Sherrilyn Kenyon - Infamous

Nick let fly his bolt into that demon’s chest. He exploded into fire as the other two rushed Nick.

Caleb caught one before he could reach Nick, and broke his neck. The one attacking Nick threw a wide, telegraphed punch. Nick ducked and came up with a fist into the demon’s jaw. The blow shattered his shell, causing him to disintegrate. Something that showered them with an odor so foul, Nick gagged on it.

“What kind are they?” Nick asked.

“The kind that shouldn’t be here.”

“How so?”

Caleb gave him a hard stare. “They’re blood demons.” He said that like Nick ought to know what that was.

Yeah. Clueless as normal. “Isn’t that what Virgil is?”

“Damn, Nick, quit being bibliophobic.”

Nick grimaced. “When did we quit speaking the same language?”

“Means you’re afraid of books. I’ve never seen anyone stand toe-to-toe with a daeve and not have a shred of fear in him, yet if I hand you a book, unless it’s manga, you act like it’s going to bite you.”

“It’s not the biting that scares me, it’s the boring. Besides, I like books with pictures. Manga can get pretty racy in Shonen and my mother doesn’t confiscate it and ground me for reading it. Unlike other male materials that launch her into a three-week rant about how women don’t look like that and how it’s disrespectful to her to have it in her house.”

Caleb growled at him. “You are so mature at times that you lure me into forgetting the fact that you’re an embryo.” He growled fiercely before he continued. “Vampires were human at one time. While humans call them demons, demons are a separate life form. I have never been human, thank the Source for that, and neither have blood demons. So named because they are created from the blood of a higher demon to serve him.”

Now that sounded more interesting than scary. Definitely could come in handy one day. “Will I have that power?”

“If I don’t kill you before you mature, yes.”

Nick intended to stay off Caleb’s menu. “Awesome. So what? Are they clones?”

“No. Not even. They’re sent in to take something from the target and return it to their master so that he can gain control of that individual.”

Nick went cold. “You think my father sent them?”

“No. Adarian has your blood. Besides, it’s not his style. He’s never subtle. Someone else sent them.”

But who? “Who knows about me, or you, for that matter?”

“I don’t know, Nick. But we’ve got to get you out of here before you break down again. Not to mention, we’re both sitting ducks in this place.” Caleb froze as if a thought had occurred to him. “I know you’re not going to tell me because you knew it was wrong and that I should kill you for it, but do you think who or whatever you made your deal with could have sent them after you?”

Nick considered it for a few. “No.”

“Any chance you’ll tell me why you think that?”

“They already have something of mine. They wouldn’t need to send out demons to claim any part of me.”

Caleb ground his teeth until his jaw protruded. It was more than obvious he was super unhappy about Nick’s bargain.

And Caleb didn’t even know what it was … Yet.

“What did you give them?”

“Not my soul,” Nick said, knowing that would be Caleb’s primary concern. “Don’t worry.”

“I need to know. Should we get attacked—”

“We won’t.”

Caleb cursed. “What have you gotten us into?”

Before he could answer, Virgil returned with a single deputy. “You both owe me for this. I just laid down a critical favor to get you a bond hearing this fast.”

“We won’t forget,” Caleb assured him.

But after they changed clothes and were hauled before the meanest-looking man Nick had ever seen, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to be indebted. Virgil must have given up something big to get this guy to cooperate. He didn’t know what, and he didn’t want to know what.

The female prosecutor gestured angrily toward Nick. “It was a violent rape, Your Honor, and the defendant has a long history of violence. Look at the bruises on his face. Obviously, he was recently in another altercation with someone else. Not to mention his father—”

“I object, Your Honor.” Virgil drowned out whatever she’d been about to say. “Relevance.”

Glaring at him, she shoved her glasses up, higher on her nose. “Relevance is a family history of violence.”

“His father is not the defendant here,” Virgil fired back. “And unless you can produce a genetic expert showing that one has bearing on the other, it’s irrelevant.”

She bristled. “Psychologists say—”

“Do you have a psychologist who can testify?” Virgil asked.

“Not yet.”

“Then I stand by what I said. I object.”

The judge finally spoke. “Defense is right, counselor. The defendant’s father isn’t the one accused. Go on.”

She sighed heavily. “Fine. I believe him to be a substantial flight risk and think that he should be remanded into custody until his trial.”

The judge looked at Virgil. “Defense, what have you to say?”

“He’s a child, Your Honor. Look at him. Clean cut, honor student.”

“So was Ted Bundy,” the prosecutor interjected.

The judge glared at her. “That’s enough of that, Counsel” He returned his attention to Virgil. “Continue.”

“He has two jobs and people who rely on him. He is not a flight risk. And I can produce seven upstanding members of this community who are here to give testimony as to his character.”

“And I have a video of him—”

The judge banged his gavel. “Counsel, enough.” He looked back at Virgil. “Where are your witnesses?”

They stood up. Nick turned to see Liza, Mama Lo Peltier, Kyrian, Mr. Poitiers and Mr. Addams, Dr. Burdette, and Madaug’s father, Dr. St. James. His mother, Acheron, Rosa, Kody, and Menyara were also with Kyrian, and Bubba and Mark sat next to Dr. Burdette. Nick’s insides shrank at the sight of them. While he was grateful they were willing to stand up for him, he was humiliated that they all knew about this.

Then again, who didn’t know? Not like he’d been arrested in private.

He cringed at the thought of facing his classmates and school admin after this. No matter what, he’d forever be labeled as a criminal.

So this is how Brynna felt …

Virgil cleared his throat. “And Your Honor, they were the first seven I called. If you give me an hour, I can get you a dozen more. All of whom are willing to testify to Mr. Gautier’s good character and upstanding morals.”

The judge considered it. “Bail is set at a million dollars and I want him under house arrest until his trial. He can go to school and work, but nowhere else. And he is not to be left alone.”

“Uh, Your Honor,” Virgil said, before clearing his throat, “his job for Mr. Hunter requires him to run errands all over the city.”

“Then he is to be electronically monitored at all times and will be required to call in every hour on the hour outside of school.”

“Yes, Your Honor. Thank you.”

Caleb’s hearing was much easier. The judge let him go with a promise that he wouldn’t touch anymore police cars.

His stomach knotting, Nick headed for his mother. She wouldn’t even look at him.

Kyrian clapped Nick on the back. “I’ve already given the bail money to Virgil to post your bond.”

Nick nodded gratefully at Kyrian. “Thank you. For everything.”

“No problem.”

Acheron placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Nick. We’ll find out the truth.”

But it wouldn’t change the hurt in his mother’s eyes.