Onyx A LUX NOVEL Book two Onyx A LUX NOVEL Book two Jennifer ll.

Armentrout T hi s book is a w ork of fict ion. Names, charact ers, places, and incident s are t he product of t he aut hors imaginat ion or are used fict it iously. Any resembla nce t o act uall event s, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincident al. Copyright 2012 by Jennifer ll. Arment rout . All right s reserved, including t he right t o reproduce, dist ribut e, or t ransmit in any form or by any means.

For informat ion regarding subsidiary right s, please cont act t he Publisher. E nt angled Publishing, LLC 2614 Sout h T imberline Road Suit e 109 Fort Coll ins, CO 80525 Visit our w ebsit e at w w w .ent angledpublishing.com. Edit ed by Liz Pell et ier Cover design by Liz Pell et ier Print ISBN 978-1-62061-011-4 Ebook ISBN 978-1-62061-012-1 Manufact ured in t he Unit ed St at es of America First E dit ion August 2012 T he aut hor acknow ledges t he copyright ed or t rademarked st at us and t rademark ow ners of t he follow ing w ordmarks ment ioned in t h is w ork of fict ion: Oreos, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., W i , Coke, Expedit ion , Barbie, Rubiks Cube, Infinit i, X-Men, Snack Pack, Prius, Pop-Tart , Google, Pe pt o-Bismol, Mac, Y ukon, W index, Rolex, Dumpst er, Jet t a. Dedicated to book lovers and book bloggers everywhere, those large and small. Chapter 1 Ten seconds passed bet w een w hen Daemon Black t ook his seat and w hen he poke d me under my shoulder blade w it h his t rust y pen. Ten w hole seconds. T w is t ing around in my seat , I inhaled t he unique out doorsy scent t hat w as all him. Daemon pulled his hand back and t apped t he blue cap of his pen on t he co rner of his lips. Lips I w as w ell familiar w it h. Good morning, Kit t en. I for ced my gaze t o his eyes. Bright green, like t he st em of a freshly cut rose. Go od morning, Daemon. Unruly dark hair fell over his forehead as he t ilt ed his he ad. Dont forget w e have plans t onight . Y eah, I know . Looking forw ard t o it , I said dryly.

As Daemon leaned forw ard, his dark sw eat er st ret ched over broad shoulders. He t ipped his desk dow n. I heard t he soft inhales from my friends Carissa and Lesa, felt t he eyes of everyone in class w at ching us. One corner of his lips curved higher, as if he w ere secret ly laughing. T he st ret ch of silence bec ame t oo heavy. W hat ? We need t o w ork off your t race, he said, low enough t hat only I could hear. T hank God. Trying t o explain w hat a t race w as t o t he general populace w as not somet hing I w ant ed t o get int o. Oh, you know , ju st alien residue t hat rubs off on humans and light s t hem up like a Christ mas t ree and becomes a homing signal to an evil alien race. W ant some? Uh huh. I picked up my pen and considered poking him w it h it . Y eah, I figured as much. An d I have t his really fun idea of how w e can do it . I knew w hat his fun idea w a s. Me. Him. Making out . I smiled, and t he green of his eyes heat ed. Liking t h e idea? he murmured, and his gaze dropped t o my lips. An unhealt hy amount of ex cit ement had my ent ire body humming, and I reminded myself t hat his sudden t urnaround had more t o do w it h t he effect of his bizarre alien mojo on me t h an it did w it h me as a person. Ever since Daemon healed me aft er t he bat t l e w it h t he Arum, w e w ere connect ed, and w hile t hat seemed t o be enough for him t o jump int o a relat ionship, it w asnt for me. It w asnt real. I w ant ed w hat my parent s had. Undying love. Pow erful. T rue. A w hacked-out alien b ond couldnt do t hat for me. Not in t his lifet ime, buddy, I said finally. Resist a nce is fut ile, Kit t en. So is your charm. W ell see. Rolling my eyes, I faced t he f ront of t he classroom. Daemon w as a t ot all babe, but he w as st ab-w ort hy, w hich, at t imes, zeroed out t he babe part . Not alw ays, t hough.

Our ancient t rig t eacher shuffled in, clut ching a t hick w ad of papers w hil e he w ait ed for t he t ardy bell. Daemon poked me w it h his pen. Again. Squee zing my hands int o fist s, I debat ed ignoring him. I knew bet t er. Hed just ke ep poking me. T urning around, I glared at him. W hat , Daemon? He moved as fast a s a cobra st riking. W it h a grin t hat did funny t hings t o my st omach, he g lided his fingers along my cheek, plucking a t iny bit of fuzz out of my hair. I st ared at him. Aft er school I st art ed t o get all kinds of crazy ideas as his grin t urned w icked, but I w asnt playing his game anymore. I rolled my eyes and w hipped back around. I w ould resist my hormonesand t he w ay he got t o me lik e no one else. A slight t ic of pain t hrobbed behind my left eye t he rest of t he morning, w hich I t ot ally blamed on Daemon. By lunch, I felt like someone had sucker punched me in t he head. T he st eady noise of t he cafet eria and t he mix of disinfect ant and burned food made me w ant t o run from t he room. Y o u going t o eat t hat ? Dee Black gest ured at my unt ouched cot t age cheese and pineapple. Shaking my head, I pushed my t ray over, and my st omach roiled as s he dug in. You could eat t he foot ball t eam under t he t able. Lesa w at ched De e w it h obvious envy sparkling in her dark eyes. I couldnt blame her. Id once see n Dee eat an ent ire package of Oreos in one sit t ing. How do you do it ? Dee shr ugged daint y shoulders. I guess I have a fast met abolism. W hat did you guys do t his w eekend? Carissa asked, frow ning as she w iped her glasses w it h t he sle eve of her shirt . I w as filling out college applicat ions. I w as making out w it h Chad all w eekend. Lesa grinned. Bot h girls looked at Dee and me, w ait ing f or us t o share. I guessed t he w hole killing-apsycho-alien-and-almost -dying t hing probably w asnt somet hing t o t hrow out t here. We hung out and w at ched st upid movies, Dee answ ered, giving me a slight smile as she t ucked a shiny bl ack curl behind her ear. It w as kind of boring.

Lesa snort ed. Y ou guys are alw ays boring. I st art ed t o smile, but a w arm t ingle skat ed across t he nape of my neck. T he conversat ion around me faded an d a few seconds lat er, Daemon dropped int o t he seat t o my left . A plast ic cup full of st raw berry smoot hiemy favorit ew as set in front of me. I w as more t han a lit t le shocked t o be receiving any present from Daemon, much less on e of my favorit e t reat s. My fingers brushed his as I t ook t he drink, and a jolt of elect ricit y danced along my skin. I yanked my hand back and t ook a sm all sip. Delish. Maybe it w ould make my t ummy feel bet t er. And maybe I could get used t o t his new gift -giving Daemon. Much bet t er t han t he ot her dou chebag version of him. T hank you. He smiled in response. W herere ours? Lesa quipped . Daemon laughed. Im only at t he service of one person in part icular. My cheeks f lamed as I scoot ed my chair over. Y ou are not servicing me in any w ay. He leane d in, closing my new ly gained dist ance. Not yet . Oh, come on, Daemon. Im right he re. Dee frow ned. Y oure about t o make me lose my appet it e. Like t hat w ill ever happen, Lesa ret ort ed w it h an eye roll. Daemon pulled a sub out of his bag. O nly he could skip fourt h period early t o get lunch and not end up in det ent i on. He w as just sospecial. Every girl at t he t able, besides his sist er, w as st aring at him. Some of t he guys w ere, t oo. He offered his sist er an oat me al cookie. Dont w e have plans t o make? Carissa asked, t w o bright spot s colorin g her cheeks. Y ep, Dee said, grinning at Lesa. Big plans. I w iped a hand over my d amp, clammy forehead. W hat plans? Dee and I w ere t alking in English about t hrow ing a part y t he w eek aft er next , Carissa jumped in. Somet hing Huge, Lesa said. mall, Carissa correct ed, eyes narrow ing on her friend. Just somet hing w it h a few people. Dee nodded, and her bright green eyes glimmered w it h excit ement . O ur parent s are going t o

be out of t ow n Friday, so it w orks out perfect ly. I glanced at Daemon. He w i nked. My st upid heart skipped a beat . T hat s so cool t hat your parent s are le t t ing you have a part y at your house, Carissa said. Mine w ould st roke out if I even suggest ed somet hing like t hat . Dee shrugged one shoulder and looked aw ay. Our parent s are pret t y cool. I forced my expression blank as a pang hit me in t he chest . I t ruly believed Dee w ant ed her parent s alive more t han sh e w ant ed anyt hing else in t his w orld. And maybe even Daemon, t oo. T hen he w ouldnt bear t he w eight of being responsible for his family. During t he t im e w ed spent t oget her, Id figured out most of his bad at t it ude w as because o f all t he st ress. And t here w as his t w in brot hers deat h T he part y became t he t opic of discussion at t he t able for t he rest of t he lunch period. W hich w as kind of cool scheduling, since my birt hday w as t he follow ing Sat u rday. But by Friday, t he part y w ould be all over t he school. In a t ow n w h ere drinking in a cornfield w as t he height of excit ement on a Friday night , no w ay w as t his going t o st ay a small part y. Did Dee realize t hat ? Y ou ok ay w it h all of t his? I w hispered t o Daemon. He shrugged. Not like I can st op her. I knew he could if he w ant ed, w hich meant he didnt have a problem w it h it . Cookie? he offered, holding a cookie full of chocolat e chips. Upset t ummy o r not , t here w as no w ay I could refuse t hat . Sure. His lips t ipped up one s ide and he leaned t ow ard me, his mout h inches from mine. Come and get it . Come and get? Daemon placed half the cookie betw een those full, totally kissable lip s. Oh, holy alien babies everyw here My mout h dropped open. Several of t he girl s at t he t able made sounds t hat had me w ondering if t hey w ere t urning int o puddles under t he t able, but I couldnt bring myself t o check out w hat t he y really w ere doing. T hat cookiet hose lipsw ere right t here. Heat sw ept over my cheeks. I could feel t he eyes of everyone else, and Daemondear God, Daemon ar ched his brow s, daring me.

Dee gagged. I t hink Im going t o hurl. Mort ified, I w ant ed t o craw ll in a hol e. W hat did he t hink I w as going t o do? Take t he cookie from his mout h lik e somet hing st raight out of an Rrat ed version of Lady and t he T ramp? Heck, I kind of w ant ed t o, and I w asnt sure w hat t hat said about me. Daemon reach ed up and t ook t he cookie. T here w as a gleam t o his eyes, as if hed just w o n some bat t le. T imes up, Kit t en. I st ared at him. Breaking t he cookie in t w o, he handed me t he larger piece. I snat ched it aw ay, half t empt ed t o t h row it back in his face, but it w asit w as chocolat e chip. So I at e it and lov ed it . Taking anot her sip of my smoot hie, I felt unease skit t er along my sp ine like I w as being w at ched. Glancing around t he cafet eria, I expect ed t o find Daemons alien ex-girlfriend giving me her t rademark bit ch look, but Ash T hompson w as chat t ing w it h anot her boy. Huh. Was he a Luxen? T here w ere nt many t heir age, but I doubt ed Ash in all her supremeness w ould be smiling a t a human boy. My gaze moved aw ay from t heir t able, scanning t he rest of t h e cafet eria. Mr. Garrison st ood by t he double doors t o t he library, but he w as st aring at a t able full of jocks w ho w ere making some int ricat e desig ns w it h t heir mashed pot at oes. No one else even remot ely looked in our dir ect ion. I shook my head, feeling foolish for being w eirded out over not hing. It w asnt like an Arum w as going t o bum-rush t he high school cafet eria. Maybe I w as coming dow n w it h somet hing. My hands shook a lit t le as I reached f or t he chain around my neck. T he obsidian w as cool against my skin, comfort i nga herald of safet y. So I needed t o st op freaking out . Maybe t hat w as w hy I w as light headed and dizzy. It surely had not hing t o do w it h t he boy si t t ing beside me. There were several packages waiting for me at the post office and I only barely squealed. They were advanced reader copies from other blogger s passing t hem along for review . And I w as, like, w hat ever. Sure evidence I w as coming dow n w it h mad cow disease. T he t rip home w as t ort urous. My hands felt w eak. My t hought s w ere scat t ered. Gat hering my mail close t o my chest , I ignored t he w ay t he skin on t he back of my neck t ingled as I c limbed t he porch st eps. And I also ignored six feet and t hen some of boy lean ing against t he railing. You didnt come st raight home aft er school. Annoyance co lored his t one. Like he w as my ow n screw ed-up, super-hot version of t he Sec ret Service and Id managed t o evade him.

I dug out my keys w it h my free hand. Obviously I had t o go t o t he post offic e. I pushed open t he door and dropped t he pile on t he t able inside t he foyer . Of course, he w as right behind me, not w ait ing for an invit e. Y our mail co uldve w ait ed. Daemon follow ed me int o t he kit chen. W hat is it ? Just books? G rabbing t he OJ from t he fridge, I sighed. People w ho didnt heart books didnt un derst and. Y eah, it w as just books. I know t here probably arent any Arum around r ight now , but you can never be t oo careful, and you have a t race on you t hat w ill lead t hem right t o our doorst eps. Right now , t hat s more import ant t han your books. Nah, books w ere more import ant t han t he Arum. I poured mysel f a glass, t oo t ired t o get int o it w it h Daemon. We hadnt mast ered t he ar t of polit e conversat ion yet . Drink? He sighed. Sure. Milk? I gest ured at t he f ridge. Help yourself. Y ou offered. Y oure not going t o get it for me? I offered oran ge juice, I replied, t aking my glass t o t he t able. Y ou picked milk. And keep it dow n. My moms asleep. Mut t ering under his breat h, he grabbed a glass of mil k. As he sat beside me, I realized he w as w earing black sw eat s, w hich remin ded me of t he last t ime hed been in my house dressed like t hat . Wed got t en i nt o it . Our argument had t urned int o a st eamy make-out session st raight fr om one of t hose cheesy romance novels I read. T he encount er st ill kept me up lat e at night . Not t hat Id ever admit it . It w as so hot , Daemons alien mojo had blow n most of t he light bulbs in t he house and had fried my lapt op. I r eally missed my lapt op and my blog. Mom promised me a new comput er for my birt hday. T w o more w eeks I fiddled w it h my glass, not looking up. Can I ask you a quest ion? Depends, he replied smoot hly. Do youfeel anyt hing around me? Ot her t h n w hat I felt t his morning w hen I saw how good you looked in t hose jeans? Daem on. I sighed, t rying t o disregard t he girl in me t hat screamed, HE NOT ICED M E! Im being serious. His long fingers idly t raced circles on t he w ooden t able. T he back of my neck get s all w arm and t ingly. Is t hat w hat youre t alking ab out ? I peeked up. A half smile played across his lips. Y eah, you feel it , t oo?

W henever w ere near. It doesnt bot her you? Does it bot her you? I w asnt sure w ha say. T he t ingling w asnt painful or anyt hing, just w eird. But w hat it symbo lized did bot her met he damn connect ion w e knew not hing about . Even our hear t s w ere beat ing t he same. It could be aside effect of t he healing. Daemon w at ched me over t he rim of his glass. I bet hed look hot w it h a milk must ache. A re you feeling w ell? he asked. Not really. W hy? Y ou look like crap. Any ot her t i me his comment w ouldve st art ed a w ar in t his house, but I just set my half-e mpt y glass dow n. I t hink Im coming dow n w it h somet hing. His brow s furrow ed . T he concept of being sick w as foreign t o Daemon. T he Luxen didnt get sick. Like, ever. W hat s w rong w it h you? I dont know . I probably got alien coot ies. Da emon snort ed. Doubt ful. I cant afford for you t o be sick. W e need t o get you out side and t ry t o w ork your t race off. Unt ill t hen, youre a If you say Im a w eakness, I w ill hurt you. Anger pushed dow n t he nausea in my st omach. I t hin k I proved t hat Im not , especially w hen I led Baruck aw ay from your house and I killed him. I st ruggled t o keep my voice low . Just because Im human doesnt mea n Im w eak. He sat back, brow s inching up his forehead. I w as going t o say t hat unt ill t hen, youre at risk. Oh. My cheeks flushed. W hoops. W ell, t hen, Im st ill not w eak. One second Daemon w as sit t ing at t he t able and t he next he w as beside me, kneeling dow n. He had t o look up slight ly t o see my face. I know youre not w eak. Youve proven yourself. And w hat you did t his w eekend, t apping int o our pow ers? I st ill cant figure out how t hat happened, but youre not w e ak. Ever. W hoa. It w as hard t o st ick t o my resolve of not caving t o t he ri diculous not ion of us being t oget her w hen he w as act ually nice, and w hen h e st ared at me like I w as t he last piece of chocolat e in t he w hole w orld. W hich made me t hink of t hat damn chocolat e chip cookie in his mout h.

T he side of his lips t w it ched as if he knew w hat I w as t hinking and w as fight ing a smile. Not t hat lit t le smirk of his, but a real smile. And sudden ly he w as st anding, t ow ering over me. Now I need you t o prove youre not w eak . Get off your but t and let s w ork off some of t hat t race. I groaned. Daemon, Im really not feeling w ell. Kat And Im not saying t hat t o be difficult . I feel like hurling. He folded his muscular arms, st ret ching his Under Armour shirt across his chest . It s not safe for you t o be running around w hen you look like a dam n light house. As long as you carry t he t race, you cant do anyt hing. Go anyw h ere. I pushed up from t he t able, ignoring t he rolling in my st omach. Ill get ch anged. Surprise w idened his eyes as he st epped back. Caving in so easily? Caving i n? I laughed w it hout feeling. I just w ant you out of my face. Daemon chuckled de eply. Keep t elling yourself t hat , Kit t en. Keep using your ego st eroids. In a b link of an eye, he w as in front of me, blocking my exit . T hen he prow led for w ard, head low ered and eyes full of int ent . I backed up unt ill my hands fou nd t he edge of t he kit chen t able. W hat ? I demanded. Placing his hands on eit her side of my hips, he bent forw ard. His breat h w as w arm against my cheek and our eyes locked. He moved a fract ion of an inch closer, and his lips brushe d my chin. A st rangled gasp escaped t he back of my t hroat , and I sw ayed t o w ard him. A heart beat lat er, Daemon pulled back, chuckling smugly. Y eahnot my ego, Kit t en. Go get ready. Dammit ! Giving him t he finger, I left t he kit che n and w ent upst airs. My skin st ill felt clammy and gross and it had not hing t o do w it h w hat happened, but I changed int o a pair of sw eat s and a t her mal. Running w as t he last t hing I w ant ed t o do. Not like I expect ed Daemo n t o care I w asnt feeling w ell. He only cared about himself and his sist er. T hats not true, w hispered an insidious, annoying voice in my head. But maybe tha t voice w as correct. He had healed me w hen he couldve left me t o die and I had heard his t hought s, heard him begging me not t o leave him.

Eit her w ay, I had t o sw allow t he urge t o puke and go for a fun jog. Some s ixt h sense knew t his w asnt going t o end w ell.

Chapter 2 I last ed t w ent y minut es. W it h t he uneven t errain of t he w oods, t he b risk November w ind, and t he boy next t o me, I couldnt do it . Leaving him half w ay t o t he lake, I speed w alked all t he w ay back t o t he house. Daemon ca lled out t o me a couple of t imes, but I ignored him. W it hin a minut e of rea ching my bat hroom, I t hrew upt he clut ching-t he-t oilet , on-my-knees, t ears -st reamingdow n-my-face kind of hurling. It w as so bad I w oke up Mom. She hur ried int o t he bat hroom, pulling my hair back. How long have you been feeling s ick, honey? A few hours, all day, or just now ? Momever t he nurse. On and off all day, I moaned, rest ing my head against t he t ub. T sking under her breath, she placed her hand against my forehead. Honey, youre burning up. She grabbed a tow ell and ran it under the tap. I should probably call in t o w ork No, Im okay. I t ook t he t ow ell from her, pressing it against my forehead. T he coolness w as w onde rful. It s just t he flu. And I feel bet t er already. Mom clucked over me unt ill I got up and t ook a show er. Changing int o a long sleep shirt t ook an absurd amount of t ime. T he room did a T ilt -a-W hirl on me as I climbed under t he c overs, and I squeezed my eyes shut and w ait ed for Mom t o ret urn. Heres your ph one and some w at er. She placed bot h on t he t able and sat beside me. Open up. P rying one eye open, I saw a t hermomet er shoved at my face. I obedient ly opene d my mout h. Depending on how high your t emperat ure is, w e w ill det ermine if Im st aying home, she t old me. It s probably just t he flu, but Mmm, I groaned. Sh ave me a bland look and w ait ed unt ill t he t hing beeped. One hundred and one. I w ant you t o t ake t his. Pausing, she handed me t w o pills. I dow ned t hem , no quest ions asked. T he t emp isnt t hat bad, but I w ant you t o st ay in bed and rest . Ill call and check on you before t en, okay? I nodded and t hen snuggl ed dow n. Sleep w as all I needed. She folded up anot her damp clot h and placed it over my forehead. I closed my eyes, almost cert ain I w as approaching st ag e one of a zombie infect ion.

A w eird fog ent ered my brain. I slept , w aking up once t o check in w it h Mo m, and t hen again past midnight . T he night shirt w as damp, clinging t o my f everish skin. I w ent t o push t he blanket s off and not iced t hey w ere acros s t he room, covering my clut t ered comput er desk. Cold sw eat dot t ed my for ehead as I sat up. My t humping heart echoed in my head, heavy and errat ic. Tw o beat s at once, it seemed. My skin felt st ret ched t ight over my muscleshot a nd prickly. I st ood, and t he room spun. I w as so hot , burning up from t he i nside. My insides felt as if t heyd melt ed int o goo. My t hought s ran int o on e anot her, a never-ending t rain of nonsense. All I knew w as t hat I needed t o cool dow n. T he door t o t he hall w ay sw ung open, beckoning me. I didnt kno w w here I w as going, but I st umbled dow n t he hall and t hen dow nst airs. T he front door w as like a beacon, promising relief. It w ould be cold out side. T hen I w ould be cold. But it w asnt enough. I st ood on t he porch, t he w ind blow ing my damp shirt and hair back. St ars lined t he night sky, int ensely b right . I low ered my gaze and t he t rees lining t he road shift ed colors. Y e ll ow . Gold. Red. T hen t hey t urned a mut ed shade of brow n. I w as dreaming , I realized. In a daze, I st epped off t he porch. Pieces of gravel poked at my feet , but I kept w alking, t he moonlight leading t he w ay. Several t imes t he w orld felt like it t urned upside dow n, but I pushed on. It didnt t ake me l ong t o reach t he lake. Under t he pale light , t he onyx-colored w at er rippl ed. I moved forw ard, st opping w hen my t oes sunk t hrough loose dirt . Prickl ing heat scorched my skin as I st ood t here. Burning. Sw elt ering. Kat ? Slow ly , I t urned. W ind w hipped around me as I st ared at t he apparit ion. Moonligh t sliced his face in shadow s, reflect ing in his w ide, bright eyes. He couldnt be real. W hat are you doing, Kit t en? Daemon asked. He seemed fuzzy. Daemon w as never fuzzy. Fast and blurry somet imes, yes, but never fuzzy. II need t o cool d ow n. Underst anding shot across his face. Dont you dare go int o t hat lake. I move d backw ard. Icy w at er lapped at my ankles and t hen my knees. W hy?

W hy? He t ook a st ep forw ard. It s t oo cold. Kit t en, dont make me come in t her e and get you. My head t hrobbed. Brain cells w ere definit ely melt ing. I sunk fart her dow n. Cold w at er soot hed t he burning in my skin. It w ashed over m y head, st ealing my breat h and t he fire. T he burn eased, nearly fading. I co uld st ay under here forever. Maybe I w ould. St rong, solid arms surrounded me, pulling me back t o t he surface. Frigid air rushed me, but my lungs w ere sear ed. I dragged in deep gulps, hoping t o ext inguish t he flames. Daemon w as pul ling me out of t he blessed w at er, moving so fast I w as in t he w at er one s econd and st anding on shore t he next . W hat s w rong w it h you? he demanded, gr asping my shoulders and giving me a light shake. Have you lost your mind? Dont . I pu shed at him w eakly. Im so hot . His int ense gaze drift ed dow n t o my t oes. Yeah , youre hot . T he w hole w et w hit e shirt It s w orking, Kit t en, but a midnig ht sw im in November? T hat s a lit t le daring, dont you t hink? He w asnt making s ense. T he reprieve w as over, and my skin w as burning again. I st umbled from his hands, back t ow ard t he lake. His arms w ere around me before I t ook t w o st eps, t urning me around. Kat , you cant get in t he lake. It s t oo cold. Youre going t o get sick. He brushed back t he hair plast ered t o my cheeks. Hell sicke r t han you already are. Y oure burning up. Somet hing in w hat he said cleared a bit of t he haze. I leaned int o him, pressing my cheek int o his chest . He sme lled w onderful. Like spice and man. I dont w ant you. Uh, now is not t he t ime t o get int o t hat conversat ion. T his w as just a dream. I sighed, w rapping my a rms around his t aut w aist . But I do w ant you. Daemons arms t ight ened around m e. I know , Kit t en. Y ou arent fooling anyone. Come on. Let t ing go, my arms hun g limply at my sides. II dont feel good. Kat . He pulled back. Bot h hands w ere on my face, holding my head up. Kat , look at me. I w asnt looking at him? My legs gave out . And t hen t here w as not hing. No Daemon. No t hought s. No fire. No Kat y. Things were hazy, disjointed. Warm hands kept the hair back from my face. Fin gers smoothed over my cheek. A deep voice spoke to me in a language t hat w as m usical and soft . Like a song, but more beaut iful and comfort ing. I sunk int o t he sound, lost for a lit t le w hile.

I heard voices. Once, I t hought I heard Dee. Y ou cant . It ll just make t he t ra ce w orse. I w as moved around. Wet clot hing st ripped aw ay. Somet hing w arm a nd soft slid over my skin. I t ried t alking t o t he voices around me, and mayb e I did. I w asnt sure. At some point , I w as w rapped in a cloud and carried so mew here. A st eady heart beat under my cheek, lulling me unt ill t he voices fa ded and cool hands event ually replaced t he w arm ones. Bright light s int rude d. I heard more voices. Mom? Mom sounded w orried. She w as t alking t osomeone. Someone I didnt recognize. He had t he cool hands. T here w as a prick in my arm, a dull pain t hat radiat ed t o my fingers. More hushed voices, and t hen I hea rd not hing. T here w as no day or night , but t his w eird in-bet w een w here a fire raged in my body. T hen t he cool hands w ere back, pulling my arm out fr om underneat h t he covers. I didnt hear Mom as I felt t he prick again on my ski n. Heat sw ept inside me, rushing t hrough my veins. Gasping, I arched my back o ff t he bed, and a st rangled scream escaped t he back of my t hroat . Everyt hi ng burned. A fire raged inside me t en t imes w orse t han before, and I knew I w as dying. I had t o be And t hen t here w as a coolness in my veins, like a rus h of w int ers air. It moved quickly, dousing t he flames and leaving a t rail of ice in it s w ake. T he hands moved t o my neck, t ugging somet hing up. A chai nmy necklace? T he hands w ere gone, but I felt t he obsidian humming, vibrat ing above me. And t hen I slept for w hat felt like an et ernit y, not cert ain I w as ever going t o w ake up. Four days of being in the hospital, and I had next to no recolection of any of it. Only that I woke up Wednesday in an uncomfortabl e bed, staring at a w hit e ceiling and feeling fine. Great , even. Mom had been by my side, and it t ook a heft y amount of bit ching t o get released aft er I spent all day T hursday t elling anyone w ho came w it hin a block of my door t hat I w ant ed t o go home. Id obviously had a bad case of t he flu, not somet h ing serious. Now Mom w at ched me w it h shadow ed eyes as I dow ned t he glass of orange juice from our fridge. She w as in jeans and a light sw eat er. It w a s odd seeing her out of her scrubs. Honey, are you sure youre feeling w ell enough t o go back t o class? You can t ake t oday off and go back on Monday if you w ant . I shook my head. Missing t hree days of classes already earned me t he t ru ckload of homew ork Dee had dropped off last night . Im fine. Honey, you w ere in t he hospit al. Y ou should t ake it easy.

