“Yeah, I bet. You sure he didn’t tell the Memitim where to find me, and then lead them here just to ensure they didn’t get lost on the way over?”

Xev winced at the accusation. Ignoring Caleb, he closed the distance between him and Nick. “I’ll—”

“Get out!” Caleb’s voice wasn’t human as he stepped around Livia. It carried the full weight of his demonic power. “I don’t want you here!”

For a moment, Nick thought Caleb’s powers had returned, until Caleb tried to blast Xev and nothing happened. Instead, Caleb fell back against the wall, dropped his sword weakly, and slid to the floor.

Gasping, Livia went to him to help him up. “It’s okay, Malphas. I won’t let anything happen to you. Nothing will get through me.”

His expression stricken, Xev sighed as he clapped Nick on the back. “I’ll help guard your mother. See to Caleb’s safety.” He vanished, but not before Nick felt him strengthen the shields around Caleb’s house to keep the Memitim at bay.

There was also a mysterious and powerful blast that made the crows shriek and scatter in the storm. One he knew came from Xevikan.

Snorting at Xev’s twisted retribution and his insistence on protecting Caleb even though Caleb continued to curse and insult him, Nick went to help Caleb back to bed. “Where’s Zavid?”

Livia shook her head. “I don’t know. He was gone when I returned.”

Weird. It wasn’t normal for Zavid to go out on his own. Like Xev, he wasn’t exactly a people demon, and he didn’t have much more than the most rudimentary understanding of the human world. Modern man baffled him, so he typically avoided all interaction with them like a social plague on his crotch. Gaming was about as close to humanity as he wanted to come.

Even then, he only gamed with Caleb and Nick.

“I’m just glad I got back when I did,” Livia said as she tucked the covers around Caleb. “Another minute and I think they’d have penetrated his barrier and had him.”

Caleb grimaced as he shifted in the bed. “Where’s Kody?”

“She’s with my mom.”

He grabbed the front of Nick’s shirt in a deceptively strong grasp. “Keep her safe.”

“That was the plan. I’m not intending to sacrifice her to an ancient god anytime soon.”

Nodding, Caleb let go, and passed out with a sigh.

“Wow,” Livia said as she covered him with another blanket. “Kody means a lot to him, doesn’t she?”

“How do you mean?”