a major death phobia anyway. He couldn’t stand the thought of it.
Trying to put it out of his mind, Nick punched the code into the gate and waited for it to open.
As soon as it was wide enough, he headed up the curved driveway that led to the sprawling white antebellum mansion Kyrian called home. It was an impressive place with wraparound porches, up and down. The kind of house that reminded you of a wedding cake.
And as he walked closer, he had another weird sensation go through him—like some out-of-body experience. He saw himself from high above in the clouds. There was no doubt that was Nick Gautier walking, yet it seemed like some unknown character on a TV screen. Like he was completely detached from his emotions and body.
What is going on with me today?
Thankfully, his phone buzzed in his pocket. That sensation slammed him back into his body and reality, and reconnected him with his emotions.
Nick pulled his phone out to see a message from Casey.
Hey, babe. I heard you guys got free early. Want to grab a bite to eat?
Nick scowled, then quickly typed a response. I think you meant to send that to Stone.
He’d just reached the steps when she answered.
Ha, ha, Nick. I know who I’m texting. So are you hungry? Want to hang out for a while?
Yeah, this day couldn’t get any stranger.
Well, barring another one of Madaug’s zombie attacks or a demon assault.
Have to work. Sorry.
He’d barely sent that before she shot back another text. Dang, that girl could hammer out words.
Call me when you get off. I’ll be here.
Nick was so stunned that he would have walked straight into the front door had Rosa not opened it first. About even in height to Bubba’s mama, Rosa had black hair tinged with gray. In her early forties, she was Kyrian’s housekeeper and more like another mother to Nick.
“You have a problem, Mr. Nick?” He always loved the way she said his name with her heavy Spanish accent. It was so cool.
“No, Rosa. I’m just trying to figure out a girl from school.”
She laughed and stepped back so that he could enter the house. “There’s no figure when you speak of women, m’ijo . We are mysterious creatures.”
“Yes, yes you are.” He slid his phone into his pocket. “Is Kyrian awake yet?”
She closed the door and pulled the cloth from her shoulder. “ Sí . He is in the shower.”
“Awesome.”
Rosa scowled at him. “Do you feel all right, Nick? You look a bit pale.”
That was another thing about Rosa, you couldn’t get anything past her. “Yes, ma’am. Just had a bad day.”
She gave him a sympathetic pout. “Would chocolate chips help you feel better?”
He immediately flashed a grin at her. “Ah, Ms. Rosa, you are a godsend. Yes, that would help turn my day around exponentially.”
Rising up on her tiptoes, she ruffled his hair. “They are in the kitchen, m’ijo . Still warm and gooey. Go grab yourself some.”
“Muchas gracias!”
“De nada.”
With quick steps, Nick ran to the back of the house, then paused as he felt a presence there that wasn’t normal. “Rosa?” he called out. “Is Acheron here?” He always left an odd feeling in the air.
“No. Just you, me, and Kyrian.”
Weird. “Okay. Thanks.”
Still, he couldn’t shake the sensation as he made his way to the kitchen counter to grab a handful of Rosa’s delicious cookies. The smell was soothing, but he couldn’t get over the odd tingling. It made the skin on the back of his neck crawl.
He swallowed a cookie and looked around the room, seeking the source of his discomfort.
What the…?
You are going to die.… The disembodied voice that came from the hall was gender neutral.
His heart hammering, Nick searched everywhere, trying to find the source of it.
There was nothing. He was completely alone in the kitchen.
“Who are you?” he shot back in a low tone so that Rosa wouldn’t hear it and think he was nuts. He backed away from the counter toward the door to his office, then
Trying to put it out of his mind, Nick punched the code into the gate and waited for it to open.
As soon as it was wide enough, he headed up the curved driveway that led to the sprawling white antebellum mansion Kyrian called home. It was an impressive place with wraparound porches, up and down. The kind of house that reminded you of a wedding cake.
And as he walked closer, he had another weird sensation go through him—like some out-of-body experience. He saw himself from high above in the clouds. There was no doubt that was Nick Gautier walking, yet it seemed like some unknown character on a TV screen. Like he was completely detached from his emotions and body.
What is going on with me today?
Thankfully, his phone buzzed in his pocket. That sensation slammed him back into his body and reality, and reconnected him with his emotions.
Nick pulled his phone out to see a message from Casey.
Hey, babe. I heard you guys got free early. Want to grab a bite to eat?
Nick scowled, then quickly typed a response. I think you meant to send that to Stone.
He’d just reached the steps when she answered.
Ha, ha, Nick. I know who I’m texting. So are you hungry? Want to hang out for a while?
Yeah, this day couldn’t get any stranger.
Well, barring another one of Madaug’s zombie attacks or a demon assault.
Have to work. Sorry.
He’d barely sent that before she shot back another text. Dang, that girl could hammer out words.
Call me when you get off. I’ll be here.
Nick was so stunned that he would have walked straight into the front door had Rosa not opened it first. About even in height to Bubba’s mama, Rosa had black hair tinged with gray. In her early forties, she was Kyrian’s housekeeper and more like another mother to Nick.
“You have a problem, Mr. Nick?” He always loved the way she said his name with her heavy Spanish accent. It was so cool.
“No, Rosa. I’m just trying to figure out a girl from school.”
She laughed and stepped back so that he could enter the house. “There’s no figure when you speak of women, m’ijo . We are mysterious creatures.”
“Yes, yes you are.” He slid his phone into his pocket. “Is Kyrian awake yet?”
She closed the door and pulled the cloth from her shoulder. “ Sí . He is in the shower.”
“Awesome.”
Rosa scowled at him. “Do you feel all right, Nick? You look a bit pale.”
That was another thing about Rosa, you couldn’t get anything past her. “Yes, ma’am. Just had a bad day.”
She gave him a sympathetic pout. “Would chocolate chips help you feel better?”
He immediately flashed a grin at her. “Ah, Ms. Rosa, you are a godsend. Yes, that would help turn my day around exponentially.”
Rising up on her tiptoes, she ruffled his hair. “They are in the kitchen, m’ijo . Still warm and gooey. Go grab yourself some.”
“Muchas gracias!”
“De nada.”
With quick steps, Nick ran to the back of the house, then paused as he felt a presence there that wasn’t normal. “Rosa?” he called out. “Is Acheron here?” He always left an odd feeling in the air.
“No. Just you, me, and Kyrian.”
Weird. “Okay. Thanks.”
Still, he couldn’t shake the sensation as he made his way to the kitchen counter to grab a handful of Rosa’s delicious cookies. The smell was soothing, but he couldn’t get over the odd tingling. It made the skin on the back of his neck crawl.
He swallowed a cookie and looked around the room, seeking the source of his discomfort.
What the…?
You are going to die.… The disembodied voice that came from the hall was gender neutral.
His heart hammering, Nick searched everywhere, trying to find the source of it.
There was nothing. He was completely alone in the kitchen.
“Who are you?” he shot back in a low tone so that Rosa wouldn’t hear it and think he was nuts. He backed away from the counter toward the door to his office, then
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