Xev cracked an irritating grin. “You can always go out there with your charming personality and try to win them over.” He nudged Nick toward the door. “Go on. I dare you.”

Nick headed for the door. “I will. I mean, think about it. Everyone attacks them, right? They’re used to fighting. If I go out there to talk to them, it’ll throw them off guard. It worked earlier when I talked to the Memitims. No one attacked me. They actually seemed kind of reasonable. So if I go out there and assert myself, tell them that I’m their supreme poobah, they’ll fall in line, right?”

“To kill you?” Xev asked. “Most likely. To listen and obey? Wouldn’t stake my life on it. But far be it from me to interfere with your stupidity, in any way.”

Nick shrugged his hold off. “Ha, ha. Real funny.” He swept his gaze over them. “Anyone got something better?”

“Molotov cocktails?” Simi volunteered. “That way, they be cooking while they fleeing.”

Choking on Simi’s solution, Kody bit her lip in a most adorable way. “I might have an idea. But I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”

“Okay. Let’s hear it.”

Before Kody could tell Nick her plan, everything in the room froze. Even time itself.

Only Nick seemed unaffected by whatever was causing it. Was this the Takiramon? Could it also affect preters? He had no other explanation.

At least nothing that made any sense.

Even Simi was frozen in place and that never happened. Nothing like this ever affected her. Nick waved his hand before her face, half expecting her to bite at his fingers and laugh at him for being so gullible.

She didn’t.

What is this?

He poked gently at Simi. She didn’t move or flinch at all. His heart pounding, he heard the shrieking sound of a horse from outside his window. Literally, right outside his window.

With a fierce scowl, he went to investigate. As soon as he parted the curtains, he jumped back with a startled piercing shout that would have rivaled scream-queen Marilyn Burns confronting Leatherface. Not the manliest sound he’d ever made. Thank goodness none of the others could bear witness to it.

Outside the window, floating in midair, was the king of the plague doctors. Only this guy looked like he’d not only gotten the plague, he’d picked up scabies, rabies, and a few other flesh-rotting diseases along the way.

A bony finger emerged from bloody robes to point at Nick and motion him outside.

Nick shook his head. “Sorry. I’m grounded. My mom won’t let me come out and play until all my homework and chores are done. Should be at least a decade or so … maybe a couple of centuries.”