Instinct by Sherrilyn Kenyon Page B

me.”
    â€œUsual suspects? Caleb and Kody?”
    â€œKody and Xev.”
    â€œXev … the cute, sweet, bashful boy with that lovely accent and extravagant hair?”
    He smiled at her kind description of Xev’s unorthodox appearance that had been known to make others scream and cross the street whenever they saw him for the first time. Some had been a lot more cruel, which was why Xev preferred to stay in his cat form, for the most part. He only appeared human around Nick, Kody, and his mom.
    Leave it to his mom to not judge Xev on anything other than his character and heart. “That’s the one.”
    â€œWell, just don’t make a mess. Do you need me to do anything for you?”
    Stay safe and don’t ever get hurt because of me. But he could never say that out loud.
    Nick shook his head. “Nah. We’re good. You rest.” He stepped away from the bed and closed the door before he returned to the living room, where his friends waited.
    Kody looked at him expectantly. “Well?”
    â€œShe remembers absolutely nothing. Her last memory was when I went to school.”
    Xev moved to check on the windows and see if the crows were still there. “Where did Livia find her?”
    â€œShe wouldn’t tell me. Only that she’d overheard some things she wasn’t supposed to, and found her that way.”
    Kody screwed up her face. “What could she have possibly heard?”
    â€œNo idea.”
    Kody looked at Xev, who in turn shrugged. “I’ve only spoken to you and Nick.” He paused before he spoke again. “And while I don’t mean to downplay this matter with your mother … I think we might have bigger problems at the moment.”
    Nick groaned as even more dread filled him. He really was going to give birth to a diamond before all was said and done. “What?”
    Xev stepped back and opened the curtains for them to see the dark clouds and clear sill. There was no longer a single bird in sight. “The Memitim are gone. Given our luck, I’ll take odds that means they’ve found Caleb’s location, and are currently in the midst of making lunch of him.”

 
    CHAPTER 7
    Nick would definitely take those odds that Caleb was currently the main course of a Memitim hoedown feast. But he hesitated to go after Caleb, even to protect him, and leave his mother alone again. Unlike Caleb, his mother wasn’t a warrior demon. She was human. Completely defenseless in their world.
    Could this be another trap?
    Kody gently nudged him toward Xev. “Go. Protect Caleb. You know I’d die before I let anyone take your mother. I’ll call Simi and get her here. Nothing will get through the two of us. You know that. We are the epitome of the immovable object and unstoppable force in one team.”
    Only then did he relax and incline his head to her. “You’re the best.”
    â€œRemember that the next time I annoy you and you want to break up with me.”
    Laughing, he gave her a quick kiss before he and Xev flashed to Caleb’s antebellum mansion.
    In the elegant black-and-white marble foyer, they could hear the storm outside, slamming against the windows. Everything was dark and creepy as lightning flashed and crows cawed. Shattered glass and puddles of water littered the floor. The decapitated head of a stone angel statue lay near the wall where it must have landed after being flung through one of the shattered windows and shutters. Its soulless eyes stared at Nick as if accusing him of not being here for the fight.
    Where the heck was everyone? It was so incredibly sinister and quiet. He couldn’t detect a single living soul inside the house.
    Terrified they were too late, Nick took the stairs two at a time until he was inside Caleb’s bedroom. Frowning in sudden confusion, he froze at the doorway and took in the peculiar scene.
    Caleb was awake and on his feet. Weak, pale, and shaking, he