“Get your arse up, Leucious, I’m in no mood. You’re the one what got me into this with your stupidity. Be damned if you’re going to quit on me now.”
Thorn looked up at him. “You are a contrary bastard. For centuries you tried to kill me. I finally lie down to let you do it and you refuse.”
“Because you brought me back for a mission. And I know you better than that.” He kicked Thorn’s feet. “Up with you. You’re embarrassing me.”
“Fine, but only because if I quit it would make my father happy.” Thorn stood up and sighed. “All right. New game plan. To our deaths!”
The crew grumbled in protest.
Nibo shook his head. “New game plan. Reach Acheron. Stop the Apocalypse. Club me brother in the head and lock Adarian down.”
“For the record,” Will said, “we like that one better.”
Thorn scoffed. “You say that like it’s easy.”
“Your father had him neutralized. I’m thinking that means you know how to do it, too.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe isn’t going to cut this, Leucious. You better go find us something better than a maybe.”
Thorn mumbled under his breath before he let out a begrudging “All right.”
But even as he said that, Valynda heard the doubt in his tone. More than that, she felt it in her heart. Worse, she saw it on the beloved faces of those around her.
Please, don’t let this be a mistake.
Because now that she was human again, she had so much more to lose. Not just her life, but a heart that could break again, and that was the last thing she wanted. This was no longer about her, and it wasn’t just about Nibo.
This was about the crew that had become her family, and it was about the survival of the entire world.
“We won’t fail.”
They couldn’t afford to.
There was much that Nibo had in common with Acheron, who sat outside a rundown brothel, drinking alone while ignoring the women and even a few men who were trying to entice his business.
A twin brother he couldn’t stand who wanted to kill him. A past he tried not to think about. People who were always trying to bargain with him, and not just for sex, even though those lined up for blocks to the point it was more tiresome than flattering. And more responsibilities than he’d ever signed up for.
More than that, Nibo was intimately acquainted with that expression of supreme disgust etched on the Atlantean god’s face as he saw him approaching, because there were so few either of them could trust that they both had an instinctive need to pat down anyone who dared to come near to ensure they weren’t packing one of the few weapons that could kill them. Not that they really cared, as death would be a welcome respite from the misery that served as their pseudo-existence.
It was so ingrained, Acheron’s hand actually headed for the sword he had strapped underneath his plain black buccaneer coat. Though Nibo had to admit, those clothes looked good on the ancient being, right down to the red scarf over his waist-length black hair and the gold hoop in his ear. Acheron had a silver ring on each of his fingers that scraped against the hilt of his sword as he gripped it.
Amused, Nibo picked up Acheron’s black tricorne hat from the chair and set it on the table between them before he audaciously took a seat. “I know … I know. What the fuck do I want, and why the hell am I here?”
That succeeded in shattering the grim expression on Acheron’s face as it melted into a rich laugh. Shaking his head, he held his arm out to Nibo. “I would apologize, but …”
“You only see me when I need something, so I don’t hold the hostility against you. One day, me brother, we need to spend the night doing nothing but swapping nightmares and getting shit-faced.” Nibo held his rum out to Acheron, who took it.
“Too good to shake my hand now, eh?”
“Too tired.” Nibo winked at him as he toyed with the white plume feathers that trimmed the edges of Acheron’s hat. “Besides, the rum’s better.”
“That it is.” Acheron took another deep draught before he passed it back. “Compliments to the producer.”
“Yeah. Damn shame me irritable brother gutted him.” Nibo took a drink and sighed. “Where’s Tessier?”
Acheron pointed up at the sky and the bright sun shining down on them. “At the moment, not bursting into flames. Why?”