I w ashed out t he cup. Im okay. Really, I am. I know you t hink youre feeling bet t er. She fixed my cardigan w hich Id apparent ly but t oned w rong. W ill Dr. Michael smay have cleared you t o go home, but you scared me. Ive never seen you so sick. W hy dont I give him a quick call and see if he can check on you before he goes i n for his rounds? Even more bizarre w as t hat my mom w as now referring t o my d oct or on a first -name basist heir relat ionship had t aken a t rip int o seriou s land, it seemed, and Id missed it . Grabbing my backpack, I st opped. Mom? Y es? You came home in t he middle of t he night Monday, right ? Before your shift ended? W hen she shook her head, I w as even more confused. How did I get t o t he hospi t al? Are you sure youre feeling okay? She placed her hand on my forehead. Y ou dont h ave a fever, but Y our friend brought you t o t he hospit al. My friend? Yes, Daemon brought you in. Alt hough, Im curious how he knew you w ere so sick at t hree in t he morning. Her eyes narrow ed. Act ually, Im very curious. Oh, crap. So am I. Chapter 3 Id never been more eager t o get t o t rig in my life. How in t he hell had Daemo n know n I w as sick? T he dream I had about t he lake couldnt have been real. No w ay. If it w asI w as going t oI didnt know w hat Id do, but I w as sure my flamin g cheeks w ould be involved. Lesa w as t he first t o arrive. Y ay! Y oure back! H ow are you feeling? Bet t er? Y eah, Im doing okay. My eyes dart ed t o t he door. A few seconds lat er, Carissa came in. She t ugged on a st rand of my hair as she passed, smiling. Im glad youre feeling bet t er. We w ere all w orried. Especially w hen w e st opped by t o visit and you w ere complet ely out of it . I w ondere d w hat Id done in front of t hem t hat I couldnt remember. Do I even w ant t o kno w ? Lesa giggled, pulling out her t ext book. Y ou mumbled a lot . And you kept ca lling out for someone. Oh, no. I did?

T aking pit y on me, Carissa kept her voice low . Y ou w ere calling out for Daem on. I dropped my face in my hands and moaned. Oh, God. Lesa giggled. It w as kind of cut e. A minut e before t he t ardy bell rang, I felt an all-t oo-familiar w arm t h on my neck and glanced up. Daemon sw aggered int o class. Text book-less as usual. He had a not ebook, but I dont t hink he ever w rot e anyt hing in it . I w as beginning t o suspect our mat h t eacher w as an alien, because how else w ould Daemon get aw ay w it h not doing a damn t hing in class? He passed by w it hout so much as a look. I t w ist ed around in my chair. I need t o t alk t o yo u. He slid int o his desk chair. Okay. In privat e, I w hispered. His expression didnt change as he leaned back in his chair. Meet me in t he library at lunch. No one really goes in t here. You know , w it h all t hose books and st uff. I made a fa ce before flipping t o t he front of t he class. Maybe five seconds lat er, I fe lt his pen poking me in t he back. Taking a deep, pat ient breat h, I faced him. Daemon had his desk t ipped forw ard. Inches separat ed us. Y es? He grinned. Y ou look a lot bet t er t han t he last t ime I saw you. T hanks, I grumbled. His gaze flickered around me, and I knew w hat he w as doing. He w as looking at t he t race. Know w hat ? I cocked my head t o t he side, w ait ing. Y oure not glow ing, he w hispered. Surprised, I let my jaw fall slack. Id been shining like a disco bal l on Monday and now I didnt have a t race? Like, at all? He shook his head. T he t eacher st art ed t he class, so I had t o face t he front again, but I w asnt pay ing at t ent ion. My mind w as st uck on t he fact I w asnt glow ing anymore. I s hould beno, I w as ecst at ic, but t he connect ion, it w as st ill t here. My ho pe t hat it w ould fade along w it h t he t race w as t ot all bunk. Aft er clas s, I asked t he girls t o let Dee know Id be lat e for lunch. Since t heyd overhea rd part of t he conversat ion, Carissa w as full of giggles and Lesa launched in t o her fant asy about

doing it in t he library. Somet hing I didnt need t o know . Or t hink about . Bu t now I w as, because I could so pict ure Daemon get t ing int o t hat sort of t hing. Morning classes dragged. Mr. Garrison gave me t he usual unt rust w ort h y glance t hroughout biology aft er his eyes w idened upon seeing me. He w as li ke t he unofficial guardian of t he Luxen living out side of t he alien colony. T he non-glow y version of me seemed t o get as much at t ent ion as t he glow y version. Probably had more t o do w it h t he fact he w asnt t oo happy t hat I knew w hat t hey really w ere. T he door opened just as he w ent for t he projec t or, and a boy w alked in, w earing a vint age Pac-Man shirt w hich w as made of aw esome. A low murmur w ent t hrough t he classroom as t he st ranger handed M r. Garrison a not e. He w as new , obviously. His brow n hair w as art fully mes sy, like it w as st yled t hat w ay on purpose. Good looking, t oo, w it h golde n-colored skin and a confident grin on his face. It seems w e have a new st udent , Mr. Garrison said, dropping t he not e on his desk. Blake Saunders from? Californi a, t he boy supplied. Sant a Monica. Several oohs and ahhs follow ed t hat . Lesa s at up st raight er. Y ay. Id no longer be t he new kid. All right , Blake from Sant a Monica. Mr. Garrison scanned t he classroom, his gaze st opping on t he empt y seat beside me. T heres your seat and your lab part ner. Have fun. My eyes narrow e d on Mr. Garrison, not sure if Have fun w as a t hinly veiled insult or a secret h ope t he non-alien boy w ould dist ract me from t he alien one. Appearing oblivi ous t o t he curious st ares, Blake t ook his seat next t o me and smiled. Hi. Hi. Im Kat y from Florida. I grinned. Now know n as no longer t he new kid. Ah, I see. He anced up t o w here Mr. Garrison w as w heeling t he project or t o t he middle of t he classroom. small t ow n, not many faces, everyone st ares kind of t hing? Y ou got it . He laughed soft ly. Good. I w as beginning t o t hink somet hing w as w rong w it h me. He pulled out a not ebook, his arm brushing mine. A st at ic c harge shocked me. Sorry about t hat . T ot ally okay, I t old him.

Blake gave me one more quick grin before t urning his gaze t o t he front of t h e classroom. Fiddling w it h t he chain around my neck, I sneaked a quick peek a t t he new boy. W ell, at least bio now had some eye candy. Couldnt go w rong w i t h t hat . Daemon wasnt waiting at the double doors to the library. Shouldering my bag, I entered the musty-smeling room. A young librarian glanced up and smile d as I looked around. T he back of my neck w as w arm, but I didnt see him. Know ing Daemon, he w as probably hiding so no one w ould see His Coolness in a libra ry. I passed a few underclassmen at t he t ables and comput ers eat ing t heir l unches, and t hen roamed around unt ill I found him back in t he nosebleed sect ionEast ern European cult ure. A basic no-mans-land. He w as lounging in a cubicle beside an out dat ed comput er, hands shoved int o t he pocket s of his faded j eans. A w avy lock of hair covered his forehead, brushing against t hick lashes. His lips curled int o a half smile. I w as w ondering if you w ere ever going t o find me. He made no move t o clear up any space in t he t iny 6x6 hole. I dropp ed my bag out side t he w alls and hopped up on t he desk opposit e him. Embarras sed someone w ould see you and t hink youre capable of reading? I do have a reput a t ion t o maint ain. And w hat a lovely reput at ion t hat is. He st ret ched out h is legs so t hat his feet w ere under mine. So w hat did you w ant t o t alk abou t his voice low ered t o a deep, sexy w hisperin privat e? I shiveredand it had not hi ng t o do w it h t he t emperat ure. Not w hat youre hoping. Daemon gave me a sexy smirk. Okay. I gripped t he edge of t he desk. How did you know I w as sick in t he middle of t he night ? Daemon st ared at me for a moment . Y ou dont remember? His eerie eyes w ere w ay t oo int ense. I dropped my gazet o his mout h. W rong move . I st ared at t he map of Europe over his shoulder. Bet t er. No. Not really. W el l, it w as probably t he fever. Y ou w ere burning up. My eyes snapped back t o h is. Y ou t ouched me?

Yes, I t ouched youand you w erent w earing a lot of clot hes. T he smug st ret ch o f his lips spread. And you w ere soakedin a w hit e T-shirt . Nice look. Very nice . Heat crept over my cheeks. T he lakeit w asnt a dream? Daemon shook his head. Oh my God, so I did go sw imming in t he lake? He pushed off t he desk and t ook one st ep forw ard, w hich put him in t he same breat hing space as meif he act ually n eeded t o breat he. You did. Not somet hing I expect ed t o see on a Monday night , but Im not complaining. I saw a lot . Shut up, I hissed. Dont be embarrassed. He re ched out , t ugging on t he sleeve of my cardigan. I smacked his hand aw ay. It s not like I havent seen t he upper part before, and I didnt get a real good look do w n I came off t he desk sw inging. My knuckles only brushed his face before he ca ught my hand. Wow zers, he w as fast . Daemon pulled me up against his chest and low ered his head, eyes snapping w it h rest rained anger. Dont hit , Kit t en. I t s not nice. Y oure not nice. I t ried pulling back, but he kept my w rist secured i n his hand. Let me go. Im not sure I can do t hat . I must prot ect myself. But he dr opped my hand. Oh, really, t hat s your reason forfor manhandling me? Manhandling? He pressed forw ard unt ill my low er back w as against t he cubicle desk. T his isnt manhandling or w hat ever t he hell t hat is. Visions of me against t he w all a t my house and Daemon kissing me danced in my head like sugarplums. Part s of my body t ingled. Oh, so not a good sign. Daemon, someone is going t o see us. So? He gent ly picked up my hand. Not like anyone is going t o say a t hing t o me. I dre w in a deep breat h. His scent w as on my t ongue. Our chest s t ouched. Body sa id yes. Kat y said no. I w asnt affect ed by t his. Not by how close w e w ere or how his fingers w ere sliding under t he sleeve of my cardigan. It w asnt real. S o my t race has faded, but t his st upid connect ion hasnt ? Nope. Disappoint ed, I shook my head. W hat does t hat mean, t hen?

I dont know . His fingers w ere complet ely under my sleeve, smoot hing up my forea rm. His skinit hummed like elect ricit y. T here w as not hing like it . W hy do y ou keep t ouching me? I asked, flust ered. I like t o. God, I liked it , t oo, and I shouldnt . Daemon But back t o t he t race. Y ou know w hat t hat means. T hat I don have t o see your face out side of school? He laughed, and it rumbled t hrough me . Y oure no longer at risk. Somehow , and I really havent a clue how , my free hand w as against his chest . His heart beat w as fast and st rong. So did mine. I t h ink t he not seeing-your-face part out w eighs t he safe part . Keep t elling your self t hat . His chin brushed my hair and t hen slid over my cheek. I shivered. A spark passed from his skin t o mine, humming in t he charged air around us. If t hat makes you feel bet t er, but w e bot h know it s a lie. It s not a lie. I t ippe d my head back. His breat h w as a w arm st roke against my lips. W ere st ill goi ng t o be seeing each ot her, he murmured. And dont even lie. I know t hat makes yo u happy. Y ou t old me you w ant ed me. Hold your horses. W hen? At t he lake. He sla nt ed his head, and I shouldve pulled back. His lips curved know ingly against mi ne, and he let go of my w rist . You said you w ant ed me. Bot h of my hands w ere on his chest . T hey had a mind of t heir ow n. I claimed no responsibilit y fo r t hem. I had a fever. Lost my mind. W hat ever, Kit t en. Daemon gripped my hips, lift ing me ont o t he edge of t he desk w it h an ease t hat w as dist urbing. I know bet t er. My breat h w as coming in short gasps. Y ou dont know anyt hing. Uh h uh. You know , I w as w orried about you, he admit t ed, moving forw ard, easing my legs apart . You kept calling out my name, and I kept answ ering, but it w as like you couldnt hear me. W hat w ere w e t alking about ? My hands w ere on his l ow er st omach. His muscles w ere hard underneat h t he sw eat er. I slid my han ds t o his sides, t ot ally meaning t o push him aw ay. Inst ead, I gripped and pulled him forw ard. W ow , I must ve been really out of it .

It scared me. Before I could respond or even give t hought t o t he fact t hat my s ickness act ually scared him, our lips met . My brain clicked off as my fingers dug t hrough his sw eat er, andand oh, God, his kisses w ere deep, scorching my l ips as his hands t ight ened on my w aist , pulling me against him. Daemon kisse d like he w as a man st arving for w at er, t aking long, breat hless draft s. H is t eet h caught my low er lip w hen he pulled aw ay, only t o come back for mo re. A heady mix of emot ions w arred inside me. I didnt w ant t his, because it w as just t he connect ion bet w een us. I kept t elling myself t hat , even as I slid my hands up his chest and circled t hem around his neck. W hen his hands i nched under my shirt , it w as as t hough he reached deep inside me, w arming ev ery cell, filling every dark space w it hin me w it h t he heat from his skin. T ouching him, kissing him, w as like having a fever all over again. I w as on fir e. My body burned. T he w orld burned. Sparks flew . Against his mout h, I moane d. T here w as a POP! and CRACK! T he smell of burned plast ic filled t he cubic le. We pulled apart , breat hing heavily. Over his shoulder I saw t hin st rips of smoke w aft ing from t he t op of t he ancient monit or. Good God, w as t his going t o happen every t ime w e kissed? And w hat in t he hell w as I doing? Id decided I w asnt going t o let t his happen w it h Daemon, w hich meant no kissi ngor t ouching. T he w ay hed t reat ed me w hen w e first met st ill st ung. T he pain and embarrassment lingered in me. I pushed him. Hard. Daemon let go, st ar ing at me like Id kicked his puppy int o t raffic. Looking aw ay, I w iped t he b ack of my hand over my mout h. It didnt w ork. Everyt hing about him w as st ill around me, in me. God, I dont even like t hiskissing you. Daemon st raight ened, com ing t o his full height . I beg t o differ. And I t hink t his comput er t ells a different st ory, t oo. I shot him a dirt y look. T hat t hat w ill never happen a gain. And I t hink youve said t hat before, he reminded me. W hen he saw my expressi on, he sighed. Kat , you enjoyed t hat just as much as I did. W hy lie? Because it s not real, I said. Y ou didnt w ant me before. I did Dont you dare say you w ant ed m cause you t reat ed me like I w as t he Ant ichrist ! You cant just undo t hat be cause t heres a st upid connect ion bet w een us. I sucked in a sharp breat h as a n icky feeling spread t hrough my chest . You really hurt me t hen. I dont t hink you even know . Y ou humiliat ed me in front of an ent ire lunch room!

Daemon looked aw ay, dragging his fingers t hrough his hair. A muscle popped out in his jaw . I know . ImIm sorry for how I t reat ed you, Kat . Shocked, I st ared a t him. Daemon never apologized. Like, ever. Maybe he really I shook my head. His apology w asnt enough. Even now , w ere all t he w ay hidden in t he library, as if you dont w ant people t o know you made a mist ake t hat day and act ed like a d ick. And Im supposed t o be okay w it h t hat now ? His eyes w idened. Kat Im not say ng w e cant be friends, because I w ant t o. I do like you a lo I cut myself off be fore I said t oo much. Look, t his didnt happen. Im going t o blame aft ereffect s of t he flu or t hat a zombie at e my brain. His brow s furrow ed. W hat ? I dont w a nt t his w it h you. I st art ed t o t urn, but he caught my arm. I glared at him . Daemon He looked at me st raight on. Y oure a t errible liar. Y ou do w ant t his. Just as badly as I do. My mout h opened, but no w ords came out . Y ou w ant t his as badly as you w ant t o go t o ALA t his w int er. Now my jaw w as on t he flo or. Y ou dont even know w hat ALA is! T he American Library Associat ion midw int er event , he said, grinning proudly. Saw you obsessing over it on your blog before you got sick. Im pret t y sure you said youd give up your first born child t o go. Y eah, I kind of did say t hat . Daemons eyes flashed. Anyw ay, back t o t he w ho le you-w ant ing-me part . I shook my head, dumbfounded. Y ou do w ant me. T aking a deep breat h, I st ruggled w it h my t emperand my amusement . Y ou are w ay t o o confident . Im confident enough t o w ager a bet . Y ou cant be serious. He grinned. bet t hat by New Y ears Day, you w ill have admit t ed t hat youre madly, deeply, and irrevocably W ow . W ant t o t hrow anot her adverb out t here? My cheeks w ere burning.

How about irresist ibly? I rolled my eyes and mut t ered, Im surprised you know w ha t an adverb is. St op dist ract ing me, Kit t en. Back t o my bet by New Years Day, youll have admit t ed t hat youre madly, deeply, irrevocably, and irresist ibly in love w it h me. St unned, I choked on my laugh. And you dream about me. He release d my arm and folded his across his chest , cocking an eyebrow . I bet youll admit t hat . Probably even show me your not ebook w it h my name circled in heart s Oh, for t he love of God Daemon w inked. It s on. Spinning around, I grabbed my backpack and hurried t hrough t he st acks, leaving Daemon in t he cubicle before I did s omet hing insane. Like t hrow common sense aside and run back t o t ackle him, p ret ending t hat everyt hing hed done and said all t hose mont hs ago hadnt left a raw mark on my heart . Because Id be pret ending, right ? I didnt slow unt ill I w as st anding in front of my locker on t he ot her side of t he school. I reach ed inside my backpack and pulled out my binder full of art crap. W hat a hell of a day back. Id dazed out in half of my classes, made out w it h Daemon, and blew up anot her comput er. Seriously. I shouldve st ayed home. I reached for t he ha ndle on my locker. Before my fingers could t ouch it , t he locker sw ung open. Gasping, I jumped back, and my art binder fell t o t he floor. Oh my God, w hat just happened? It couldnt be My heart rat e w ent int o cardiac arrest t errit ory . Daemon? He could manipulat e object s. Opening a locker door w it h his mind w ould be a piece of cake for him, considering he could uproot t rees. I looked a round t he t hinning crow ds, but I already knew he w asnt t here. I hadnt felt hi m t hrough our creepy alien bond. I backed aw ay from t he locker. W hoa, w at ch w here youre going, a t easing voice int ruded. Sucking in a sharp gasp, I w hipp ed around. Simon Cut t ers st ood behind me, clenching a ragged backpack in his meat y fist .

Sorry, I croaked, glancing back at t he locker. Had he seen t hat happen? I knelt t o pick up my art w ork, but he beat me t o it . Epic aw kw ardness ensued as w e t ried t o pick up t he papers w it hout t ouching each ot her. Simon handed me a st ack of crapt ast ic draw ings of flow ers. I had no art ist ic t alent . Here you go. T hanks. I st ood, shoving my binder int o t he locker, ready t o flee . W ait a sec. He grabbed my arm. I w ant ed t o t alk t o you. My eyes dropped t o his hand. He had five seconds before my point y-t oed shoe ended up bet w een hi s legs. He seemed t o sense t his, because he dropped his hand and flushed. I jus t w ant t o apologize for everyt hing t hat happened homecoming night . I w as d runk and II do st upid t hings w hen Im drunk. I glared at him. T hen maybe you shou ld st op drinking. Yeah, maybe I should. He ran his hand over his closely cropped h air. Light reflect ed off t he blue and gold w at ch around his t hick w rist . Somet hing w as engraved on t he band, but I couldnt make it out . Anyw ay, I just didnt Yo, Simon, w hat are you doing? Billy Crump, a beady-eyed foot ball player w ho only seemed t o not ice my boobs w hen he looked in my direct ion, sidled up next t o Simon. He w as closely follow ed by a rabid pack of t eammat es. Billy grinned as his gaze zeroed in on me. Heyw hat do w e have here? Simon opened his mo ut h, but one of t he guys beat him t o it . Let me guess. Shes t rying t o get on your jock again? Several guys chuckled and elbow ed one anot her. I blinked at S imon. Excuse me? T he t ips of Simons cheeks t urned ruddy as Billy lurched forw ar d, dropping his arm over my shoulder. T he scent of his cologne nearly knocked m e out . Look, babe, Simon aint int erest ed in you. One of t he guys laughed. Like m y mama alw ays said, w hy buy t he cow w hen t he milks for free? A slow rush of f ury inched t hrough my veins. W hat t he hell w as Simon t elling t hese doucheb ags? I shrugged out from underneat h Billys arm. T his milk isnt for free and w asnt even for sale. T hat s not w hat w e hear. Billy fist -pumped a red-faced Simon. Isnt t hat right , Cut t ers? All of Simons friends eyes w ere on him. He choked out a laugh and st epped back, sw inging

his backpack over his shoulder. Yeah, man, but not int erest ed in a second glass . I w as t rying t o t ell her t hat , but she w ouldnt list en. My mout h dropped . Y ou lying son of a W hat s going on dow n t here? Coach Vincent called from t he en d of t he hall w ay. Shouldnt you boys be in class by now ? Laughing, t he guys bro ke apart and headed dow n t he hall. One of t hem spun around, mot ioning a call me hand signal w hile anot her made a rat her obscene gest ure w it h his mout h and hand. I w ant ed t o slam my fist int o somet hing. But Simon w asnt my bigge st problem. I faced my locker again, w incing as my st omach dropped t o my t oe s. It had opened by it self. Chapter 4 Mom w as gone, already having st art ed her shift in W inchest er earlier t hat day. Id been hoping shed be home so I could chat w it h her for a lit t le w hile and forget about t he w hole locker incident , but Id forgot t en it w as W ednes dayalso know n as Fend For Y ourself Day. A dull ache had t aken up residency beh ind my eyes, like I st rained somet hing, but I w asnt sure if t hat w ere possib le. It had st art ed aft er t he w hole locker incident and didnt show signs of s t opping. I t hrew a load of clot hes int o t he dryer before realizing t here w ere no dryer sheet s. Fail. Going t o t he linen closet , I rummaged around, ho ping t o find somet hing. Giving up, I decided t hat t he only t hing t hat w as going t o make t oday bet t er w as t he sw eet t ea Id seen in t he fridge t ha t morning. Glass shat t ered. I jumped at t he sound and t hen hurried t o t he kit chen, t hinking someone had broken t he w indow from out side, but it w asnt like w e had a lot of visit ors out here unless it w as a Depart ment Of Defense officer bum rushing t he house. At t hat t hought , my heart t ripped up a lit t le as my gaze w ent t o t he count er below an opened cupboard. One of t he t all, frost ed glasses w as in t hree large pieces on t he count er. Drip. Drip. Drip. Frow ning, I looked around, unable t o figure out t he source of t he nois e. Broken glass and w at er dripping T hen it st ruck me. My pulse sped up as I o pened up t he fridge. T he jug of t ea w as on it s side. Lid off. Brow n liquid ran across t he shelf, spilling dow n t he sides. I glanced at t he count er. Id w ant ed t ea, w hich requires a glass and, w ell, t ea.

No w ay, I w hispered, backing up. T here w as no w ay t he act of w ant ing t ea had somehow caused t his. But w hat ot her explanat ion could t here be? It w as nt like t here w as an alien hiding under t he t able, moving crap around for fun . I checked just t o be sure. T his w as t he second t ime in one day t hat some t hing had moved on it s ow n. T w o coincidences? Numb inside, I grabbed a t ow ell and cleaned up t he mess. T he w hole t ime I w as t hinking about t he loc ker door. It had opened before I reached it . But it couldnt be me. Aliens had t he pow er t o do t hat kind of st uff. I didnt . Maybe t here had been a minor ea rt hquake or somet hinga minor eart hquake t hat only t arget ed glasses and t ea ? Doubt ful. W eirded out t o t he max, I grabbed a book off t he back of t he c ouch and spraw led out . I needed a serious dist ract ion. Mom hat ed t hat t he re w ere books everyw here. T hey w erent really everyw here. Just w herever I w as, like t he couch, recliner, kit chen count ers, laundry room, and even t he b at hroom. It w ouldnt be like t hat if she caved and inst alled a w all-t o-ceili ng bookcase. But no mat t er how I t ried t o get int o t he book I w as reading , it w asnt w orking. Half of it w as t he book. It had inst a-love, t he bane of my exist ence. Girl sees boy and falls in love. Immediat ely. Soul mat e, breat h st ealing, t oes curling, love aft er one conversat ion. Boy pushes girl aw a y for some paranormal reason or anot her. Girl st ill loves boy. Boy finally adm it s love. W ho w as I kidding? I sort of loved all t hat angst . It w asnt t he book. It w as me. I couldnt clear my head and fully immerse myself in t he charac t ers. I grabbed a bookmark off t he coffee t able and shoved it in t he book. D og-eared pages w ere Ant ichrist of book lovers everyw here. Ignoring w hat w as happening w asnt w orking. It just w asnt in me t o run from my t roubles like t his. Besides, if I w as honest w it h myself, I knew I w as more t han a lit t l e freaked out by w hat w as happening. W hat if I w as imagining I w as moving t hings? T he fever couldve killed off a few brain cells. I dragged in air so fast my head sw am. Could a person get schizophrenia from being sick? Now t hat just sounded st upid.

Sit t ing up, I pressed my head t o my knees. I w as fine. W hat w as happening T here had t o be a logical explanat ion for it . I hadnt closed t he locker door all t he w ay and Simons lumbering st eps had jarred it open. And t he glassleft o n t he edge. And t here w as a good chance t hat Mom had left t he cap on t he t ea loose. She w as alw ays doing st uff like t hat . I t ook several more deep breat hs. I w as okay. Logical explanat ions made t he w orld go around. T he on ly fault in t hat line of t hought w as t he fact I lived next door t o aliens, and t hat w as so not logical. Pushing off t he couch, I checked t he w indow t o see if Dees car w as out front . Pulling on my hoodie, I headed next door. Dee immediat ely pulled me int o t he kit chen. T here w as a sw eet , burned smell. Im glad you came over. I w as just about t o come get you, she said, dropping my a rm and rushing over t o t he count er. T here w ere several pot s scat t ered ac ross t he count ert op. W hat are you doing? I peered over her shoulder. One of t he pot s looked like it w as filled w it h t ar. Ew . Dee sighed. I w as t rying t o melt chocolat e. W it h your microw ave hands? It s an epic fail. She poked at t he gunk w it h a spat ula. I cant get t he t emp right . T hen w hy dont you just use t he st ove? Pfft , I loat he t he st ove. Dee pulled t he spat ula up. Half of it ha d melt ed. W hoops. Nice. I shuffled over t o t he t able. W it h a w ave of her han d, t he pot s flew t o t he sink. T he t ap t urned on. Im get t ing bet t er at t his. She grabbed some dish soap. W hat w ere you and Daemon doing at lunch? I hesi t at ed. I w ant ed t o t alk about t he w hole lake t hing. Id t hought Idreamed t hat . Dee cringed. No, t hat w as real. He got me w hen he brought you back. I w as t he one t o place you in dry clot hes, by t he w ay. I laughed. I w as hoping t hat w as you. Alt hough he did volunt eer for t he job, she said, her eyes rollin g. Daemon is so helpful. T hat he is. W herew here is he? She shrugged. No clue. Her e es narrow ed. W hy do you keep it ching your arm? Huh? I st opped, not even realizin g I w as doing t hat . Oh, t hey t ook my blood in t he hospit all t o make sure I didnt have rabies or somet hing. Laughing, she t ugged up my sleeve. I have some st uff t hat you can put holy crap, Kat y.

W hat ? I glanced dow n at my arm and sucked in a breat h. Y uck. My ent ire inner e lbow looked like a fleshy st raw berry. All t hat w as missing w as a leafy gree n cap. T he raised splot ches of red skin w ere speckled w it h darker dot s. De e ran a finger over it . Does it hurt ? I shook my head. It just it ched like craz y. She dropped my hand. All you did w as get your blood t aken? Y eah, I said, st ar ing at my arm. T hat s really w eird, Kat y. It s like you had some kind of react i on t o somet hing. Let me get some aloe. T hat might help. Sure. I frow ned at my a rm. W hat couldve done t his? Dee ret urned w it h a jar of t he cool gunk. It he lped w it h t he it ching, and aft er I t ugged my sleeve back dow n, she seemed t o forget about it . I hung out w it h her for t he next couple of hours, w at ching her dest roy one pot aft er anot her. I laughed so hard my st omach hurt w hen Dee leaned t oo close t o a bow ll she w as heat ing and accident ally set her shirt on fire. Shed raised one brow at my larger chest as if t o say shed lik e t o have seen me avoid t he same mist ake, sending me int o anot her fit of gi ggles. W hen she ran out of chocolat e and plast ic spat ulas, Dee finally admit t ed defeat . It w as aft er t en, and I said good-bye as I headed home t o get some rest . It had been a long first day back at school, but I w as glad Id head ed over and ended it hanging w it h Dee. Daemon w as crossing t he road just as I shut t he front door behind me. In less t han a second, he w as on t he t op s t ep. Kit t en. Hey. I avoided his ext raordinary eyes and face, because, w ell, I w as having a real hard t ime not recalling w hat his mout h had felt like on min e earlier. W here, um, so w hat have you been doing? Pat rolling. He st epped ont o t he porch, and even t hough I w as busy st aring at t he crack in t he w ood fl oor, I could feel his gaze on my face and t he heat from his body. He st ood clo se, t oo close. Everyt hing is all quiet on t he w est ern front . I cracked a smi le. Nice reference. W hen he spoke, his breat h t eased t he loose hair around my t emple. It s my favorit e book, act ually. My head jerked t ow ard his, narrow ly missing a collision. I hid my surprise. I didnt know you knew how t o read t he cl assics. A lazy smirk appeared, and Id sw ear he managed t o get closer. Our legs t ouched. His shoulder brushed my arm. Well, I usually prefer books w it h pict ur es and small sent ences, but somet imes I st ep out of t he box. Unable t o help it , I laughed. Let me guess, your favorit e kind of pict ure book is t he one yo u can color in?

