Which reminded Nick of what they needed to do next. “Styxx wouldn’t happen to be here, would he?”
Grim shook his head. “Cyprian spread your group out. Last thing he wanted was for all of you to join forces.”
That made Nick’s heart flutter. Was Grim saying what he hoped he was saying? “We can defeat him?”
“Together, yes. You almost defeated him anyway. Had he not killed Neria in the fight, you would have kicked his ass.”
Nick actually sat down with that declaration. All this time, he’d assumed they were outnumbered and outmatched.
“You okay, kid?”
He nodded at Bubba’s question. “We can win.”
“You can win,” Grim repeated.
Those words echoed in Nick’s mind as a thousand different emotions went through him simultaneously. They had hope.
He almost hated that they had hope. It was a treacherous beast that kept people going, even when it was hopeless.
Of all the four-letter words in the world, he hated hope most of all. It was the meanest and cruelest.
Yet there it was, urging him to pick up the gauntlet and finish this fight. He had no choice.
I make my destiny.
And he was at a crossroads where there was no way back. Everything had pushed him here. Stand and fight, or go home and lick his wounds.
He met Grim’s gaze. “Is there any scenario, in any multiverse, where I save my mom?”
“You know the answer.”
Sadly, he did. If string theory were correct, his life had played in every single scenario.
And in one of them, Cherise Gautier was alive and happy. Why couldn’t this bethatoutcome?
You have to try.
Aside from death and taxes, the only other guarantee in life was that if you didn’t try, you’d never succeed.You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take …
Wayne Gretzky was right.
He heard someone tsking him. “Now, Akri-Nick, don’t be so sad. Why you want to look like one of those mopey people who walk around all dour and weepy. Smile! You gots Akri-Kody. Akri. Akri-Bubba and Akri-Xev. All we needs is Akri-Caleb and we gots an army to eat all them nasty gods.”
Nick gasped at the sound of a voice he’d never thought to hear again. “Simi!” He shot to his feet to see the demon who had the same hair color as Ash. Only Simi’s was pulled into two long pigtails.
Like Acheron, she held a set of fangs as well as wings she kept hidden. Right now, she looked a little older than she’d been twelve hundred years ago. But she was still as beautiful as ever, with her singsong voice and unique views on the world.
“I have missed you so much!” He sprang to his feet to hug her. “How are you here?”
Ash pointed to his shoulder. “I didn’t want her fighting. She was a tattoo on my chest when I was frozen.”
Yawning, Simi stretched. “And I’m so tired.” Then her gaze went to Grim. With a feral hiss, she started for him.
Grim cringed and threw up a shield. “I’m on your side!”
Simi didn’t care as she slammed against his shield. “Lemme in! The Simi is going to eat your head and live, and she’s not even going to use barbecue sauce!”
Ash pulled her back. “It’s okay, Sim.”
