Lesson Chapter 1, a chronicles of nick fanfic

a/n: Sequel to DRAW.

I didn't think I was going to do another CHRONICLES OF NICKfic, but I got some requests and I was reading INVINCIBLE and Chapter 1 did it for me, but I didn't come up with something until Chapter 9 and I worked out a scene with Nick and Caleb.

You should read DRAW first, otherwise this fic might not make sense; as will having read the book. Some more Nick/Kyrian for you.

Includes Major Spoilers for INVINCIBLE. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the CHRONICLES OF NICK books, specifically INVINCIBLE for which this fic is based, they belong to Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Book Tag: INVINCIBLE
Contains: Major Spoilers for INVINCIBLE, conversation taken directly from book, altered scenes.
Referenced Chapters (with Lines/Conversation taken directly from) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 19.

Included Characters : Nick Gautier, Kyrian Hunter, Cherise Gautier (Nick's mom), Ambrose, Grim, THE GRIMOIRE, Caleb Malphas, Rosa, Kody, Stone Blakemore, Coach Devus, Bricis,
w/: Sanctuary & The Triple B & St. Richard's High School & Garden District & Bourbon Street.
Mentioned : Acheron, Madaug, Adarian, Artemis, Menyara, Bubba, Mark, Nicolette Peltier, Casey Woods, Brynna Addams, Tad Addams, Tabitha Devereaux, Alan and company (i.e. Mike & Tyree), Principal Richard Head (aka Dick Head), Dave Smithfield, Kell, Simi, Xenon, Julianne.
Creatures: Dark-Hunters, Immortals, Vampire, Mortants, Daimons, Fringe Hunters, Demons/Daeva, Weres, Gods, Charontes, Ghosts, Wraiths.

Includes/Pairings: Nick/Kyrian slash (nothing graphic, just feelings), Consensual, Underage; mentioned and some Nick/Kody (sigh, more graphic that Nick&Kyrian, I know) & sex talk, violence, minor swears.

Summary: Nick learns a bit more about Kyrian, all the while getting a bit harassed in more ways than one.

Secondary Note: Continues straight from DRAW.

Title: LESSON

C—H—R—O—N—I—C—L—E—S ~ O—F ~ N—I—C—K

Though Kyrian might have expected a different reaction from Nick than the one that he actually received when the teen accidentally saw his fangs, the Dark-Hunter felt like he should explain. He didn't want Nick to think him something he wasn't—and given the situation between the two of them, was kind of ironic.

"Nick!" he ran up the stairs after the boy.

Nick stopped in surprise at the call of his name at the top landing. He wasn't sure that he expected to be stopped.

"Let me explain," Kyrian told him quickly, and before Nick could respond, put a warm hand on his shoulder and lead him down the hall in the opposite direction Cherise had gone, and to his office.

The door clicked shut and suddenly Nick was alone with him, suddenly apprehensive. Nick turned around and looked up at the taller man as he put both hands on either of his shoulders.

"Alright..." Kyrian took a deep breath and said, "It's not what you might think."

"And what's that?" Nick returned, for whatever reason going instantly on the defensive.

"First off, I'm not a vampire."

"Well, that is the first thing that might cross a guy's mind when he sees that his boss's been hiding a pair of wicked fangs, that, and why there never seems to be an ounce of sunlight let into the house," Nick rolled his eyes sarcastically, "One might assume."

The corner of Kyrian's mouth twitched at that. "I'm not," he assured. "What I am, is called a Dark-Hunter."

"And what exactly is that? Do you hunt darkness or something?" It might have been a pretty stupid question in any normal and sane situation, but this was far from either of those.

"Actually, yes. That's exactly what I do, Nick. We're immortal warriors who've sold our souls to the goddess Artemis. For her, we fight and protect humanity from whatever stalks the night, trying to prey on them. For the most part, that means we track and slay Daimons."

Nick furrowed her brows, he overheard Tad and the others say that word before, but he never got a real explanation. "Which are?" he was going to ask if that was what Caleb was; but he didn't want to out his friend as being something other than human and he was sure that he explained that he was a Demon at one point, which was different from a Daimon.

"An example would be a vampire that feeds on human souls. Instead of blood, they take your soul into their body, and once it's there, it starts to wither and die. We have to kill the Daimon before the soul is completely used up."

"I don't understand." Nick admitted. "Why take takes souls? I thought vampires drank blood."

"No," Kyrian scoffed and shook his head. "All those stories are fantasised from the actual truth. A vampire drains the blood from its victims so that it can get at the soul. That is what nourishes them. They have to keep in them or they die."

Somehow, that seemed even more disturbing than just getting your blood drained from your body and dying. It seemed like a harsh fait, especially for the person killed.

"Okay," Nick nodded slowly, "Alright. So you're not a vampire, but the thing that hunts them—kind of like the Ghost Busters—but with vampires and stuff?"

"Sure. Vaguely, " he said dryly, "And real."

Nick gave a small snort at that. Yeah. This was his life now, it appeared—where vampires and others were real. This was partly Madaug's fault, if the kid hadn't tried to alter the jocks' brain chemistry, Nick would have been happily oblivious. But then again, if he was oblivious, he might never have met Kyrian.

And that was something that he didn't seem to want to consider.

There was a moment of silence between them, and Nick seemed to suddenly realize just how close and alone he and Kyrian actually were. Sure, there was that sensual fantasy at first seeing Kyrian's fangs, and then apprehension, but now he was just dang curious.

"Can... can I see them?" he asked suddenly, a touch tentatively.

The man looked startled by the question.

Over the last two thousands years, Kyrian had done nothing but try and hide them, having fangs wasn't something that you just allowed people to see. The Mundanes—human's who didn't know about the preternatural in the world—if they saw, if could be serious trouble. But Nick, he knew, was different. Not just in the fact that he wasn't entirely human… Acheron made that very clear.

Kyrian slowly parted his lips, opening his mouth and revealing the topic on-hand. Nick looked him in the eye as he stepped forward, his gaze slowly moving down Kyrian's handsome and ageless face.

The man could feel the teen's warm breath caress his throat, could smell Nick, a mixture of sweat, earth, and thunder.

Kyrian's breath smelt like mint, it was something that one couldn't help but notice when they were a few inches from another's mouth. When he thought about it, it was kind of cool—and the teen couldn't help but think back to his first thoughts on the matter.

Kyrian closed his mouth and ducked his head lightly, catching Nick's gaze. The blue irises rich, they seemed to pull him in like tide pools.

Nick had always thought that the man's gaze looked black, but the truth was they were just a deep, dark green.

"Nick?"

They both jolted apart at the sound of Nick's mom in the hallway, calling his name, like they'd both been tasered. Kyrian felt guilt and shame at what nearly happened, he was just a kid for god's sake! Nick was embarrassed himself on the matter. That was insane, and intense, and... why the hell couldn't he be older?—he knew that was what was wrong with this whole thing!

Kyrian cleared his throat and went to the closet. Nick watched him in confusion as he came back with some folded clothes in his arms and handed them off to Nick, before he went to the door and opened it. "We're in here, Mrs. Gautier."

A moment later Cherise stepped into the room and looked around suspiciously, as if she expected to catch them doing something illegal, unethical, or unnatural. If she'd been there a few moments before, she might've caught them doing all three.

"Nick? Is everything okay?"

"It's all good, mom."

She gave Kyrian an arch stare that said she didn't believe a word he said. "You sure, boo?"

"Absolutely." Nick's gaze flashed between Kyrian and the clothes in his 'good' arm. "Mr. Hunter was just being even more generous and let me borrow some clothes to sleep in."

"Is that right."

"It is, Ma'am." Kyrian said politely.

"Well then, thank you Mr. Hunter."

"Please, call me Kyrian."

Cherise nodded, but Nick knew that she never would.

She turned to her son. "Now say thank you, Nicky, and then it's off to bed."

"Thank you, Kyrian." Nick said politely.

"I'll show you to your room," Kyrian said.

"That won't be necessary." She blocked their path in the doorway. "He can sleep in my room. With me."

"Mom—" Nick started to protest, getting embarrassed; first 'boo' and now this?

"Don't you 'Mom' me, boy. After all the trouble and hassle you've caused Mr. Hunter—and myself. I don't want anymore lip from you."

"It's no trouble," Kyrian tried.

"We'll be fine, Mr. Hunter." She insisted. She gestured to Nick. "Come on, babe. The sun's already up. You need to get some sleep; you're still getting over your gunshot wound."

What she didn't know was that it had healed, courtesy of some powers that he never wanted her to know about. The last thing he wanted was for her to get tangled up in this preternatural mess that was his doing and his father Adarian's.