I never st ay in t he lines. Daemon w inked. Only he could pull t hat off. Of cours e not . I looked aw ay, sw allow ing. Somet imes it w as t oo easy t o fall int o t he easy bant er w it h him, t oo damn easy t o imagine doing t his w it h him every night . T easing. Laughing. Get t ing in w ay over my head. Ive got t o go. H e sw ung around. Ill w alk you home. Um, I live right t here. Not like he didnt know t hat . Duh. T hat lazy smirk spread. Hey, Im being a gent leman. He offered his arm . May I? Laughing under my breat h, I shook my head. But I gave him my arm. T he n ext t hing I knew , he scooped me up int o his arms. My heart leaped int o my t hroat . Daemon Did I t ell you I carried you all t he w ay back t o t he house t he night you w ere sick? T hought t hat w as a dream, eh? Nope. Real. He w ent dow n one st ep as I st ared w ide-eyed at him. T w ice in one w eek. W ere making t hi s a habit . And t hen he shot off t he porch, t he roar of t he w ind drow ning o ut my surprised squeal. T he next second, he w as st anding in front of my door, grinning dow n at me. I w as fast er t he last t ime. Really, I said slow ly, dumbf ounded. My cheeks felt numb. Y ougoing t o put me dow n? Mmm. Our eyes met . T here w as a t ender look in his t hat w armed and fright ened me. Been t hinking about our bet ? W anna give in now ? And he t ot ally ruined t hat t ender moment . Put me dow n, Daemon. He placed me on my feet , but his arms w ere st ill around me, and I had no idea w hat t o say. Ive been t hinking. Oh, God I murmured. His lips t w it ched. T his bet really isnt fair t o you. New Y ears Day? Hell, Ill have you admi t t ing your undying devot ion t o me by T hanksgiving. I rolled my eyes. Im sure Il l hold out unt ill Hall ow een. T hat s already passed. Exact ly, I mut t ered. Laughi ng under his breat h, he reached forw ard, t ucking a st rand of hair behind my ear. T he back of his knuckles brushed my cheek and I pressed my lips t oget her t o st op a sigh. W armt h blossomed in my chest , having not hing t o do w it h t he simple t ouch. It had everyt hing t o do w it h t he ache in his gaze. T hen he pivot ed around, t ipping his head back. Moment s passed in silence. T he st ars T heyre beaut iful t onight .

I follow ed his gaze, a lit t le t hrow n off by his sudden change in t opic. T he sky w as dark, but t here w ere a hundred or so bright dot s glimmering again st t he inky night . Y eah, t hey are. I bit my lip. Do t hey remind you of your ho me? T here w as a pause. I w ish t hey did. Memories, even bit t ersw eet ones, ar e bet t er t han not hing, you know ? A knot formed in my t hroat . W hy had I as ked him t hat ? I knew he didnt remember anyt hing about his planet . I t ucked m y hair back again and st ood beside him, squint ing at t he sky. T he Eldersdo t h ey remember anyt hing about Lux? He nodded. Have you ever asked t hem t o t ell yo u about it ? He st art ed t o respond, t hen laughed. It is t hat simple, right ? But I t ry t o avoid t he colony as much as possible. Underst andable, but I w as nt ent irely sure w hy. Daemon and Dee rarely t alked about t he Luxen t hat rema ined in t he colony hidden deep w it hin t he forest surrounding Seneca Rocks. W hat about Mr. Garrison? Mat t hew ? He shook his head. He w ont t alk about it . I t hink it s t oo hard on himt he w ar and losing his family. Tearing my gaze aw ay fr om t he st ars, I looked up at Daemon. His profile w as harsh and haunt ed. Chri st , t heyd had a t ough life. All of t he Luxen. War had t urned t hem int o ref ugees. Eart h w as pract ically a host ile planet t o t hem, considering how t h ey had t o live. Daemon and Dee couldnt remember t heir parent s and had lost t h eir brot her. Mr. Garrison had lost everyt hing and God only knew how many of t hem shared t he same t ragedy. T he knot w as grow ing bigger in my t hroat . Im s orry. Daemons head sw ung t ow ard me sharply. W hy w ould you apologize? IIm just sor y for everyt hingyou guys have had t o go t hrough. And I meant it . He held my ga ze for a beat and t hen looked aw ay, laughing under his breat h. T here w as no humor in t he sound, and I w ondered if Id said somet hing w rong. Probably. Keep t alking like t hat , Kit t en, and I Y ou w hat ? Daemon backed off my porch, his smile secret ive. Ive decided t o go easy on you. Ill keep New Y ears Day as t he de adline. I st art ed t o respond, but he w as gone before I could, moving t oo fas t for my eyes t o t rack. Placing my hand against my chest , I st ood t here and t ried t o make heads of w hat just happened. For a moment , a crazy moment , t here had been somet hing infinit ely more t han mad animal lust bet w een us. A nd it scared me. I w ent inside and event ually w as able t o push Daemon t o t he back of my mind. Grabbing my cell, I w ent from room t o room unt ill I got a signal and called Mom, leaving her a message. W

hen she called back, I t old her about my arm. She said I probably bumped it on somet hing, even t hough it didnt hurt and it w asnt bruised, eit her. She promise d t o bring me home a salve, and I felt bet t er just hearing her voice. I sat o n my bed, t rying t o forget about all t he w eird st uff and focus on my hist o ry homew ork. T here w as an exam on Monday. St udying on a Friday w as t he hei ght of lameness, but it w as eit her t hat or I fail. And I refused t o fail. Hi st ory w as one of my favorit e subject s. Hours lat er, I felt t he w eird w ar mt h t hat w as becoming increasingly familiar creep across my neck. Closing t h e t ext book, I hopped off t he bed and crept t ow ard t he w indow . T he full moon lit everyt hing in a pale, silvery glow . I t ugged up t he sleeve of my sh irt . T he skin w as st ill pat chy and red. Did being sick have anyt hing t o d o w it h t he locker, t he glass of t ea and t he connect ion t o Daemon? My gaz e moved back t o t he w indow , drift ing over t he ground below . I didnt see an yone. A yearning sparked in my chest . I pulled t he curt ain back fart her and pressed my forehead against t he cool glass. I couldnt underst and or explain how I knew , but I did. Somew here, hidden in t he shadow s, w as Daemon. And every part of my being w ant edneededt o go t o him. T he ache t hat had been in his ey es It w as so much, going beyond him and me. More t han w hat I undoubt edly coul d w rap my head around. Denying t hat desire w as one of t he hardest t hings Id ever done, but I let t he curt ain slip free and w ent back t o my bed. As I ope ned my hist ory t ext again, I focused on my chapt er. New Y ears Day? W asnt goin g t o happen. I was having one of those days where I wanted to start throwing th ings because only breaking crap would make me feel better. My limit for acceptab le w eirdness in my daily life had been maxed out . On Sat urday, t he show er t urned on before I even got in it . Sunday night , my bedroom door opened as I w alked t ow ard it , smacking me right in t he face. And t his morning, t o t op it all off, Id overslept and missed my first t w o classes, plus my ent ire clos et empt ied it self ont o my floor as I debat ed w hat t o w ear. Eit her I w as t urning int o an alien, about t o have one craw ll it s w ay out of my st omac h, or I w as crazy. T he only good t hing about t oday w as t hat Id w oken up w it hout t hat it chy rash on my arm.

T he w hole w ay t o school, I debat ed w hat t o do. T hese t hings couldnt be b rushed aside as a coincidence any longer, and I needed t o get over myself and c onfront t hem. My new out look on not being a byst ander in life meant I had t o face t he fact t hat Id really changed. And I needed t o do somet hing about it before I exposed everyone. Just t hinking about t hat possibilit y left a bit t er t ast e in my mout h. T here w as no w ay I could go t o Dee, because Id promi sed Daemon not t o t ell anyone t hat hed healed me. I had no ot her opt ion but t o saddle him w it h anot her one of my problems. At least t hat w as how it fe lt . W hen I first moved here, Id been not hing but problems for him. Making frie nds w it h his sist er, asking w ay t oo many quest ions, almost get t ing mysel f killedt w ice. Plus discovering t heir big secret , and all t he t imes Id ended up w it h a t race. I frow ned as I slid out of my car and slammed t he door be hind me. No w onder Daemon had been such a douche canoe t hose mont hs. I w as t rouble. So w as he, but st ill. Lat e for bio and out of breat h, I raced dow n t he nearly empt y hall, praying t hat Id be safely in my seat before Mr. Garris on st rolled in. As I reached for t he heavy door, it sw ung open w it h a pow e rful rush and slammed against t he w all. T he noise echoed dow n t he corridor, draw ing t he at t ent ion of a handful of ot her lat e st udent s. Blood drain ed from my face, inch by inch, as I heard t he st art led gasp from behind me an d knew I w as bust ed. A million t hought s ran t hrough my numb brain and none of t hem w as w ort h a damn. Closing my eyes, fear set t led like sour milk in my st omach. W hat w as w rong me? Somet hing w as somet hing w as really bad. T h ese damn draft y hall w ays, Mr. Garrison said, clearing his t hroat . T heyll give you a heart at t ack. My eyes snapped open. He st raight ened his t ie w hile he clenched his brow n suit case t ight ly in his right hand. I opened my mout h t o speak and agree. Agreeing w ould be a good t hing. Y es, damn draft y hall w ays. But not hing came. I just st ood t here like a damn fish. Gaping and gaping . Mr. Garrisons blue eyes narrow ed, and his scow ll deepened unt ill I t hought it w ould leave a permanent mark on his face. Miss Sw art z, shouldnt you be in cl ass? Y es, sorry, I managed t o croak. T hen please, dont just st and t here. He sprea d his arms and ushered me inside. And t hat is a t ardy. Y our second. Unsure of h ow I earned my first t ardy, I shuffled int o class, t rying t o ignore t he gig gles from t he ot her st udent s w hod apparent ly heard my ass get t ing chew ed out . My cheeks flooded w it h color.

Skank, Kimmy said from behind her hand. Several more giggles erupt ed from her sid e of t he class, but before I could say anyt hing, Lesa shot t he blonde a look. T hat s real funny coming from you, she said. Y ou are t he same cheerleader w ho f orgot t o w ear her undies during t he pep rally last year, arent you? Kimmys face t urned blood red. Class, Mr. Garrison said, eyes narrow ing. T hat s enough. Passing Lesa a grat eful smile, I t ook my seat next t o Blake and yanked out my t ext book w hile Mr. Garrison began reading off t he at t endance, making small sw ip es w it h his favorit e red pen. He skipped my name. I w as sure it w as on purp ose. Blake nudged me w it h his elbow . Are you doing okay over t here? I nodded. T here w as no w ay I w as going t o let him t hink t hat Kimmy w as t he reason my face had gone albino w hit e. And besides, Kimmy calling me a skank probably had somet hing t o do w it h Simon, w hich w asnt even w ort h my anger right no w . Y eah, Im perfect . He smiled, but it looked forced. Mr. Garrison flipped off t he light s and launched int o a st imulat ing lect ure on t ree sap. Forget t i ng about t he boy beside me, I st art ed replaying t he door incident over and o ver again in my head. Had Mr. Garrison really believed it had been a draft ? And if he didnt , w hat w as st opping him from cont act ing t he DOD and handing me over? Unease squirmed in my belly. Was I going to end up like Bet hany? Chapter 5 Carissa w as w ait ing for me by my locker aft er biology. Can I just go home? I a sked as I sw it ched my t ext books. She laughed. Having a bad day? You could say t hat . I t hought about elaborat ing for a second, but w hat could I t ell her? I w as running lat e t his morning. You know how t hat just screw s your day up fr om t here. We headed dow n t he hall, chat t ing about t he part y on Friday and w hat w e w ere going t o w ear. I really hadnt put much t hought int o it , figu ring Id just w ear jeans and a shirt .

Everyone is dressing up, she explained, since w e dont get a lot of reasons t o act ually w ear somet hing nice around here. W e just had homecoming. I groaned, know i ng I didnt have anyt hing dressy. Carissa launched int o t he rout ine conversat ion about w hat colleges I w as going t o apply t o. She w as hoping I w ould se nd an applicat ion int o W VU. Most of t he st udent s w ere applying t here. Kat y, you really need t o st art applying, she insist ed as she grabbed a plat e of w hat appeared t o be Salisbury st eak. Youre going t o run out of t ime. You know , I hear it from my mom every day. I w ill w hen I decide w here I w ant t o go. Problem w as I had no idea w here I w ant ed t o go or w hat I w ant ed t o do. Y ou dont have forever, she said, quick t o remind me. Dee w as already at our t ab le, and I launched int o my ow n t irade t he moment I sat dow n. So I cant w ear jeans t o t he part y? I have t o w ear a dress? Huh? Dee blinked and looked at me. Carissa t old me I had t o w ear a dress on Friday night . I didnt really plan fo r t hat . Dee picked up her fork and pushed t he food around on her plat e. You sh ould w ear a dress. We get t o be pret t y princesses for t he night and dress u p for t he part y. W ere not six. Lesa snort ed and repeat ed, Pret t y princesses? Y s, pret t y princesses. Y ou can borrow one of my dresses. I have enough. Dee pok ed at her green beans. Somet hing w as not right w it h her. She w asnt eat ing a nd w as now suggest ing I could w ear one of her dresses. Dee, I dont t hink Id fit in one of your dresses. She t urned her angelic face t o mine, lips t urned dow n at t he corners. I have plent y of dresses you can w ear. Dont be silly. I st are d at her, dumbfounded. If I w ore one of your dresses, Id look like a t ight ly pa ckaged sausage. Dees gaze dart ed over my shoulders, and w hat ever she w as going t o say died on her lips. Her eyes w idened and face paled. I w as afraid t o t urn around, half expect ing t o find a set of DOD officers st rolling t hrough our school cafet eria in black suit s. T he pict ure in my brain w as equally hi larious and fright ening.

I slow ly t w ist ed in my seat , preparing myself t o be t hrow n on t he floor and handcuffed, or w hat ever it w as t hey did. It t ook me a moment t o find w hat Dee w as ut t erly t ransfixed by, and w hen I did, I w as confused. It w as Adam T hompsont he nice t w in as I liked t o refer t o him and he w as Dees fri end? Boyfriend? W hat s going on? I asked, sw iveling around. Her gaze dart ed t o me. Can w e t alk lat er? In ot her w ords, it w asnt somet hing she could say in f ront of t he ot hers. I nodded and glanced behind me. Adam w as get t ing food, but I not iced someone else. Blake st ood by t he doors t o t he cafet eria, sca nning t he crow ds for someone. His gaze found our t able and his hazel eyes set t led on me. He smiled, flashing a set of ult ra-w hit e t eet h, and w aved. I gave him a lit t le w ave back. W hos t hat ? Dee asked, frow ning. His name is Bla ke Saunders, Lesa said, eyeing her lunch. She poked it w it h her fork as if she expect ed it t o jump off her plat e and run aw ay. Hes a new kid in our biology c lass. I found out hes living w it h his aunt . Did you go t hrough his personal fil es or somet hing? I asked, amused. Lesa snort ed. I overheard him t alking t o W h it ney Samuels. She w as giving him t he t hird degree. I t hink hes coming over he re. Dee t urned t o me, her expression unreadable. Hes cut e, Kat y. I shrugged. He w as very cut e. Blake reminded me of a surfer, and t hat w as hot . And he w as human. Bonus point s t here. Hes nice, t oo. Nice is good, Carissa said. Nice w as g reat , but I glanced at t he t able in t he back. Daemon w asnt sit t ing w it h u s t oday. He seemed t o be in a heat ed discussion w it h Andrew . T here w as a lso no Ash. St range. My eyes bounced back t o Daemon. He looked up at t hat exa ct moment . T he smirk on his face faded. A muscle in his jaw popped. He lookedpi ssed. W hoa. W hat d I do now ? Dee kicked me under t he t able, and I t w ist ed back around.

St anding beside me w as Blake. A nervous smile w as on his face as his eyes fli ckered over t he t able. Hey. Hi, I said. W ant t o sit ? Nodding, he t ook t he empt y seat beside me. Everyone is st ill st aring at me. Ah, it should fade in a mont h or so, I t old him. Hi, Lesa chirped. Im Lesa w it h an e, and t his is Carissa and Dee. W ere Kat ys cool friends. Blake laughed. Nice t o meet you. Y oure in bio, righ t ? Lesa nodded. So w here are you from? asked Dee, her voice surprisingly t ight . Last t ime Id heard t hat t one w as w hen Ash had show n up at t he diner w it h Daemon before school st art ed. Sant a Monica. Aft er anot her round of aahs, he grinned. My uncle w as get t ing t ired of t he cit y, so he w ant ed t o get as far aw ay from it as possible. W ell, t his is as far as you can get . Lesa grimac ed aft er t aking a bit e of her food. I bet lunch w as bet t er in Sant a Monica . Nah, it s also quest ionable t here. So how are you adjust ing t o your classes? Car issa folded her hands on t he t able, as if she w ere going t o do an int erview for t he school new spaper. All she needed w as a pen and paper. Okay. It s a muc h smaller school t han my old one, so Ive been able t o find my w ay around easil y. T he people are nicer here, except for t he w hole st aring t hing. How about you? He t urned t o me. Since youre st ill t echnically new ? Oh no, I hand over new -kid st at us complet ely t o you. But it s pret t y cool around here. Not much ha ppens, t hough, Lesa added. T he conversat ion moved easily. Blake w as super fri endly. He answ ered every one of our quest ions and w as quick t o laugh. Turned out he had gym w it h Lesa and art w it h Carissa. Every so oft en, hed glance a t me and smile, revealing a set of st raight w hit e t eet h. It had not hing on Daemons smilew henever he decided t o grace our w orld w it h it s presencebut it w as nice. And it w as also draw ing t he at t ent ion of t he ot her girls. T h eir eyes kept dart ing back and fort h bet w een us. My cheeks w ere grow ing ho t t er by t he second.

Were having a part y Friday night . Lesa flashed me a quick grin. Youre more t han w elcome t o come. Dees parent s are let t ing us have it at t heir house w hile t heyre aw ay t his w eekend. Dee st iffened w it h t he fork halfw ay t o her mout h. She didnt say anyt hing, but I could t ell she w asnt happy w it h t he invit e . W hat w as her deal? Half t he school appeared t o be invit ed. T hat sounds co ol. Blake glanced at me. Y oure going? I nodded, t w ist ing t he lid on my w at er. She doesnt have a dat e, Lesa added w it h a sly look. My mout h gaped. Real smoot h move t here. No boyfriend? Blake sounded surprised. Nope. Lesas eyes sparkled. Y ou have a girlfriend you left back in California? Dee cleared her t hroat as she fo und t he food on her plat e t o be of ext reme int erest . Mort ified, I w ant e d t o hide under t he t able. Blake chuckled. No. No girlfriend. He t urned his at t ent ion back t o me. But Im surprised you dont have a boyfriend. W hy? I asked, w o ndering if I should be flat t ered. Like my aw esomeness w as just so ext reme t hat I couldnt be single? Well, Blake said, leaning in t ow ard me. W hen he spoke, it w as right in my ear. T hat guy over t here. Hes been st aring at you since I sat dow n. And he doesnt look happy. Dee w as t he first t o look. Her lips formed a t ight smile. T hat s my brot her. Blake nodded as he leaned back. Did you guys d at e or somet hing? No, I said. Every muscle in my body demanded t hat I t ake a lo ok-see. Hes just Daemon. Huh, Blake said, st ret ching. He nudged my arm. So no compet it ion t here?

My eyes w idened. Boy, he w as bold. His hot ness level w ent up t en point s. No t likely. A slow smile crept over Blakes lips. He had a fuller bot t om one. Looke d t ot ally kissable. Good t o know , because I w as w ondering if you w ant ed t o grab somet hing t o eat aft er school? W hoa. I glanced at Dee, w ho looked ju st as surprised as I did. I had every int ent ion of finding out w hy she w as a ct ing so w eird over Adam and t hen t alking t o Daemon about t he w eird st uf f t hat had been happening. Dee misint erpret ed my hesit at ion. W e can get t o get her t omorrow aft er school. But It s okay. Her look seemed t o say, Go out , hav fun. Be normal. Or maybe t hat w as my w ishful t hinking, because she didnt see m very pleased w it h Blakes int erest in me. It s fine, Dee adds. I could w ait one more day t o t alk t o Daemon. I glanced over at Blake and our eyes locked. I f ound myself nodding. Blakes smile remained on his face t he rest of t he lunch. T ow ard t he end, I caved and had t o look because I could st ill feel him. Blake had been right . Daemon w as st aring. Not at me, but at t he boy next t o me. T here w asnt anyt hing friendly in t he hard line of his jaw or his sharp jew el -t oned eyes. Daemons gaze slid t o mine. T here w as a flut t er deep in my ches t . I t ried t o draw in a breat h, but I felt pierced. My lips t ingled. T here w as definit ely no compet it ion t here. Blake and I decided to go to the Smok e Hole after school. We took separate cars, and the wind was howling when we got there, tearing at the bare branches of t he t rees surrounding t he parking lot as w e rushed inside. His cheeks w ere flushed under his t an as w e grabbed a seat near t he crackling fireplace. I dont t hink Im ever going t o get used t o t he w ind here. It s brut al. Me, t oo, I said, rubbing my chilled hands over my arms . And Ive been t old t o expect a lot of snow come w int er. Int erest lit up his e yes, making t he specks of green st and out . Now here near as bright as Daemons, t hough. Perfect snow boarding w eat her, t hen. Do you snow board?

I laughed. Id kill myself in t w o seconds. I w ent ski ng once w it h my mom and it w asnt pret t y. Blake grinned and t hen shift ed his at t ent ion t o t he w a it ress t aking our orders. Surprisingly, I w asnt nervous. T here w asnt a t ipsy feeling in my st omach w hen our gazes met . My skin didnt feel st ret ched t oo t hin. And I w asnt sure w hat t hat meant . It seemed sonormal. He t old me abou t surfing w hile w e w ait ed for my slice of cheese pizza and his cup of chili. I t old him t he closest Id come t o surfing w as w at ching t he guys dow n in Florida. I didnt have t hat kind of coordinat ion, and he t ried t o convince me it w asnt t hat hard. I laughed. A lot . We t ook our t ime eat ing. W it h him, I w asnt t hinking about aliens from out er space or t he looming t hreat of t he DOD or Arum. It w as t he most relaxing hour Id spent in a long t ime. T ow ard t he end, he w as ripping a napkin int o t iny pieces w hile he grinned at me. So , you have a blog? Surprised, I nodded and figured Id get my geekdom out of t he w ay. Yeah, I love books. I review t hem on t he blog. I paused. How did you know ? B lake leaned forw ard and w hispered, I looked you up. I know , kind of a nerdy t hing t o do, but I found your blog. I like how you w rit e your review s. Very w it t y. And youre passionat e about it . Flat t ered and complet ely w on over by t he fact he act ually read my review s, I smiled. T hank you. T he blog is real ly import ant t o me. Most people dont get it . Oh, I t ot ally do. I used t o blog about surfing. Really? He nodded. Yep, I miss t he surfing and bloggingt he w hole c onnect ing w it h people all around t he w orld t hat shared t he same passion. It s a pret t y aw esome communit y. T his guy w as perfect . He didnt make fun of me like Daemon had over t he w hole blog t hing. Cool point s for Blake. I t ook a sip of my drink as I glanced out t he w indow . Dark, t hick clouds blanket e d t he sky. W hen I first saw you, I had you pegged for a surfer. Y ou have t hat look. W hat kind of look is t hat ? Y ou just have t he surfer-boy look going on. T he hair, t he t anit s very cut e. Cut e? He arched a brow . Okay, it s pret t y hot He grinned. I like t he sound of t hat .

He had one of t hose personalit ies, much like Dee, w here I couldnt help but fee l comfort able around him. A w elcome change from t he pins-and-needles feeling I got around Daemon. W hen w e left t he diner close t o five, I couldnt believe how much t ime had passed. T he w ind w hipped at my hair, but I w as st ill buz zing t oo much from my aft ernoon w it h Blake t o care about t he fact I hadnt b ought a jacket yet . Blake nudged me w it h his elbow . Im glad you came w it h me . So am I. I t w irled my keys as w e st opped by his t ruck. I dont normally put mys elf out t here. He leaned against t he hood of his t ruck, crossing his ankles. Yo u know , just asking like t hat in front of an ent ire t able of st rangers. Bris k w ind cooled my w arm cheeks. Y ou seemed pret t y confident . I am w hen I w ant somet hing. Pushing off t he hood, he moved t o st and in front of me. Oh God. W as he going t o kiss me? I t ot ally loved t he easy aft ernoon w ed just spent , but , w ell I just didnt feel right leading him on. I didnt know w hat w as going on w it h Daemon, if anyt hing really w as going on, but I knew it w asnt fair t o pret end I w as complet ely free. I had feelings for Daemon; I just w asnt sure w hat t hey meant . Blake leaned t ow ard me, and I froze. Above him, t he bran ches shook and groaned under t he force of t he w ind. T here w as a loud crack, and my head jerked up. One of t he t hick branches broke under t he w eight of t he w ind. Panic leaped int o my t hroat as it spiraled dow n t o w here Blake st ood. T here w as no w ay he could move fast enough, and t he size of t he bra nch promised major damage. St at ic rushed over my skin, crackling bet w een t h e layers of my clot hing. I felt t he t iny hairs on t he back of my neck raise. Heart racing, I shot forw ard and I t hought I screamed St op, but it w as only in my head. And t he branch st oppedin midair, suspended by not hing. Chapter 6

T he branch hung t here, hovering as if it w ere t et hered by an invisible st r ing. My breat h paw ed at my chest , not quit e making it out . I st opped t he branchI did t hat . Panic and pow er rushed t hrough me, leaving me dizzy. Blake w as st aring at me, his eyes w ide w it h w hat ? Fear? Excit ement ? He st epp ed t o t he side and lift ed his gaze. T he rush of pow er left me at once. T he heavy branch crashed, cracking t he pavement like it w ouldve done t o Blakes sku ll. My shoulders slumped as I dragged in air. Sharp, slicing pain erupt ed behin d my eyes and I w inced. W ow Blake ran a hand t hrough his spiky hair. T hat w oul dve killed me. I sw allow ed, unable t o speak. Shock rippled t hrough me, lapping at my sides. I felt and recognized t he w armt h t ingling across t he nape of my neck, but I couldnt move. T his lit t le event had sapped me of energy, and my headit t hrobbed somet hing fiercea kind of scary pain t hat signaled somet hing w as very w rong. Oh, God, w as t his it ? W as I having an aneurysm? Kat yit s okay , Blake said, st epping forw ard as his eyes dart ed behind me. A w arm, st rong hand curled around my arm. Kat . I sagged at t he sound of Daemons voice. T urning t o him, I low ered my head, shielding my face w it h my hair. Sorry, I w hispered . Is she okay? Blake asked, sounding w orried. T he branch Y es. Shes fine. T he falli g branch scared her. Each w ord sounded like he spoke it t hrough grit t ed t eet h. T hat s all. But See you lat er. Daemon st art ed w alking, t aking me along w i him. Are you okay? I nodded, st aring st raight ahead. Everyt hing seemed t oo br ight for a cloudy day. Too real. T he w hole aft ernoon had been perfect . Norma l. And Id ruined it . W hen I didnt answ er, Daemon t ook my keys from my numb fin gers and opened t he passenger door. Blake called out my name, but I couldnt brin g myself t o look at him. I had no idea w hat he must be t hinking, but I knew i t couldnt be good. Get in, Daemon said almost gent ly. For once, I obeyed w it hout quest ion. W hen he climbed in on t he drivers side and moved t he seat back, I snapped out of it . How how are you here?

