It was Xevikan who answered her question. “If this is the Malachai test, she might be working with the others, and there’s no telling what she might have done to him to initiate it. It would take four šarras to agree to have a Malachai undergo the hazard. I know I didn’t call for it or vote on it. That leaves her, or Bane, as a deciding vote with the others. And I have a feeling Bane didn’t bother. Unless he’s radically different from the man I remember, he wouldn’t involve himself with such politics or treachery.”

Kody shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense, though. Why would Livia do that after all Caleb and Nick have done to welcome her in?”

Xev laughed bitterly. “It’s her nature, Nekoda. If the šarras reached out to her, and asked her to join them, she would have, without hesitation. All she wants is to feel like she’s a part of their family. One of them.”

As Kody started to leave, they heard a knock on the door.

“Menyara?” Dagon asked, thinking it might be her returning with some of their reinforcements.

No one answered from the hallway.

Simi went to the door and peeped through the hole. “Nope. It that other dog-boy. Zavid … Hi, Zavid!” she said in a louder tone as she opened the door for him to enter the condo.

But as he came into the room with an odd swagger and headed straight for the couch where Cherise was still sleeping, they realized this wasn’t Zavid.

It was Noir in his body.

Dagon cut his path off to Cherise. “What are you doing here, Father?”

“You know what I want, boy. Now join me or stand aside.”

Dagon’s gaze went to Xev and Kody. “You asked me earlier to pick a side to die for. I just did.”

Stepping back, he let fly a blast from his hands and declared his eternal enmity.

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

As every single piece of bramble and brush on the forest floor came alive to attack them, Livia shrieked and ran to hide, leaving Nick as the sole nummy treat for them all.

Pissed and aghast, Nick gaped at her as he pulled out his Malachai sword, and expanded its size to fight as best he could. “Livia! A hand, please! You’re supposed to be one of my šarras, you know!”

She shrieked and dodged. “I don’t fight hand-to-hand. I lead.… Other demons fight. Not me. Never me. That’s not what I do.”

Now … now she tells me this? Really?

Stunned, he gaped at her as he realized just how badly he’d chosen his partner for this venture. Wow. Talk about hindsight.

And extreme stupidity. Lethal stupidity, for that matter. Bubba would be so proud.