The three bid each other goodnight and disappeared into their respective rooms. Nick casting one last glance behind them at Kyrian before his mother shut the door with a click of finality. If his age hadn't been obvious before, there was a spotlight on it now.

Nick changed in the room's bathroom—it was so big that he was sure their little condo could fit into it. It was just a plain t-shirt and pair of sweatpants, and his body warmed with the thought that Kyrian had worn them, they smelled like laundry detergent.

He took a deep breath and readied to face the music.

The room itself could fit their condo in it three-times over. It's king-sized, four-poster bed was just unnecessarily big. It could have easily held a family of ten, but luckily it was just going to be his mom and him. There would be plenty of room to get out of her rotisserie-chicken sleep.

"How's your arm doing?" she asked him, catching the boy unawares. "You need anymore medicine?"

Nick forced himself not to react her question. It was kind of hard to remember to be shot when he didn't feel the pain of it anymore. He was just glad that he remembered to put the sling back on after he'd changed. "It's okay."

"Good. Now hit the sheets."

Nick slowly walked to the opposite side of the bed, looking at his mom askance. If she wasn't jumping down his throat right now, then she was a landmine for later. He knew she'd held back because of Kyrian, so it was only a matter of time.

He settled under the blanket, mindful of his 'injured arm', and just had time to marvel at how comfortable this boy was before his mom pulled him against her and started to play with his short brown hair. He cringed and squirmed, trying to get away. How did he not see this coming? She was like quicksand—once you were dumb enough to get into its reach, it was game over. "Ma! What are you doing?" he complained.

"Can't I hold you?"

Nick's face screwed up in distaste at her choice of words. "I don't get why you worry about Kyrian, when you're the one who's always sexually assaulting me." Too bad though, Kyrian was to reserved and respective to do such a thing like grope him.

He let out an exclaim as she popped him on the but in the most motherly of ways. "Stop saying that. Showing my baby affection with a hug is not sexual harassment. Count yourself lucky, be glad that you have a mother who loves you."

Nick let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm just really tired." He yawned to prove the point.

"I know, precious." She leaned over and brushed a light kiss on his brow. "Good night. Sleep tight."

"You, too."

Without another word, she turned off the lamp and turned over—then promptly scooted so that her icy cold feet were touching his. He held back the protest and instead stared into the darkness.

Though he was really tired as all get out. His mind seemed to think that now that there was a moment of quiet, it was going to try and process all the insaness of the last few zombie filled days. Daimons. Demons. Dark-Hunters. Immortals. Malachais—or was the plural still spelt the same: Malachai? like "deer" or "moose"? Well, not like he cared or that it mattered, but it wasn't any of those things that his mind lingered on. The thing that enticed the train of his thoughts was down the hall—Kyrian Hunter.

A few days a go he was a normal kid. The world was regular with a few spoonful's of Menyara's sixth sense, and Bubba and Mark's craziness. But thank to Madaug, a schoolmate, he no longer had that luxury. His biggest problem was whether he was going to die a virgin.

Now there was Kody, and Kyrian and the preternatural. It was like a stupid mime with the fishing line, and it tugged at his heart like a caught line every time he was around Kyrian.

Nick smoothed his hand down the front of his borrowed tee, and grasped the material, taking a deep breath. He tried to picture Kyrian out of a suit, and instead wearing the same clothes. It was a bit hard at first, but he closed his eyes and it helped. The thought seemed to be a bit arousing, the thought of Kyrian less uptight and put together, a little more relaxed and let go.

Nick smirked, crossing his arm over his chest, picturing that it was the ma's arms instead,

Never thought I'd ever go for a guy before, I've always been a ladies man. But being gay ain't all that bad if it makes me feel this way.

No, you're not.

Nick was startled by the sudden intrusiveness of Ambrose in his head. His cheeks went hot in embarrassment as if he'd been caught thinking something that he shouldn't.

Dude, what the hell? Give a brother some warning before you pop into his head. They're called 'private thoughts' for a reason!

Calm down. Ambrose seemed to be getting surprised left and right lately, this time around. It wasn't a feeling he liked. It was going to get out of control if he kept getting caught with his 'pants down'. He winced. Bad choice of words. That was what Nick wanted, not him. First Kody, and now Kyrian. This was the first time that it's ever happened this way. Kyrian was always just a really good friend, their relationship never went that far. But in this reality, that seemed to have changed. You're not gay.

I am not talking about this with my uncle. Nick told him firmly.

Who else are you going to talk about it to?

No one, that's the whole point. Private thoughts!

Nick could practically hear Ambrose roll his eyes. Get over yourself, Nick. With you, there's no such thing. Anyone with powers enough could do it, and trust me, it wouldn't be as pleasurable as out little conversations.

Says you. I am finding no pleasure in this at all, and if you are...

I find very little pleasure in anything these days. Hopefully, you'll never feel the same.

Nick was silent; this sure took a sudden turn into something deeper and darker. So... how is it that I can hear you?

One day, I'll teach that power to you. You'll be able to project your thoughts to anyone, just like I can.

Will I be able to read other people's minds like you do, too?

That would come in handy, especially since it would make readying Kyrian easier.

So... back to our mutual friend, huh?

Nick groaned. Come on, you're killing me, man!

Ambrose seemed a bit amused by this. Right now, it's not me—or others—that you need to worry about.

It's not?

No. It's your mother.

Without even realising that he had fallen asleep, Nick came awake to the sensation of his mother strangling him. Dressed in a shirt and jeans, she was on her knees beside him, wringing his neck.

"Ma! What are you doing?"

She tightened her grip. "I'm killing you. Do you understand? Dead. Dead. Dead."

He coughed and tried to twist away from her. "What did I do?"

She growled and released him, moved back and popped him on the butt again. "Because of the stunt you and you're friends pulled last night, I got fired." And there it was, the proverbial landmine that he had already stepped on and had just been waiting for it to detonate—with a unexpected delay. "I hope you're happy. I can barely afford to feed and shelter us now. What am I supposed to do now? I didn't graduate high school, and I have no experience other than a dancer."

Being strangle was a sure way to become awake a alert, so he didn't complete the eye roll. He quickly scooted across the bed when she looked ready to take another lunge at him. "Kyrian said he knew some people who could hire you."

She stared at him like she could really kill him. "That doesn't get you off the hook, mister. Are you and Bubba going to tranq me again and cause me to lose another job? Huh?"

"It was for your own good."

"So's this spanking I'm going to give you."

"You're crazy." Nick leapt across the bed out of her reach, then ran for the door and out into the hall. "I'm too big to spank."

"We'll see about that."

He thought he'd be safe out in the hall, but he was sourly mistaken. "There's nothing to see. Absolutely nothing!"

The door at the end of the hall opened and both Gautiers froze for completely different reasons.

Nick stared agape at an irritated Kyrian. He was dressed in a pair of black pyjama bottoms that hung off his hips with no shirt as he glowered at them. His hair was tousled sexily and he had a good shadow on his face. He was ripped beyond justice, Nick could only ever dream of being fit like that.

Nick's picturing of him hadn't done the man justice. He bit back the whimper. If his mother wasn't standing right there, Kyrian'd have to brace himself, age-restriction or not.

Kyrian pinned them both with an angry scowl. "People, I really need to sleep. Can you go downstairs to yell at each other? Or better yet, outside in the yard? Anywhere besides here."

Cherise instantly calmed down. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hunter. We didn't mean to disturb you."

Kyrian raked his hand through his blond hair, causing it to stand up—adding to his already suggestive appearance. Dang, did the man know just how hot he was?

"It's no problem. Now, if you'll stop this fighting—I was serious about that job offer I made you last night, Mrs. Gautier. Put a call into Sanctuary and talk to Nicolette Peltier. She's the owner and I've already spoken to her about you. They'd be more than happy to put you on the payroll."

Kyrian had noticed the look on Nick's face, and he was a bit ashamed to admit that he had been playing it out. He was a grown man, over two-thousand years old, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from acting the teenager. Nick just seemed to bring it out in him, in more ways than one. It had been such a long time since he felt this way—since he met anyone he wanted to feel this way with.

"But—"

He held up his hand in an imperious gesture that actually silenced Nick's mom. Had Nick done it, she really would have spanked him. Hard.

"No buts." Nick almost snorted at the coincidence. "Give her a call, I assure you, you'll love working for them."

"Okay." Cherise said after a moment. "Thank you, Mr. Hunter."

"Not a problem."

Then she turned to her son and her whole demeanour changed. "Get you're butt dressed. You have five minutes."

"What? Why?"

"Don't back-talk me or argue. Not if you want to live to see noon. Get in there and shower. Now!"

As Cherise pushed her son back down that hall, the teen didn't even attempt to stop himself from one last look and Kyrian took the opportunity to flash the kid his fangs suggestively.

