His eyes widened. “This is certainly a step up.” He hit Nick in the stomach. “Why couldn’t you ever pick a place like this?”
“Because the country scares me.”
Caleb’s eyebrow lifted. “You live in New Orleans, one of the most crime-ridden cities. How in the name of Artemis could youeverbe afraid of the country?”
“Yeah. I know what criminals will do. Animals …”
“Can’t shoot you from a hundred yards away?” Xev asked.
Nick gave him a dry stare. “They’re unpredictable and they can rip my throat out. Speaking from personal experience, I’d rather be shot.”
Vawn snorted. “Says the man who travels with two wolves.” He petted Kaziel. “Trust me, they’re a lot easier to deal with than people, demons, or gods. They don’t betray you, and they only bite when provoked. I’ve never known one to smile at your face, then go for your back.”
That was a sad indictment against humanity. True, but sad nonetheless.
Bubba unsheathed his sword. “Word to the wise—nothing here is what it seems. Heads up and watch your step. Pretty much everything we pass will try to kill you.”
“So it’s just another day.” Nick smiled at him.
Shaking his head, Bubba started forward with a caution in his steps that let Nick know he wasn’t kidding or exaggerating. When Bubba went into zombie mode, it was always serious.
And scary.
“Where are we?” Nick asked.
“Azmodea.”
His jaw went slack at that. “No. No way.” Azmodea was a dark, awful place. Like something in a bad horror movie … or Disney’s Haunted Mansion. “I thought everything here was dark and terrifying.”
“Not always.” Caleb transformed to his demonic form. “But like this … it was conquered. How did they defeat Noir and Azura?”
“They’re not defeated.”
Xev and Caleb exchanged a confused stare as if they didn’t believe Bubba’s words.
Caleb drew his sword. “Neither of them would ever go for this. They like night too much.”
“True,” Bubba agreed. “Cyprian opened the gates. They took the human world, and Cyprian took this one.”
Those words made Nick sick to his stomach. And it explained so much. No wonder the human world looked like it did. Someone had let out the darkest powers of the universe.
Mankind would have had no idea how to fight them. Or how to survive.
Why, Lord? Why?
Xev’s mouth opened and closed as if he was struggling with words.
Finally, he spoke. “What about Thorn?”
Bubba shook his head sadly. “He went down in the battle.”
“Thorn is dead?” Kody’s eyes welled with tears.
“No. He’s captured. Noir would never be able to kill his son.”
But he’d be able to torture him. That was the saddest and sickest part. Noir was an animal.
She moved over to Nick. “We have to set this right.”
