest of his army and said something Nick couldn’t translate. All of a sudden, they threw their arms out in unison and sent a sonic blast toward Ash and Nick.
Nick expected it to rebound off the force field.
It didn’t.
Rather, it sent both him and Ash reeling. Nick slammed against a wall with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. His back burned as his vision dimmed. Now, that stung.
The leader stepped over Ash’s body and grabbed Nick by his arm and hauled him to his feet.
“What are you?” Nick breathed.
“Death.”
Nick snorted at the arrogant tone. “No offense, I’ve met the man and he’s a lot more badass than you … prettier, too.”
Laughing, the soldier grabbed him by the throat and choked him.
“Ameretat!” Acheron snarled as he rose slowly to his feet. “Let him go!”
The soldier blasted Ash away while he increased the pressure on Nick’s neck.
Unable to breathe, Nick did his best to break Ameretat’s hold, but there was nothing he could do. His face turned hot. His ears rang fiercely.
Just as he started to black out, Ameretat went flying. An instant later, Acheron tossed Nick over his shoulder and teleported them out.
Coughing and wheezing, Nick tried to focus his gaze as he found himself back in Acheron’s study. Ash set him down on his feet then stepped away. He gave a shaky laugh as he met Acheron’s gaze. “Admit it, Ash. I’m too fluffy and adorable to kill.” He batted his eyelashes.
For a second, he was sure Ash would take over where Ameretat had left off and choke the rest of the life out of him. Finally, Ash rolled his eyes and scoffed derisively. “When we get you back to your mother, you better hug her close and thank her.”
“Not that I don’t always do that, but for what in specific?”
“The fact that I can’t break her heart by doing what I’m sure would be the best thing for everyone. Handing you over to them.”
Nick drew a ragged breath through his sore throat. “We both thank you for your restraint.”
Ash ignored the comment. “I’ve never tried to send someone into an alternate universe before. Never mind send them in and pull someone else out. But—”
“Wait,” Nick dodged Acheron’s hand.
“What?”
“My girlfriend’s here, too.”
Ash gaped in disbelief. “How do you mean?”
“When Thorn attacked me, somehow I pulled her here. Kind of like saving Simi. No idea how it happened. It just did.”
Cursing under his breath, Ash glared at Nick. “Where is she?”
“She was at the convent where your hell-monkeys found me. Pretty sure she’s not there now. But that’s just a guess.”
The expression on Ash’s face said that he was about to follow through with his threat and return Nick to his enemies. “Is she human?”
“Kind of.”
Ash cursed again. “I know I don’t want to ask this, but the compulsion’s more than I can bear. What’s kind of human?”
Debating the sanity of answering, Nick decided that he owed some kind of explanation to Acheron for not allowing him to die at Ameretat’s hand. But he had a bad feeling Ash wasn’t going to like it. “She’s a ghost.”
Acheron scowled at him. “A ghost?”
He nodded. “Weird, right? But true nonetheless.”
“Can’t I send you back and then you call her?”
“I’d rather you not … just in case I can’t. No offense, but the whole girlfriend designation means I’m kind of attached to her and would be very put out if she didn’t make it back and I did.”
“What kind of idiot dates a ghost?” The expression on Ash’s face said that he was about to send Nick back anyway. Until his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the ID. After hesitating a few more seconds, he made a sound of supreme irritation before he finally answered it. “Savitar … it’s been a while.”
Grateful for the reprieve, Nick said a quiet prayer of thanks for Savitar’s timing.
And that new look Ash cast in his direction told him that he was the prime subject of their conversation. A conversation that was worsening whatever intestinal woe had besieged Acheron.
Nick cupped his hands around his mouth. “Tell Sav I said hi.”
Acheron narrowed his eyes in warning. “Yeah, I’ll bring him to you.” He turned off the phone and grabbed Nick’s arm. Before Nick could blink, they were back in the Burdette mansion. His mom and Bubba were sitting on the couch not far from Savitar while Kody stood in one corner, chewing her thumbnail. A tall blond man Nick assumed to be Mark was next to her.
The moment Kody saw him, she dropped her hand and gave him a smile that set fire to every male hormone in his body. “Oh thank the gods!” She ran to him and hugged him close. “We’ve been worried sick.”
Nick closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. Yeah, okay, he’d take a beating and then some for this. There really were no words for what he felt anytime Kody was with him.
“Girlfriend?” Acheron asked sarcastically.
Nick grinned. “You don’t think I’d let just anyone molest me like this, do you?”
“Now I get it,” Ash mumbled as he and Savitar locked gazes. Something dark passed between them that said they had a bad history with each other. But what Nick didn’t miss was the way Kody reacted as she realized Acheron was with him. It was subtle. Just a tensing of her body. A flash of pained recognition in her eyes. Most people wouldn’t have caught it at all, but Nick was attuned to every nuance of her.
She knew Acheron. Well.
Gently, Nick tilted her chin until she met his gaze. “What is it?” he whispered.
Refusing to answer, she shook her head. “Nothing.”
Yet he knew better. It was another secret she refused to share. Had she dated Acheron or something?
Gah, he hoped not. That would mess up his head even worse than Bubba dating his mama. Never mind the fact that the two of them were married in this realm.
It was sick all the way around.
“Well,” Ash said to Nick. “Now that you’re reunited, let’s get rid of you both.”
Savitar snorted. “Won’t work.”
Acheron glared at Savitar. “What do you mean?”
Savitar jerked his chin toward Nick. “He’s been split. You can’t send him home and bring the other kid back.”
“How do you know?”
“How do you not know?” Savitar challenged Ash.
Rolling his eyes, Acheron scoffed. “When was the last time you were right about anything?”
“That’s a cold, low blow.”
When Ash started for Savitar, Kody broke them apart.
The scowl returned to Ash’s face as he stared down at her. “Do I know you?”
Kody swallowed hard before she shook her head. “Please don’t fight.”
“Are you sure we don’t know each other?”
Nick held his breath, waiting for her to answer Ash’s question.
Clearing her throat, Kody glanced at Nick. “We’ve never met.”
His lip curled, Savitar moved to stand by a wall. He crossed his arms over his chest before he sneered at Acheron. “A double transmutation through dimensions … Not even you can do that.”
Ash gestured toward Nick. “If it’s been done, it can be undone.”
“And we’re not talking about turning iron into gold, oh great alchemist Acheron,” Savitar countered. “We’re transmuting two living creatures across dimensions simultaneously. I’ve never even heard of this being done. Have you?”
Acheron didn’t answer.
“Well?” Savitar prompted.