He didnt look at me as he t urned t he ignit ion and pulled out of t he parking s pace. I w as driving around. Ill have Dee and Adam get my car. Turning in my seat , I saw Blake by his car. He w as st ill st anding t here like w ed left him. Knot s t w ist ed my insides. I felt sick. Trapped by w hat Id done. Daemon His jaw w or ked. Youll pret end like not hing happened. If he brings it up, youll t ell him t h at he moved out of t he w ay. If he even suggest s t hat yout hat you st opped t hat branch, you laugh it off. Underst anding seeped in. I need t o act like you di d in t he beginning? He nodded curt ly. W hat just happened back t here never happ ened. Do you underst and me? Close t o t ears, I nodded. Silence t icked aw ay t he minut es. Halfw ay home, t he headache eased up and I felt almost normal, exc ept it w as like I had pulled an all-night er. Neit her of us spoke unt ill he p ulled int o t he drivew ay of my house. Daemon yanked t he keys from t he ignit ion and sat back. He faced me, eyes shelt ered by a long w ave of hair. We need t o t alk. And you need t o be honest w it h me. Y ou dont seem surprised you just did t hat . I nodded again. He w as furious, and I couldnt blame him. Id possibly exposed t hem all t o a humana human w ho could go t o t he press, w ho could t a lk at school, and w ho could cat ch t he at t ent ion of t he DOD. T heyd find ou t t hat t he Luxen had special abilit ies. T heyd learn about me. We w ent inside my empt y house. T he cent rall air w as blow ing heat from t he vent s, but I w as shivering uncont roll ably as I sat on t he recliner. I w as planning on t e lling you. You w ere? Daemon st ood in front of me, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. W hen, exact ly? Before or aft er you did somet hing t hat put s y ou at risk? I flinched. I didnt plan on t his happening! All I w ant ed w as t o ha ve a normal aft ernoon w it h a boy W it h a boy? he spat , eyes flaring an int ense green. Yes, w it h a normal boy! W hy did t hat sound so surprising? I t ook a de ep breat h. Im sorry. I did plan on coming t o you t onight , but Blake asked me t o grab somet hing t o eat w it h him and I just w ant ed one freaking aft ernoo n w it h someone like me. His frow n w ent so deep I t hought his face w ould cra ck. Y ou have friends w ho are normal, Kat .

It s not t he same t hing! Daemon seemed t o get w hat I w asnt really saying. For a second, his eyes w idened and Id sw ear t here w as a flicker of pain in t hem, but t hen it w as gone. T ell me w hat s been happening. Guilt shot t hrough me, pu lling behind it spiky barbs t hat dug in deep. I t hink I did get alien coot ies, because Ive been moving t hingsw it hout t ouching t hem. T oday, I opened t he d oor t o Mr. Garrisons classroom w it hout t ouching it . He seemed t o t hink it w as a draft y hall w ay. How oft en has t his been happening? On and off for around a w eek. T he first t ime it w as my locker door, but I t hought it w as a fluk e, so I didnt say anyt hing. T hen I t hought about w ant ing a glass of t ea, an d t he glass flew out of t he cabinet and t he t ea st art ed pouring it self in t he fridge. T he show er t urned it self on, doors opened, and a couple of t i mes, clot hes flew from my closet . I sighed. My room w as a mess. A snicker escape d. Nice. My hands balled int o fist s. How can you t hink t his is funny? Look at w hat happened t oday! I didnt mean t o st op t he branch! I mean, I didnt w ant it t o hit him, but I didnt consciously st op t he damn t hing. T he w hole healing -me t hingit changed me, Daemon. If you havent guessed it yet , I couldnt move t hi ngs before. And I dont know w hat s w rong w it h me. I get a split t ing headache and feel exhaust ed aft erw ard. W hat if Im dying or somet hing? Daemon blinked and w as suddenly beside me, sit t ing on t he arm of t he chair. Our legs t ouc hed. His breat h st irred my hair. I shrank back as my heart rat e picked up. W h y do you have t o move so fast ? It sw rong. He sighed. Sorry, Kit t en. For us, mov ing fast is nat ural. It s act ually more effort t o slow dow n and appear normal, as you put it . I guess I just forget I have t o pret end around you. My heart ac hed. W hy did everyt hing I say lat ely come out as a crit icism? Y oure not dying , he said. How do you know ? His eyes lat ched ont o mine. Because Id never let t hat happen. He said it so st rongly t hat I believed him. W hat if Im t urning int o a n alien? A look crossed his face, like he w ant ed t o laugh, and I could get w h y. It did sound absurd. I dont know if t hat s possible. Moving st uff w it h my mind shouldnt be possible.

He sighed. W hy didnt you t ell me w hen t his first happened? I dont know , I said, u nable t o look aw ay. I shouldve. I dont w ant t o put you guys at risk. I sw ear Im not doing it on purpose. Daemon leaned back. His pupils t urned luminous. I know you arent doing anyt hing on purpose. I w ouldnt have t hought t hat . My breat h c aught as he held my gaze w it h his st range eyes. T he prickly feeling w as bac k, spreading over my skin. Every inch of me became painfully aw are of him. He w as silent for a moment . I dont know if it w as a product of my healing you t hos e t imes or w hen you connect ed w it h us during Barucks at t ack. Eit her w ay, it s obvious t hat youre using some of my abilit ies. Ive never heard of t his hap pening before. Never? I w hispered. We dont heal humans. Daemon paused, pursing his li ps. Ive alw ays t hought it had somet hing t o do w it h exposing our abilit ies, but now Im w ondering if it s more t han t hat . If t he real reason is because w echange humans. I sw allow ed. So I am t urning int o an alien? Kit t en All I could t hink about w as t he movie Alien and t hat t hing craw ling out of t he dudes st omach, except mine w ould be a glow ing ball of light or somet hing. How do w e s t op t his? Daemon st ood. I w ant t o t ry somet hing, okay? My brow s rose. Okay. C losing his eyes, he let out a long breat h. His form flickered and faded. A few seconds lat er, he w as in his t rue form, radiat ing a pow erful red-w hit e li ght . He w as shaped like a human, and I knew he w ould be w arm t o t ouch. It w as st ill st range seeing him like t his. It drove home t he point t he one I f orgot somet imest hat he w asnt from t his planet . Say something to me, his voice w hispered in my thoughts. In t heir t rue form, Luxen dont speak out loud. Uh, h i? His chuckle t ickled inside me. Not aloud. Say somet hing t o me, but not out loud. Like w hat happened in t he clearing. Y ou spoke t o me t hen. W hen hed be en healing me, Id heard his t hought s. W ould it happen again? Y our light is re ally pret t y, but it s blinding me. I heard his ghost inhale. We can st ill hear each ot her. His light dimmed, and he w as st anding in front of me again, soli d, eyes t roubled. So my light w as blinding you, huh?

Yeah, it w as. I fiddled w it h t he chain around my neck. Am I glow ing now ? It us ually happened w hen t hey w ent int o t heir t rue form, leaving a faint t race behind. No. So t hat had changed, t oo. W hy can I st ill hear you? Y ou act like I shouldnt . Y ou shouldnt , but w ere st ill connect ed. W ell, how do w e get unconn ct ed? T hat s a good quest ion. He st ret ched idly as his gaze roamed across t he room. Y ou have books everyw here, Kit t en. T hat s really not import ant right now . One hand out st ret ched. A book flew off t he arm of t he couch and int o his hand. As he t urned it over, his brow s rose and his gaze moved over it quickly . His t ouch kills? Really, w hat is t his st uff youre reading? I shot from t he c hair, snat ching t he book aw ay and holding it close t o my chest . Shut up. I l ove t his book. Uh huh, Daemon murmured. Okay, back t o t he import ant st uff. And st op t ouching my books. I set it back w here Id left it . W hat are w e going t o do? His gaze set t led on me. Ill figure out w hat is happening w it h you. Just g ive me some t ime. I nodded, hoping w e had enough t ime. T here w as no t elling w hat Id accident ally do next , and t he last t hing I w ant ed w as t o expose Dee and t he ot hers. Y ou do realize t his w hole t hing is w hy you He arched a brow . It s w hy you suddenly like me. Im pret t y sure I liked you before t his, Kit t en. W ell, you had one hell of a w ay of show ing it . True, he admit t ed. And Ive already said Im sorry for t he w ay I t reat ed you. He t ook a fort ifying breat h. I alw ays liked you. From t he moment you first flipped me off. But you didnt st art t o w ant t o spend t ime w it h me unt ill aft er t he first at t ack, w he n you healed me. Maybe w e w ere already st art ing t o, like morph t oget her or w hat ever.

Daemon frow ned. W hat is it w it h you? It s like you need t o convince yourself I cant possibly like you. Does doing t hat make it easier t o t ell yourself you dont have feelings for me? You t reat ed me like a red-headed st epchild for mont h s. Im sorry if I have a hard t ime believing t hat w hat ever you feel is real. I sat on t he couch. And it has not hing t o do w it h w hat I feel. His shoulders t ensed. Do you like t hat guy you w ere w it h? Blake? I dont know . Hes nice. He w as sit t ing w it h you t oday at lunch. My brow arched. Because t here w as an open seat and it s a free w orld w here people can pick w here t hey w ant t o sit . T h ere w ere ot her seat s open. He couldve sat anyw here else in t he cafet eria. It t ook me a few seconds t o respond. Hes in my bio class. Maybe he just felt comfo rt able w it h me, because w ere bot h sort of new . Somet hing flickered across h is face, and t hen he w as st anding in front of me. He kept st aring at you. And obviously he w ant ed t o spend t ime w it h you out side of school. Maybe he lik es me, I said, shrugging. Lesa invit ed him t o t he part y on Friday. Daemons eyes darkened t o an evergreen. I dont t hink you should be hanging around him unt ill w e know w hat s up w it h you moving st uff. You doing t hat t hing w it h t he branch w as only one inst ance. W e cant have a repeat of t hat . W hat ? Im not sup posed t o dat e or hang out w it h anyone now ? Daemon smiled. Anyone human, yes. W hat ever. I shook my head, st anding. T his is a st upid conversat ion. Im not dat ing anyone anyw ay, but if I w ere, I w ouldnt st op just because you said so. Y ou w ouldnt ? His hand shot out , t ucking back a st rand of hair behind my ear. W ell just have t o see about t hat . I st epped sidew ays, keeping dist ance bet w ee n us. T heres not hing t o see. challenge filled his eyes. If you say so, Kit t en. F olding my arms, I sighed. T his isnt a game.

I know , but if it w ere, Id w in. He flickered out and appeared by t he ent rance t o t he foyer. By t he w ay, Ive heard w hat Simon has been saying. Heat sw ept ov er my face. Anot her problem, but less import ant in t he grand scheme of t hing s. Yeah, hes being a douche. I t hink it s his friends. He act ually apologized t o me, and t hen w hen his friends show ed up, he t old t hem I w as t rying t o g et w it h him. Daemons eyes narrow ed. T hat s not okay. I sighed. It s no big deal. e not t o you, but it is t o me. He paused, his shoulders squaring. Ill t ake care of it . Chapter 7 I didnt get much sleep t hat night , so t rig t he next day sucked w orse t han n ormal. T here w as a six-foot -t hree alien behind me. Not t alking t o me, just breat hing soft ly against t he back of my neck. And no mat t er how far I scoo t ed up, I could st ill feel him. I w as hyperaw are of himw hen he moved, w hen he w rot e somet hing dow n, w hen he scrat ched his head. Halfw ay t hrough cla ss, I debat ed making a run for t he door. It w as also day t w o of no pen poke s. On t he ot her hand, Simon kept glancing over his shoulder t hroughout class. Needing a dist ract ion, I glared at his head. A slow flush crept over t he bac k of his neck. He could feel me drilling holes int o his head. Ha. Jerk-face. Br ow n hair curled against t he faint ly flushed skin. He normally kept it cut clo se t o t he skull. I supposed he w as in need of a haircut , since most boys aro und here didnt let t heir hair grow more t han an inch or t w o. T he dull gray s hirt he w ore st ret ched over his broad shoulders as he t ensed under my st are . He glanced over his shoulder at me. I arched a brow . Simon t urned back st if fly, and his shoulders rose as he t ook a deep breat h. Annoyance flared and my fingers burned. T he t ooll had half t he school t hinking I w as easy. My at t ent ion fell back t o t he book in front of him. T he heavy English t ext flippe d off t he desk, smacking Simon right in t he face. My mout h dropped open as I sat back. Holy crap

Jumping up, he st ared at t he book now lying on t he floor as if it w ere some kind of creat ure hed never seen before. Our t eachers eyes narrow ed as he search ed for t he source of t he disrupt ion. Mr. Cut t ers, is t here somet hing you w ould like t o share w it h t he class? he asked in a t ired, bored voice. W -w ha t ? Simon st ut t ered. He looked around frant ically, and t hen his eyes set t l ed on t he book. No, I knocked my book off t he desk. Sorry. He let out a loud sig h. W ell, t hen pick it up. T here w ere a few scat t ered chuckles from t he ot h er st udent s. Simon w as beet red as he sw iped t he book off t he floor. He pl aced it in t he middle of his desk and cont inued st aring at it . Aft er t he c lass set t led dow n and t he t eacher t urned back t o t he chalkboard, Daemon poked me w it h his pen. I t w ist ed around. W hat w as t hat ? he w hispered, ey es narrow ed. T here w as no mist aking t he amusement in t he t ilt t o his lip s, t hough. Very bad kit t y Blake arrived to bio minutes before the bel. He was we aring a vintage Super Mario Bros. shirt today. You look Like crap? I supplied, rest i ng my cheek on my fist . I had no idea how t o prepare myself for seeing him aft er t he branch issue. Playing it cool w asnt somet hing I w as part icularly ski lled at . I w as going t o say t ired. His eyes narrow ed as he w at ched me. Are y ou okay? I nodded. Look, about yest erday? Im sorry I freaked out . T he branch Scared you? he said, eyes locked ont o mine. It s no big deal. It shocked me, t oo. It al l happened quickly, but Id sw ear t hat branch st opped. He t ilt ed his head t o t he side. Like it w as suspended for a few seconds. I W hat w as I supposed t o say? Deny. Deny. Deny. I dont know . Maybe t he w ind caught it or somet hing. Y eah, ma ybe. Anyw ay, t he big part y is coming up. I smiled faint ly, relieved at t he c hange in t opic. W ould it be t hat easy? Damn. I w as a bet t er liar t han Dae mon gave me credit for. Y ou coming? I w ouldnt miss it for t he w orld.

Good. I t oyed w it h my pen, remembering w hat Daemon had said about not hanging out w it h Blake. Screw t hat . Im glad youre coming. Blakes smile w as infect ious. We chat t ed for a lit t le w hile about t he part y, w ait ing for class t o be gin. A couple of t imes, his hand brushed mine. I doubt ed it w as on accident . And I liked t hat . T here w asnt anyt hing forcing him t o do it , except t hat maybe he w ant ed t o t ouch me. He seemed t o like me all on his ow n, and t h at made him a t housand t imes more at t ract ive. And, w ell, t hat boyish smil e of his helped. I could see him shirt less, surfing t he w aves. He w as t ot a lly dat eable. T aking a deep breat h, I did somet hing I rarely ever did. Y ou c an st op by my place first , before t he part y, if you w ant ? His lashes low er ed, fanning his golden cheeks. T hat sounds cool. Like a dat e? I flushed. Y eah, k ind of. I guess you can say t hat . Blake leaned in, his breat h surprisingly coo l on my cheeks. Mint y. Im not sure I like t he kind of t hing. I like t he idea of calling it a dat e. My gaze flicked up, meet ing his. T he lit t le specks of gre en in his eyes w ere now here near as vibrant as Daemonsw hy w as I even t hinking about him? W e can call it a dat e. He sat back. Sounds bet t er. I smiled, glancin g dow n at my not ebook. A dat enot dinner-and-t he-movies kind of dat e but a dat e nonet heless. We exchanged numbers. I gave him direct ions. Excit ement bubbl ed t hrough me. I snuck a look at him. He w as w at ching me w it h a crooked sm ile on his face. Oh, t he part y just got a w hole lot more int erest ing. I ref used t o t hink about w hat Daemon w ould do w hen he saw me arrive w it h Blake . A small part of me w ondered if Id asked Blake just t o find out . Curled up on my couch after school on Thursday, Dee toyed with a ring on her finger and kept her voice low due to Mom sleeping upstairs. The new boy seems t o really have t he hot s for you. I plopped dow n beside her. Y ou t hink so? Dee smiled, but it w as off. Y eah, I t hink so. Im surprised youre act ually okay w it h him coming t o t he part y. I really t hought Y ou t hought w hat ? Her gaze skit t ered aw ay. I just t hought t here might be somet hing bet w een you and Daemon.

Oh, no, t heres not hing bet w een us. Besides a w hacked-out alien bond and all ou r secret s. I cleared my t hroat . Let s not t alk about your brot her. W hat s up w it h Adam? Crimson sw ept across her pale cheeks. Adam and I have been t rying t o spend more t ime t oget her, you know ? Everyone expect s us t o be t oget he r, and t here is a part of me t hat likes him. T he elders know t hat since w ere bot h eight een already, w ere coming of age. Coming of age? She nodded. Once w e re ach eight een, w ere old enough t o be mat ed. W hat ? My eyes bugged. Mat ed? Like, marrying and making babies? Yeah. She sighed. We usually w ait unt ill w ere done w i t h school, but know ing t hat w ere get t ing close, Adam and I are t rying t o decide w hat w e w ant t o do. I w as st ill st uck on t he w hole mat ing t hing . Do t he elders t ell you w ho you can be w it h? Dee frow ned. Not really. I mean , t hey w ant us w it h anot her Luxen and t o reproduce as soon as possible. I know t hat sounds messed up, but our race is dying off. I get t hat , but w hat if you didnt w ant t o have kids? W hat if you fell in love w it h anot her boy ora human? T hey w ould out cast us. She faded and t hen w as st anding on t he ot her side of t he coffee t able. All of t hem w ould t urn t heir backs on us. T hat s w hat t hey w ouldve done t o Daw son if heif he w ere st ill alive and w it h Bet hany. And I know he w ould st ill be w it h her. Daw son loved Bet h. And her br ot hers love had ult imat ely led t o t heir deat hs. I low ered my gaze, feeling for t he remaining siblings. Would t hey force you t o leave or somet hing? She s hook her head. T heyd make us w ant t o leave, but w e cant , not w it hout t he DO Ds permission. It s a lot of pressure. No doubt . I had t o w orry about w hat coll ege t o pick. Not about get t ing knocked up as soon as possible. And Daemon rea lly w ant ed t o risk all of t hat t o be w it h me? He had t o be on crack. W ha t happened w it h you and Adam? St opping in front of t he T V, she ran her hands t hrough her curly hair. W e had sex. Come again? Up unt ill five seconds ago, I w as posit ive Dee w asnt even at t ract ed t o Adam. Dees small hands flut t ered t o her sides. Y eah, shocking, huh? I blinked. Y eah, t hat s shocking.

I didnt know how I felt about him. Like, I t ot ally respect him, and hes good look ing. She st art ed pacing again. But w eve only been friends, really. Or at least , Ive only let him be a friend t o me. I dont know , but anyw ay, I decided I w ant ed t o see if w e, you know , could even do it . So, I t old him t hat w e shou ld t ry t o have sex. And w e did. W ow , t hat sounded real romant ic. And how w as it ? Her cheeks flushed again. It w asit w as good. Good? Dee appeared beside me, s it t ing on t he couch, hands t w ist ing t oget her. It w as more t han just goo d. A lit t le aw kw ard at first okay, a w hole lot of aw kw ard at first , but t hingsw orked out . I didnt know if I should be happy for her or not . So w hat does all of t his mean? I dont know . T hat s t he problem. I like him, but I dont know i f I like him because Im supposed t o or if it s real. She flopped ont o her back, o ne arm hanging off t he couch. I dont even know w hat love is. Like, I t hought I loved him w hen w e w ere doing it . But now ? I dont know . Damn, Dee, I dont know w hat t o say. Im glad it w asgood. It w as great . She sighed. W ant t o know how gre at it w as? I w ant t o do it again. I laughed. One jade-colored eye opened. But n ow I have all t heseknot s in my t ummy. I cant st op t hinking about him, w onder ing w hat he t hinks. Have you t ried t alking t o him? No. Should I? Uh, yeah, you ju st did it w it h him. Y ou should probably call him. Dee sat up, her eyes w ide. W hat if he doesnt feel t he same? It w as st range seeing Dee like t his, having s uch ahuman react ion. I t hink he probably feels t he same. I dont know . We w ere ju st friends and not hing more. We didnt even w ant t o go t o homecoming t oget he r. She w as on her feet again. But Im not sure if he felt t hat w ay because of me and how Id act ed. Maybe hes alw ays felt more for me.

Call him. T hat w as t he best advice I could give, since I had no experience in a ny of t his. W ait . Did you guys use prot ect ion? Dee rolled her eyes. Im so not r eady for a baby Dee. W e t ot ally used prot ect ion. Relief flooded me. She hung around a lit t le longer t hen left t o go call Adam. I w as st ill shocked t h at Dee had sex. It w as such a big st ep, even for aliens. At least it w as great . But t o have sex just t o find out if you liked someone? W here w as t he rom ance in t hat ? Of course, w ho w as I t o judge? I asked one guy t o go out , I w as pret t y sure, just t o see if anot her not iced. Y eah, I w as t ot ally not t he go-t o person for relat ionship advice. Poor Dee. Mom w oke up and w e ordered pizza before she had t o leave for w ork. W hile w ait ing, w e chilled on t he couch like w e used t o, before Dad died. Mom handed me a cup of st eami ng cocoa. Dont forget I have you all day Sat urday unt ill I go int o w ork, so do nt make any plans. I smiled, w rapping my hands around t he w arm cup. Im all yours. G ood. She t hrew her slipper-covered feet ont o t he coffee t able. I w ant ed t o run somet hing by you. T aking a sip, I raised my brow s. She crossed her ankles and t hen re-crossed t hem t he ot her w ay. W ill w ant s t o do dinner w it h u s on Sat urday, for you birt hday. Oh. A faint smile curved her lips. I t old him I w ant ed t o check w it h you first and make sure you w ere okay w it h it . She paused, crinkling her nose. Y ou are t he birt hday girl and all. Ill only t urn eig ht een once, right ? I grinned. It s okay, Mom, w e can do dinner w it h W ill. Her eyes narrow ed. I t ook anot her drink of cocoa. Should I dress up for t his? Sin ce he is a doct or and all. Oh! Are w e going t o a fancy dinner and w ill w e t alk polit ics and current event s? Shush it . She smiled, t hough, set t ling back . I t hink youll like him. Hes not st uffy or overbearing. Hes really like My heart di d a funny t hing. Like Dad? Mom smiled sadly. Y eah, like Dad. Neit her of us spoke for a few minut es. Mom had met Dad her first year of nursing residency at t he hospit all in Florida. Hed been a pat ient , having fall en off t he deck and bro ken his foot , t rying t o impress some girl. But according t o my dad, t he mom ent hed looked int o Moms eyes, he couldnt even remember t he ot her girls name. T h eyd dat ed for six mont hs, got

engaged, and married w it hin t he year. I came short ly t hereaft er, and t her e hadnt been t w o people more in love t han t hem. Even w hen t heyd argued, love fueled t heir w ords. Id give anyt hing t o have t hat kind of relat ionship. I finished off t he rest of my cocoa and w iggled closer t o Mom. She lift ed her slender arm and I snuggled in, inhaling t he apple-scent ed body lot ion she alw ays w ore during aut umn. Mom had t his habit of changing her perfumes and lot ions w it h t he seasons. Im happy you met him, I said finally. W ill sounds like a really nice guy. He is. She kissed t he t op of my head. I like t o t hink your fat her w ould approve. Dad w ould approve of anyone w ho made Mom happy. Id been t he re t he day hospice had t old us it w ouldnt be much longer. St anding out side t heir bedroom, Id heard him t ell Mom t o love again. T hat w as all he w ant ed. I closed my eyes. T hat kind of love shouldve been able t o beat sickness. T hat kind of love shouldve conquered anyt hing. Chapter 8 I readjust ed t he t hin black st raps for t he t hird t ime and finally gave up . No mat t er how many t imes I t ugged on it , t he neckline of t he dress w as nt coming up any higher. I couldnt believe it fit me. Aw hell, it fit a lit t le t oo w ell, emphasizing t he vast difference bet w een Dees body and mine. My boob s just might come out and say hello t onight . T he dress clung t o my bust and had a cinched empire w aist before it Bill ow ed in soft w aves t o end before m y knees. I kind of looked hot . But I needed t o cover t hose babies up. I w hip ped open t he closet door. I knew I had a red cardigan t hat w ouldnt look t oo b ad w it h t his dress, but I couldnt find it in t he mess. It t ook me a few minu t es t o realize t hat it w as in t he dryer. Holy crud. I moaned and headed dow n st airs in a flurry of black and t apping heels. T hank God Mom had already left for w ork. Shed eit her st roke out or applaud t he dress. Eit her one w ouldve b een embarrassing. I headed dow n t he hall w ay, nervous and nauseous. I could h ear t he car doors out side, t he laught er as I pulled out t he cardigan, shook it , and slipped it on. W hat if I did somet hing st upid? Like lift a T V in f ront of an ent ire house full of classmat es?

Just t hen t here w as a knock on t he door. T aking a deep breat h, I backt rac ked t o t he front door and sw ung it open. Hey. Blake st epped in, holding a half dozen roses in his hands. His eyes drift ed over me. W hoa, you look really grea t . He smiled as he held out t he flow ers. Blushing, I t ook t he roses and inha led t heir clean scent . Giddiness sw ept t hrough me. T hank you, but you didnt h ave t o. I w ant ed t o. Ah, t he key w ord again: w ant . Well, t heyre beaut iful. And you look really nice, t oo. And he did, dressed in a dark V-neck sw eat er w it h a collared shirt on underneat h. I st epped back, holding t he roses close. No one had ever given me flow ers before. Would you like somet hing t o drink be fore w e head over? Blake nodded and follow ed me int o t he kit chen. Opt ions w ere limit ed, so he set t led on one of my moms w ine coolers. He leaned against t he count er, looking around as I found a vase for t he roses. Y ou have books everyw here. It s really cut e. I smiled as I set t he roses on t he count er. My m om hat es it . Shes alw ays t rying t o pick t hem up. And you just put t hem right back, huh? I laughed. Y eah, sounds right . He moved forw ard, w ine cooler in one hand. His gaze dipped and he reached out , picking up t he silver chain. His kn uckles brushed t he sw ell of my chest . Int erest ing necklace. W hat kind of st one is t his? Obsidian, I t old him. A friend gave it t o me. It s really different . e let it drop. It s cool. T hanks. I placed my fingers on it , t rying t o push aw ay t he images of Daemon it brought along w it h it . I searched for somet hing t o say. T hanks for t he flow ers again. T heyre really pret t y. Im glad you like t h em. I w as w orried Id look like a nerd for giving t hem t o you. No. T heyre perfec t . I smiled. Are you ready t o go over? He finished up t he w ine cooler and rinse d it before t ossing it in t he t rash. Mom w ouldve loved him for t hat w ell, no t t he underage-drinking-of-herw ine-cooler part . Sure, he said. But I kind of hav e some bad new s. I can only st ay for half an hour t ops. We have some family c oming in last minut e. Im really sorry.

No, I said, hoping t he disappoint ment w asnt audible. It s okay. W e didnt give you much not ice. Are you sure? I feel like such a t ool. Of course. Y oure not a t ool. Y ou did bring me roses. Blake grinned. W ell, I w ant t o make it up t o you. Can you do dinner w it h me t omorrow night ? I shook my head. I cant t omorrow . Spen ding t he day w it h my mom. How about Monday? he asked. Do your parent s let you ou t on a school night ? It s just my mom, but yes, she does. Good. T heres t his lit t l e Indian rest aurant I saw in t ow n. He inched closer. T here w as a slight scen t of aft ershave t hat reminded me of t he conversat ion Id had w it h Lesa about how boys smelled. Blake smelled good. Y ou game? Sure t hing. I glanced around, bit ing my lip. Y ou ready t o head over now ? Y ep, if you do one t hing. W hich is? W e l, t w o t hings. Anot her st ep closer and his shoes w ere t ouching mine. I had t o t ip my head back t o meet his eyes. T hen w e can go over. I felt a lit t le dizzy, st aring in his eyes. W hat are t he t w o t hings? Youve got t o give me yo ur hand. If t his is a speed dat e, w eve got t o make it believable. He dipped hi s head, st ill holding ont o my gaze. And a kiss. A kiss? I w hispered. His lips spr ead in a crooked smile. I need you t o remember me w hen I leave. In t hat dress, youre going t o have guys all over you. I dont know about t hat . Y ou w ill. So? Is it a deal? My breat h slow ed in my lungs. Curiosit y filled me. Would kissing hi m be like kissing Daemon? Would t he w orld burn or just simmer? I w ant ed t o find out , needed t o discover if I could forget t he boy next door in a simple kiss. Deal, I murmured.

