Page 16 (1/2)

"You are cute and fluffy, but never forget, kid, that I’m a carnivore from a time and place where we had to kill and skin our food in order to eat it"

Nick’s eyes widened as he tried to iine Ash dressed like a Goth caveers and killing theers eleven thousand years ago?

Did people have loincloths or did they hunt naked?

Dang, his teachers were right Some of that trivial crap could come in handy

But that wasn’t the point of this conversation Nor the point of what Ash was telling him "You just like to scare people, don’t you?"

"As much as you like to annoy theetting too close Nick did it so that others wouldn’t mock him or so that when they did, it didn’t hurt asto protect hi to think about

Ash pulled up to the curb in front of Nick’s house, which looked all the hborhood

To Ash’s credit, he didn’t react to the raave a lohistle as he saw a couple of people on the street stop and stare at the car "Man, et picked up by a Lexus and now I’ dropped off in a Porsche It’s a wonder they’re not calling New Orleans’ finest to report suspicious activity"

Ash scoffed as he turned the car off "I think the LEOs have ht than the cars co to your house"

Nick frowned at the word he didn’t understand "LEOs?"

"Law enforceram"

"Acronym," Ash corrected But this time when he spoke his accent was extre frorowl It was a really cool sound

"Wait Say that word again"

"Acronym" And poof, Ash now sounded like anyone else on the street

"That’s so awesome that you can toss out your accent How do you do that?"

"Lots of practice Now if you don’t et down to ht now is you Get out, Nick"

Nick opened the door and rolled out of the car Ash grabbed his backpack and followed hirass and littered with pebbles

Not to mention a few cockroaches that scattered out of his way Some of the not to think about the roaches, Nick barely made it into the door of his house before his"Arm! Arm! Arm!" he said quickly as she hurt him

She released him immediately "I’m so sorry, Boo I was just so scared and then to see youI could beat your butt blue, boy Don’t you ever worry ain You hear me!"

Nick rubbed his hand over his injured ar "You know, I hear they have s, Ma Maybe you should consider taking soet lippy with h today You’re lucky you’re not grounded over this stunt If you’d been any place other than work, you would be" She turned back toward the door to close it and froze as she saw Acheron on the porch Her face hite as she took in the size of him

"It’s okay, Moht me home"

Acheron held up Nick’s backpack for her to see "I was just carrying this in for him, Mrs Gautier Sorry I startled you"

His"It’s okay I just"

Ash sht and clothes I tend to freak out a lot of people"

Not to mention that lethal aura that sizzled in the air around hiet used to that

"Do you work for Mr Hunter too?" his mom asked

Ash set his backpack down by the door "No, ma’am We’re just old friends"

She sh to have old friends"

Nick snorted at herthe same assumption he had "Trust me, Mom, he’s a lot older than he looks"

"Well, thank you for bringing my baby home I appreciate it"

"No problem" Acheron turned toward Nick "Keep your nose clean, kid I’ll see you around"

"Thanks, Ash"

He inclined his head before he left

His mom locked the door and moved Nick’s backpack away from the threshold so that they wouldn’t trip over it "He’s a bit peculiar, isn’t he?"

"You don’t know the half of it"

"So how did your first day with Mr Hunter go?"

"It was all right" Aside from the zombies, Rosa’s lunacy, and

Acheron, but no need to completely terrify her Only one of theet ready for work" She headed for her room

Nick pulled her to a stop "I don’t think so"

"What do you , she twisted her arm out of his hold "Stop with the nonsense, Nick You know I can’t quit We need theto pay me four thousand a month to work for hi what?"

"Running errands, like he said"

"Oh no, no, no I’ any of that No one pays that kind of al errands I want you to quit first thing toal I promise"

Still she refused to believe him "Not for that kind of money it’s not What kind of fool do you take me for? I wasn’t born yesterday I--"

"Mom, listen Please He really is loaded like you’ve never seen before Ash told uy has no concept of howme Really"

"No one is that loaded, Nick, that they’d just throw forty-eight thousand dollars a year at a kid for running errands Think about it"

A day ago, he’d have been right there with her But after today for some reason he believed in Kyrian and his intentions "Yeah, he is Trustlike it So you can quit dancing I’ll bepart ti but stay home" Just like they’d always dreamed of

His mom hesitated "I don’t know"