Now he really was going to need that shower for more reasons than one.

When he got out of the shower—which was productive in more ways than one for this fourteen-year-old—he clothes from the night before were freshly laundered, courtesy of the wonderful and sometimes frightening Rosa. After a bit of his mom's nit-picking and a wonderful pancake breakfast with real syrup, the starting pistol on a chaotic day began.

Though the school was closed for the day, due to the fact that both the principal and the coach had been eaten—yeah, you heard that right—eaten by a bunch of zombies—he was forced to accompany his mom to a meet-and-greet at Sanctuary despite the fact that she already had the job.

And it was there where he got to meet a bunch of different Weres who didn't know that he knew and to top it all off—Death was in the kitchen baking cookies. Well, he was possessing the chef but the irony was there. Nick took a cookie with a gulp. When Death offered you something, you retracted your balls and took it—or he might just get offended and take your life for your troubles of self-preservation—he just hoped the Reaper didn't notice the fact that he didn't actually eat it and instead stuffed it in his front pocket. And when Death told you to call him Grim, you just went with it.

Much to current relief, Grim wasn't there for his life, but was there as a favour to someone else—he wouldn't say who and Nick was clueless—to teach him the art of divination.

Knowing now was not the time to do this, he tried to find his mom. She spotted him first and literally danced over to him, already wearing a Sanctuary tee and waist apron. "Hey, boo!"

Finally, his mom was done with the club. That was all he ever wanted and it looked like the list of things that he needed to thank Kyrian for was just getting bigger and bigger. He wondered how he was ever going to pay the man back—knew it was going to take a life time—a fact that he found he couldn't see minding much—even with all the preternatural crap.

"You look happy."

"Oh, I am, it's so nice here." She told him. "They're even going to give me a day schedule so I can be home with you at night. And, best of all, they feed me, and you, for free. I'm technically already on the clock... I should have left you at Mr. Hunter's."

As much as Nick would have really liked that... lot's of things came to his head that required future attention... But he already had a packed day ahead himself. First his lessons with Grim (whatever that was going to intail), and then he had a meeting up with Kody that he managed to get her to agree to from last night after the whole zombie craziness. He was still trying to figure out if this was somehow cheating on what he and Kyrian had, whatever that was, but pushed the issue back. It could wait. Anything could happen.

"I can go hang at Bubba's. It just down the street." Nick offered. Cherise gave him one look that stated just how she was currently feeling about the man who had tranq'd and kidnapped her the night before. "Bubba's all right, Mom. He was just trying to help."

"Yeah, well, for his own personal safety, you better keep him away from me—or you'll have two parents in prison for murder." As soon as the words left her mouth, she slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I wish you wouldn't compare yourself to that man." Nick said, hard. He hated that sperm donor who helped spawn him, even if he was the only reason Nick was even born.

She whispered, "Let's not talk about it here, okay?" Or ever, was more like it. "Go stay with Bubba, I'll check in with you later."

"Alright."

"Be safe, be good." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Always." And he left Sanctuary with Death walking next to him to Bubba's.

He thought The Triple B would be the safest and best bet for these 'lessons' that he was going to get from Grim. What he didn't foresee was getting stuck cleaning of the front room after the mini zombie war that went down—which included Madaug shooting off a grenade launcher that almost killed them all anyways.

End of lesson, he learned that the key to divination was that the universe and its being speak to you constantly. But much like his grimoire (yes, Grim knew about that), they seldom speak overtly. Yeah, if only. His book was a total dick, speaking like it did. Divination was going to be his way of listening to the warnings that the universe was giving him. If he could learn it, that was, and before it was too late. He needed to keep a hold of the grimoire that Ambrose gave him because it could either mean his life or his death—always good to know.

And Grim's departing gift was a strange hematite pendulum that had a gold skull securing it to a gold chain. Nick had hesitated before taking it.

What he now had was one of the keys to the universe. Using it with the grimoire, the pendulum could answer questions and locate things or people, and help him get in touch with his higher consciousness. It would also help protect him from evil and negativity.

Not everyone could say that they were followed by Death and lived through it. But this was just the beginning.

Nick sighed and went back to cleaning. He now had even more things clouding his mind than before. He wasn't sure if he was glad or not when Caleb decided to pop in for a check-in—but it was off to a good start when the demon used his magic to help clean up the place a bit.

And after a little fright—in which Nick had a vision of Caleb killing him—they grew a little closer.

He was stupid to think that things would go back to normal—if not completely, then at least for a little while. First, a play-date with Death that was going to be a repeat offence. A lunch not-really-date(?) with Kody. Then Casey Woods—the Casey woods—the hottest girl in school—was rubbing up on him at the street corner like she knew him—like she wanted to know him. Boy, just last week she didn't even know him despite all their classes together and his friendship with Brynna and apparently Tad now, too.

It was just insane. A completely hell in ice cubes sort of thing. And to even it all out, a unexpected conversation with Ambrose when he headed back to Sanctuary.

Casey Woods, you'll end up taking her to junior prom.

"What?" Nick exclaimed out loud at the land mine his uncle just shoved him into. "How do you know that?"

I know a lot of things about you, Nick. Past, present, future. She'll be a good girlfriend in high school.

"Girlfriend?" That made his jaw drop. Something that impossible just wasn't possible—at least not where he was concerned. Thing like that, didn't happen to someone like him—someone so low on the totem, he was below ground.

Yes. Getting women won't be your problem. Keeping them is another matter.

Nick was still dubious. Things like that just didn't happen to guys like him. It wasn't like he was beat with the U-G-L-Y Stick, but it wasn't like he was Mr. Calvin Klein either.

It's true. Ambrose put more confidence in his voice than he was sure of. These days, in this reality, he was less and less sure of what events were to come. He still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. If these unexpected changes in fact meant that the end result wouldn't be the same as all the other realities, as his own, than that was a good thing. But if it wasn't, than he didn't have a map of what was to go wrong, and without that he wouldn't be able to attempt to put Nick's life on the right course—the one were it didn't end with the end.

Though Nick liked that idea—he might've liked it a lot more about a month ago. If Casey became his girlfriend (which he still found hard to believe), where did that leave Kyrian?

The way Ambrose talked to him, the way he said things about Nick's life that the teen didn't even know, it made Nick feel like Ambrose was trying to cram him into a wrongly shaped box marked DESTINY. Nick always hated that. He would make the choices that paved the road of his life, not someone else. If there were going to be potholes, they'd be because of his own decisions, not someone else's.

Look. Ambrose told him with a heavy sigh. I know your first instinct when I say trust me, is to do the exact opposite. Apparently there's something here that I didn't account for. I'm doing my best with what I have, just like you. Besides your mother... and Kyrian too—I will never betray you. You have to believe that. I've always been with. From the moment you were born. There's never been a time in your life that I wasn't there. I see everything you see. Hear what you hear and feel what you feel.

Nick suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face hot. Everything? he was horrified. After everything that he'd been put through since he was born, all the crap that he had to wade through since day one—at the end of the day he was still a puberty-stricken fourteen-year-old boy... with urges.

And though his only privacy at the condo was a strung-up sheet, when he was left alone—he used that time wisely. Usually with girls—like Casey Woods—and even more recently, Kyrian Hunter—on his mind.

Everything. Ambrose suddenly sounded amused.

That... that is gross! and private!

Like I said—

I know what you said, and what I said still stands. Look, I 'preciate the advice and the help, but this is still my life—mine!—get it?

Ambrose was quiet a long moment before he said softly, Yeah, I get it.

And then Nick felt him leave him.

He let out a heavy breath, then straightened his shoulders and went into Sanctuary. He found his mom and told her that he was heading back to Kyrian's. He just had the urge to be near the immortal—to get Ambrose out of his head and Casey out of his system (the latter of which he never would have thought he'd want in his life)—when a whole other immortal offered him a ride. Acheron Last-name-he-still-had-trouble-pronouncing.

At least this time round Ash didn't seem intent on killing him (yet) (and Nick wasn't in the car yet, either). Not to mention the dog-humping-his-leg-frantically-and-desperately-thing seemed to be tamped down, which was a big relief.

Would it have been too much to ask for the ride to Kyrian's to go smooth? Apparently not, because down a side alley, the police had gathered and cordoned off a section of the street—and Acheron just had to check it out. Though Ash had ordered him to stay in the car, when he left, Nick actually laughed at the instruction. Like he was going to stay in the car when there was something to see...

It wasn't that long after that Nick kind of wished he'd listened to the giant, because what he learned from an overheard conversation between two police officers didn't bode well. Nick's stomach tightened in fear and his heart raced. Someone was out there hunting fourteen-year-old boys—something of which he was very much at the moment.

