Free Illusion: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon

thing I knew, I was here with you.”
    Too grateful to question it, he stumbled on the last step and barely caught himself before he dragged all three of them down.
    Leaning him against the wall, Karma left his side to open the front door while the twins pulled up the rear.
    “I still want to know what you two are,” Tabitha demanded.
    “At the moment, unwanted guests.” Kody glanced around the house with a stern frown. “What kind of place is this? I’ve never seen so many ghosts and demons in one location in my life … not even a cemetery.”
    Amanda shrugged. “Karma doesn’t like to be alone.”
    Not wanting to think about that, Nick headed out the door with Kody, but as soon as he was through the threshold, she jerked to a stop and stayed inside.
    Her face pale, she tried to walk out and couldn’t. She kept hitting an invisible wall.
    When Nick started back for her, Karma pulled him to a stop. She leveled a malevolent glare at Kody. “You’re a ghost?”
    Kody ignored her question as she pounded against an unseen barrier. “What is this?”
    Nick rolled his eyes at Karma. “She’s not a ghost.”
    “Yes, she is.” Karma gently pushed him toward the stairs. “I have a protection spell that prevents ghosts from leaving the house. It stops them at the door.”
    Tabitha touched Kody’s arm. “She feels solid and warm.”
    Karma gave her sister an irritated smirk. “Step through and see for yourself.”
    Tabitha moved through the door without a problem. As did Amanda.
    Kody still couldn’t leave the house.
    With an arrogance that was palpable, Karma folded her arms over her chest. “Like I said, she’s a ghost.”
    Unable to believe it, Nick stared at his girlfriend. It couldn’t be true. It wasn’t possible. “Kody?”
    Tears welled in her green eyes as she splayed her hand against the invisible barrier. “The vision you had of the Malachai killing me in battle wasn’t a dream, Nick. We bonded that night while I was trying to ground you, and you shared my memories. I died by your hand. You, as the Malachai, killed me.”
    His stomach hit the ground as total disbelief consumed him. “I don’t understand.” His dream had been clouded and strange. He’d been both Kody’s protector and her killer?
    “The man you stabbed in your vision, the one who ran to protect me, wasn’t really you, Nick. That was my older brother you slew before you used his sword to kill me.”
    Horror invaded every part of his being as he saw himself in his demon form again in that battle. Cold. Merciless. Uncaring. He’d felt nothing as he cut through his enemies.
    Nothing as he cut down Kody and watched her die at his feet.…
    Dear God, he’d actually laughed while she bled out. How could I ever find that funny?
    No wonder she wanted to kill him. It all made sense now. Well, some of it did. But he still had a ton of questions for her.
    “But I’ve seen you bleed in my world. You were dying … like you were real.”
    Unshed tears made her eyes glisten. “I have a body, Nick. It’s just like yours, but it’s a little different. And I can die again. There are many ways beings can perish.”
    Strangely, that made sense to him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “Would you have believed me had I walked up to you and said, ‘Hi, Nick, I’m a girl you killed? Nice meeting you’?” Kody gave him a trembling smile. “You still don’t believe me even now. Not quite, anyway.” She looked past him to Karma. “You have to get him away from here. I can feel the powers surging again. Take him to St. Louis Cathedral as fast as you can. It’s the only place he’s safe.” She glanced back at Nick and the look in those green eyes seared him. “Stay on holy ground until I get to you. Understand?”
    “Yeah,” he breathed.
    Karma pulled him back and handed him off to Tabitha. “You get him to the altar. I’m staying for answers.”
    Nick started to protest, but one look at Tabitha’s expression and he thought