didn't say anything, just stared at him. He could issue all the orders he wanted, but she didn't have to listen. Of course, if her mom really was there, Kimi would take her to safety, but then she was heading right back to help Nic. There was no way in hell she'd just leave him to die.
"Ah, tes, that stubborn look says much." He framed her face between his hands and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. "Don't you understand? I want you safe. Nothing matters more."
"How much longer do you want to stand here and argue?" Kimi asked. She wasn't giving in, and she wasn't going to lie to him.
With a groan, he stepped back. "Didn't you summon me to fight for you?"
Kimi had, but things had changed. Nic wasn't just some demon she was attracted to; he'd become important to her—every bit as critical in her mind as the safety of her family. How was that possible? It just was. "We're a team, Nic."
"I assume that means you're not going to see reason no matter what I say." Kimi smiled weakly and he sighed. "We might as well go, then." He pointed to his right. "This way."
As they started off, Nic ran his hand down the length of her braid. The caress seemed almost adoring, but his face revealed nothing of his thoughts.
Running her palms over her thighs, Kimi tried to wipe away some of the clamminess. She was dressed in her yoga clothes because they were the only things packed in her bag that were appropriate for this showdown. The Lycra pants, cropped red T-shirt, and tennis shoes gave her freedom of movement, and that was more important than style right now.
One thing kept echoing in her thoughts: Nic nearly died the last time he fought Augustin. From what he'd said, she assumed he'd been much younger, but did that make a difference in demonic power?
Something odd drew her attention away from the dread building inside her, a sense of surrounding magic. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Trying to cloak us both from Augustin. No point announcing our imminent arrival if we can avoid it." He turned down a narrow alley, and the odor of rotting garbage made her gag. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand. Fortunately, the smell didn't last and they reached the next block quickly.
Nic's hand brushed hers and Kimi reached for him, linking their fingers. She didn't know what, exactly, Nic meant by cloaking, but she didn't ask. Instead, she took a few deep breaths now that the air was more pleasant, and tried to center herself. Her stomach, however, was doing barrel rolls.
He drew her to a halt in the middle of a block. Augustin stood on the cross street, kitty corner from where they were, and he leaned indolently against the front of a blackened brick structure. Even at this distance, he appeared bored.
Bending down, Nic put his mouth against her ear and whispered, "This is the best we could hope. I sense no presence except Augustin's."
Kimi nodded. It was dark and the streetlights cast a dim glow, but she knew demons could read energy. On the other hand, what if Augustin had cloaked an ally or her mom's presence the way Nic had concealed theirs? She couldn't assume anything.
"Stay here," Nic ordered, tucking her into a recessed doorway, and without giving her time to respond, he left. She could barely see him as he covertly made his way to the corner.
It was an attack of mind-numbing speed: Nic drew his hand back and hurled something. As it raced toward Augustin, the fireball grew in size and became more intense. Kimi held her breath, hoping that this one shot would take care of their enemy, but at the last instant, the Dark One jumped clear. The missile struck the building behind him, blasting a hole that had to be fifteen feet across. Kimi's eyes bugged out. As pieces of brick and mortar rained down around him, Augustin roared with fury. His return blast struck were Nic had been standing, and the entire side of an apartment collapsed. Fortunately, Nic had already moved.
Shifting from foot to foot, Kimi remained in the
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