I’d never have the chance to meet. Rage warred with the desire to keep my family safe. Keep my friends safe. I could almost understand why the Old Man had lost himself. If everything you live for is taken away …
“Damian.”
I looked up and the expression on Nixie’s face almost tore my heart out.
“Do not lose yourself.”
I took a deep breath and nodded.
“It’s gotten worse, hasn’t it?” she asked. “The temptation?”
“We have to kill Ezekiel,” I said. “Look at what he’s done. We have to stop him.”
“The Old Man is the most powerful necromancer ever to walk upon the earth. Even he was barely a match for Anubis.” Her voice began to get shaky. “If you lose yourself, Ezekiel wins.”
“I won’t leave you,” I said.
The water along her cheeks shimmered and flowed downward. I wasn’t sure if it was just a stutter in the sending, or she was crying.
“How’s the Queen?”
Nixie’s face shut down. That was really all the answer I needed. “We’ll talk about it when you get here. Focus on your training. When you use the hand of glory, do not let go of it for any reason.
“How is Levi?” she asked.
I laughed a little and rubbed my eyes before looking at Nixie’s translucent image again. “I got a bit nasty with the Old Man today. It’s like Russian roulette with sarcasm.”
“Levi is not someone to fuck with,” Nixie said.
“You’re picking up some of the worst parts of our language quite well. Mom will be so proud.”
“Which mom?” She asked. I could barely make out the rise in her eyebrows.
“And sarcasm?” I wiped my brow with an exaggerated motion. “That’s sexy.”
She grinned at me. “I miss you, Damian.”
“I miss you too, Nix.”
“How much longer will you be training with Levi?”
“I’m not sure. Until he says so, I suppose.”
Her image shimmered, faded, and then resolved itself in a fountain of water. “I haven’t felt your warmth in almost a year.”
“You have a frog in your head.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you changing the subject?”
I laughed and held my hand beside her image. The frog swam out of her cheek and onto my hand before it croaked and I set it down. “Really, you had a frog in your head.”
She blinked and said, “Oh.”
“I wish the world would calm the hell down so we could take a vacation together or something.”
“We’ll have some time here. You can see one of my homes!” She smiled, and it was warm, even in her watery state. “I love you.”
A small smile crossed my lips. “I love you too.”
She faded into the water and the light left the blue obsidian disc. I picked it up, shook most of the water off, and slid it into my jeans. In some small way, it felt like Nixie was still close.
***
I walked back to the cabin after strapping my shoes on. It wasn’t a great idea to walk around southern Missouri without shoes. Copperhead snakes have a nasty bite. At least the ticks weren’t out in force. I hate those bloodsuckers.
I ducked through the front of the cabin and eased the door shut. The s’mores hadn’t cut it and I decided to indulge in one of Dell’s most amazing of gifts.
I was on the couch about ninety seconds later, freshly microwaved chimichanga in hand. It was fantastic slathered in sour cream, but my mind was focused on far more troubling subjects.
Sam was in Faerie.
Glenn had brought the pack and the Pit.
Jasper was with Sam.
Mike was nowhere to be found.
Neither was Ezekiel.
I blew out a breath, turned awkwardly on the couch, and set my dishes on the counter. I smiled at a brief memory of Zola scolding me as a child for leaving my dishes in that exact same spot instead of the sink two feet away.
I stared at the backpack beside me and my smile faded. I unzipped it and pulled out the thin, black leather journal. My index finger slid to a random page and prodded the book open. Philip’s looping scrawl was almost familiar now. I hoped to find some new insight into
“Damian.”
I looked up and the expression on Nixie’s face almost tore my heart out.
“Do not lose yourself.”
I took a deep breath and nodded.
“It’s gotten worse, hasn’t it?” she asked. “The temptation?”
“We have to kill Ezekiel,” I said. “Look at what he’s done. We have to stop him.”
“The Old Man is the most powerful necromancer ever to walk upon the earth. Even he was barely a match for Anubis.” Her voice began to get shaky. “If you lose yourself, Ezekiel wins.”
“I won’t leave you,” I said.
The water along her cheeks shimmered and flowed downward. I wasn’t sure if it was just a stutter in the sending, or she was crying.
“How’s the Queen?”
Nixie’s face shut down. That was really all the answer I needed. “We’ll talk about it when you get here. Focus on your training. When you use the hand of glory, do not let go of it for any reason.
“How is Levi?” she asked.
I laughed a little and rubbed my eyes before looking at Nixie’s translucent image again. “I got a bit nasty with the Old Man today. It’s like Russian roulette with sarcasm.”
“Levi is not someone to fuck with,” Nixie said.
“You’re picking up some of the worst parts of our language quite well. Mom will be so proud.”
“Which mom?” She asked. I could barely make out the rise in her eyebrows.
“And sarcasm?” I wiped my brow with an exaggerated motion. “That’s sexy.”
She grinned at me. “I miss you, Damian.”
“I miss you too, Nix.”
“How much longer will you be training with Levi?”
“I’m not sure. Until he says so, I suppose.”
Her image shimmered, faded, and then resolved itself in a fountain of water. “I haven’t felt your warmth in almost a year.”
“You have a frog in your head.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you changing the subject?”
I laughed and held my hand beside her image. The frog swam out of her cheek and onto my hand before it croaked and I set it down. “Really, you had a frog in your head.”
She blinked and said, “Oh.”
“I wish the world would calm the hell down so we could take a vacation together or something.”
“We’ll have some time here. You can see one of my homes!” She smiled, and it was warm, even in her watery state. “I love you.”
A small smile crossed my lips. “I love you too.”
She faded into the water and the light left the blue obsidian disc. I picked it up, shook most of the water off, and slid it into my jeans. In some small way, it felt like Nixie was still close.
***
I walked back to the cabin after strapping my shoes on. It wasn’t a great idea to walk around southern Missouri without shoes. Copperhead snakes have a nasty bite. At least the ticks weren’t out in force. I hate those bloodsuckers.
I ducked through the front of the cabin and eased the door shut. The s’mores hadn’t cut it and I decided to indulge in one of Dell’s most amazing of gifts.
I was on the couch about ninety seconds later, freshly microwaved chimichanga in hand. It was fantastic slathered in sour cream, but my mind was focused on far more troubling subjects.
Sam was in Faerie.
Glenn had brought the pack and the Pit.
Jasper was with Sam.
Mike was nowhere to be found.
Neither was Ezekiel.
I blew out a breath, turned awkwardly on the couch, and set my dishes on the counter. I smiled at a brief memory of Zola scolding me as a child for leaving my dishes in that exact same spot instead of the sink two feet away.
I stared at the backpack beside me and my smile faded. I unzipped it and pulled out the thin, black leather journal. My index finger slid to a random page and prodded the book open. Philip’s looping scrawl was almost familiar now. I hoped to find some new insight into
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