“What?” Richardson snarled. “No smart retort, Mr. Gautier? Cat swallow your tongue?”

Nick gave her a charming grin he didn’t really feel. “No, ma’am. A gator named Sense Formerly Known as Common.”

Sneering at him, she tottered her way to her desk so that she could insult someone else and ruin their day.

Caleb let out an annoyed breath. Great, he projected to Nick. Now I have to get detention, too. I really hate you, Gautier.

Nick batted his eyelashes at Caleb. But I wubs you, Caliboo.

That succeeded in wringing a groan out of Caleb.

“What was that, Mr. Malphas?” Richardson asked.

“Severe intestinal woe caused by an external hemorrhoid that seems to be growing on my right-hand side.” He cast a meaningful glower toward Nick.

The class erupted into laughter as Richardson shot to her feet. “Enough!” She slammed her hands on her desk. “For that, Mr. Malphas, you can join Mr. Gautier in after-school detention.”

Caleb let out an irritated sigh. More quality time with my hemorrhoid. Just what I wanted for Christmas. Yippee ki-yay.

Nick forced himself not to react to the sarcastic words only he could hear. If not for the fact that he knew the truth behind Caleb’s feelings where he was concerned, he’d be hurt by that animosity. But while he’d been trapped out of his body in another dimension, he’d seen and heard firsthand what Caleb really thought about him.

They were family.

Brothers in arms.

Yes, they fought and sniped. Yet at the end of the day, they would kill or die for each other. It was something each of them had proven. Of that, he had no doubt.

So he took the acerbic demon in stride and tried to keep in mind how hard life had to be for Caleb. He’d lost everyone he cared about. Had seen his wife brutally slain by his enemies and had spent centuries enslaved to a cruel, demonic master who’d hated his guts. One who hadn’t hesitated to abuse and mock him every chance he could. Yeah, Nick’s father had been a rank dog to everyone around him. Caleb had every reason in the universe to hate Nick, and instead, he was the best friend Nick had ever known.

Hey, bud, Nick mentally projected to Caleb. Thanks.

Caleb scowled. “For?”

Nick smiled as Caleb spoke out loud. Not letting me die. Fighting by my side whenever I need you to, and for getting up this morning when I know you’d rather sleep till noon or later.

His frown deepened. You’re so weird.

Given the fact that Nick was the hated son of a demon whose sole purpose was to one day end the world—and had been born the lead rider of the Apocalypse, Conquest, to be specific, and he was currently dating the ghost of a warrior he would kill in their future—weird was a massive understatement.

For that matter, if there was a primer for normality, Nick would be the first in line to buy it. His life was ever a case study of Murphy’s Law to the utter extremes.