He consulted the pendulum and book as they heated up to a burning level, and wasn't liking what he was reading. He had charged through the crowd in search of Acheron, knowing with the guy's mega powers, it was the safest place he could be. And of course when he tried to tell the man what he'd found out, he had to get all sarcastic and crap, and Nick was wanting to scream before he finally got what Nick was selling.

Nick was filled with relief when they finally arrived at Kyrian's house in the Garden District, and because his mom was in the process of rearing him to be a gentleman, he started to ring the bell—but before he could, Ash materialized beside him and pushed open the door.

Nick arched a brow at him boldness. "Were you raised in a barn? You don't just go barging into someone's house."

Ash laughed at his reaction. "I have an open invitation whenever I'm here."

"Yeah, but what if he's naked or—" On the other hand... Nick proceeded Ash into the foyer.

"I've known Kyrian for over two thousand years, and I can honestly say that I have never once caught him naked in the living room."

Nick shouldn't have expected anything less, Kyrian seemed like the kind of guy that was always aware of such circumstance.

Rosa came from the kitchen at the sound of their voices and greeted Acheron, who asked about the location of Kyrian, and then went on up the stairs to find the man in his office.

As much as Nick might've wanted to follow, he knew that it wasn't his place. Instead, he shook off the disappointment and turned to Rosa with a hopeful looked. "Do I smell something... sweet?"

She laughed. "Go, there are cookies waiting for you."

Nick got the cookies, sure, but it came at a price—a list of chores. He sighed as he chewed on the still-warm cookie and read through the list.

#1 and #5 were simple and could be done right away (which he did). #2 and #3 would have him up in his office on the internet. #6 would probably be a struggle by the end of the day, but he was sure he could keep the bitching to a minimum. It was #4 that had him curious. He'd asked Rosa about it.

"Rosa?"

"Si?"

"How many cars does Kyrian own?"

She paused as if she had to consider it and Nick wasn't sure how he was feeling about this. "I don't go into the garage... but I believe there are six? I'm not sure."

Nick gaped at her for a moment. Six? Kyrian wanted him to wash six cars? He really liked the man, but was he serious? Grabbing another cookie from the kitchen, he went out the back door just to check and see how short his effort on #6 was going to be.

But any thoughts on the matter scattered when he opened the garage door.

"You're sure they're not Daimon attacks?" Kyrian asked Acheron in his office.

"Oh Yeah. So keep your eyes open tonight for predators other than Daimons."

"Definitely." He agreed. "Where's Nick?" It was an innocent question, but Acheron gave him a knowing smirk. The immortal chose to ignore it.

"He came in with me, and that was the last I paid attention to him."

"Just get it over with," the blond grumbled.

Ash held his hands up innocently. "I'm not saying anything you already didn't know, General. Just don't break him, huh?" he winked.

"I so do love our little talks," he said sarcastically as he left the office and heard Ash's bark of laughter in his wake.

He asked Rosa and she said he went outside to the garage a while ago and hadn't heard from the kid since. Kyrian headed that way, hoping nothing untoward had happened to Nick. After what Ash just told him about fourteen-year-old boys being targeted, it was cause for worry. In the short time that he'd known the kid, it was already obvious that he was a danger-magnet.

By the time he made it to the garage, he'd been rushing, having worked himself into a bit of a panic. Could Nick be lying dead out there right now? He came to the door and yanked it open, and froze at the sight of Nick sitting on the stairs, completely comatose.

"Nick?" he asked, worried. "You all right?" When he didn't respond, Kyrian came round in front of him. "Nick!" he grabbed the kid's shoulder, panic seized, gave him a rough shake, probably more than was necessary.

Nick grimaced and blinked, meeting Kyrian's deep and dark green eyes as the man leaned over him in concern. "I'm not worthy," his tone was breathless.

Glad as he was that Nick was at least responding, said response didn't make much sense. "What?"

Nick gesture towards his cars. "Dude, that's a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti—need I go on? Those are top of the top of the top. There's more money in metal in here than my brain can even tabulate. Oh my God! I shouldn't even be breathing the same air."

Rich or poor, that didn't matter—cars were still beautiful things, six of which Kyrian had. Six more things in the word that he felt he didn't deserved to lay eyes on, let alone touch. He just wasn't worthy.

Kyrian laughed in breathless relief. "God, Nick. I thought something serious might have happened. They're just cars." He squeezed onto the step next to the teen, the whole side-lengths of their bodied pressed flush in the narrow space.

"But they're... they're... not." Nick shook his head, his words leaving him inarticulate as he body realized just who was pressed up next to him. "Uh..."

"It's alright, Nick. I just need you to clean them."

Nick shook his head dumbly as he stared at the man right next to him. "No, no. I can't. I don't want my gutter-trash to tarnish that gold trim."

Kyrian frowned at him. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that."

Nick furrowed his brows. "What?"

"You are not worthless, Nick. I've known several people who were truly worthless, and you are not one of them."

"O-Okay." His cheeks warmed.

Kyrian nodded, satisfied. "It's getting late, so you can just do the Lamborghini, alright?"

Nick nodded.

"OK." Kyrian patted his shoulder and gave it a lingering squeeze as he pushed himself onto his feet. "Not get to it, I am still your boss after all." He threw a small wink over his shoulder as he departed and left Nick gaping after him.

Still able to feel Kyrian's lingering touch like it was a physical thing, Nick set to work cleaning this beautiful beast. "I would hug you," he murmured to the Bugatti in passing like it was a living thing, "but I don't want to get my skin oils on your paint."

But as he stared into the tinted window, he didn't see the inside of the car. He saw what looked more like a movie playing on it. Mesmerized, he peered closer.

It was a battle in Kyrian's house, he recognized the foyer and grand staircase. He saw his boss with an older version of Tabitha Devereaux, only she had dark auburn hair and was in a nightgown. A rip of unnecessary jealousy went through him even as the pair were being attacked by blond, fanged Daimons. There was another Dark-Hunter there, and Nick flinched and closed his eyes in horror as he was beheaded. Next he looked, the tinted window was just that, a normal car window, not a video screen

It appeared that perhaps Grim's divination lessons where already taking root.

Over the next few days, Nick tried to lay low as several more similar visions like that first one in the car window, continued to plague him. With Grim's help, he was trying to hone the ability to see if he could get anything more or see more clearly. But what he really wanted was to know how to turn it off. Puberty was bad enough, with his body doing things at inconvenient times and now his mind was doing it, too. One minute he'd be fine, the next he'd see someone "normal" shift into something not, or he'd have a psychedelic flash of an event to come. It was starting to get so bad, that his mom was starting in on the drug inquisition every time he had one around her.

And now the school was open again after zombie-jock-attacks, and the first thing that happened was Stone and his crotch-sniffing sycophants surrounded him in the schoolyard.

Great. Let's just get this over with.

"Not in the mood." Nick refrained from continuing that sentence the way he really wanted to, but nothing good would some from getting suspended the first day back—especially when his mom found out. But Stone's merd (herd of morons) weren't helping when they pressed close and closed Nick into their sweaty and smelly ranks.

"Someone's been stealing our stuff out of the lockers, Gautier. Make me think of the only person who I know would be desperate enough." Stone raked him with a sneer that twisted his face into something uglier than it already was.

"Wow, you can think? What an achievement, I didn't know." Nick gasped in mock amazement. "Word around the girls' locker room, though, is that all of you are so hard up, you were cruising the senior center, trying to find a prom date."

Stone bellowed in rage, and Nick tensed. He knew what he said, but he couldn't help it. But as the other teen stepped forward, Caleb came out of nowhere to shove him back. Dang, the demon could move ass.

Caleb sneered at Stone. "It's too early in the day to wash your blood out of my clothes, Blakemore. But I'm willing to smell like Tide if that's what it takes to get you to act like a human." A messed up, but no truer statement, seeing to the fact that Stone was in fact a werewolf.

"What's going on here?" a voice interrupted before Stone could attempt a dumb reply, and a big bear of a man stepped between them.

He sent Stone packing with his zoo crew, a few threats in regard to the football team before turning to Caleb and Nick, though he seemed more focused on the latter.

"And who are you?"

"Nick Gautier." Nick responded carefully, saying no more than needed to be said, least he get thrown into detention for no more reason than that.

Nick's suspicion grew as he saw recognition light the new replacement football coach's eyes. "You were first-string running back last year. You interested in playing again?"

Nick gestured to his 'injured' arm in the sling. "Can't. Doc doesn't want me to do anything to stress it, I'm still recovering."

He didn't seem to care much. "Yeah, but I can add you to the roster, even if you don't play. I just need three more jerseys and we're all set for play-offs. Come on, Gautier. Do it for the school, if not that, than Malphas. You gonna deprive him of a championship game because of some minor injury?"