His hand found my cheek, and I closed my eyes. Blake w hispered my name. My mout h opened, but t here w ere no w ords t o be spoken. T here w as just ant icipat ion and t he need t o lose myself. At first , his lips brushed across mine ligh t ly, t est ing my response, and t he gent le nat ure of t he kiss w as disarmin g. I placed my hands on his shoulders, and t hey t ight ened w hen he sw ept his lips over mine again. His kiss deepened, and I felt like I w as sw imming in ra w emot ions. It w as elat ing and yet confusing at t he same t ime. I kissed him back, and his hands dropped t o my w aist , pulling me closer. I w ait ed breat hlessly in bet w een kisses for somet hinganyt hingot her t han t he rest lessnes s st irring inside me. T hen all at once, I felt frust rat ion, anger, and sadne ssw hich w ere not hing I w as searching for. Blake broke cont act , breat hing h eavily. His lips w ere ripe, sw oll en. W ell, I w ill definit ely remember you w hen I leave. I low ered my chin, blinking. Not hing had been w rong w it h t hat kiss, ot her t han it w as lacking somet hing. It had t o be me. St ress. W it h everyt hing happening, I w as t hinking t oo much int o t hings. And kissing h im w as just t oo fast . I felt like one of t hose girls in t he books I read, d elving int o a guy headfirst w it hout even t hinking about it . Pract ical Kat y st ill lived inside me, and she w asnt happy w it h w hat Id done. And it w as m ore t han t hat . A st irring of sour guilt poked at me, t elling me t hat my he art hadnt been in t hat kiss because of someone else. Just one more t hing, he said , and his hand found mine. Ready? Was I? Conflict ion t ore t hrough me. Maybe if Daemon saw me happy w it h Blake, he w ouldnt feel compelled t o pursue our unrea l connect ion. I felt sick. Y es. Im ready. Out side, t here w ere numerous cars li ning t he drivew ay and all t he w ay dow n t o t he empt y house at t he beginn ing of our road. Holy crap, I t hought t his w as supposed t o be a lit t le part y? Dee had really out done herself. Shed dug up numerous paper lant erns and st r ung t hem along t he porch. T hrough t heir w indow s, t hick candles spread t h roughout flickered soft ly. A w arm, pleasant cider-and-spice smell float ed out side and t ickled my nose, reminding me how much I loved t he smell of aut umn. People w ere everyw here inside, packed on t he couch, surrounding t w o guys i n a W i deat h mat ch. Several familiar faces w ere crow ding t he st aircase, l aughing as t hey drank from red plast ic cups. Blake and I couldnt go t w o feet w it hout bumping int o someone. Dee w eaved in and out of t he crow d, playing t he host ess. She looked beaut iful in her delicat e w hit e dress t hat highli ght ed t he darkness of her hair and t he emerald color of her eyes. W hen she s aw our hands joined t oget her, she barely hid her surpriseor disappoint ment . F eeling like I w as doing somet hing w rong, I pulled free and gave her a t ight hug. W ow . T he house looks great .

It does, doesnt it ? Im a nat ural. She looked over my shoulder. Kat y? My cheeks burn d. Hes my Dat e, Blake insert ed, cat ching and squeezing my hand. I have t o bail soo , but I w ant ed t o escort her t o t he part y. Escort her? She glanced at him, t hen back t o me. Okay. W ell, Ill gocheck on some st uff. Y eah. T hen she float ed aw ay, back st iff. I t ried t o not let her disappoint ment get t o me. She cou ldnt seriously w ant me t o be w it h her brot her. One of t hem had already gone dow n t hat pat h w it h a human and look w hat happened. A huge amount of susp icious noises w ere coming from t he dark corners of t he large house, dist ract ing me from my t hought s. I t hen briefly saw Adam, w ho appeared t o be st al king Dee t hrough t he crow d. I made a ment all not e t o ask her how her call w it h him had gone. Want t o get a drink? Blake asked. W hen I nodded, he led me t ow ard t he dining room, w here w e could see several bot t les. T here w as e ven a punch bow ll. Spiked, no doubt . We had part ies like t his back home, Blake said, handing me a red plast ic cup. In beach houses, t hough, and everyone smel led of sea and sunt an lot ion. Y ou sound like you miss it . I do somet imes, but h ey, change isnt t oo bad. It makes life int erest ing. He t ook a sip and coughed. W hat did t hey put in t his? Moonshine? I laughed. God only know s around here. W ild giggles came from t he kit chen. We t urned just in t ime t o see Carissa ru sh from t he room, an annoyed look on her face as she bolt ed t o w here Dee w a s in t he doorw ay. Dee, your friends are crazy. T heyre your friends, t oo, Lesa com ment ed dryly, coming up behind Dee. She saw Blake and me and came t o a st op. T hen she bumped me w it h her hip. Y ay. Carissa folded her arms over her chest . My friends w ould not do t hat w it h w hipped cream. I bust ed int o laught er a t t he horrified look on Dees face and t he curious one t hat crossed Lesas. Blake smiled at me, as if he liked t he sound of my laugh. W hat ? Dee screeched and t ook off t ow ard t he kit chen. I have t o see t his, mut t ered Lesa, follow ing quickly behind t he flurry of w hit e.

I glanced over at Carissa, w hose cheeks w ere as red as my sw eat er. Y oure kidd ing, right ? She shook her head emphat ically. Y ou have no idea w hat Donnie and Becca are doing in t here. Arent t hey t he t w o w ho planned t o get married aft er graduat ion? Y ep. And I can t ell you t hey have not w ait ed for marriage for most t hings. I giggled. Aw esome. Carissa shuddered. Im not t rying t o be a prude, but w ho act s like t hat in public or at a friends house? I mean, come on. It s disgust ing. She t ook a deep breat h, her dark eyes flicking up. Hi, Blake, sorry about t hat . It s okay. W hipped cream should only be used on pies. I had t o look aw ay t o st op from laughing. It w as kind of gross, but I st ill found it ent ert aining. Not sure w hat t hat said about me. And w ho w as I kidding? Last F riday Id been get t ing all hot and heavy in a library. At t he reminder, my st o mach knot t ed again and my gaze dart ed around t he room. We w ere briefly int errupt ed by a group w ho w ant ed t o t alk t o Carissa about her older brot he r, w ho w as aw ay at college. Id forgot t en t hat she had older siblings. Ment all not e number t w o: pull head out of ass. Blake must ve made a lot of friends quickly, because most of t he kids w ere t alking him up. And a lot of girls ke pt st ealing looks at him. T his filled me w it h an obscene amount of glee. I l eaned int o Blakes arm, most ly for show , and t hen I st ayed t here, liking t h e w ay t he bulge of muscles in his upper arms felt against my chest . He didnt s eem t o mind. T he hand on my back bunched int o t he silk of my dress, and he s t opped mid-sent ence t o lean dow n and w hisper, I really w ish I w ere st ayin g, I t urned my head, smiling. Me, t oo. His hand slid across my back, curving arou nd my w aist . I liked t hisw hat ever t his w as. It seemed nat ural t o be clos e t o a guy, t o be flirt ing, having fun. Kissing. It all felt easy. W e st aye d like t hat aft er Carissa drift ed aw ay, and t hen it w as t ime for him t o leave. I w alked him t o t he door, his arm st ill around my w aist . W e st ill on for dinner? he asked. You bet . Im act ually My back w as t o t he st airs, but I st ill knew t he second he came dow n. T he air changed, grew heavier and w arm. T he nape of my neck t ingled. Blake frow ned. Y oure act uallyw hat ?

My heart sped up. ImIm looking forw ard t o it . He st art ed t o smile, and t hen he glanced up. His eyes w idened slight ly, and I knew Daemon w as t here. I didnt w ant t o t urn around, but it seemed unnat ural not t o. And it w as like being st ruck by light ning. I hat ed his effect on me, but at t he same t ime it t h rilled me. Not hing w as easy about it . Daemon w as dressed casually compared t o t he rest of us but st ill looked bet t er t han any guy in t he room. He had on a pair of old, dist ressed blue jeans and a shirt t hat bore some longforgot t en band name. He absent ly t ucked a st rand of dark hair behind his left ear and flashed a w olfish grin at somet hing someone said. T hose magnet ic eyes s himmered under t he dim light of t he candles. T his w as t he first t ime Id rea lly seen Daemon around anyone ot her t han his family or a friend or t w o out s ide of school. Daemon had t his effect on ot hers, no mat t er t heir gender. It w as obvious t hat people w ant ed t o be around him, but at t he same t ime, i t seemed like t hey w ere afraid t o come t oo close. T hey w ere draw n t o him , like I w as, w het her t hey liked it or not . People approached but st opped just a few feet from him. But t he w hole t ime, he had his eyes fixed on me. In t hat second, I complet ely forgot t he boy w it h his hand on my w aist . Daem on st opped in front of us. Hey t here Blakes hand pressed int o me as he leaned aro und. I dont t hink w e got t he chance t o int roduce ourselves t he ot her night at t he diner. My name is Blake Saunders. He offered his free hand. Daemon glance d at Blakes hand before ret urning his gaze t o me. I know w ho you are. Oh, geez. I t w ist ed t ow ard Blake. T his is Daemon Black. His smile falt ered. Y eah, I k now w ho he is, t oo. Laughing under his breat h, Daemon st raight ened. At his f ull height , he w as a good head t aller t han Blake. It s alw ays nice t o meet a not her fan. Y eah, Blake had no idea w hat t o say t o t hat . He shook his head slight ly and faced me. W ell, I need t o get going. I smiled. All right . T hanks foreveryt hing. He smiled a lit t le as he leaned in, w rapping his arms loosely around me. Acut ely aw are of Daemons int ense st are, I placed my hands on Blakes back and leaned up, pressing my lips against his smoot h cheek. Daemon cleared his t hroat . Blake laughed soft ly in my ear. Ill call you. Behave.

Alw ays, I said, let t ing go. W it h one last grin t ossed in Daemons direct ion, Blake saunt ered out t he door. Had t o give it t o t he boy, he held his ow nsor t ofagainst Daemon. I faced him, scow ling as I st art ed fiddling w it h t he ob sidian around my neck. Y ou know , you couldnt have been much more of a jerk if yo u t ried. He arched a brow . T hought I t old you not t o hang out w it h him? T hou ght I explained t hat just because you say I cant doesnt mean I w ont . Y ou did? His gaze follow ed t he obsidian, and t hen he low ered his head. Y ou look really ni ce t onight , Kit t en. My st omach hollow ed. Must ignoremust ignore. I t hink Dee has her hands full, but she did a great job decorat ing t he house. Dont let her f ool you int o believing she did all of t his herself. She recruit ed me from t h e moment I got home. Oh. Surprise shot t hrough me. I couldnt pict ure Daemon st rin ging paper lant erns w it hout light ing t hem on fire and t hen t hrow ing t he m. You bot h did a great job. Daemons gaze dipped again, and I shivered under his i nt ense scrut iny. W hy, oh w hy, did Blake need t o bail early, leaving me behi nd w it h Daemon? W here did you get t his dress? he asked. Y our sist er, I t old h im blandly. He frow ned, looking half disgust ed. I dont even know w hat t o say a bout t hat . Say about w hat , babe? Daemon st iffened. Tearing my gaze from him, m y eyes locked w it h Ashs. Holding my st are, she smiled sw eet ly and w rapped a t hin arm around his narrow w aist . She leaned int o him, as if she w ere all t oo familiar w it h t he lines of his body. And she w as. T heyd been dat ing on and off for a w hile. Oh, t his w as fabulous. Hed just given Blake t he st ink eye and now Ash w as leeched t o his side. And God, I didnt like t hat at all. Ir ony w as such a bit ch. T hat s a cut e dress. It s Dees, right ? Ash asked. I t hink she got it w hen w e w ent shopping t oget her, but it usually looks looser on h er. Oh, t hat felt like a jell yfish st ing. An unreasonable emot ion crept up my spine t he longer she st ood t here, in her skint ight sw eat er dress t hat en ded an inch below her but t . I t hink you forgot some jeans or t he bot t om par t of your dress. Ash smirked, but t hen t urned her at t ent ion back t o Daemon. Babe, you rushed

off so fast . I had t o search t he ent ire upst airs for you. W hy dont w e go b ack t o your room and finish w hat w e st art ed? T he punched-in-t he-gut feelin g nearly doubled me over. I had no idea w here it w as coming from or w hy I fel t t hat w ay. It w asnt reasonable. I didnt like DaemonI didnt . He could make out w it h t he Pope for all I cared, and Id just kissed Blake. But t hat hot feeling w as t here, st ealing t hrough my veins. Daemon st epped out of Ashs embrace w h ile scrat ching a spot above his heart . He caught my eyes, and I raised my brow s expect ant ly. He w ant ed t o be w it h me? Y eah, seemed like it in bet w ee n w hat ever he w as doing w it h Ash. I t urned aw ay before I said somet hing t hat w ould embarrass me lat er. Dees high-pit ched giggle follow ed my st eps. Daemon spoke, but it w as lost in t he crow d of people. Needing air and dist an ce, I st epped out ont o t he crow ded front porch. I couldnt figure out w hat w as going on. T here w as no w ay I w as jealous. T hat so w asnt w hat I w as fee ling. And I had a dat e coming up w it h a hot , normal human boy. T here w as n o w ay I cared t hat Daemon and Ash w ere doing w hat ever. T hen it st ruck me as I headed dow n t he st eps. Oh my God, I did care. I caredI cared t hat hed bee n upst airs w it h Ash doing t hings t hat I couldnt even w rap my brain around w it hout w ant ing t o do physical damage. My head spun. Images of Ash kissing hi m sucked t he air out of my lungs. W hat w as w rong w it h me? Dazed, I st art ed w alking. At some point , I kicked off my heels and t ossed t hem aside. I ke pt w alking, my feet bare against t he cold grass and gravel. I didnt st op unt i ll I st ood beside t he empt y house at t he end of t he road. Taking several gu lps of fresh, clean air, I t ried t o get cont roll of my overexposed emot ions. Part of me knew w hat I w as feeling w as ridiculous, but it st ill seemed like t he w orld had st opped spinning. I felt like I w ant ed t o explode and every t hing w as hot and cold at t he same t ime. My breat h shuddered in my chest . I squeezed my eyes shut and sw ore. W hat I w as feeling w asnt right . T he last t ime Id been t his jealous w as w hen all t he bloggers w ent t o a book confer ence last year and Mom w ouldnt let me go. Hell, t his w as w orse. I w ant ed t o scream. I w ant ed t o run back in t here and pull out every st rand of Ashs ha ir. Jealousy I had no right t o coursed t hrough my veins, blinding any rat iona l t hought t rying t o t ell me I w as being st upid. But my blood w as boiling. My palms w ere sw eat y and t hey felt foreign and cold. My ent ire body w as s haking. I st ood t here, lost in my sw irling emot ions and messed-up t hought s unt ill I heard t he sound of feet crunching over grass. T he figure moved out of t he dark shadow s and a st ret ch of moonlight bounced off a gold and blue w at ch.

Simon. My st omach sunk all t he w ay t o my t oes. W hat in t he hell w as he d oing here? Had Dee invit ed him? I hadnt t old her w hat had happened bet w een u s, but t here w as no doubt she had heard t he rumors. Kat y, is t hat you? He st aggered t o t he side and leaned against t he house. Fully visible, he had a sw oll en-shut eye t hat w as an ugly shade of violet . Bruises marred his jaw . A lip w as split . I gaped. W hat happened t o your face? Simon lift ed a flask t o his mout h. Y our boyfriend happened t o my face. W ho? He t ook a drink, w incing. D aemon Black. Hes not my boyfriend. W hat ever. Simon inched closer. I came here t o t lkt o you. Y ouve got t o call him off. My eyes w idened. W hen Daemon said hed t ak e care of t he problem, he hadnt been screw ing around. Part of me felt bad for t he dude, but it w as overshadow ed by t he fact he and his friends had half t h e school calling me a skank. Youve got t o t ell him I didnt mean anyt hing t hat n ight . Imsorry. He lurched forw ard, dropping t he flask. Jesus. Daemon must ve put t he fear of God in him. Y ouve got t o t ell him I set everyone st raight . I st e pped back as t he w ave of alcohol and desperat ion crashed int o me. Simon, I t hink you should sit dow n or somet hing, because Youve got t o t ell him. He grabbed my arm w it h damp, beefy fingers. People are st art ing t o t alk. I cant have t h at kind of shit being said about me. T ell him or else. T he hairs on t he back o f my neck rose. Fury t ore t hrough me like a speeding bullet . I w ouldnt be pus hed around or t hreat ened. Not by Simon or anyone. Or else w hat ? My dads a law ye r. His hand t ight ened as he sw ayed. Hell A couple of t hings happened next . He p it ched t ow ard me, t oo close, and my heart sped up. A horrible cracking sound deafened my ears. Four of t he five w indow s w e st ood next t o t rembled and t hen cracked. A large, jagged fract ure st reaked dow n t he middle of each w indow , and t hen small ones spread out

unt ill t he ent ire w indow s shuddered under t he unseen force and exploded, s ending shards of glass raining dow n on us.

Chapter 9 Simon yelped as he lurched from t he falling glass. W hat t he hell? St ruck by ab solut e horror, I st ood mot ionless. Simon shook his arms and more glass fell a w ay from his clot hes. Lit t le pieces slid t hrough my hair, some falling out and ot hers get t ing st uck in t he t angled w aves. My arm felt like someone p inched me, and I knew Dees dress w as t orn. T he ot her w indow shuddered. I did nt know how t o cont roll it . T he pane cont inued t o t remble violent ly. T he re w as anot her loud crack. Backing up, Simon glanced from t he w indow s and t hen t o me. His glassy eyes w ere w ide. Y ou I couldnt cat ch my breat h. T here w as a faint reddish-w hit e glow creeping int o my vision. T he remaining w indo w on t he second floor vibrat ed. Face pale, he st umbled over his ow n feet , f alling t o t he ground. Y oureyoure glow ing. Y ouyou freak! I w as glow ing? No! It ot me. I dont know w hat s happening, but it s not me! He scrambled t o his feet , a nd I t ook a st ep t ow ard him. He t hrew up his hand and w obbled. St ay aw ay from me! Just st ay aw ay from me. Unable t o do anyt hing, I w at ched him st ag ger around t he house. A car door opened and an engine roared t o life. A dist a nt part of my brain t old me I needed t o st op him, because he w as obviously t oo drunk t o drive. But t hen t he t op w indow exploded. Cringing, I shielded my face as glass rained dow n, pinging off t he ground and me. My breat h saw ed in and out of my chest unt ill t he very last piece of glass landed. I st ood t here, mort ified and fright ened by w hat Id done. Not only did I expose my frea k-o abilit ies again, Id almost t urned Simon int o a pincushion. Man, I w as so screw ed. Minut es passed before I st raight ened and picked my w ay around t he shat t ered glass, making my w ay int o t he heavy t ree line. A fine sheen of cold sw eat dot t ed my forehead and residual fear kept hit t ing me low in t he st omach. W hat had I done? W hen my house came int o sight , I felt t he famil iar t ingle along my neck. Branches and leaves crunched, and I t urned. Daemons s t eps slow ed as he spot t ed me. He pushed a low -hanging branch aside as he ne ared. W hat are you doing out here, Kat ? Several moment s passed before I could s peak. I just blew up a bunch of w indow s. W hat ? Daemon moved closer, eyes w ideni ng. Y oure bleeding. W hat happened? He paused. W here are your shoes? I glanced dow n at my feet . I t ook t hem off.

In t he blink of an eye, Daemon w as beside me, knocking off t iny pieces of gla ss. Kat , w hat happened? Lift ing my head, I sucked in a sharp breat h. Full-blow n panic squeezed my chest . I w as w alking and I ran int o Simon Did he do t his t o you? His voice w as so low it sent shivers t hrough me. No. No! I ran int o him , and he w as upset about you. I paused, my eyes searching his. He said you beat h im up? Y eah, I did. No apology in his voice. Daemon, you cant beat up guys because t hey t alk badly about me. Act ually, I can. His hand clenched at his side. He deser ved it . Im not going t o lie. I did it because of w hat he w as saying. It w as bullshit . I had no idea w hat t o say. Ha. Me. Speechless. He know s w hat he didw hat he t ried t o doand t o spin t hat around on you? Daemon eyes flit t ed t o t he shadow s seeping among t he t rees. Im not going t o let some punk-ass human t alk about you like t hat , especially him or his friends. Wow , I murmured, blinkin g rapidly. Somet imes I forgot how prot ect ive Daemon could beor how dow nright scary. I dont t hink Im supposed t o say t hank you, because t hat seems w rong, bu t , um, t hanks. Anyw ay, t hat s not import ant . W hat happened? Taking several de ep breat hs, I let t he w ords come out in a rush. W hen I w as done, Daemon w r apped an arm around me, t ugging me against his chest . I didnt resist him, press ing my face int o him and clut ching his sides, feeling safer in his embrace t h an I did any place else. And I couldnt blame t he connect ion for t hat . Even be fore it w as formed, his arms had alw ays been a sanct uary of sort s. I know you didnt do it on purpose, Kit t en. His hand pressed a soot hing circle against my back. Simon w as drunk, so t heres a good chance he w ont even remember. And if he does, no one w ill believe him. Hope sparked. Y ou t hink? Yes. People w ill t hink hes crazy. Daemon pulled back, low ering his head so w e w ere eye level. No one w ill believe him, okay? And if he st art s t o t alk, Ill Y oull do not hing. I shimmi ed free, draw ing a deep breat h. I t hink youve already scarred t he boy for life .

Obviously not , he mut t ered. W hat w ere you t hinking back t here? Y ou w ere up set . W hy? Heat infused my cheeks, and I st art ed w alking t ow ard my house. D aemon let out a long, suffering sigh. He w as right beside me. Kat , t alk t o me . I can make it back home w it hout your help, t hank you very much. He held a bran ch out of t he w ay so I could pass under it . I w ould hope so. It is right t he re. Shouldnt you be making out w it h Ash right now anyw ay? He st ared at me like Id grow n t w o heads. I recognized my mist ake immediat ely. T hat s w hat all of t his is about ? No. It had not hing t o do w it h youor her. Y oure jealous. He sounde smug. Im so going t o w in t his bet . I st omped forw ard. Me? Jealous? Y ouve lost your mind. I w asnt t he one t rying t o scare off Blake. He grabbed my arm, st o pping me just as my porch came int o sight . W ho cares about Ben? Blake, I correct ed. W hat ever. I t hought you didnt like me? My hand curled in t he air. T here w as no breaking his hold. Y oure right . I dont like you. Anger flared in his eyes. Y oure lyingblushing cheeks and all. T he w orst case of verbal diarrhea happened. You w ere kissing me a few days ago and now you w ere having fun w it h Ash? Is t h is w hat you normally do? Jump from one girl t o t he next ? No. He dropped my arm. T hat s not w hat I do. I dont . Yeah, I hat e t o break it t o you, but you are doi ng it . And so had I. W hat w as I doing? I couldnt be mad at him w hen I had done t he same t hing, but I w as. It w as ridiculous. God, I am being such a w hiny girl. Just forget I said anyt hing. You can do w hat ever you w ant and I dont ha ve any right Daemon cursed, dropping my arm. Okay. You have no idea w hat w as goi ng on bet w een Ash and me. We w ere only t alking. She w as messing w it h you, Kat .

W hat ever. I w hirled around, w alking again. Im not jealous. I dont care if you and Ash make alien babies t oget her. I dont care. And honest ly, if it w erent for t his st upid connect ion, you w ouldnt even enjoy kissing me. Y ou probably alrea dy dont . Daemon w as suddenly in front of me. I t ook an involunt ary st ep back. Do you t hink I didnt enjoy kissing you? T hat I havent t hought about it every se cond since t hen? And I know you have. Just admit it . In t he pit of my st omach , t ight coils t hrummed. W hat is t he point of t his? Have you? Oh, for craps sake, yes, I have. I do! Do you w ant me t o w rit e it dow n for you? Send you an e-m ail or a t ext ? W ill t hat make you feel bet t er? Daemon arched a brow . Y ou d ont need t o be sarcast ic. And you dont need t o be here. Ash is w ait ing for you. He cocked his head t o t he side in exasperat ion. Do you really t hink Im going t o go t o her? Uh, yeah, I do. Kat . He shook his head, his voice a soft denial. It do esnt mat t er. I t ook a deep breat h. Can w e just forget t his? Please? Daemon smo ot hed a finger over his brow . I cant forget t his and neit her can you. Frust rat ed, I t urned on my heel and st alked t ow ard my house. I half expect ed him t o st op me, but aft er a few successful st eps aw ay I realized he w asnt going t o. I had t o fight t urning around t o see if he st ill st ood t here. Id made enough of a fool of myself t onight . Kicked a hissy fit over Ash and Daemon, st ormed out of t he part y, and nearly decapit at ed Simon. All of t his before m idnight . Aw esome. Chapter 10 Turning eight een w asnt as excit ing as Id t hought it w ould be w hen I w as a k id, but some pret t y cool st uff happened. I made it most of t he day not w orr ying over w hat had happened last night . Blake called t o chat , and I received a shiny new lapt op already set up w it h everyt hing inst alled.

Before I did anyt hing else, I logged int o my blog and w rot e a quick Im Back! po st . A huge chunk of my life t hat had been missing ret urned. Mom had t o pull me aw ay from t he lapt op pret t y quickly, t hough. I spent t he rest of t he day t raveling a great dist ance w it h Mom t o meet W ill at t he nearest Olive Garden. W ill w as t he t ouchy, feely sort . I w asnt sure how t o feel. Not on ce did he t ake his hand off my mot hers during dinner. It w as cut e, and he w a s charming and handsome, but it w as just w eird t o see her w it h anot her dud e. Weirder t han Id t hought it w ould be. But he did give me a gift card t o t h e local bookst ore. Bonus point s t here. T he cust omary ice-cream cake w as di fferent t his year. W ill joined us at home for it . Here, he said, t aking t he k nife from Mom. If you run it under hot w at er, it s easier t o use. Mom beamed up at him like hed just discovered t he cure for cancer. T hey chat t ed w hile I sa t at t he t able, t rying not t o roll my eyes. W ill placed a slice in front of me. T hank you, I said. He smiled. No problem. Im just glad youre complet ely recove red from t he flu. No one w ant s t o be sick on t heir birt hday. I second t hat , Mom said. She didnt t ake her eyes off him unt ill it w as near t he t ime for h er t o get ready for her shift in W inchest er. W ill remained in t he kit chen w it h me, finishing off t he last of his cake w hile t he silence bet w een us grew t o an aw kw ard level of epic proport ions. Have you been enjoying your bir t hday so far? he asked, dangling t he fork from his long fingers. I sw allow ed t he last of t he crunchy part , w hich w as t he only sect ion of t he ice-crea m cake Id eat . Y eah, it s been really nice. W ill picked up his glass, t ipping it t ow ard me. Well, let s t oast t o many more in t he fut ure, he said. I picked u p mine, clanging it off his. He smiled, crinkling t he skin around his eyes. I pl an on being here t o share t hem w it h you and your mot her. Unsure of how t o f eel about him being here a year from now , I set my glass dow n and bit my lip. Part of me w ant ed t o be happy for Mom, but t he ot her part felt like I w as bet raying Dad. W ill cleared his t hroat , inclining his head t o t he side as he w at ched me. Amusement flickered in his eyes t hat w ere so pale, t hey w er e almost gray like mine. I know you probably dont like t he sound of t hat . Kell ie t old me how close you w ere t o your fat her. I can underst and your reluct ance t o having me around. Im not reluct ant t o t he idea, I said honest ly. It s jus t different .

