Illusion: Chronicles of Nick Read Online Free PDF Page A

that definitely described the man Nick knew so well. Much more apropos than the Triple B Bubba used in his realm. “You know Bubba?”
    “I know Cherise and Michael both. Cherise and I used to work at the Café Pontalba together when we were in college. It’s how they met. Michael was in town for a game. But I haven’t talked to her in years.”
    “Yeah, well, I talked to her this morning, and if she hears one word of this, she’ll have me committed.”
    Selena laughed. “Boy, any sane person would have you committed. You’re so lucky I’m nuts and that I accept the impossible as everyday fact.” She looped her arm through his and pulled him in the direction of the streetcar.
    As they walked, there was something about her that confused him even more than waking up in this bizarre place. “Why are you exactly the same when no one else is?”
    “I wouldn’t say no one . Tabitha doesn’t sound like she’s all that different. Tiyana, either. My theory would be that some of us are just too dang stubborn to be anyone else. Our personalities are so strong or intense that no matter where you put us, we’d still be us. Or you could say that the universe wills it so. Does it really matter?”
    “Does to me, especially right now.”
    “Why?”
    “’Cause some of the changes of the people I know don’t make any kind of sense, especially given what you just said. Trust me, no one has a stronger personality than they do.” He stopped short of mentioning that Caleb and Simi were demons in his world or that Acheron was an immortal … something with a great deal of power. How could they be those things in his world and be typical humans here, while Selena and possibly Tabitha were the same in both places?
    Just didn’t make sense to him at all.
    Selena patted his arm. “Well, don’t worry about it. We’re going to fix your situation and find out what’s really happening.”
    He caught the underlying note in her voice that sent a shiver down his spine. “What do you mean?”
    “Well, if you’re here and this isn’t where you’re supposed to be, and yet there was another Nick living here before you arrived, it begs the question of where that other Nick went, doesn’t it?”
    Ah, dang. He hadn’t even thought of that. His newly spawned ulcer burned at the mere thought. “Are you telling me there’s some dude in my skin at home?”
    “That would be my assumption.”
    Great. Just flippin’ great. That was all he needed. Someone else screwing up his screwed-up life. Like he didn’t do that enough on his own. But worse … the other Nick, if he was from this world, wouldn’t know he was part demon, nor would he have the skills to fight those who wanted to enslave him.
    Or kill him.
    And that was just his mother and girlfriend. Never mind all the real threats to his life.
    “You’ve got to get me back there. That Nick … he could mess up everything. Bad bad.”
    He could unlock Nick’s Malachai powers and unravel the entire universe.
    His gut knotting even harder, he allowed Selena to escort him to her red Mustang, then drive him back to the Quarter. But instead of going to her stand like she’d said, she veered off to the corner of Royal and St. Ann’s, where Erzulie’s Authentic Voodoo was located.
    Nick frowned at the pink building that was impossible to miss in both worlds. “Your aunt still owns this?”
    Selena parked the car. “Sort of. Tabby and Tia are technically the owners now. They’re making payments to her for it.”
    “What about Pandora’s Box?”
    She turned off the car and unbuckled her belt. “That hasn’t been part of our family since our aunt was murdered in her store ten years ago.”
    Nick let out a sympathetic sigh. “Sorry.”
    “Thanks.” She got out.
    Before joining her, Nick took a moment to absorb what she’d said and lay it down with what Ambrose had told him about Nick’s future. None of it made sense. Why would some things here be so altered while others