Nick couldn't believe he'd just heard that. Minor injury? He'd been shot and nearly beaten to death by people he thought were his friends. If it hadn't been for Kyrian, he'd be dead.

He looked at Caleb incredulous.

Go ahead and say yes. It'll make it easier for me to keep an eye on you if you're at practice with me.

Nick was too surprised to hear Caleb's voice in his head, to do anything but mutter an agreement.

"Great." the coach grinned, unawares. "I'll bring a jersey when I see you after school today. And then the man was gone just as fast as he appeared.

And that was how he met Coach Devus, and his life became a hell with fear and anger licking at his tail like flames—he just didn't quite know it yet.

He turned his open mouth to Caleb and his startled expression changed. "Since when have you been able to do that?" he demanded.

"I've always been able to do it."

Nick narrowed his eyes. "How many times?"

Caleb just smirked and laughed, going up the front stairs and into the school. Nick glowered at his back, he was sure that wasn't a good reaction. "You're as bad as Ambrose," he muttered at the demon in disguise disappeared into the masses that appeared to all be talking about the things from their lockers that were stolen while the school was closed trying to replace both its coach and principal.

He was at his own locker when Kody came up to him, and that cellular reaction that never failed when she was around. It had been a couple days since their not-date, but before they could get to deep into conversation, Casey Woods threw herself into his arm and slammed him back against the lockers. Apparently, five minutes after it'd happened, she found out that he was on the football team again. Information never seemed to have moved this fast, it was incredible.

He didn't miss the look of anger on Nekoda's face as he finally extracted himself out of Casey's embrace. Before he could quell things over as Casey talked about him getting his jersey and how hot he would look in it, the girl stormed away and he was left with the chatter box.

But he didn't want to go out with Casey Woods anymore, he wanted to go with K—he shook his head. No matter what Ambrose had said, she just wasn't the girl for him anymore.

He never thought he'd be that guy, the one who actually turned down the hottest girl in school. It was unthinkable, but had to be done. If only he could get a word in edge-wise.

It was the first day back at school since it reopened and he'd just been minding his own business. He could swear that he didn't even have enough time to pull something, yet he'd been called out of English and to the new principal's office.

It was there that Dick Head accused him of stealing another student's Nintendo, much to Nick's confusion—he'd done no such thing. At which point, enter the coach, who came to his rescue (from a crime that he hadn't even committed—he just needed to point that out again). Already the principal had it out for him, and he'd never even met the guy before now. He really was a dick. Nick made the quick getaway that was afforded to him in utter bewilderment—that was, until Devus stopped him in the hall.

Nick had felt a brief instant of pride when the coach told him that he had scored the highest for the entrance exam of any kid tested—the one that got him a scholarship to this stinking jack hole in the first place—he then made him feel like everything everyone ever called him (loser, dork, scum, gutter spawn, etc.), by pointing out just how many times he got into fights like a hoodlum (three times a week, apparently). His whole life would be all the better if Stone Blakemore never existed, it was only him that Nick fought with, and it was only because he talked trash about his mom.

This was followed up by a proposition for his "skills."

In reality, Nick would have preferred that it was what his mind first went to when the coach worded it: I have a group of boys who do favours for me. But it was something else entirely. The coach wanted him to steal. All the thefts at the school were this guy's doing. Nick flat out refused, until the coach made his threat, and he had not choice after that. If Nick didn't do what the coach wanted, he'd call the cops and tell them that it was Nick stealing (and plant the evidence just like he had that Nintendo), and it would be bye-bye Nicky the future jailbird. This fact was proven come sixth period when Dave Smithfield was arrested and Nick knew that was just for his benefit, as if the coach knew of his lingering thoughts of defiance.

Let the hell and tail-licking flames burn hot.

But what really cinched it was when he was on his break at Kyrian's and watching the news and they were doing a report on Dave, who was found dead in his cell by believed suicide. Nick got out the pendulum and the book and did what Grim had taught him and found out the truth that Devus was responsible for Dave's death.

He was in so deep, it seemed there was nothing he could do about it but become the things that dreaded most—the kind of man that would crush his mother and let him onto the path of being his father.

Nick was waiting in his office—yeah, it still sounded weird to him, too—for Kyrian to come and approve #3 and get further instructions on #2 of the list that Rosa had given him earlier in the week; so while he waited he called Madaug of for a favour that was owed him—seeing as he ended the zombi/jockolypes that was the kid's fault in the first place—he wasn't just going to lay down and let Devus shove a hand up his arse and jerk him around like some puppet. Gautiers didn't lie down.

He wondered if he should tell someone. Devus was clearly threatening him, but who would believe a "low-life" like him? Like the man had pointed out, people already thought that he'd cheated on his entrance exam, and he got into a fight almost every third day that he was at school (if Stone would just shut his scummy trap about Nick's mother). But he was sure that Bubba and Mark would believe him (though that might cause more trouble), Caleb, he knew for sure that he'd be able to trust Kyrian.

"Nick?"

Nick actually jumped in his chair, startled. He been so deep in thought he hadn't even noticed or heard Kyrian entered. "You alright, kiddo?"

"Y-yeah. Mm-hmm." He cleared his throat and sat up straighter in the chair. "So, I just need your approval—w-what?"

Kryian was looking at him with a penetrating green stare that made the teen nervous as he took a step closer. He gave his head a slow shake. "You were saying?"

"Uh..." It took a second for him to remember, it was a bit hard to concentrate with that powerful gaze directed solely at him. "I found the coat, but I'm not sure how I'm going to pay for it."

"Top drawer on your right."

Nick did as instructed and opened the drawer and gaped as he picked up the credit card and read his own name printed on the Visa. NICHOLAS A. GAUTIER. It just seemed so adult and un-punk. He was brought back to reality when Kyrian took a step closer and literally closed his mouth. Nick blinked rapidly as he stared up at the man, still able to feel the warmth of his fingers caressing his chin.

He gave a little shake of his head to clear it, and saw the quickly hidden smirk. "I can't," Nick started, even as much as he would have liked. It just wasn't right.

"You can. And you are." Kyrian told him. "It haS a thousand-dollar limit on it and it's for business purchases only. If you prove responsible, we'll discuss you getting you own in a few months. Deal?"

"Yes, sir." Nick gasped. With shaking fingers, he typed in the number into the computer and ordered the coat.

"Anything else?"

"Just that I ordered the shoes and emailed Kell. He said that he could put blades in them if that was what you wanted."

"Fantastic. When it arrive, make sure they get sent to him."

Nick nodded.

The silence whispered around them, not awkward or strained as the teen watched him. He looked distracted. So still, it was almost breathtaking. Nick started minutely when Kyrian let out a quiet sigh and went over to the window and pulled back the heavy curtain to look out into the darkening yard. Nick wasn't sure he'd seen this mood on the man before, he actually seemed melancholy.

Something was clearly wrong and for whatever reason, it seemed more important than his Devus problem. "Is something wrong, boss?" he asked quietly.

Kryian hesitated as he turned back to the teen, a frown teasing the corners of his lips. "Not sure. I have a... I don't know." He shook his head. "Bad feeling, I guess."

That caused Nick to worry too, Kyrian having a bad feeling didn't seem like a good thing, especially in his line of work. He slowly rose to his feet. "About... me?"

"You?"

Nick nodded. There was no way that he could know about Devus, was there? He was immortal, but Nick still wasn't sure exactly what all of that entailed. "Did—was another kid murdered?"

"What? No. Nothing like that." Kyrian quickly assured him. "Just like Ash would quote the song, there's a bad moon on the rise. I have a feeling it's summoning something that should be left alone."

Nick wasn't sure if that made him feel any better, and still wondered if he should say something about D—

"Why don't you let me take you home tonight?" the blond said suddenly.

"What?"

"Yeah. Come on. Get you things, I'll take you home."

"Are you sure? I could—"

Kyrian shook his head, "No, no—"

"Can I?" Nick said instead.

That caused Kyrian to pause. "I thought you'd be happy to be getting of early."

"Maybe... maybe I had a bad feeling, too."

Kyrian looked at him a moment. "Don't think that this mean's that you won't have to work."

Nick scoffed but smiled. "Don't I know it."

Was it weird that that didn't happen anyways? That they'd both ended up down in the living room, on the couch, watching a movie. Snowpiercer. It wasn't a romance or anything, it had some pretty sick revelations in it about humanity in a post-apocalyptic ice-age world.

He liked this, it felt normal and real and he didn't think he was going to get much of that anymore, not after last week and definitely not after this morning.

And then all too soon, it was time for Nick to go home. As promised, Kyrian drove him, and Nick could feel that his previously melancholy mood had lifted and he felt pride to think that he might've had something to do with that.

