“Really, it’s okay. Why you calling, anyway? You should be asleep.” Since Daimons preyed on humans at night and Kyrian couldn’t be in daylight, he usually slept all day and didn’t wake up until about an hour after Nick showed up for work after school.

“The weather woke me this morning, and when I checked my phone for voicemail, I saw the notice about the Squire alert at St. Richard’s. I wanted to check in with you. Make sure I didn’t have to start looking for a new Squire. I hate that crap. Hard enough to deal with you. Last thing I want to do is start breaking in a new pain-in-my-keister. Gah, I’d have to change all the locks on the house again.”

Nick smiled in spite of the awful day and Kyrian’s feigned surly tone. He’d gone from having no one look after him to an extended family that still amazed him whenever he stopped to think about it.

“Bad news. Still alive, boss.”

Kyrian scoffed irritably at Nick’s light tone. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll get the Squires looking for your mother, immediately. And Acheron. As soon as the sun goes down, we’ll all be on it.”

“Thanks. We have absolutely no leads on where to begin hunting her. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

“We’ll find her.”

Yeah, but in what condition? That was the nightmare that was currently haunting him while he was awake.

“Thanks. Appreciate it.”

As Nick hung up the phone, Kody approached to rub his back. Closing his eyes, he savored the warmth of her touch. His fear and anger churned inside him and he needed her to ground him right now. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she wasn’t here to keep him calm.

“Kyrian’s contacting Acheron.”

He felt her hand tremble at the mention of her uncle. Acheron had no idea who Kody was, which made sense given that she wouldn’t be born until centuries from now. They couldn’t let Acheron know, either, especially since his brother, Kody’s father, was currently being held by Artemis in a hellish prison. It would totally wreck Acheron’s world.

For that matter, Nick couldn’t imagine how hard it had to be for Kody to be here in this time with her loved ones who had no idea she was related to them, knowing that if they didn’t change things, she’d lose them all over again. That if they made one wrong move, she’d never be born at all.

It was enough to make him lose his mind whenever he stopped to think about it.

How could she stand to be near him, knowing he was the sole reason they would one day die? That he, alone, would one day single-handedly wreck her entire life and everything in it?