Different isnt bad. Neit her is change. He t ook a drink, glancing t ow ard t he do or. Your mom is a great w oman. I t hought t hat from t he moment she came t o w ork at t he hospit al, but it w as t he night you w ere at t acked t hat t hings w ent from a professional w orking relat ionship t o somet hing more. Im glad I could be t here for her. He paused, his smile spreading. St range how somet hing g ood can come from somet hing horrible. My brow s furrow ed. Y eaht hat is st range. His smile t ipped higher, almost condescending. Mom ret urned, ending his t ot a lly w eird at t empt at bonding w it h meor marking his t errit ory. He st ayed r ight up t o t he moment she left for w ork, sucking up her t ime. I w ent t o t he w indow , seeing t hem kiss before t hey got int o separat e cars. Gross. W i t h t he sun set t ing out side, I w rot e a quick review for Monday and t hen a longer one for Tuesday. T he longer one w as because I couldnt st op gushing. I t hink I had a new book boyfriend and his name w as T od. Y umt ast ic. I set t led on one of t hose usually annoying st at ions on t he T V t hat played only m usic on a blank screen. St opping on a channel t hat offered hit s from t he eig ht ies, I t urned it up loud enough I couldnt hear my ow n t hought s. T here w a s laundry t hat needed t o be done and a kit chen t hat could use a good scrubbi ng. It w as t oo lat e t o get t he dead plant s out of t he flow er bed. Garden ing w as somet hing t hat alw ays helped clear my t hought s, but aut umn and w int er sucked for it . I changed int o a pair of comfy sleep short s, lit t le r eindeer-covered socks t hat reached my knees, and a long-sleeve t hermal. I look ed like a hot mess. Running t hrough t he house, I gat hered all t he clot hes, sliding at t imes on t he hardw ood floors. I dumped a load int o t he w asher a nd st art ed singing along t o one of t he songs. In t ouch w it h t he ground. Im on t he hunt . Im aft er you. I scoot ed out of t he laundry room and skipped dow n t he hall w ay, arms flaying around my head like one of t he hot pink puppet s from t he movie Labyrinth. A scent and a sound, Im lost and Im found. And Im hungr y like the w olf. Something on a line, its discord and rhymew hatever, w hatever, la la laMouth is alive, all running inside, and Im hungry like the W armth spread do w n my neck. It s act ually, I how ll and I w hine. Im aft er you, and not blah or w hat ever. St art led by t he deep voice, I shrieked and w hipped around. My foot slipped on a sect ion of w ell-cleaned w ood and my but t smacked on t he floor. Holy crap, I gasped, clut ching my chest . I t hink Im having a heart at t ack. And I t hink you broke your but t . Laught er filled Daemons voice.

I remained spraw led across t he narrow hall w ay, t rying t o cat ch my breat h . W hat t he hell? Do you just w alk int o peoples houses? And list en t o girls abs olut ely dest roy a song in a mat t er of seconds? Well, yes, I make a habit out of it . Act ually, I knocked several t imes, but I heard yoursinging, and your d oor w as unlocked. He shrugged. So I just let myself in. I can see t hat . I st ood, w incing. Oh, man, maybe I did break my but t . I hope not . Im kind of part iall t o your but t . He flashed a smile. Y our face is pret t y red. Y ou sure you didnt smack t hat on t he w ay dow n? I groaned. I hat e you. Nah, I dont t hink you do. His gaze w ent over me, dow n t o my t oes. His brow s inched up. Nice socks. I rubbe d my backside. Do you need somet hing? He leaned against t he w all, shoving his h ands int o his jeans. No, I dont need somet hing. T hen w hy did you break int o my house? He shrugged again. I didnt break in. T he door w as unlocked and I heard t h e music. I guessed you w ere t he only one here. W hy are you doing laundry and singing eight ies songs on your birt hday? Now surprise smacked me upside t he he ad. How how do you know it s my birt hday? I dont even t hink I t old Dee. Daemon loo ked ent irely t oo smug for his ow n goodor mine. T he night you w ere at t acked at t he library and I w ent t o t he hospit all w it h you? W hen you w ere givi ng t hem your personal informat ion, I overheard you. Really, I said, st aring at h im. And you remembered? Y ep. Anyw ay, w hy are you doing chores on your birt hday? I couldnt believe hed remembered. Im obviously t hat lame. T hat is pret t y lame. Oh, list en! His glit t ering eyes slid in t he direct ion of t he living room. It s Ey e of t he T iger. Do you w ant t o sing along t o t hat ? Maybe jog up t he st ai rs and pump your fist s in t he air? Daemon. I shuffled past him carefully, w ent i nt o t he living room, and picked up t he remot e, t urning t he song dow n. Seri ously, w hat do you w ant ? He w as direct ly behind me, forcing me t o t ake an uneasy st ep back. Being t hat close t o him did funny, bad t hings t o me.

I came over t o apologize. W hat ? I w as shocked, aw ed, and shocked some more. Y our e going t o apologize again? I dont even know w hat t o say. W ow . Daemon frow ne d. I know it seems like a huge surprise t o you t hat I do have feelings and t he refore do feel bad at t imes for t hings t hat I may havecaused. Hold up. I have t o record t his. Let me grab my phone. I t urned, scanning t he t ables for t he b asically unusable shiny object t hat never got clear recept ion out here. Kat , y oure not helping. Im being serious. T his ishard for me. I rolled my eyes. Of course apologizing w ould only be hard for him. Okay. Im sorry. Want t o sit ? I have ca ke. Cake should sw eet en your disposit ion a lit t le. Not hing can soft en me. Im as cold as ice. Hardy-har-har. It s made of ice cream and has t he yummy crunchy m iddle part ? Okay, t hat may w ork. T he crunchy middle part is my favorit e. I fou ght t he grin t hat t ugged at my lips. Okay, t hen come on. We w ent t o t he kit chen in aw kw ard silence. I grabbed a hair t ie off t he count er and t ugged my hair back. How big of a piece do you w ant ? I pulled t he cake out of t he fre ezer. How big of a piece are you w illing t o part w it h? As big as you w ant . I g rabbed a knife out of t he draw er and sized up w hat I t hought w ould be a sui t able piece for him. Bigger. He hovered over my shoulder. I moved t he knife t o t he side. Even bigger. I rolled my eyes and moved it a couple of inches. Perfect . T he knife refused t o cooperat e w hen I t ried t o cut off half of t he cake. It got an inch dow n and w ouldnt go any fart her. I hat e cut t ing t hese freaki ng t hings.

Let me t ry. He reached around and our hands brushed as he t ook t he knife from m e. Elect ricit y danced over my skin. You need t o run it under hot w at er. T he n it cut s right t hrough it . St epping aside, I let him t ake over. He did t he same t hing W ill had done earlier, and t he knife w ent t hrough t he cake. T he but t on-dow n shirt he w ore pulled across his shoulders as he leaned over a nd ran t he knife under hot w at er again before cut t ing a smaller piece. See? Perfect , he comment ed. Chew ing on my lip, I grabbed t w o clean plat es and pl aced t hem on t he count er. Do you w ant somet hing t o drink? Milk is alw ays goo d if youve got some? Get t ing t he milk, I poured t w o t all glasses. I grabbed t he silverw are and mot ioned t ow ard t he living room. Y ou dont w ant t o eat in here? No. I dont like eat ing at t he dinner t able. It seems so formal. Daemon s hrugged and follow ed me int o t he living room. I sat dow n on t he couch, and he t ook a seat on t he ot her end. I poked t he cake, not really hungry at all. My st omach w as full of knot s. He cleared his t hroat . Nice roses. Brad? Blake. I hadnt t hought a second about Blake since Daemon show ed up in my hall w ay. Y e ah, t heyre nice, arent t hey? W hat ever, he grumbled. So w hy are you spending t oni ght by yourself? It s your birt hday. I scow led at his blat ant reminder. My mom h ad t o w ork, and I just didnt feel like doing anyt hing. I poked at t he cake som e more. It s not as bad as it sounds. Ive spent many of t hem by myself. I guess you probably w ould have preferred I hadnt st opped by t hen, huh? Looking up, I w at ched as he st abbed his cake w it h his fork unt ill he part ed t he ice cream a w ay from t he cookie middle. He t ook a bit e of t he crunchy part . I really di d come t o apologize for last night . I sat t he plat e aside and pulled my legs up underneat h me. Daemon W ait . He held up his fork. Okay? Sit t ing back, I nodded.

He glanced dow n at his plat e, his jaw clenching. Not hing happened bet w een As h and me last night . She w as just messing w it h you. And I know t hat s hard t o believe, but Im sorry if it hurt you. Daemon drew in a deep breat h. Cont rary t o w hat you t hink about me, I dont jump from girl t o girl. I do like you, so I w ouldnt mess around w it h Ash. And I havent . Ash and I havent done anyt hing for mont hs, before you even came around. T here w as a peculiar flut t ering in my c hest . Never in my life had I had such a hard t ime figuring myself out as I did w hen it came t o Daemon. I underst ood books. I did not underst and boysespecia lly alien boys. T hings are complicat ed bet w een Ash and me. Weve know n each ot her since w e came here. Everyone expect s us t o be t oget her. Especially t h e elders, since w ere coming of age. T ime t o st art making babies. He shuddered. I t w as official. I liked t he sound of t hat even less t he second t ime around. Even Ash expect s us t o be t oget her, Daemon w ent on, st abbing his cake. And a ll of t his? I know it s hurt ing her. I never w ant ed t o do t hat . He paused, st ruggling for t he right t hing t o say. I never w ant ed t o hurt you, eit her . And Ive done bot h of t hose t hings. T w o bright red spot s blossomed across h is cheeks. I ran my hand over my leg and looked aw ay. I didnt w ant him t o know t hat I saw him blush. I cant be w it h her t he w ay she w ant st he w ay she des erves. He st opped, exhaling. Anyw ay, I w ant ed t o apologize for last night . So do I. I bit my lip. I shouldnt have snapped at you like I did. I guess t he w hole w indow t hing freaked me out . W hat you did last night w it h t he w indow s. We ll, t hat w as one hell of a display of pow er t hat you have no cont roll of. He glanced at me, lashes low ered. Ive been t hinking about it . And I keep t hinkin g of Daw son and Bet hany. T hat evening t hey ret urned from hiking, and he w a s covered in blood. I t hink she may have got t en hurt . And he healed her? Yep. I dont know more. T heyt hey died a couple of days lat er. I guess it s like t w o ph ot ons split t ing, separat e but t he same. T hat explains how w e can sense ea ch ot her. He shrugged. I dont know . It s a t heory. Do you t hink w hat ever is happ ening w it h me w ill st op? He scooped up t he last of his cake and t hen placed his plat e on t he coffee t able. We may get lucky. W hat youre doing might fade over t ime, but you need t o be careful. No pressure, but it s a t hreat t o all of us. Im not t rying t o becruel. It s t he t rut h. No, I underst and. I could expo se you all. Ive almost done it several t imes.

He leaned back against t he couch in a lazy, arrogant spraw ll t hat made my t o es curl. Im checking around t o see if anyone has heard of t his happening. I have t o be careful, t hough. T oo many quest ions w ill give w ay t o suspicion. I f ingered t he necklace as Daemon t urned t o t he t elevision and smiled. An eigh t ies hair band played, screeching about a love lost and found, t o only be lost again. Aft er seeing your dance skills earlier, you w ould have blended right in w it h t he eight ies, he said. I rolled my eyes. Can w e not ment ion t hat agai n? He grinned as he t urned t o me, a sly look on his face. Y ou w ere t his close t o having W alk Like an Egypt ian dow n. Y oure a douche. Daemon laughed. Did you kn w I had a purple Mohaw k? W hat ? I laughed, not even able t o imagine t hat , espe cially around t hese part s. W hen? Yep, purple and black. It w as before w e moved here. We w ere living in New York. I guess I w ent t hrough t his phase. Pierce d nose and all, he said, grinning. I bust ed out laughing, and he shoved a t hrow pillow at me. I picked it up and placed it in my lap. Y ou w ere a skat er boy, huh? Somet hing like t hat . Mat t hew w as w it h us. He became our guardian of s ort s. He had no idea w hat t o do w it h me. But Mat t hew hes not t hat much older . Hes older t han he looks. Hes around t hirt y-eight . W ow . Hes aging w ell. Daemo odded. He arrived at t he same t ime w e did, in t he same area. I guess he t hou ght he w as responsible for us, being t he oldest out of everyone. W here did you guys? How in t he w orld w ould I say t his? Coming up empt y, I w inced. W here di d you all land? Reaching over, he picked a piece of lint off my t hermal. W e land ed near Skaros. Skaros? I scrunched up my face. Uh, is t hat even on Eart h?

Yes. He smiled slight ly. It s act ually a small island near Greece. It s know n for t his rocky region w here a cast le once st ood. Id like t o go back one day. It s kind of like our birt hplace, I guess. How many of you landed t here? A couple doze n, or at least t hat s w hat Mat t hew has t old us. I dont remember anyt hing fro m t he beginning. His lips pursed. W e st ayed in Greece unt ill w e w ere around five, and t hen w e came t o America. T here w ere t w ent y or so of us, and as soon as w e arrived, t he DOD w as t here. I couldnt imagine w hat t hat must ve b een like for him and t he ot hers. To be so young, t o be from a different w orl d, and t hen t o be t hrust right int o t he hands of a foreign government had t o be scary. How did all of t hat go? He glanced at me. Not very good, Kit t en. We didnt know t hat humans w ere aw are of us. All w e did know w as t here w ere A rum around, but t he DOD came as a huge surprise t o us. Apparent ly t hey knew about us from t he moment w e got here. T hey rounded up hundreds w ho had arriv ed in America. I t w ist ed t ow ard him, clut ching t he pillow t o my chest . W hat did t hey do w it h you guys? T hey kept us in a facilit y out in New Mexico. No shit . My eyes w ent w ide. Is Area 51 t he real deal? He eyed me, amusement creep ing int o his eyes. Wow . I let t hat one sink in. All t hose crazies t rying t o get int o t he compound had good reason. I t hought t he w hole Area 51 t hing ha d been around a w hile. My family and friends arrived fift een years ago, but t ha t doesnt mean t he Luxen didnt come before t hat . He laughed at my expression. Anyw ay, t hey kept us t here for t he first five years. T heyt he DODhad been assimil at ing t he Luxen for years. We learned a lot about humans during t hat t ime, a nd w hen w e w eredeemed ready t o fully assimilat e, t hey let us go. Usually w it h an older Luxen w ho could t ake care of us. Since Mat t hew had a relat ion ship w it h us, w e w ere placed w it h him. I did a quick calculat ion in my hea d. But you guys w ouldve been only t en years old. Did you live w it h Mat t hew u nt ill recent ly? Believe it or not , w e mat ure different ly t han humans. At t en I couldve gone t o college. We develop a lot fast er, our brains and w hat not . Im act ually smart er t han I act . Anot her fleet ing grin graced his face. Mat t hew lived w it h us unt ill w e moved here. At fift een, w e w ere pret t y m uch adult s. T he DOD set us up w it h a house and money.

W ell, t hat probably explained part of our nat ional debt . But w hat about peop le asking quest ionslooking for your parent s? Daemon glanced at me sidelong. T her es alw ays an older Luxen w e can pass off for our parent , or w e can morph int o an older version. T he morphing t hing w e t ry t o avoid because of t he t ra ce. Shaking my head, I set t led back against t he couch. Running t heir ow n liv es since t hey w ere fift een, w it h just Mat t hew checking in on t hem. I sho uldnt be so shocked. My ow n life w as sort of t hat w ay, w it h my mom w orking so much since Dad died. Daemon w as w at ching me in his int ense w ay w hen I looked at him. Do you w ant me t o leave? T here w as t he openingmy chance t o t e ll him t o go. No. You dont have t o. I mean, Im not doing anyt hing and if you hav e not hing t o do, you can st ay or w hat ever Or I needed t o just shut up. His e yes held mine a moment , and a sw elling developed in my chest , t hreat ening t o consume me w hole. His gaze moved t o my shiny red lapt op sit t ing on t he coffee t able. I see someone got somet hing for her birt hday. I grinned. Y eah, Mo m got it for me. Ive been w it hout sincew ell, since t hen. He scrat ched his chee k. Y eah, I didnt apologize for t hat , did I? No. I sighed. Back t o aw kw ard conve rsat ion. And not only t hat , I w as remembering just how Id lost my last lapt o p. Daemon cleared his t hroat . T hat s never happened before, t he w hole blow in g-st uff-up part . My cheeks heat ed as I st ared at my lapt op. Same here. His gaz e focused on t he T V again. It happened w it h Daw son, in a w ay. It w as how B et hany found out . T here w as a pause and I held my breat h. He rarely t alked about his brot her. He w as making out w it h her and lost cont rol. T urned full Luxen w hile kissing her. Y ikes. T hat had t o be Aw kw ard? Y eah, aw kw ard. Sile fell bet w een us, and I couldnt help but w onder if w e w ere t hinking t he sa me t hing. How it had felt t o be kissingt ouching. Skin uncomfort ably hot , I s earched for somet hing safe t o t alk about . Dee said you guys had moved a lot . How many different places? We st ayed in New York for a w hile, t hen w e moved t o Sout h Dakot a. And if you t hink not hing goes on here, you havent lived in S out h Dakot a.

T hen w e moved t o Colorado before coming here. I w as alw ays t he one w ho pr ovoked t he change in scenery. It s like I w as looking for somet hing, but none of t hose places had it . I bet New Y ork w as your favorit e place. Act ually, it s not . A bit of his t eet h show ed in his slight smile. It s here. Surprised, I laug hed. W est Virginia? It s not t hat bad. T here are a lot of us here. More so t han any ot her place. I have friends w ho I can be myself w it ha w hole communit y, really. T hat s import ant . I can underst and t hat . Clut ching t he pillow t o my chest , I rest ed my head on it . Do you t hink Dee is happy here? She makes it sound like she cant leave. Like, ever. Daemon shift ed, bringing his legs ont o t he couch. Dee w ant s t o pave her ow n w ay in life, and I cant blame her for t h at . Paving her ow n w ay had ended up w it h her having sex w it h Adam. I w ond ered if she st ill had dreams of going t o college overseas. He st ret ched as i f he w ere t rying t o rid himself of some sort of t ension t hat had suddenly s et t led over him. I scoot ed aw ay, giving him more room. If you havent not iced yet , t here are more males t han females. So t he females are paired off very q uickly and prot ect ed above all. I made a face. Paired off and mat ed? I underst and it you guys need t o reproduce. But Dee cant be forced t o do t hat . It s not fair. You should cont roll your ow n lives. He glanced at me, deep shadow s in h is eyes. But w e dont , Kit t en. I shook my head. It s not right . It s not . Most L n dont push for anyt hing different . Daw son did. He loved Bet hany. Daemon exhal ed raggedly. We w ere against it . And I t hought he w as st upid for falling for a human. No offense. None t aken. It w as hard for him. Our group w as upset w it h him, but Daw sonhe w as t he st rong one. Daemon smiled as he shook his head. He d idnt cave, and if t he colony had discovered t he t rut h, I dont t hink t hey w o uldve changed him. Couldnt he have left w it h her, snuck past t he DOD? Maybe t hat s w hat happened? Daw son loved it here. He w as big on hiking and out doors. He w as int o t he w hole rust icliving t hing. Daemon glanced at me. Hed never leave, especially w it hout t elling Dee or me.

I know bot h of t hem are dead. He smiled again. You w ouldve liked Daw son. Looked just like me but a much bet t er guy. Not a douchebag, in ot her w ords. A lump formed in my t hroat . Im sure I w ouldve, but youre not bad. He arched a brow . Okay, youre prone t o moment s of great dickdom, but youre not bad. I paused, holding t he pillow t ight . Do you w ant t o know w hat I honest ly t hink? Should I be w or ried? I laughed. T heres a really nice guy under t he jerk. Ive seen glimpses of him . So w hile I probably w ant t o beat t he crap out of you most of t he t ime, I really dont t hink youre a bad guy. Y ou have a lot of responsibilit y. Daemon t i lt ed his head back and chuckled. W ell, I guess t hat s not t oo bad. I shrugged. C an I ask you a quest ion and you t ell me t he t rut h? Alw ays, he sw ore. I reach ed around my neck and pulled at t he daint y chain. T he obsidian came int o vie w , and I held it in my hand. T he DOD is a bigger concern t han t he Arum, arent t hey? His lips t hinned, but he didnt lie. Y es. I ran a finger over t he w ire t w ist ed at t he t op of t he cryst al. W hat w ould t hey do if t hey knew I w as moving t hings like you? T heyd probably do t he same t hing t heyd do t o us if t hey knew . Daemon reached out and cupped my hand t hat held t he obsidian. He lai d his finger over mine, st opping my movement s. T heyd lock you upor w orse. But Im not going t o let t hat happen. My skin t ingled w here it made cont act w it h his. But how can you live like t his? Like, just w ait ing for t hem t o find out t heres more t o you guys? His fingers curled around mine, enclosing t he pendant unt ill w e bot h held it in our hands. It s all Ive know nit s all any of us have k now n. I blinked aw ay t he sudden rush of t ears. T hat s really kind of sad. It s ou r life. He paused. But dont w orry about t hem. Not hing w ill happen t o you. Our f aces w ere only inches apart . His hand w as st ill around mine. Somet hing st r uck me t hen. Y oure alw ays prot ect ing ot hers, arent you? He squeezed my hand an d t hen released it . Leaning against t he couch, he reached one arm back and re st ed his head against his curved elbow . He didnt answ er my quest ion. T his has nt been a very birt hday-friendly conversat ion. It s okay. Y ou w ant more milk or anyt hing?

No, but I w ould like t o know somet hing. I frow ned and st ret ched out my right leg in t he small space he didnt occupy. He w as rat her large, so it didnt leave a lot of room. W hat ? How oft en do you run t hrough t he house singing? he asked seriously. I kicked at him, but he caught my t oes. Y ou can leave now . I seriousl y love t hese socks. Give me back my foot , I ordered. It s not so much t he fact t h at t heyve got reindeers on t hem or t hat t hey go all t he w ay up t o your kne es. As if t hat w ere some kind of great dist ance. But it s t he fact t heyre like mit t ens on your feet . Rolling my eyes, I w iggled my t oes. I like t hem like t hat . And dont you dare knock t hem. I w ill kick you off t his couch. He raised a brow and cont inued t o inspect t hem. Sock mit t ens, huh? Never seen anyt hin g like it . Dee w ould love t hem. I pulled at my foot , and he let go. W hat ever . Im sure t herere cornier t hings t han my socks. Dont judge me. It s t he only t h ing I like about t he holidays. T he only t hing? I figured youre t he t ype of per son w ho w ant s t he Christ mas t ree t o go up on T hanksgiving. Y ou celebrat e Christ mas? Daemon nodded. Y es. It s t he human t hing t o do. Dee loves Christ m as. Act ually, I t hink she just loves t he idea of present s. I laughed. I used t o love t he holidays. And yeah, I w as real big on t he Christ mas t ree w hen Dad w as alive. Wed put it up w hile w at ching t he parade on T hanksgiving. But ? B ut Mom is never home on t he holidays now . And I know she w ont be t his year; s ince shes new at t he hospit al, shell get t he shaft . I shrugged. Im alw ays alone on t he holidays, like some sort of old cat w oman. He didnt respond but w at ched me int ent ly. I t hink he sensed how uncomfort able it made me t o admit , bec ause he changed t he subject . So, t his Bob guy His name is Blake, and dont st art , Daemon. Fine. His lips t ipped up. Hes not an issue anyw ay.

My brow s furrow ed. W hat s t hat supposed t o mean? Daemon shrugged. I w as kind o f surprised w hen I w as in your bedroom w hile you w ere sick. Im not sure I w ant t o know about w hat . Y ou had a post er of Bob Dylan on t he w all. I expect ed t he Jonas Brot hers or somet hing. Are you serious? No. Not a fan of pop music. Im a huge fan of Dave Mat t hew s and older st uff, like Dylan. He looked surprise d, but t hen he launched int o a discussion about his favorit e bands, and w e w ere surprised t hat w e had t he same t ast es. We argued over w hich Godfat he r movie w as t he best and w hat realit y show w as t he st upidest . Hours w en t by, and I learned more about Daemon. And t here w as t hat different side of h im, t he one Id glimpsed a few t imes in t he past . He w as relaxed, friendly, a nd even playful w it hout making me w ant t o bash him upside t he head. W e did argue over a few t hings, a bit heat edly, but he w asnt a jerk. It all suddenly felt easy, and t hat scared t he crap out of me. It w as past t hree a.m. by t he t ime Id realized how long w ed been t alking. I pulled my t ired gaze off t he clock and looked at him. His eyes had drift ed shut and his chest rose and fell evenly. Daemon looked sopeaceful. Not w ant ing t o w ake him, I pulled t he afg han off t he back of t he couch and carefully spread it over him. I grabbed a sm aller quilt and t ucked it around my legs. I couldve w oke him, but I didnt have i t in me. And yeah, t here w as a t eeny, t iny part of me t hat didnt w ant him t o leave. I didnt know w hat t hat meant for me. And I didnt put t oo much t hough t int o t hat . Not right now . Not w hen I w as sure my brain w ould t ake an o bsessive t urn int o boy land. T hank you, he murmured lazily. My eyes w idened. I t hought you w ere asleep. Almost , but youre st aring at me. I flushed. I am not . Da emon pried one eye open. Y ou alw ays blush w hen you lie. I do not . I felt t he fl ush spread dow n my neck. If you keep lying, I t hink I w ill have t o leave, he t hreat ened halfheart edly. I dont feel like my virt ue is safe.

Y our virt ue? I huffed. W hat ever. I know how you get . His eyes closed. Smiling, I snuggled dow n in my corner of t he couch. W e never did change t he channel. So met ime lat er I remembered somet hing he had said earlier. Did you find it ? I as ked sleepily. His hand slipped over his chest . Find w hat , Kit t en? W hat you w ere searching for? Daemons eyes opened and held mine. T he sw elling w as back in my chest , spreading t hrough my body. T here w as a spike of somet hing excit em ent ?in my low er st omach as t he silence st ret ched out for w hat felt like an et ernit y. Y eah, somet imes, I t hink I did. Chapter 11 W hen I w oke up on Monday morning, I w asnt sure exact ly how t hings w ere goin g t o play out w hen I saw Daemon in class. Hed cleared out of t he house w hile I w as st ill asleep and I hadnt seen him w hen I hung out w it h Dee on Sunday, w hich consist ed of w at ching her suck face w it h Adam. Guess t hat phone cal l w ent w ell. Spending t ime w it h him Sat urday night hadnt really changed any t hing bet w een Daemon and me. At least , t hat w as w hat I kept t elling myse lf. It w as just a good moment in a long st ring of bad ones. And I had bigger a nd bet t er t hings t o t hink about . I had a dat e w it h Blake aft er school. But my t hought s kept st raying back t o Daemon, and a deep flut t ering st ar t ed in my st omach w hen I t hought about us side by side on t he couch. Warmt h t ingled over my neck w hile Carissa w as t elling me about a romance book she w as reading. I kept my eyes glued t o her, but I w as w ell aw are of t he fac t t hat Daemon w as t here. He t ook his seat behind me. A second lat er, somet hing Id oddly missed in a messed-up w ay happened. Daemon poked me in t he back w it h his pen.

Lesas brow s arched, but she w isely said not hing as I t w ist ed around. Y es? Hi s half grin w as all t oo familiar. Reindeer socks t oday? No. Polka dot s. Sock mit t ens? Regular, I said, fight ing a st upid grin. Im not sure how I feel about t hat . He t apped his pen on t he edge of his desk. Regular socks just seem so boring a ft er seeing t he reindeer socks. Lesa cleared her t hroat . Reindeer socks? She has t hese socks t hat have reindeers on t hem and are kind of like a mit t en for t he t oes, he explained. Oh, I have a pair like t hat , Carissa said, grinning. But mine have st ripes on t hem. Love t hem in t he w int er. I passed Daemon a smug look. My socks w ere cool. Am I t he only person w ho is w ondering how you saw her socks? Lesa asked. Carissa punched her on t he arm. W e live next door t o eac h ot her, he reminded her. I see lot s of t hings. I shook my head frant ically. No, he doesnt . He hardly sees anyt hing. Blushing, he said, point ing at my cheeks w i t h t he blue cap of his pen. Shut up. I glared at him, fight ing a grin. Anyw ay, w hat are you doing t onight ? But t erflies filled my st omach. I shrugged. I hav e plans. He frow ned. W hat kind ofplans? Just plans. I t urned around quickly and foc used on t he chalkboard. I knew Daemons gaze w as fixed on t he back of my head, but all in all I w as feeling kind of good about t hings. Definit e progress had been made w hen it came t o Daemon. Wed spent hours t oget her w it hout killing each ot her or submit t ing t o w ild monkey lust . My new lapt op w as divine. Simon w asnt in class t o blame me for get t ing his ass kicked or t o t ell peo ple he saw me go all supernat ural on t he w indow s. And I had a dat e t onight .