They talked on the ride, and Nick learned things about the immortal that he never thought he ever would; like why it was that he became a Dark-Hunter. He despised any woman who could betray Kyrian like his wife had, and vowed that he would never do the same. And couldn't help but wonder how generous and caring he could still be after all this time and all his hardships.

His respect and love for the man continued to grow.

With nothing to distract him in his study hall period the next day, his mind kept going back to the list. Nick'd broken into Devus' office that morning to see if he could find some dirt on him or something that might help him get out of this whole mess that was forced into his lap, when, of course, Devus had come back. It was thanks to his quick thinking and Casey's timely interruption that Nick was sure he'd made it out of there alive. He guess Ambrose had been right about Casey being a good friend, at least, seeing as she'd convinced him to let her help 'borrow' the things that he was supposed to steal from the list that Devus had given him.

He'd already gotten a few of the easier things that he needed during lunch, but he didn't want to think about it, at least not for a minute or two, so he tried to think of something else—it found a subject that would never get old to him—he thought about Kyrian. It was the first place that his mind went to receive relief and pleasure. It was rather interesting, actually. It wasn't his mom, or Casey, or even Kody (who had a major affect on him), but it was the immortal man who had saved his life, taken him in, and made him feel things he didn't think people like him deserved.

His mind fell into the man easily and freely, without resistance. Even now, just thinking on the man, he felt that tug, that draw like a hook inside of him.

Get your head outta the gutter, Gautier.

Nick started at the sudden intrusion of Caleb's laughing voice in his head, his cheeks turning hot as he looked across the table and saw the smirk on the demon's face.

"Don't do that!" Nick hissed angrily. "Get the hell out of my head."

"You make it too easy. Besides," he leaned his chair back on two legs and laced his fingers behind his head, "I'm bored. You're head's like TV Land, very entertaining."

"Well, find some other way. I'm not some cable hook-up that you can just steal."

"Don't get so full of yourself, it's the basic channels."

"Basic or not," he sputtered, offended, "Find some other boob tube to listen in on."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a baby. You humans are so repetitive. Half of what you think about all day is sex. See the Librarian over there?" he jerked his chin and Nick's gave followed the indication to the old Librarian lady who was crusty to everyone.

"What about her?"

"Just think..." He eyes flashed evilly, gesturing, "Peanut butter and her cats."

"Ugh!" Nick made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat, his expression matching. "That was something I didn't need to know, Malphas! Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome," he smiled charmingly. "Just doing my civic duty is all."

"You're sick, Malphas." He gagged. "Sick!"

"Let's just get back to the real issue here... So you're into the Dark-Hunter, huh? A little old, isn't he?"

"Shut up!" Nick turned red.

"Oh, no way. This is just too good! Your are so in love with him. That is just wrong, man."

He glared. "You homophobic or somethin'?"

"Jump to conclusions much?"

"Then tell me what you meant!" Nick demanded, knowing things were getting off topic, but unable to help it.

"He's a Dark-Hunter, Nick. And you know you're not human, not really." Caleb explained, his chair touching down on all fours again.

"Well, he's not technically human either, is he? He's immortal." Nick returned, smug.

"Maybe you're not as dumb as you look."

"Thanks," came the sarcasm, "'Preciate it."

"That's me, the giver. So, want some pointers on how do the tango?"

Nick looked at him in utter confusion. "Where the heck did that come from? Why would I need to dance?"

"Oh, my God. You're dumber than the redneck that tazes his balls just to see how much it really hurts— and you're the guy that holds the fait of the World." He scoffed in derision.

Nick was taken aback by that last comment. "What—"

"So, you wants some pointers or not?"

He scowled, apparently easily distracted. "What would you know? You're not even human."

Caleb leaned across the table, his face dark. "Want me to show you, Gautier?" he threatened. "You're into the kind of thing now, aren't you?"

"Screw you, dick." Nick wished he could change his choice of words, but it was too late.

"You dirty, dirty boy with your dirty, dirty mind." He mocked.

"Knock it off, Caleb." Nick cussed, angry at himself for walking right into this, and at Caleb for being Caleb. "You're probably smooth down there, like a Ken Doll, aren't you? Your sarcasm and violence a compensation for what you lack below the belt."

"Watch it, Gautier." Caleb growled threateningly.

"What? Did I touch a nerve, Malphas, old boy?" Nick mocked.

"I'm a Daeva, not dead." He seethed.

He snickered. "Uh-huh. And what's the sex-life of diva like, then? Is it seasonal, like dogs or something?"

Caleb barred his teeth. "You really want to feel some pain, don't you? All you have to do, Nick, is ask—and I'll throw a fireball below the belt anytime." And his eyes flashed decidedly to a not human colour.

Nick glared in return, but leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs under the table as if that would help shield him were the demon to go through with his threat.. "I like that bit of anatomy just how and where it is, thanks."

"Just think on it a bit," Caleb urged.

"Naw. The answer's still the same, demonspawn."

There was silence as they glared and scowled across the table at each other.

And then the bastard got that sly look in his eye. "You having an illicit affair with the new coach, too?"

Nick gaped at him in disbelief. "Can't I have one thought to myself?"

"No."

He crossed his arms over his chest. He guessed Caleb was as good to tell as any, he was supposed to be Nick bodyguard after all. "He threatened me earlier."

Caleb straightened to attention at that, his demeanour changing in a flash. "What do you mean?" his voice was hard.

"He told me that if I didn't steal some things for him, he'd get me sent to jail."

He snorted in response, instantly less tense. "And you believe something that stupid?"

Nick responded, indignant. "Think it stupid or not, he's the one that framed Dave and then had him killed while he was in lock-up!"

Again, the demon not seeing how serious this was, rolled his eyes. "Nick, really? Your paranoia should be in a record hall of fame somewhere. The kid was probably scared out of his wits, sensitive little thing,"

"It's not paranoia if it's actually happening!" he protested, not caring exactly how crazy he sounded.

Nick would have figured that their argument, which had in no way been quiet, would have drawn attention, but as he looked around, he noticed that they were being completely ignored.

"Did you really jus—"

"I'm telling the truth!" Nick tried to take a calming breath. "Use you're powers and see." He insisted.

Caleb looked at him for a long moment before he finally groaned. Leaning the chair back on two legs again, he closed his eyes casually and concentrated. Caleb must've worked some of his demon mojo magic. He looked back to the Daeva to see the dent of confusion between his dark brows.

Nick leaned forward on the table eagerly. "What it is? What is he?"

Caleb opened his eyes. "He's human," he drawled.

"No." He shook his head. "No way!" He knew that Devus was the one who had killed Dave while he was in lock-up, the book had said so, and the only way he could have went about making it look like a suicide was if he wasn't human.

"But," Caleb continued slowly and Nick tensed, "It's like he's a wraith."

"A ghost."

"Not exactly. More like they're apparitions who appear in the form of someone who's living, as apposed to dead."

Nick thought. "Like an after image?"

"Closer analogy." The Daeva allowed. "But unlike an after image, a wraith usually appears right before someone dies... to the person who's marked for death."

Nick shuddered. "You just made my skin crawl." He confessed.

"Mine, too." He admitted. He seemed to hesitate before he spoke again. "But the thing is, he doesn't feel like that either. I've been around my fair share, and it just doesn't feel right. It's a strange sensation, like a human wrapped in evil."

"Oh, great." The teen bemoaned. "Our coach is a pig-in-the-blanket for Satan."

The end of the period bell rang, interrupting them.

Caleb stood up and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, not needing the period to study things he'd learned a hundred times over. "Let me do some digging and get back to you."

"Wait!" Nick jumped to his feet, stopping his friend. The boy in lieu of the demon raised a brow at him. "Um..." he hesitated. "About those pointers you talked about earlier...?"

Caleb scoffed at him in disgust. "Last time I offer free advice." And he walked away.

And that was the last time that Nick was going to open his big mouth, but it'd be a laugh to see how long that actually lasted. His big mouth was the magnet for all his life's pain and suffering. It was an untameable beast, one that he could never detach himself from. With a heavy sigh, he gathered his books and headed for his second to last class.

It happened when he went to change out his books at his locker.

He pendulum in his pocket went hot, and the necklace of protection that still had a hint of duck urine to it that Mark had given him as a present a while back, started to vibrate. All the lights in the school just blinked out, not even a flicker and buzz in warning, like a switch. He could hear the screams of the other students in hall around them, but they seemed slow, distorted... just like the fact that everyone else seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. And then, out of nowhere, a bolt of lightening shot through his chest, picking him up and throwing him down the hallway.

Getting struck by lightening wasn't what he'd always imagined it to be. For starters, he would have thought it'd kill him. He would admit that he was having a little trouble breathing, sure as he was that his lungs had collapsed from the force of the throw against the wall and then falling back down to the floor in a heap. Dazed and tasting blood.

