Shadow appeared instantly beside Nick and nudged him aside. “What do you mean you’re looking for Thorn?”
“He vanished on Halloween, and no one knows where he is.”
Shadow looked up at Nick. “You didn’t do anything to him, did you?”
Nick shoved playfully at Shadow. “You’re such an idiot. I’d rip your head off before I would Thorn’s. He’s one of my protectors and has done me a lot of solids.” He looked at Simi. “I’m not my father.”
That was certainly true. In spite of being the Malachai, Nick helped protect humans. He’d always been a good guy.
Even though it was hard for him because the Malachai blood inside his veins wanted to destroy the world. But his mother’s love counteracted it. That was the one thing Cam had done right. She’d found a way to suppress the Malachai and teach him how to love, and be decent.
Nick’s eyes darkened as he searched the ether. “I can’t find Thorn. Anywhere.”
Shadow went pale. “Neither can I.”
Nick brushed his hand through his dark-brown hair. “How is this possible? Is he dead?”
That word made Simi’s heart stop. Thorn dead? She couldn’t even bear the thought. Thorn could never die. It would destroy her. “No one would dare kill Thorny.”
Would they?
Panic set in as she realized how many enemies Thorn had. Like akri. So many wanted him gone. Even his own father was known to threaten him. Thorn liked to joke about it, but Simi didn’t find it funny. Especially right now.
Shadow rubbed at his arm. “Let me go see if I can find something out with the powers that be. Maybe they know what happened to him.”
Simi nodded as he vanished.
Nick stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Want to come in? I think I have some Tabasco sauce. We definitely have pizza.”
She laughed. “Normally the Simi would never turn down such an offer, but I’m worried about Thorn. Not even hot sauce will help.”
“We’ll find him, Simi. Don’t worry.”
She wanted to believe that. But something about all this seemed wrong.
Thorn needed her. She could feel it. She just didn’t know where he was or how to help him.
36
November 9, 2030
Thorn growled as he felt his control slipping. There was no light or sound other than the fierce beating of his heart. Everything here was torture. Especially the darkness that seemed to infiltrate every part of his being.
He was losing his mind, and he didn’t know how to fight this.
Damn you, Paimon!
How could he have let his guard slip?
I underestimated him. Not his powers. Paimon’s viciousness. It was arrogance really. He’d correctly thought of Paimon as a parasite. His problem was that he forgot how destructive something as innocuous as a parasite could be.
The smallest thing could be lethal, especially when you turned your back on it.
Effing weasel.
Now he was trapped in a dismal ten-by-ten room with no window. No furniture.
No light.