T hat last bit made me sw allow . I really had t o come clean w it h Blake. It w asnt fair t o himor t o Daemon. I w asnt ready t o suddenly believe Daemon, but I couldnt go on pret ending t here w asnt somet hing t here. Even if it might only b e alien flu. Here. Blake grinned, sliding his dish over. Try some of this. I kept my expression in check as I t w irled my fork in t he noodles. I dont know about t h is. He laughed. It s really not t hat bad. It smells kind of funny, but I t hink yo ull like it . Aft er a small bit e, I decided it w asnt horrendous. I glanced up, s miling. Okay. Not bad. I cant believe t he first t ime youre eat ing Indian food is i n W est Virginia. I ran my hand over my jean-clad leg. T he small candle on t he side of t he t able flickered. Im not very food advent urous. Im a st eak-and-hambu rger kind of chick. Well, w e have t o change t hat , because you dont know w hat y oure missing. Blake w inked. It t ot ally looked cool coming from him. T hai is my favorit e. Love t he spices. T he slim redheaded w ait ress sw ung by and refille d our glasses. She kept smiling coyly at Blake. I couldnt blame her. Blake w as o ne of t he few guys w ho could pull off t he sw eat er and but t on-dow n shirt look. I t ried some more of t he noodles. I w as having fun, but as I pushed t h e food around t he plat e, I felt a w eird t ug in my st omach. I w as having a great t ime w it h him, but ... So I heard somet hing at school t oday, Blake said aft er t he w ait ress left . Slumping against t he seat , I bit back a st ring of curses. God only knew w hat hed heard. Rumors about me w ere flying like UFOs . Im afraid t o even ask. He looked sympat het ic. I heard t hat Daemon beat up some guy because of you. W ed made it t his ent ire t ime w it hout bringing up Daemon . I slumped a lit t le in my boot h. Y eah, he kind of did. Bot h his brow s rose in surprise as he leaned forw ard. Y ou going t o t ell me w hy? Y ou havent heard t he rumors? He ran a hand t hrough his messy spikes. I hear a lot of t hings, but I dont believe t hem. It w as t he last t hing I w ant ed t o do, but I figured hed hear t he not -so-t rue part s sooner or lat er. Hell, he might ve already. So I t old him about my homecoming dat e from hell.

Anger flashed in his hazel eyes, and w hen Id finished, he sat back. Im glad Daemon did pummel t he dick, but t hat s kind of an ext reme react ion for someone w hos just a friend. Daemon can be An asshole, Blake suggest ed. Yeah, t hat , but hes k prot ect ive ofum, Dees friends. I squeezed my fork, feeling all kinds of aw kw ard . And so he got a lit t le mad over w hat Simon w as saying. Hes really not t hat bad. Just t akes a lit t le bit t o get used t o. W ell, I cant blame him for t hat , but he really isprot ect ive of you. I t hought he w as going t o break my han d for t ouching you at t he part y. Sliding t he plat e back t o him, I rest ed m y chin on my hand. I needed t o t ell him t he t rut h. Soon. But I didnt w ant t o spoil dinner. I w as being a t ot all chicken, but I rat ionalized it w as ok ay if I at least t old him by t he end of t he evening. Heck, I w asnt even sure w hat I w as going t o say. No, Im not dating Daemon, but I cant stop thinking abo ut how w e combust every time w ere near, so its probably best if you dont get too close? I sighed. Enough about Daemon. It must be hard loving surfing so much and being so far from a beach. It is, he agreed. A dist ant look crept int o his eyes. S urfing is probably t he only t hing t hat clears my mind. W hen Im out t here on t he w aves, I dont t hink about anyt hing. My brain is officially empt y. It s ju st t he w aves and me. It s peaceful. I can underst and t hat . Silence st ret ched out for a long moment . It s t he same t hing w hen Im gardening or reading. It s ju st me and w hat Im doing, or t he w orld Im reading, and not hing else. Sounds like you do it t o escape. I didnt respond because I hadnt really t hought of it t hat w ay, but now t hat he said it , I did use t hose t hings t o escape. Discomfit e d, I idly separat ed t he noodles on my plat e int o groups. W hat about you? Are you t rying t o escape? Several seconds passed before he answ ered. T hat s t he f unny t hing about t rying t o escape. You never really can. Maybe t emporarily, but not complet ely. I nodded absent ly, st ruck by t he dept h of w hat he said. It w as t he t rut h. Aft er I finished a book or pot t ed a plant , Dad w as s t ill dead, my best friend w as st ill an alien, and I w as st ill at t ract ed t o Daemon. Blake st art ed t alking about plans for T hanksgiving break next w eek. Hed be out of t ow n for most of it , visit ing family. I glanced up, my gaz e sw eeping t he small rest aurant . W armt h jolt ed dow n my spine. Oh, holy h ell to the no. I couldnt believe it. T his w as not happening.

Behind t he t all part it ion w alls, a dark head moved t hrough t he t iny row s. I fell back against t he seat , w holly aw are of him and horrified. T his w as my dat emy dat e. W hat w as he doing here? Daemon navigat ed around t he clus t ers of t ables w it h a grace I envied. Women st opped eat ing or ceased mid-c onversat ion as he passed. Men scoot ed back t o give him more room. He had a pr ofound effect on everyone w ho saw him. Frow ning, Blake t w ist ed around, and his shoulders st iffened as he faced me. Overprot ect ive t ype? I dont even know w ha t t o say, I mumbled helplessly. Hey guys. Daemon slid int o t he seat next t o me, w hich left very lit t le room. T he w hole left side of my body w as pressed a gainst his, t ingling and w arm. Am I int errupt ing? Y es, I said, mout h agape. Oh, sorry. Daemon didnt look sincere. Or make any at t empt t o leave. A half smile f ormed on Blakes lips as he sat back and folded his arms. How are you doing, Daemon ? Im doing great . He st ret ched, draping his arm along t he back of our boot h. How about you, Brad? Blake laughed soft ly. My names Blake. Daemons fingers t apped off t he back of t he boot h, brushing my hair. So w hat w ere you guys up t o? We w er e having dinner, I said and st art ed t o scoot forw ard, but Daemons fingers hook ed around t he back of my t urt leneck, fingers gent ly sliding against my skin. I shot him a deat h glare and ignored t he goose bumps peaking my skin. And I t hink w e w ere just about done, Blake said, his eyes cent ered on Daemon. W erent w e, Kat y? Y eah, w e just need our check. Very discreet ly, I low ered my hand und er t he t able, found Daemons t high, and pinched. Hard. He t ugged me back, caus ing my knee t o hit t he t able. W hat w ere you planning t o do aft er dinner? W as Biff t aking you t o a movie? Blakes easy grin st art ed t o falt er. Blake. An d t hat w ould be t he plan. Hmm. Daemons gaze flicked up, and a second lat er, Blak es glass t ipped over.

I gasped. Wat er sloshed over t he t able, spilling int o Blakes lap. He jumped u p, let t ing out a curse. T he movement shook t he t able again. His plat e of s picy noodles slidw ell, flew ont o t he front of Blakes sw eat er. My jaw dropped. Holy mount ain mama, Daemon had t aken my dat e host age. Jesus, Blake mut t ered, hands at his sides. Grabbing napkins, I t urned t o Daemon. My look promised a vengeful deat h as I handed Blake t he napkins. T hat w as really st range, Daemon said, smirking. Red-faced, Blake glanced up from pat t ing his crot ch dry. For a moment , his eyes fixed on Daemon and I sw ore he w as going t o come across t he t able. And t hen his eyes shut t ered. Quiet ly and w it h st iff, jerky m ovement s, he brushed off t he brow n noodles. T he w ait ress rushed t o Blakes side w it h several more napkins. W ell, anyw ay, Im act ually here for a reason. D aemon picked up my glass and t ook a drink. Y oure needed at home. Blake halt ed hi s movement s. Excuse me? Did I speak t oo fast , Bart ? His name is Blake, I snapped. nd w hy am I needed at home? Right now , at t his very moment ? Daemon met my eye s, his st are heavy and int ense w it h meaning. Somet hing has come up and you n eed t o check it out now . Something obviously meant alien business. Unease craw led dow n my spine. Now his sudden appearance made sense. For a few minutes, I w as really beginning t o believe it had been pure, primal jealousy t hat drove h im t o go all st alker on us. And as much as it t icked me off t o do t his, I k new I had t o leave. T urning t o Blake, I w inced. Im really, really sorry about t his. Blakes gaze dart ed bet w een us as he picked up t he check. It s okay. T hin gs happen. I felt like a t ool, w hich seemed fit t ing, since I w as sit t ing n ext t o t he biggest w iener ever. Ill make it up. I promise. He smiled. It s all rig ht , Kat y. Ill t ake you home. T hat w ont be necessary. Daemon smiled t ight ly. I g ot t his, Biff. I w ant ed t o face-palm myself. Blake. His name is Blake, Daemon. I t s okay, Kat y, Blake said, lips t hin. Im a mess. T hen it s solved. Daemon st ood, low ing me t o scoot out .

Blake t ook care of t he check, and w e headed out side. I st opped by his car, aw are of Daemons int ense st are. I am so, so sorry. It s okay. You didnt knock t he st uff on me. He paused, brow s narrow ing as he st ared hard at somet hing over my shoulder. Tw o guesses w hat or w hot hat w as. Pulling his cell out of his ba ck pocket , he checked t he display before shoving it in his jeans. Alt hough t h at w as t he craziest t hing Ive ever seen. But anyw ay, w ell make up for it w he n I get back from break, okay? Okay. I st art ed t o give him a hug but halt ed. T he front of his sw eat er w as st ained and moist looking. Laughing, Blake leane d in and placed a quick, dry kiss on my lips. Ill call you. I nodded, w ondering ho w one person could single-handedly ruin everyt hing w it hin a minut e. It w as a t alent . W it h a w ave, Blake w as gone, and I w as alone w it h Daemon. Y ou ready? Daemon called, holding open t he passenger door. I st alked over t o t he car and climbed in, slamming t he door behind me. Hey. He frow ned from out side t he car. Dont t ake your anger out on Dolly. Y ou named your car Dolly? W hat s w ron w it h t hat ? I rolled my eyes. Daemon jogged around t he front of t he car and slid in. T he moment he closed t he door behind him, I t w ist ed in my seat an d punched him in t he arm. Y ou are such a jerk! I know you did t he glass and pl at e t hing. T hat w as so w rong! He held up his hands, laughing. W hat ? It w as funny. T he look on Bos face w as priceless. And t he kiss he gave you? W hat w as t hat ? Ive seen dolphins give hot t er kisses t han t hat . His name is Blake! I punched his leg t his t ime. And you know it ! I cant believe you act ed like t h at . And he doesnt kiss like a dolphin! From w hat Ive seen, he does. Y ou didnt see t he last t ime w e kissed. His laught er died off. Uh oh. He t urned t o me slow l y. Y ouve kissed him before? T hat s none of your business. My cheeks flushed, giving me aw ay.

Anger sparked in his magnet ic eyes. I dont like him. I gaped at Daemon. Y ou dont ev en know him. I dont need t o know him t o see t hat t heres somet hingoff about him. H e t urned t he key and t he engine rumbled t o life. I dont t hink you should be h anging out w it h him. Oh, t his is rich, Daemon. W hat ever. St aring st raight ah ead, I hugged my elbow s and shivered. I w as so angry my head w as t w o second s from spinning. Are you cold? W heres your jacket ? I dont like jacket s. Did t hey d somet hing t errible and unforgiveable t o you, t oo? He t urned on t he aut oma t ic t emperat ure set t ing. Warm air blast ed out of t he vent s. I find t hemcu mbersome. I sighed loudly. W hat w as so freaking imperat ive t hat you had t o go st alker-mode and find me? I w asnt st alking you. He sounded offended. Oh, you w er ent ? Did you use your alien GPS syst em t o find me? W ell, yeah, sort of. Argh! T h is is so w rong. I seriously doubt ed Blake w ould be calling me again. Not t hat I blamed him. If I w ere him, I w ouldnt be. Not w hen a psychot ic alien w as s hadow ing me. So w hat s t he deal? Daemon w ait ed unt ill w e pulled ont o t he h ighw ay. Mat t hew has called a meet ing of t he minds, and you should be t here. It has t o do w it h t he DOD. Somet hings happened. Chapter 12 We got back t o his house before t he rest of t hem show ed up, and I w as t ryi ng t o keep calm as I set t led int o t he recliner in t he corner. Daemon w asnt panicking, but he didnt know w hat w as going on yet . Out side, several car doo rs slammed shut . I w rapped my arms around my w aist , and Daemon moved t o my side, sit t ing on t he arm of my chair. Ash and t he T hompson boys w ere t he first t o come in. Adam smiled at us before sit t ing next t o Dee. She offered him t he bag of popcorn shed been scarfing and he dug in. Andrew t ook

one look in my direct ion and rolled his eyes. Anyone have a clue w hy shes here? I loat hed Andrew . She needs t o be here, Mr. Garrison said, closing t he door beh ind him. He moved t o t he cent er of t he living room, all eyes on him. Out sid e of school, he alw ays dressed dow n in jeans. I w ant t o keep t his lit t le g et -t oget her short . Ash smoot hed a hand over her purple t ight s. T he DOD kno w s about her, right ? W ere all in t rouble? My breat h caught . I w asnt mad at t he scornful t one in her voice. A lot w as at st ake if t he DOD found out abou t me, about t hem. Do t hey, Mr. Garrison? As far as I know , t hey dont know about you, he said. T he elders called a meet ing t onight because of t he increase in D OD presence here. It appears somet hing has caught t he DODs at t ent ion. I sank back against t he chair, relieved. But t hen it hit me. I may be off t he hook, but t hey w erent . I glanced around t he room, not w ant ing t o see any of t he m in t rouble. Not even Andrew . Adam st ared at a but t ery piece of popcorn. W ell, w hat did t hey see? No ones done anyt hing w rong. Dee sat t he bag of popco rn aside. W hat s t he deal? Mat t hew s ult ra-bright blue gaze circled t he room. O ne of t heir sat ell it es picked up t he light show from Hall ow een w eekend, and t heyve been out t o t he field, using some sort of machine t hat picks up on residual energy. Daemon scoffed. T he only t hing t heyre going t o find is a burn ed pat ch of ground. T hey know w e can manipulat e light for self-defense, so fro m w hat Ive gat hered, t hat s not w hat caught t heir at t ent ion. Mr. Garrison g lanced at Daemon, frow ning. It s t he fact t hat t he energy w as so st rong it d isrupt ed a sat ell it es signal and t hey w erent able t o snap any pict ures of t he event . Not hing like t hat has ever happened before. Daemon kept his expres sion blank. I guess Im just t hat aw esome. Adam laughed under his breat h. Y oure so pow erful youre disrupt ing signals now ? Disrupt ed only t he signal? Mr. Garrison barked a short laugh. It dest royed t he sat ell it ea sat ell it e designed t o t rack high-frequency light and energy. It zeroed in on Pet ersburg, and t he ev ent dest royed t he sat ell it e. Like I said, Im t hat aw esome. Daemons smile w as smug, but I w as filling w it h anxious energy.

W ow , Andrew murmured. Respect gleamed in his eyes. T hat s pret t y aw esome. As aw esome as t hat is, t he DOD is very curious. T he elders believe t hey w ill be here a w hile, monit oring t hings. T hat t heyve been here. He glanced at his w r ist w at ch. It s imperat ive t hat everyone is on t heir best behavior. W hat do t he ot her Luxen have t o say about t his? Dee asked. T hey arent t oo concerned at t his point . And t hey have no reason t o be, Mat t hew said. Because it w as Dae mon w ho caused such a disrupt ive burst of energy and not t hem, Ash said, and t hen she gasped. Does t he DOD suspect w e have more abilit ies? I t hink t hey w a nt t o know how it s possible t hat he w as able t o do somet hing like t hat . Ma t t hew st udied Daemon. T he elders t old t hem t here w as a fight bet w een ou r kind. No one implicat ed you, Daemon, but t hey already know youre st rong. Y o u can be expect ing a visit from t hem soon. He shrugged, but fear spiked in me. It hadnt been Daemon w hod t aken out Baruck, so how could he explain w hat happen ed? And w ould t he DOD guess t he Luxen w ere far more pow erful t han t hey re alized, capable of almost anyt hing? If so, my friendsand Daemonw ere in danger. Ka t y, it s very import ant t hat youre careful w hen hanging around t he Blacks, Mr. Garrison cont inued. We dont w ant t he DOD suspect ing t hat you know anyt hing you shouldnt . Speak for yourself, Andrew mut t ered. I shot him a look, but Daemon responded before I could. Andrew , Im going t o knock t he W hat ? Andrew exclaimed. I just t elling t he t rut h. I dont have t o like her because youre infat uat ed w it h t he st upid human. None Daemon w as across t he room in a flash. Fully envel oped in int ense reddish-w hit e light , he snat ched Andrew up and slammed him int o t he w all w it h such force t he pict ures around t hem rat t led. Daemon! I shrieked, rising t o my feet at t he same t ime Mr. Garrison shout ed. Ash jum ped from her chair, gasping. W hat are you doing? Grabbing her snack, Dee sighed a nd sat back. Here w e go. Popcorn? Adam t ook a handful. Honest ly, Andrew needs hi s ass kicked. T he DOD being here isnt Kat ys fault . She has just as much t o los e as w e do. His sist er w hirled on him. So youre t aking her side now ? A humans? T his isnt about sides, I said, keeping an eye on t he boys.

Bot h w ere in full Luxen mode. So w as Mat t hew . Not hing but a male-shaped f orm of int ense bluish light , he grabbed Daemon and yanked him off Andrew . Ash glared at me for a long moment . None of t his w ould be happening if you hadnt s how n up here. You w ouldve never got t en t he original t race on you. T he Arum w ouldve never seen you, and t his w hole messed-up chain of event s w ouldve nev er happened! Oh, shut up, Ash. Dee t hrew a handful of popcorn at her. Seriously. Ka t y risked her life t o make sure t he Arum didnt know w here w e lived. T hat s gre at and dandy, Ash snapped back. But Daemon w ouldnt have gone all Rambo on t he Aru m if his precious human w asnt in danger every five seconds. T his is her fault . Im not his precious human! I t ook a deep breat h. Im just hishis friend. And t hat s w hat friends do. T hey prot ect each ot her. Ash rolled her eyes. I sat dow n. W e ll, it s w hat human friends do, at least . And it s w hat t he Luxen do, Adam said, st aring at his sist er. Some just forget t hat . W it h a disgust ed sigh, she sp un around and headed for t he door. Ill w ait out side. Wat ching her go, I w onder ed if shed find a reason t o blame me for everyt hing, even t hose gaudy purple t ight s of hers. But in a w ay, t his sit uat ion w as my fault. It had been my bizarro output of energy that had draw n the DOD here. My chest ached. Mr. Garri son finally broke t he boys apart . Andrew flickered int o his human form, eyes narrow ed on a st ill-iridescent Daemon. Dude, t hat w as just w rong. Knock me a round all you w ant , but Im not going t o be okay w it h her. Andrew , Mr. Garrison w arned. W hat ? He backed off, t hough. Do you really t hink she can hold her ow n against t he DOD if t hey quest ion her? Because of how close she is t o Dee a nd you, t hey w ill ask her quest ions. And you, Daemon, are you planning t o do a repeat of your brot her? W anna die for her, t oo? Daemons light flared bright er, and I knew he w as going t o charge Andrew again. T his w as ridiculous. W i t hout t hinking, I shot across t he room and w rapped my fingers around his glo w ing w rist . It w as st range t o t ouch him like t his. Warmt h and elect ric it y shot up my arm. T he back of my neck t ingled. T hat w as a low blow , I said t o Andrew , because someone needed t o. He doesnt even deserve your ass kicking, Daemon. Shes right , Adam said. Unt ill t hen I hadnt realized hed moved, but he w as on t he ot her side of Daemon. But if you w ant t o put him out of commission fo r t he next w eek aft er t hat comment , Ill help. Gee, t hanks, brot her. Andrew sc ow led.

Tense silence follow ed, and t hen Daemons light faded and he set t led back int o his human form. He glanced dow n t o w here my hand curved around his w rist , and t hen his gaze flicked up, meet ing mine. Charged air passed from his skin t o mine, shocking me w it h a crack. I let go of his w rist and st illed under his int ense st are. T his is t he kind of display w e cannot afford. Mr. Garrison drew in a deep breat h. I t hink t hat s enough for t his evening. Bot h of you n eed t o cool dow n and keep in mind t hat t hey are here. W e need t o be carefu l. T hey left aft er t hat , including Dee. She w ant ed t o spend t ime w it h A dam and also make sure he didnt end up mauling Andrew , w hich left Daemon and me alone. I shouldve left , but aft er Andrew s t hought less comment , I needed t o know t hat Daemon w as okay. I follow ed him int o t he kit chen. Im sorry about w hat Andrew said. T hat w as w rong. Daemons jaw w orked as he grabbed t w o cans of Coke, handing me one. It is w hat it is. St ill not right . His eyes searched my face in a w ay t hat made me feel exposed t o t he core. Are you w orried about t he DOD being here? I hesit at ed. Y eah, I am. Dont be. Harder said t han done. I p ed w it h t he t ab on t he can. It s not me Im w orried about . T hey t hink youre responsible for w hat happenedt he crazy energy t hing. W hat if t hey t hink your ea danger? Daemon didnt answ er for several moment s. It s not just me, Kit t en. Eve n if I had done t hat , it s never been about me. It s about all t he Luxen. He pau sed, low ering his gaze. Y ou know w hat Mat t hew believes? No. A cynical grin pull ed at his full lips. He believes t hat one day, probably not in our generat ion, but some day, my kind and t he Arum w ill nearly out number yours. Really? T hat s kind of Scary? he said. I t ucked my hair back. I dont know if it s scary. I mean, t h Arum t hing is, but your kindt he Luxenfreaky pow ers asideyoure not very different from us. W hat about t he fact w ere made of light ? I smiled a lit t le t hen. W el l, besides t hat .

It got me t hinking, he said, t hat if some of our kind believes t his, how come t he DOD isnt w orried? He had a good point . And I w as t rying not t o let my fear for him t ake over, but my brain w as t hrow ing out all kinds of w ild scenari os. All of t hem ended w it h him being t aken in by t he DOD. W hat happens if t hey t hink you are a t hreat ? And dont beat around t he bush about it . W hen I w as at t he compound before, t here w ere Luxen w ho didnt assimilat e. T he muscl e in his jaw st art ed t icking. Most ly t hey didnt w ant t o be kept under t he t humb of t he DOD. Ot hers I guessed w ere view ed as a t hreat because t hey a sked t oo many quest ions. W ho really know s? My mout h felt dry. W hat happened t o t hem? Several moment s passed before Daemon answ ered. Each second t hat w e nt by, t he unease in my st omach grew . Finally, he nodded. T hey killed t hem. Chapter 13 Horror rolled t hrough me. T he ext reme emot ion t riggered t he st at ic t hat rushed over my skin so fast I couldnt st op it . T he burst of energy smacked ar ound t he room. I dropped t he unopened can of soda as w ood scrapped over t ile . A chair flew out from under t he t able, slamming int o my knee w it h such fo rce t hat my leg collapsed under me. I yelped in pain and buckled over. Daemon s t rung t oget her a t ruckload of f-bombs and appeared next t o me, grabbing me a second before I hit t he floor. W hoa, t here, Kit t en. Pushing t he hair out o f my face, I lift ed my head. Holy crap He helped me st and up, easing a shoulder u nder my arm for support and pulling me close. Are you okay? Im peachy. I w iggled out of his embrace and t ent at ively placed my w eight on my leg. Wet w armt h t r ickled dow n my leg. I rolled up my jeans, finding blood. Great , Im a nat ural di sast er. I might have t o agree w it h t hat . I shot him a dark look. W it h a coc ky grin, he w inked. Come on, get up on t he t able and let me look at t hat . Im fi ne.

He didnt argue w it h me about it . One second I w as st andinger, hobblingand t he n air rushed me and I w as sit t ing on t he t able. My mout h dropped open. W ha t how did you do t hat ? Skill, he said, placing my foot on t he chair. His fingert ips brushed against my skin as he rolled my pant s above my knee. Elect ricit y danced along my leg, and I jerked. W ow , you really are a disast er. Ugh, it s blee ding all over t he place. I sw allow ed at t he sight . Y oure not going t o heal m e, are you? Uh, no, because w ho know s w hat w ould happen t hen? Y ou might t ur n int o an alien. Ha. Ha. Daemon quickly grabbed a clean t ow ell and dampened it . He came back, not quit e meet ing my eyes. I reached for t he clot h, but he kn elt and st art ed t o gent ly blot at t he blood. He w as careful not t o t ouch my skin t his t ime. W hat am I going t o do w it h you, Kit t en? See? I didnt eve n w ant t o move t he chair and it flew at me like a heat -seeking missile. Daemo n shook his head as he cont inued t o dap at t he blood. W hen w e w ere younger, t hings like t his w ould happen all t he t ime, before w e could cont roll t h e Source. T he Source? He nodded. T he energy in usw e call it t he Source, because i t links us back t o our home planet , you know ? Like t he source of it all. At least , t hat s w hat our elders say. Anyw ay, w hen w e w ere kids and learning how t o cont roll our abilit ies, it w as crazy. Daw son had t his habit of movi ng furnit ure, like you. Hed go t o sit dow n and t he chair w ould fly out from under him. He laughed. But he w as young. Great . So Im operat ing at t he level of a t oddler? Daemons lust rous eyes met mine. Basically. T he dark graphic shirt st ra ined against his chest w hen he laid t he bloodied t ow ell aside and leaned bac k. Look, it s st opped bleeding already. Not t hat bad. I glanced dow n and saw t h e fresh gash on my knee. Ot her t han looking gross, it w as salvageable. T hank you for cleaning it up. No problem. I dont t hink youll need st it ches. He light ly brushed his fingert ips around t he cut .

I jerked at t he cont act . Lit t le t ingles shimmed up my leg. Daemons hand st illed as he lift ed his head. His eyes w ent from a cool green t o liquid fire w it hin seconds. W hat are you t hinking about ? he asked. Sliding int o his arms, kissing him and t ouching himt hings I shouldnt t hink about . I blinked. Not hing . Daemon rose slow ly, holding my gaze. My w hole body t ensed as he neared and p laced his hands on eit her side of me. T hen he bent over t he chair bet w een u s, rest ing his forehead against mine. He inhaled deeply and it came out in an u nst eady rush. W hen he spoke, his voice w as rough. Do you know w hat Ive been t hinking about all day? W it h him, it w as anyones guess. No. His lips brushed t he skin of my cheek. Finding out if you look as good in st riped socks as you do in reindeer ones. I do. His head slant ed and his smile w as lazy, arrogant . Predat o ry. I knew it . I shouldnt let t his happen. T here w as a w hole slew of complicat ions: his at t it ude, t he connect ion bet w een us, and my new kindergart enage abilit ies. Funny, t he fact Daemon w as an alien w as t he complicat ion I considered t he least import ant . And t hen t here w as Blake. T hat is, if Bla ke ever spoke t o me again, w hich w as debat able. But due t o Daemons int errup t ion at dinner, I didnt get t o t alk t o Blake. Irony w as a bit ch. Know ing a ll of t hat , I st ill didnt pull aw ay. And neit her did he. Oh no, he w as movi ng closer. His pupils st art ed t o glow and his breat h seemed t o have st alle d in his chest . Do you have any idea w hat you do t o me? he asked gruffly. Im not doing anyt hing. Daemon shift ed his head just enough t hat our lips brushed oncea nd t hen t w ice before he increased t he pressure. T his kissit w as not hing li ke t he ot her t imes, w hich seemed t o be angry and challenging. As if w ed kis sed t o punish each ot her. But t his w as gent le and soft , feat her light . I nfinit ely t ender. Like t he kiss w ed shared in t he clearing t he night hed hea led me. Light sw ept t hrough me as w e kissed, but soon t he kisses, t hey w er ent enough. Not w hen a slow fire w as burning under my skinand under his. Cupping my cheeks, he exhaled a soft groan, and his lips scorched mine as he deepened t he kiss unt ill w e bot h w ere breat hless from it s int ensit y.