So you could hardly hold it against him that he could hardly fight back at the moment as something seized him by the shirt front and shoved and pinned him against the wall with an invisible fist. Weird.

Wow, that indoor lightening sure did a number on him. But what was he even saying? Indoor lightening. If he'd been normal, he might've thought the shock (both literal and physical) had messed him up real good, but his life wasn't normal anymore and neither was he. So when the thing talked in a different language ("Are you the one? Are you?") and he understood it anyways, well, soon he was going to find that normal.

When it started to sniff him, he really decided it was time to fight back. No way was he get eaten or something just as absurd. "Uh, gah! Get off me! What are you?"

"It's something ugly. Nick, get down."

He was able to duck in the thing's grip just in time before Caleb attacked it in full demon gear. The second he did, the creature lost all interest in Nick. The teen scrambled out of the way as fast as he could before he got caught in the middle. This was insane, he'd never seen Caleb look so badass before—covered in gold battle armour that covered everything but his glowing, evil snake eyes.

As the pair squared off, it turned out that Caleb knew whatever this thing was, (Bricis, that was what Caleb called it), knew he was the Malachai—that couldn't be good. Nick was silently cheering the Daeva on as he got the upper hand and sliced open its arm, until, of course, only in his life, the blood turned into demonic little helpers that went for Caleb. There was no way that Nick could just sit there and let his friend go down without a fight. Of course, he didn't have armour and swords and powers like Caleb's, but if he didn't do something and it killed the demon, than Nick would be dead to anyways, so that defeated the whole point unless Bricis went back to hell.

He started to run at them, but when one of the blood demons lunged at him, something happened. Just like the power that had overtaken him when he fought against the Mortants, it came back with a vengeance.

While struggling with Bricis, Caleb was shouting at him to stop and cut in out, but that was really easier said than done. Whatever this power was, it radiated through him, raising his hair on end and washing him in a soft warm blanket of light. How bad could it be, if it felt like this? But apparently it was really bad, the way Caleb was reacting—the demon muttered in a language Nick didn't know, and suddenly a cloak appeared in his hand. The next thing the teen knew, he'd been shoved into a locker, blinded.

He struggled against it, cussing as the fight continued on without him, but the harder he fought, the tighter it wrapped itself around him and when he went to call out to Caleb, it stuffed itself into his mouth without invitation, making him gag. He was forced to stay put and bathe in shame as his friend fought this alone.

He tried everything, even calling on Ambrose, but though the bastard actually answered him, apparently he couldn't give a rat's ass about the Daeva. Nick called his worthless uncle every name in the book at his cowardice and selfishness.

Suddenly, there was silence outside, and the cloak loosened around him, freeing his head. Looking out the slits of the locker, he saw a bleeding Caleb, a green sizzling blob, and between them, purple stains of the tile floor.

Caleb's demon form melted back into his human one, and came over to the locker and opened it after a moment. Nick fell out of the locker at him feet, still tangled in the cloak before, after what sounded like a sigh of regret, Caleb snapped his fingers and the cloak vanished, freeing the teen. Nick really wanted to ripe him a new one for shoving him in that locker, when he realized just how injured the demon was.

"Dude, you okay?"

"Just need a minute before I free the others."

That was when Nick realized the other students were still moving at snail pace due to Caleb's power. It turned out Bricis, the thing that was after him, was a Fringe Hunter, and hadn't actually been after him, but was drawn to him Malachai power—that Caleb then yelled at him for.

"... When I tell you something, you have to listen to me, dammit!" He finished his rant and Nick instinctively went on the defensive at the tone.

"Why do you care?" Caleb's lip started to curl and Nick took a breath. "After what happened in study hall," he said, "I'd've thought you'd leave me out to dry."

"Maybe I should have. It would have saved me a lot of pain."

Nick looked at the demon in shock when he realized that there was no sarcasm or joking in his tone, Caleb was serious. "You can't mean that!"

"I can and I do." Caleb gave his head a rough shake and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "You were born the most cursed and blessed of any creature, Nick. An abomination that should never have been created, and yet, here you are. Like an unprotected infant who had no understanding of the world that created it—no understanding of the power and destruction you're capable of... That you're destined to kill everyone who loves you."

"You always make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside." Nick said hard, with sarcasm; his heart pounding at what Caleb had just described to him.

"Well, it's true. You're a plague, Nick, a pox on the—"

"Malphas, don't you dare!" Kody said in an outraged tone as she approached the pair, but Caleb just turned his sneer on her.

"Leave. This doesn't concern you."

"Of course it does," she scoffed, and Nick wondered why she wasn't frozen like everyone else. "What are you trying to do?"

"He needs to know the truth. The pure, unvarnished truth of what he is and what he will do. If we were smart, we would kill him now and do the world a favour."

"Do you hear yourself?"

Nick looked between them, speechless as they talked about killing and not killing him right there, as if he wasn't. And they meant every word they were saying. Like this was normal.

"Like you wouldn't cut his throat if you were told to do so, Nekoda. Tell him who you work for."

Panic darkened her eyes at Caleb's comment and she couldn't meet Nick's gaze. What? It took a moment to actual formulate what that actually might mean. Did that mean what Nick thought it meant?

"Kody? Are you a demon, too?"

"No." Caleb was the one to answer him in a breathless tone. "She's something that makes us demons look kind." That didn't help with the dread in Nick stomach, and neither did the Daeva's raking smirk at the girl. "Humanity doesn't have a word for her. She absolute agony."

"And what are you?" she spat.

"In one word?" he answered. "Damned."

The teen looked between the two as they glared at each other.

Nick couldn't take this. It was just too much. Caleb believed the world would be better off without him, and that was saying something seeing as he was demonspawn. Nekoda had been lying to him this whole time, claiming to be a regular girl when she was in fact something that made demons look kind—and that said something. It seemed there were a lot of things saying some things and it was just to much to take in. He had too much on his mind, more than any fourteen-year-old should have.

There was the thing with Kyrian, the thing with Kody, that thing with Devus, this sudden disgust from Caleb (or maybe it wasn't all that sudden), his lessons from Death, Ambrose, and let's not forget about Casey Woods suddenly.

But when he tried, both Caleb and Kody used their magic mojo on him and froze him in place. Being swapped by a quicksand cloak was one thing, but no way was he going to just stand there and be a human-fly on flypaper... it just wasn't going to fly.

He ground his teeth as he turned his own glare on them.

Kody sighed sadly and shook her head. "This is not how I wanted you to find out about me, Nick. I was supposed to be incognito for this, but thanks for outing me, Malphas."

"My pleasure. Anything to ruin your day." He mock bowed.

She shot a meaningful look at his groin. "Yeah, and I'm about to ruin your nights, lover boy. For eternity."

Caleb snorted, unaffected by the threat that had Nick wincing in sympathy despite the seriously messed up situation. "What's new? Not like I have free time anyway."

"I don't understand where your head is," she said in a confused and disgusted tone. "How can you be so cold after everything?"

"I'm tired. Unlike you, I don't get a break from my hellish existence. And I don't get why we're going through this ridiculous charade when we both know how it ends. Prophecy is prophecy. Nothing ever changes it. Nothing."

The pair went back and forth on this for a bit along these bizarre lines.

He just wanted to go home to his crappy condo and be in the privacy of himself behind that hung bed sheet. But it didn't appear like that was going to happen soon, not with these two bickering.

"Will you two just cut it out?" he snapped and they looked at him in surprise like they'd forgotten he was even there, even as it appeared that he was the topic of their whole conversation—not that half of it was even making any sense to him. "I'm right here. Just say what you mean, I'm sick of this double talk!"

Caleb looked at him in contempt. "You're just a big loser, Nick. I'm fed up babysitting you and cleaning up your messes. Grow up." Nick gaped at him as the Daeva turn his stare on Kody. "I grow sick of your pithy sayings. Really. Change your tune, hon." When he walked away, Kody didn't even try and stop him.

Kody finally looked back at him, and still stuck, it seemed Nick had no other choice. He cleared his throat, keeping as much emotion from it as he might. "Who are you? Why are you here, Kody?" (if that was even your real name).

She looked heart-struck. "Just think of me as your guardian."

Nick scoffed. That hardly answered his question. Why couldn't he just seem to get one straight answer from someone, just once? "For what?" he asked again.

"I can't tell you. It's forbidden."

Anger struck through him at that even more evasive answer—this wasn't the FBI or the CIA, this was his life and he was going to tell her so. "Well, what can you tell me?" he snapped. "This is my life, mine! It's not your right to screw with it, it's mine, all mine.

"That's true, Nick." She told him, a bit eagerly and happily, grasping onto that. "There are creatures after you, that will try and capture you while you are still learning and developing your powers, so that they can harness your powers and use them for their own gain."

