Infamous Read Free

And alive as far as I’ve been told.”
    “Yeah. This is the first time that’s happened. Damned if I know why. He should be dead by now. Because he’s not, it’s allowing enemies to find you sooner than they should be able to.”
    Nick definitely didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean?”
    “What I mean is there are currently two Malachais using their powers here in New Orleans—you and our father—and there should only be one in existence at a time. Once a new Malachai is born and reaches puberty, the other dies—usually violently so—”
    “Are you telling me that if I ever have a kid, it’s going to grow up and kill me?”
    A cruel smile twisted Ambrose’s lips. “You can have them. But it’s like playing Russian roulette. If they don’t inherit your powers, the human part can’t handle your Malachai demon blood and they die before they’re ten. The one who reaches ten and lives … that’s the one who will replace you.”
    That explained so much about his father’s attitude toward him. No wonder he hated him so. “Meaning I’ll die around their tenth birthday?”
    Ambrose sarcastically touched his nose to let Nick know that he was correct. “That’s the way it’s always worked in the past. One of the beautiful things about us … Until we use our powers, we are invisible to almost all other gods and preternatural creatures. If they try to see our future, they see one that looks human. Kids, grandkids, the whole package. They have no way of knowing who and what we are until we evolve and flex our powers. But the one thing that has always held true—there can only be one Malachai demon with full powers at a time.”
    “Why?”
    “It was a bargain made after the Primus Bellum—the first major war of the gods. Both sides were required to put their soldiers down.”
    Nick grimaced at what he was sure was a euphemism. “You mean kill them?”
    Ambrose nodded. “But the commander of each side was spared. One Malachai. One Sephiroth. They exist in balance and so long as the truce holds, there can be no more than the one.”
    “So what changed?”
    “No idea. With our luck, by coming to the past as a Malachai, I screwed the pooch to the point it’ll never walk again. It’s the only thing I can think of. But since you didn’t have powers yet, I didn’t think it would be a problem. Whatever the cause, something is out of synch here, and no one knows what it is. All we know for sure is that your power is concentrated with Adarian’s. So long as your father lives, there’s a cosmic bounty on your head so steep it’s staggering.”
    “Why?” Nick asked.
    “Whoever kills you, gets to take your powers as a bonus. It’s why you’re in the worst sort of danger imaginable. No one, except you, can kill Adarian, so no one will try for him.”
    Which meant it was open season on Nick.
    “If I die, can’t my father have another child?”
    “You don’t have to die for it. He can have another kid at any point—but only one of you can have the Malachai powers and only one of you will live to adulthood—that’s the theory, anyway. However, death isn’t the worst fear you should have, kid. There are many things a lot worse, and those things are after you right now. You can’t trust anyone … except me. I’m the only one who truly has your back.”
    “You said earlier that I could trust Kyrian.”
    “You can. He’s a good man, but he’s not powerful enough to fight what’s coming for you. No one is, except you. ”
    That reignited Nick’s temper as he remembered the fact that Ambrose had left him alone to face one demon already when the jerk could have helped him. “And you’re not going to help me?”
    “I can’t.”
    “Yeah, right. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you already screwing with cosmic law by being here?”
    “This isn’t about cosmic law. It’s about survival. Our mutual survival, and saving the people we both love more than