Nick pulled back the shrubs. “Anyone have a more productive idea?”
Kody took his hand and gently nudged him away from the bushes. “I wouldn’t do that. We don’t know if something grabbed her or if the shrub ate her.”
She had a point.
Sliding away from the greenery, Nick ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe she’s gone.” He searched his inherited memories for a clue as to what had grabbed her.
Nothing came to mind.
“For the record, I don’t want to be sucked into a bush.”
Xev smirked. “Since Caleb isn’t here, I feel compelled to provide one of his retorts. I didn’t want to be sucked into another one of your misadventures in Hellscape.”
“Ha ha.” But Nick was leery of anything green. “Where do you think she went?”
“Who knows?” Xev turned a slow circle. “As noted, everything here is dangerous.”
Yeah, and so was Nick.
At least in theory.
As they sheathed their swords, he looked around. “She said that Ash was in a garden in the back, right?”
Xev nodded.
Nick gestured at the path over his shoulder. “So, this way?”
“Unless they changed it, yes.” But there was no missing the reluctance in Xev’s eyes.
“When was the last time you were here?”
“I don’t want to think about it.” Xev rolled his shoulders as if they burned.
That made Nick feel like a total jerk as he realized that the last time Xev had been here must have been when they ripped his wings from him.
Crap. The last thing he’d wanted was to make Xev relive that nightmare. In spite of their banter that sometimes held barbs, he loved his great-grandfather. They’d been through a lot together, and he knew that Xev would always be there for him.
Before he could stop himself, he hugged Xev. “They were the assholes.”
Xev gave him a hard squeeze. “You’re all right for a nasty demon.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Stepping back, Nick headed down the path. Cautiously. The last thing he wanted was to run into the dragon. Or another man-eating bush.
He took deep breaths as he looked all around and waited for the next ambush. Gah, no wonder his mom complained about stress. It was exhausting. He much preferred being the thing everyone feared than being the one waiting for something terrifying to attack.
And on that note …
He returned to his Malachai body.
Kody slowed. “Something wrong?”
“Not yet. But I’m sure that’ll change.”
“I was just thinking that.” Xev looked up the walls. “Xenia told us that Grim knew we were here. Why hasn’t he attacked?”
“Maybe he was the bush.” But Nick knew better even as he said that. The shrubs were too subtle for Grim.
