Bubba laughed before he took Nick’s backpack. “C’mon, runt. Let me get you home to your mama. She’s worried sick.” He glanced around. “So where’s your other cohort? Not like Caleb to leave you alone. Way he hangs all over you, boy, I keep waiting for a wedding announcement.”

Nick snorted. “Sent home for hurling.”

“Lovely.”

“Not really. Except for when he scored on the shoes of my least favorite teacher. That was pretty epic.”

Bubba shook his head. “Did you drive?”

“Nah. After I got jumped, Ma wants me to, but seriously?” Nick had to force himself to not roll his eyes since he only lived a block and a half away. “Takes longer to find a parking spot than it does to walk it.”

This time, Bubba broke out into laughter. “Being the only son of an overly protective Southern mother, I get it … in a way only you know. They are truly God’s very special creatures.”

“Heavy emphasis on the creature part. Especially those long, clinging, fun-sucking tentacles that wrap around and hold you down till you can’t breathe.”

“Amen, little brother. Amen.”

Kody grinned at them. “Your mama still in town?” she asked Bubba.

“Nah. She left last night. Thank God. I wouldn’t want her trying to travel in this mess. I’d be the basket case if she was at the airport today.”

“You two,” Kody said with a laugh. “I don’t know why you pick on your mothers when you’re both worse about their safety than they are with yours. Nick, your mom’s younger than Bubba and I’ve seen you hold on to her arm when she’s going up and down stairs.”

“Hey now, you don’t know.… I’ve seen her trip on straight ground. Many times. She could fall. Hurt her arm. Then I’d have to actually wash a dish for myself. God forbid that humanity! I’m not even sure how to work a sink. Could fall in and drown myself on accident or something.”

Laughing even harder at something she knew wasn’t true since Nick washed dishes most nights while his mom worked, Kody shook her head. “Like I said. Neither of you has room to complain about them being overprotective.”

Nick paused as he reached the doors and saw the storm outside. The sky was pitch black. The rain and hail hit the building so hard, it sounded like gunfire. He scowled at the sight of the rain’s red spatter patterns. “Is that…”

“Blood,” Kody finished for him. “It’s raining blood.”

Nick met Bubba’s horrified gaze. “Zombies?”

Grimacing, Bubba shoved at him. “Don’t sass me, boy. You’re not that cute in high heels.”

A chill went down Nick’s spine as he turned to see the zeitjäger behind him, watching them with great curiosity. They had stopped the Apocalypse. He and Caleb had sealed the portal before the ušumgallu could gather and summon their armies to attack.

Why was this still happening?

It made no logical sense. What else could possibly cause something like this to happen?