"But I won't let them do that." He insisted firmly.

She nodded. "And that's why Caleb and I are here. To protect you while you develop and master your Malachai powers—so those creatures and people won't be able to take your powers or control you." She paused and looked at him. "We're here to make sure that you stay human and your feelings don't wither and die while you do that, because when you stop caring about anyone or anything, Nick, you become a pawn for the darkest powers ever created... And when that happens, you will destroy the world."

Those words slammed into Nick like a physical thing and he felt lost and sluggish as the snail paced students around him as what that might mean actually sunk into him. "What exactly are you saying?" his voice was a bit unsteady—very understandable.

"Your goodness and your free will are the keys that keep your from breaking and becoming apathetic. You have to hold onto yourself always. If you don't..."

"I'll kill everyone, and all the people around me would cease to exist." He whispered in horror. She nodded. "I don't like this. I don't want this power. Take it away from me." He pleaded desperately.

"I can't." She seemed sorry on the fact. "No one can."

"Then I won't learn it." He declared in a last-ditch attempt to deny the reality.

"You have to. If you don't, your hand with be forced one way or another, and everyone you love will pay the price. You have to become strong enough to protect yourself and those around you. Don't you understand, Nick?"

"No. I don't understand." He admitted. "If I don't learn to unlock and control them, then there won't be any powers there for them to manipulate."

"It doesn't work like that, and you know it." She put a hand on his shoulder and he could feel the warmth through his clothes. Despite the fact that not that long ago, he felt the sting of betrayal at finding out that she hadn't been who she'd claimed to be, that she was only even talking with him because he was the Malachai—he still felt that internal calm around her. If he didn't have that, he would have fallen apart already. "You've never been irresponsible in your life, somewhere, deep down, you knew this was coming—it was inside of you. You're life will never be normal again, as much as you're desperate to want it to be. It's the little, day-to-day moments that make us who we are, not the big things that you might think. Everything that happens, bad or good, it leaves an impression on our souls—what kind of impression it leaves, is up to us." She looked at him intensely, fiercely. "Fight destiny, Nick. You can carve your own path in life—you just have to believe in yourself."

He scoffed. "Those are just stupid saying that losers say to try and make their lives better—they're not true." But even so, he was really listening to her. Caleb said that he hated how she said pithy things, but Nick just thought that that was how she was, straight to the point, there was no dicking around with her.

"Like you said," she murmured. "It's your life. You're the one that makes the decisions. Fight the machine. Don't become the darkest power in the universe... be the one who destroys it."

"You know, if this sunny-side up gig doesn't work out for you, I'm sure Hall Mark would hire you." He joked lamely, but she chuckled anyways and he thought that she might've even meant it—but then, what did he know about anything anymore, as she unfroze the other students and pecked him on the cheek before disappearing down the hall.

Still able to feel her lips pressed against his skin, that just left him a few other hellish things to go through—like handing over the things that he had "borrowed" for Devus—and then getting back at the very same for making him into a thief against his will.

... time skip…

Nick looked around at the carnage that was supposed to be Devus' office after an intense battle like that, but wasn't—it all vanished and repaired by magic (a concept that wasn't as absurd and shocking as it should have been and used to be). He leaned his arse against the coach's desk, and Kody did the same, Caleb, and the others having disappeared, leaving the pair alone, their shoulders pressed comfortingly against the others.

Having put his trust in Madaug and Mark to find out what Devus' deal was, had panned out. Devus had been alive for a while. He used to be human, but he'd made a deal with the "devil" for selfish and petty reasons like vanity—which would result with him killing the entire football team after winning the championship game. Grim's lessons helped point him in the direction of a churning strategy.

Caleb being taken out and impersonated by a Fringe Hunter and evil look-alike. Which explained Caleb sudden animosity towards him (stronger than usual). Discovering that Simi wasn't human either (he was sure that he shouldn't be surprised anymore) but something called a Charonte.

A spaz attack in his run-down condo's living room with Kody proved fruitful in discovering that scary and risky plan to take out Devus and learned that he was better with scrying than the pendulum (the visions he'd seen in the car's tinted window an attribution of that).

He'd talked with someone on the other side, he'd talked (or more, she talked) to Devus' very first victim—his powers going whack, and him only pulled back to reality with Kody's desperate lips pressed against him. They grounded him, pulled him back to the surface despite the feelings that he had.

"Kody... there—there's someone else that I like." He'd admitted—almost guiltily—to her after the situation had calmed down at bit.

A sad and jealous looked flashed quickly through her eyes before he covered it and nodded. "Okay."

And then after a "sleepover" at Caleb's to do prep work for the plan, via the Daeva's scary necromancer friend, Xenon, who cut Nick's palm without even asking for the potion (and leaving him with a cut that quickly healed into a lasting scar. And making the teen very conscious of what was happening with his blood.

And an attack of swarming Demons seemed the official starting pistol of the real fight against Devus.

"Is this what my life's going to be like, now?" Nick looked over at her beside him on Devus' former desk (he wasn't going to need it anymore). "Getting targeted and attacked?"

"You know the Chinese have a curse." She told him.

"And that is?" he wondered, were was this going exactly?

She gave an ironic smile. "May you live an interesting life."

Nick gave a incredulous laugh. "That's some curse alright. Couldn't they have given it to some other unlucky bastard."

"Don't look so glum." She kissed him on the tip of his nose and he drew to attention, now was the time to say something. "I have something for you."

He got distracted as she pulled out a small leather band out, and he could see her ingraved name. "Kody, wait—" he started.

"It's okay, Nick." She stopped him softly, kindly. "I know how you feel about Kyrian. I'm going to admit that I'm jealous, he's a lucky man to have your affection. I just want you to know that I'm your friend, but if ever there's a time you want to be something more, I'll be here—I'll always be here." She tied the band around his wrist and flounced out of the room before he could say a word.

He was left gaping after her. He'd of thought that his life was made simpler now that Devus was gone and he didn't have a threat hanging over him, but sometimes, the more innocent things were the most complicated. Kody knew about Kyrian—of course she did—and just like she always did, she told him what was what. She told him her own feeling, but left the choice up to him, already knowing that he'd picked the Dark-Hunter, but her feelings hadn't change.

Whoa. Not that long ago, it seemed like the only way to get a person of the opposite sex to talk to him, was if they were spitting and cussing at him for being trailer trash (something that was probably better than his condo), and then, it was like everywhere he turned, there was a girl pining after him. It was like some sick joke the world was playing on him—seeing as he fallen for a guy instead.

... six weeks later…

Nick was sitting on the stoop of their new home on Bourbon Street, they were able to afford it with his mom's new job at Sanctuary and his job with Kyrian, when his gaze caught something out the corner of his eye and he turned to his see his long-lost uncle Ambrose strolling towards him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. The last time his uncle appeared, nothing too good had followed. "I don't want any of your trouble right now, old man, it's my birthday, I want a break."

Ambrose held up his hands in a mock surrender, "I come in peace," as he sat on the step beside his younger self.

But Nick wasn't so sure when he glimpsed something on the palm of Ambrose's hand that seemed familiar. He reached out and took the man's hand into his own, and flipped his palm up. Ambrose watched him with a raised brow. The reason why it was familiar, was become he had the same thing in the same spot on his own palm—it was the scar that Xenon had given him when the necromancer had taken his blood.

He'd thought that he'd gotten some semblance of normality back into his life again, but it was kicked in the arse and thrown out the door just as fast, it seemed.

He groaned forlornly. Just because he made it to his fifteenth birthday, didn't mean a thing—not when he was Nick Gautier, the Malachai.

(the end)/(cont. in Alternate Ending)

C—H—R—O—N—I—C—L—E—S ~ O—F ~ N—I—C—K

#1 - "SNOWPIERCER" was a movie that I saw a week or so ago with Chris Evans Captain America and Luke Pasqualino form "The Musketeers" and I spontaneously just put it in there. If you haven't seem it, you should, I thought that it was pretty cool. :)

#2 - I know that it probably feels like I just copied the whole book down and posted it. I don't know why I had such trouble trying to write the fic like I had DRAW, without doing the whole book and just focusing on the parts with Kyrian and Nick, and instead we have this. INVINCIBLE just seemed to have several more elements in it than INFINITY did. I hoped you liked it anyways though, it felt like it took me forever to write this.

LASTLY, #3

I'm not sure I'll be doing another, but I'll have a short Alternate Ending piece for the next chapter just to end things off proper that may or may not have a connection with a sequel that might or might not happen (kind of depends if I read INFAMOUS and find something).

Update: if you noticed the mistake "Malachi", I have replaced it now with the proper "Malachai". Sorry for the mistake!