Daemon moved as close as he could w it h t he chair bet w een us. Gripping his a rms, I held ont o him, w ant ing him closer. T he chair prevent ed all but our l ips and hands from t ouching. Frust rat ing. Move, I ordered restlessly. It t re mbled under my foot , and t hen t he heavy oak chair slid out from under me, dod ging our leaning bodies. Unprepared for t he sudden void, Daemon lurched forw ar d, and I w as unable t o carry t he unexpect ed w eight . I collapsed backw ard, bringing Daemon along w it h me. T he full cont act of his body, flush against mine, sent my senses int o chaot ic overdrive. His t ongue sw ept over mine as h is fingers splayed across my cheeks. His hand slid dow n my side, gripping my hi p as he urged me closer. T he kisses slow ed and his chest rose as he drank me i n. W it h one last lingering explorat ion, he lift ed his head and smiled dow n at me. My heart skipped a beat as he hovered over me w it h an expression t hat t ugged deep in my chest . He moved his fingers back up, along my cheek, t raili ng an invisible pat h t o my chin. I didnt move t hat chair, Kit t en. I know . Im ass ming you didnt like w here it w as? It w as in your w ay, I said. My hands w ere st ill curled around his arms. I can see t hat . Daemon smoot hed a fingert ip over t he curve of my bot t om lip before t aking my hand, pulling me up. Let t ing go , he w at ched me carefully and w ait ed. W ait ed for W hat had happened slow ly sank in beyond t he fog in my brain. Id just kissed him. Again. And right aft er hed t aken over my dat e w it h anot her guy t he guy I should be kissing. Or not . I didnt know anyt hing anymore. W e cant keep doing t his. My voice shook. W e We e each ot her, he said, st epping forw ard, grasping t he edges of t he t able on eit her side of me. And before you say it , w e w ere at t ract ed t o each ot h er before I healed you. Y ou cant say t hat s not t rue. He leaned in, his nose bru shing my cheek. A shudder rolled t hrough me. His lips pressed against t he spot under my ear. We need t o st op fight ing w hat w e bot h w ant . Air caught in m y t hroat . I closed my eyes as his fingers inched dow n my t urt leneck, cleari ng a pat h for his lips t o meet my w ildly beat ing pulse.

It s not going t o be easy, he said. It w asnt t hree mont hs ago and it w ont be t hr ee mont hs from now . Because of t he rest of t he Luxen? My head t ipped back, my t hought s sw imming at his t ouch. T here w as somet hing w icked in t hose hot lit t le kisses he dropped all over my t hroat . T heyll out cast you. Like I know . He let go of my t urt leneck and slid his hand around t he nape of my neck as hi s body pressed against mine. Ive t hought about t he repercussionsit s all Ive t houg ht about . Part of me had been yearning t o hear him say t hat . A secret Id kept close t o my heart t he same heart t hat w as jumping in my chest . I opened my e yes. His w ere glow ing. And t his has not hing t o do w it h t he connect ion or Blake? No, he said, and t hen sighed. Y es, some of it has t o do w it h t hat huma n, but it s about us. About w hat w e feel for each ot her. I w as at t ract ed t o him on a level t hat w as nearly painful. Being around him had every cell in m y body burning, but t his w as Daemon. Caving t o him w as like saying t he w ay hed t reat ed me w as okay. And more import ant ly, it required blind fait h in t he t heory t hat our feelings w ere real. And w hen t hey t urned out not t o be? It w ould be heart break, because I w ould seriously fall for himfall more t han I already had. W iggling dow n, I dipped under his arms. A dull ache shot t hrough my injured leg as I backed up. Is t his like a I didnt w ant you unt ill som eone else w ant ed you t ype of t hing? Daemon leaned against t he t able. T hat s n ot w hat t his is. T hen w hat is it , Daemon? Tears of frust rat ion built in my e yes. W hy now , w hen t hree mont hs ago you couldnt st and t o breat he t he same air as me? It s t he connect ion bet w een us. It s t he only t hing t hat makes sense. Dammit . Do you t hink I dont regret act ing like such a douche t o you? Ive apologized. He st ood t here, t ow ering over me. Y ou dont get it . None of t his is easy for me. And I know t his is hard for you. You have a lot t o deal w it h . But I have my sist er and an ent ire race count ing on me. I didnt w ant you t o get close t o me. I didnt w ant anot her person t o care about , t o w orry abo ut losing. I sucked in a breat h, and he w ent on. It w asnt right how I act ed. I know t hat . But I can do bet t er t han t hat bet t er t han Benny. Blake. I sighed , limping aw ay from him. I have a lot in common w it h Blake. He likes t hat I r ead a lot I do, t oo, Daemon challenged. And he also blogs. W hy did I feel like I w as grasping at st raw s?

Daemon caught a piece of my hair and w rapped it around his finger. I have not hi ng against t he Int ernet . I knocked his hand aw ay. And he doesnt like me because of some st upid alien connect ion or because some ot her guy likes me. I dont eit her. His eyes flashed. Y ou cant keep pret ending. It s w rong. Y oull break t hat bo ys poor lit t le human heart . No, I w ont . Y ou w ill, because you w ant me and I w ant you. Deep dow n, I did w ant t o be w it h him. And I w ant ed him t o w ant me, not because w e w ere t he same at om split or because someone else liked me . Shaking my head, I w ent for t he door. Y ou keep saying t hat W hat does t hat m ean? he demanded. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly. Y ou say you w ant me, but t ha t s not enough. I show you t hat I do, t oo. Facing him, I cocked an eyebrow . Y ou d o not . W hat w as t hat ? Daemon gest ured at t he t able, and I flushed. People e at at t hat t able I t hink I show ed you t hat I like you. I can do it again if y oure not clear on w hat t hat w as. And Ive brought you a smoot hie and a cookie t o school. Y ou st uck t he cookie in your mout h! I t hrew my hands up. He smiled at t hat , like it w as a good memory. T he t able Humping my leg like a dog in heat every t ime Im around you doesnt prove you like me, Daemon. Daemon clamped his mou t h shut , and I could t ell he w as fight ing back laught er. Act ually, t hat s how I show people I like t hem. Oh. Fine. W hat ever. None of t his mat t ers, Dae mon. Im not going anyw here, Kat . And Im not giving up. Not t hat I really believed he w ould. I reached for t he door but he st opped me. Do you know w hy I met you t hat day in t he library? he asked. W hat ? I faced him. T he Friday you came back aft er being sick? He ran a hand t hrough his hair. You w ere right . I picked t he library because no one w ould see us t oget her.

My mout h snapped shut and a sick feeling leached up my t hroat , causing it t o burn. You know w hat , Ive alw ays w ondered if your ego w as so big you didnt w a nt t o eat crow . And as alw ays, you jump t o t he w rong assumpt ion. His eyes pi erced mine. I didnt w ant Ash or Andrew t o st art giving you a bunch of crap beca use of me like t hey did w it h Daw son and Bet h. So if you t hink Im embarrasse d of you or not ready t o make my int ent ions very public, t hen you bet t er g et t hat idea out of your head. Because if t hat s w hat it t akes, t hen it s on. I st ared at him. W hat in t he hell w as I supposed t o say t o t hat ? Yeah, a part of me had believed it . How many people w ould kick a chick out of t he ca fet eria like he had and t hen st art w ooing her? Not many. And t hen I remembe red t he lump of spaghet t i hanging off his ear, heard Daemons amused laught er from t he day t hat felt so long ago. Daemon His smile w as really st art ing t o c oncern me. I t old you, Kit t en. I like a challenge. Chapter 14 Lesa pract ically pounced on me t he moment I sat dow n in class. Did you hear? Ha lf asleep, I shook my head. Id had a hell of a t ime going t o bed last night aft er everyt hing w it h Daemon. T he flut t ering my st omach w as doing had t o be a consequence of no breakfast . Simon is missing, Lesa said. Missing? I didnt pay at t ent ion t o t he w arm t ingling on my neck or w hen Daemon saunt ered int o class. Since w hen? Since t his past w eekend. Lesas eyes flicked up behind me and w idened. W ow . Now t hat s even more unexpect ed. Somet hing smelled sw eet and f amiliar. Confused, I t w ist ed around. A single rose in full bloom, a vibrant r ed, brushed against t he t ip of my nose. Tan fingers held t he green st em. My eyes lift ed. Daemon st ood t here, his eyes glit t ering like green t insel. He pat t ed me on t he nose w it h t he rose again. Good morning. Dumbfounded, I st ared at him. T his is for you, he added w hen I didnt say anyt hing. Every single p erson in class w as st aring as my fingers w rapped around t he cool, damp st em . Daemon sat dow n before I could say anyt hing. I sat t here, holding t he rose unt ill t he t eacher w alked in and st art ed calling off names.

Daemons t hroat y chuckle w armed my chest . Cheeks flaming, I placed t he rose o n my desk, and I honest ly dont t hink I t ook my eyes off it . W hen Daemon had said he w asnt giving up, I had no idea he w as going t o go all balls-t o-t he-w all right off t he bat . W hy w ould he? Maybe he just w ant ed t o have sex w it h me. And t hat had t o be all, right ? Hat red t urned t o lust . Hed been so against me mont hs ago and now he w ant ed t o be w it h me, going against t he w ishes of his race? Maybe he had a secret drug habit . T he light caught t he moist ure on t he rose. I looked up, cat ching Lesas gaze. She mout hed, Nice. Ni ce? It w as nice and sw eet and romant ic and about a t housand ot her t hings t hat had my heart doing backflips. Sneaking a peek at Daemon over my shoulder, I w at ched him scribble along a blank piece of not ebook paper. His brow s w ere low ered in concent rat ion. T hick, soot y lashes hid his eyes. T hey lift ed and his lips spread int o a grin. I w as in so much t rouble. Cops were everywhe re over the next couple of days, asking students and teachers questions about Si mon. Daemon and I ended up being some of the first people t hey t alked t o. As if w e w ere a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, plot t ing t o t ake out jocks every w here. Well, t he fact t hat Daemon had beat en t he crap out of Simon didnt loo k good. But t he cops didnt t reat us like suspect s. Aft er my first and only qu est ioning w it h t hem in t he principals office, I det ermined t hat t w o of t he st at e t roopers w ere aliens. And I also got t he dist inct impression t h ey suspect ed I knew t heir secret . I w ondered if someone had let t he alien o ut of t he bag. Ash w as t he most likely suspect , especially since Daemon had become t he bearer of gift s. One day he brought me a pumpkin spiced lat t emy fa vorit et hen an egg and bacon breakfast croissant , glazed doughnut s on T hursda y, and a lily on Friday. He did not hing t o hide his int ent ions. Part of me a ct ually felt bad for Ash. Shed spent her w hole life expect ing t o be w it h Da emon. I couldnt even imagine w hat she w as t hinkingif she w as mourning t he fin al dow nfal of t heir relat ionship or if it w as just t hat shed lost somet hing shed believed w as hers. If I ended up being found in a dit ch somew here, my be t s w ould be on Ash or Andrew . Adam had left t he dark side and w as now sit t ing w it h Dee at lunch. T hey lit erally couldnt keep t heir hands off each ot heror our food.

Each night , Daemon soaked up my t ime. Keeping an eye on me w as w hat he claim ed t o be doing, w ait ing t o see if I w as at t acked by a chair again. In his w orld, t hat t ranslat ed int o t ime suckage t hat involved every possible w ay he could get close t o me. Like, really, w ill-breaking, body-t ingling close . Blakew ell, Blake spoke t o me in class. He t ext ed a few t imes at night , an d I alw ays had t o w ait unt ill Daemon decided t o leave before I could call h im back, but t here had been no t alk of anot her dat e. Daemon had been success ful w it h t he scare t act ics, w hich he w as unabashedly proud of. Sat urday aft ernoon, I w as in a marat hon review -w rit ing spree w hen someone knocked on my front door. Finishing up my last sent enceMesmerizing debut, heart-stopping action, and sw oon-w orthy romance, T he Hidden Circle is a forget-your-homew o rk, dont-feed-your-kids, and quit-your-job one-sit readbefore shutting my laptop. As I neared t he door, I felt t he t ingling on my neck. Daemon. I t ripped over t he upt urned corner of t he area rug and t ook a second t o st raight en t he ribbed sw eat er t hat had ridden up before I snat ched open t he front door. F amiliar feelings of anxiet y slid t hrough me. W hat did he have up his sleeve t oday? In ot her w ords, how much more could he possibly complicat e my life? My no-kiss policy had remained st rong since Monday. But st rangely, even as innoc ent and clandest ine as our meet ings w ere, t here w as st ill a level of int i macy t hat couldnt be denied. Daemon w as changing. I w as used t o t he sarcast ic and rude Daemon. In an odd w ay, t hat version w as easier t o deal w it h. W e could t rade insult s all day. But t his Daemon t his one w ho w ouldnt give up w as kind and gent le, funny anddear Godt hought ful. Daemon w ait ed on t he porc h, his hands shoved deep int o t he pocket s of his jeans. He had been gazing in t o t he dist ance but pivot ed around t he moment I pushed open t he door. He b rushed past me and int o t he hall w ay. T he scent of him, a mixt ure of t he o ut doors and sandalw ood, follow ed. It w as a heady aroma, all complet ely his. Y ou look nice t oday, he comment ed unexpect edly. I glanced dow n at my gray ho odie and t ucked a t angled st rand of hair behind my ear. Uh, t hanks. I cleared my t hroat . Sow hat s up? His excuse for spending t ime w it h me w as alw ays t he vague Wat ching out for you, so I w asnt expect ing anyt hing different t oday. I j ust w ant ed t o see you.

Oh. W ell, hell He chuckled deeply. I t hought w e could t ake a w alk. It s nice ou t side. Glancing back at my lapt op, I debat ed. Spending t ime w it h him w asnt somet hing I should be doing. It just encouraged hisnot -so-bad behavior. Ill behav e myself, he said. I promise. I laughed at t hat . All right , let s go. It w as brisk out side, now here near as cold as it w ould become once t he sun set . Inst ea d of heading t ow ard t he w oods, he st eered me in t he direct ion of his SUV. Exact ly w here are w e going t o t ake a w alk? Out doors, he said dryly. W ell, I t hink I figured t hat part out . Y ou ask a lot of quest ions, you know . Ive been t old Im very inquisit ive. He leaned forw ard and w hispered, I t hink I figured t hat part out . I made a face at him, but I w as int rigued. I climbed int o t he passengers seat . Have you heard anyt hing about Simon? I asked aft er hed backed ou t of t he drivew ay. I havent . I havent eit her. An array of golden, red, and brow n leaves blurred as Daemon flew dow n t he highw ay. Do you t hink an Arum had anyt hing t o do w it h his disappearance? Daemon shook his head. I dont t hink so. I h avent seen any, but w e cant be t oo sure. An Arum t aking Simon w ouldnt make any s ense, but kids around here didnt disappear w it hout it having somet hing t o do w it h t he Luxen and Arum. I glanced out t he w indow at t he familiar scenery. It didnt t ake me long t o realize w here w e w ere going. Confused, I w at ched Daemon pull t he SUV off t he road and park along t he ent rance t o t he field t he kids part ied in. T he same place w ed fought Baruck.

W hy here? I asked, climbing out . Dead leaves of various colors lit t ered t he g round. W it h each st ep, my feet sunk an inch or t w o t hrough t he leaves. Fo r a w hile, t he only sound w e heard w as t he rust ling of our feet w ading t hrough t he colorful sea of leaves. T his place might hold a lot of residual ener gy from our fight and from Barucks deat h. He st epped around a fall en t ree limb . Wat ch out , t he branches are scat t ered everyw here. I moved around one part icularly gnarly-looking one. T his might sound messed up, but Ive w ant ed t o com e back here. I dont know w hy. Crazy, huh? No, he said quiet ly. It makes sense t o m e. Is it t he w hole energy t hing? It s w hat s left over. Daemon bent and pushed ano her fall en limb out of t he w ay. I w ant t o see if I feel anyt hing. If t he DOD has been out here t o check it out , it might be good t o be in t he know . W e w alked t he rest of t he w ay in silence. I w as follow ing slight ly behind him, careful of t he rough t errain. I felt a peculiar st irring in me as soon a s it came int o view . T he ground w as covered in leaves but t he t rees w ere st ill bent , looking even more grot esque as t hey t w ist ed t ow ard t he gro und. I st opped at t he edge and t ried t o find t he spot w here Baruck had las t st ood. I pushed t he dead foliage w it h my foot . Soon, t he scarred ground came int o view . T he soil seemed t o remember w hat had happened t hat night a nd refused t o let go of t he memory. T his spot w as like a sick gravesit e. T h e ground w ill never heal, Daemon said soft ly from behind me. I dont know w hy, bu t it t ook on his essence and not hing w ill grow from t his spot . He t ook over , pushing back t he leaves unt ill t he area w as uncovered complet ely. Killing at first used t o bot her me. I t ore my eyes aw ay from t he burned pat ch of gr ound. W hat lit t le sun t hat peeked t hrough t he clouds caught t he auburn t int in his dark hair. Daemon smiled t ight ly. I didnt like it , t aking a life. I st ill dont . A life is a life. It s somet hing you have t o do. You cant change it . It only w reaks havoc on you t o dw ell. It bot hers me know ing t hat Ive kill edt w o of t hem, but Y ou arent w rong for w hat you did. Never t hink t hat . His e yes met mine for a second, and he cleared his t hroat . I dont feel anyt hing. I sh oved my hands int o t he front pocket of my hoodie, curving t hem around my cell phone. Do you t hink t he DOD found anyt hing? I dont know . He crossed t he small d ist ance bet w een us, st opping w hen I had t o t ilt my head back t o see him. Depends on if t heyre using equipment Im not familiar w it h.

And if t hey are, w hat does t hat mean? Is it somet hing t o be w orried about ? I dont t hink so, not even if t he levels of energy are higher. He reached out , sm oot hing back a st rand of hair t hat had escaped my ponyt ail. It doesnt really t ell t hem anyt hing. Have you been experiencing any out burst s recent ly? No, I s aid, not w ant ing him t o w orry needlessly. T oday Id blow n t he light in my r oom. And Id moved my bed about t hree feet . His hand lingered on my cheek for a moment longer, and t hen he capt ured my hand, bringing it t o his lips, placing t he light est kiss against t he cent er of my palm. A hot shiver w ent up my a rm. Peering t hrough his dark lashes, he burned me w it h one smoldering look. M y lips part ed and my heart flut t ered in my chest like t he many leaves t hat fell t o t he ground around us. Did you bring me out here just t o get me complet ely alone? T hat may have been a part of my mast er plan. Daemons head low ered and his hair fell forw ard, brushing my cheek. T he slant of his mout h t ilt ed an d an exhilarat ing heart beat lat er, his lips pressed against mine and my heart sw elled. I jerked back, breat hing heavily. No kissing, I w hispered. His finger s t ight ened around mine. Im t rying not t o. T hen t ry harder. I slipped my hand f ree and t ook a st ep back, shoving my hands back int o t he pocket of my hoodie . I t hink w e should head home. He sighed. W hat ever you w ant . I nodded. W e st art ed back t o t he car in silence. I st ared at t he ground, at w ar w it h w hat I w ant ed and w hat I needed. Daemon couldnt be bot h. So I w as t hinking, he said aft er a few moment s. I glanced at him w arily. About w hat ? W e should do somet hing. T oget her. Out side of your house and not just w alking around. He s t ared st raight ahead. W e should go out t o dinner or maybe a movie. My st upid heart st art ed jumping again. Are you asking me out ? He laughed under his breat h. T hat s w hat it sounds like. T he t rees w ere st art ing t o t hin out . Large bales of hay came int o view . Y ou dont w ant t o t ake me out on a dat e.

W hy do you keep t elling me w hat I dont w ant ? Curiosit y colored his t one. Beca use you cant , I t old him. Y ou cant w ant any of t his w it h me, not really. Mayb e w it h Ash I dont w ant Ash. His feat ures hardened as he st opped, facing me. If I w ant ed her, Id be w it h her. But Im not . Shes not w ho I w ant . Neit her am I. Y ou cant honest ly t ell me t hat youd risk every Luxen around here t urning t hei r backs on you for me. Daemon shook his head in disbelief. And you have got t o st op assuming you know w hat I w ant and w hat I w ould do. I st art ed w alking a gain. It s just t he challenge and t he connect ion, Daemon. W hat ever you feel f or me isnt real. T hat s ridiculous, he spat . How can you be sure? Because I know . on appeared in front of me, eyes narrow ed. He t humped his hand off his chest , direct ly above his heart . Because I know w hat I feel in here. And Im not t he t ype of person t o run from anyt hing, no mat t er how hard it is. Id rat her fa ce-plant against a brick w all t han live for t he rest of my life w ondering w hat couldve been. And you know w hat ? I didnt t hink you w ere t he t ype t o run , eit her. Maybe I w as w rong. St unned, I pulled my hands out and brushed my ha ir back. Knot s formed in my st omacht he good w arm and t w ist y kind. I dont run . You dont ? Because t hat s w hat youre doing, he argued. You pret end w hat you feel for me isnt real or doesnt exist . And I know damn w ell you dont feel anyt hing fo r Bobby. Blake, I correct ed him aut omat ically. W alking around him, I headed for t he car. I dont w ant t o t alk We came t o a st andst ill at t he edge of t he w oods. Tw o giant black SUVs w ere parked on eit her side of Daemons, blocking him in. Tw o men st ood beside one, dressed in black suit s. Unease rolled t hrough me like a chilled, dark w ave. Daemon moved in front of me, hands at his sides. Tension t ight ened his muscles. I didnt have t o ask t o know w ho t hey w ere. T he DOD w as here. Chapter 15 One of t he Suit s st epped forw ard, eyes t rained on Daemon. hello, Mr. Black a nd Miss Sw art z.

Hey, Lane, Daemon answ ered in a monot one voice, apparent ly know ing t he one gu y. I w asnt expect ing you t oday. Unsure of w hat I should do, I nodded and remain ed quiet , t rying t o make myself as small as possible. W e got int o t ow n a l it t le early and saw your car. Lane smiled, and it gave me t he creeps. T he ot her Suit s eyes bounced t o me. W hat w ere you guys doing out here? T here w as a p art y here last night , and w e w ere looking for her cell phone. Daemon grinned at me. She lost it and w ere st ill looking for it T he cell phone felt like it w as burning a hole in my pocket now . So I can meet you guys lat er, Daemon cont in ued. Once w e find t he T he passenger door of one of t he Expedit ions opened and a w oman st epped out . She had icy blond hair pulled back in a t ight bun, reve aling sharp feat ures t hat w ouldve been pret t y on someone w ho didnt look like she might t ase me. Underage drinking? T he w oman smiled. It reminded me of t he kind paint ed on Barbie. Fake. Plast ic. W rong somehow . W e w erent drinking, I said, going along w it h everyt hing. He know s bet t er. His parent s are like m ine. T heyd kill him. Well, I w as hoping t o cat ch up w it h you, Daemon, and w e could get an earlydinner. Lane mot ioned t ow ard his Expedit ion. We only have a few hours. I hat e t o cut your cell phone search-and-rescue short . For a moment , I t hought hed prot est , but he t urned t o me. It s okay. I can t ake her home and meet up w it h you guys. T hat w ont be necessary, t he w oman cut in. W e can t ake her back, and you guys can cat ch up. My pulse w as all over t he place, and I glanced at Daemon for help. A muscle popped in his jaw as he st ood by, silen t and helpless. I knew t hen t here w as not hing he could do. Forcing a smile, I nodded. T hat s cool w it h me. I just hope it s not going out of your w ay. Daemo ns right hand clenched. It s not out of t he w ay, she replied. W e love t he roads b ack here. Fall colors and all. Ready? I looked at Daemon as I headed t ow ard t h e SUV. His haw klike gaze follow ed my st eps. I murmured my t hanks as she open ed t he back door. Get t ing in, I seriously hoped I didnt end up on a missing pe rsons flyer. Daemon w as get t ing int o his ow n car, but he st opped and glance d back at me. Id sw ear I heard his voice in my head. It ll be okay. But it couldnt have been him. Maybe it w as w ishful t hinking, because for a moment , fear t rickled like ice w at er t hrough my veins. W hat if t his w as t he last t ime I saw himsaw anyone? W hat if t heyd discovered I knew t he t rut h?

W hat if t hey knew w hat I could do? Now I w ished Id let Daemon kiss me back t here. Because if I w as going t o disappear, t hen at least my last memory w oul dve given me some sort of complet ion. I forced myself t o breat he slow ly as I raised my hand, w iggling my fingers at him before t he w oman shut t he door. S he climbed int o t he passenger seat and t w ist ed around. Seat belt ? Hands shak ing and sw eat y, I fast ened myself in. T he man behind t he w heel said not hi ng, but t he hairs on his must ache kept blow ing as if he w ere breat hing heav ily. Um, t hanks for t he ride. It s no problem. My name is Nancy Husher, she said, a nd t hen nodded at t he driver. T his is Brian Vaughn. Hes know n Daemons family fo r several years. Im just along for t he ride. Im sure you are. Ohthats really nice. Na cy nodded. Daemon is like one of Brians ow n, isnt he? Y es, agreed Brian. It s not o en t hat w e see him w it h a girl. He must t hink a lot of you t o help look fo r your cell phone. My eyes dart ed bet w een t he t w o. I guess so. He and his si st er are really nice. Dee is a doll. How close are you w it h t hem? Brian asked. I w as being int errogat ed. Great . W ell, since w ere t he only ones w ho live o n t he same st reet , w ere kind of close. Nancy glanced out t he front w indow . Luckily, I recognized t hat w e w ere heading back t ow ard Ket t erman. And Daem on? How close are you w it h him? My mout h dried. Im not sure Im follow ing t he qu est ion. I t hought you said he w as dat ing someone, Brian? Ash T hompson, he answ e red. Like t hey didnt know her name, but hey, I could play along. Yeah, I t hink t hey broke up during t he summer, but t hat doesnt have anyt hing t o do w it h u s. It doesnt ? Nancy asked. I shook my head, deciding a lit t le bit of t he t rut h couldnt hurt . W ere just friends. Most of t he t ime w e dont really even get alon g. But you just said he w as nice.

Shit . Face blank, I shrugged. He can be nice w hen he w ant s. A single pale eyeb row arched. And w hat about Dee? Shes aw esome. I glanced out t he w indow . T his w as t he longest t rip ever. I w as going t o have a heart at t ack before it w a s over. T here w as somet hing about Nancy, more t han just t he obvious, t hat made me squirm. And w hat do you t hink of t heir parent s? I frow ned. T hese w e re really w eird quest ions t o be asking, given t he fact t hey didnt know I kne w anyt hing. I dont know . T heyre parent s. Brian laughed. W as t his dude real? It sounded a bit mechanical. W hat I meant is, do you like t hem? she asked. I dont se e t hem oft en. Just coming and going. I really havent t alked t o t hem. I met he r eyes, w illing her t o believe me. I dont hang out at t heir house oft en, so I dont run int o t hem. She held my st are a few more moment s and t hen t urned aro und in her seat . No one spoke aft er t hat . Sw eat gat hered along my brow . W hen Brian t urned ont o my road, I almost cried in relief. T he car coast ed t o a st op, and I w as already unbuckling my seat belt . T hanks for t he ride, I s aid hast ily. No problem, Nancy said. T ake care, Miss Sw art z. T he t iny hairs on my body rose. I opened t he door and climbed out . And just t hen, w it h t he w orst case of bad t iming in t he w orld, my cell phone w ent off in my pocket , blaring like an alarm. Holy crap My eyes flicked up t o Nancys. She smiled. Im sur e hes okay, Dee said again. Katy, they do this all the time. They stop by, track us down, and act all kinds of weird. I st opped in front of her T V, w ringing my h ands. Fear had root ed deep inside my gut from t he moment t heyd deposit ed me i n front of my house. Y ou dont underst and. He t old t hem w e w ere out t here lo oking for my cell phone and t hat Id lost it . And t hen it rang in front of t he m. I know , but w hat s t he big deal? Adam sat on t he couch, kicking his legs up. T heres no w ay t heyd suspect you know anyt hing. But t hey knew w e w ere lying, a nd t hey all seemed w

ay t oo smart t o miss t hat . And it w asnt like I could t ell Dee w hat w ed rea lly been doing out t here. Not t hat she hadnt asked. Id made up some lame excuse about w ant ing t o see t he spot w here hed killed Baruck. Dee didnt look ent ire ly convinced. I st art ed pacing again. But t hat w as hours ago, guys. It s almos t t en. Honey, hes fine. She got up, clasping my hands. T hey w ere here first and t hen w ent looking for him. All t hey are doing is being annoying and asking ques t ions. But w hy w ould it t ake so long w it h him? Because t hey like t o give him crap and he likes t o give it back, Adam said, float ing t he remot e cont roll over t o his hand. It s like a parasit ic relat ionship bet w een t he t w o. I lau ghed w eakly. But w hat if t hey find out I know ? W hat w ill t hey do t o him? D ees brow s knit t ed. T hey arent going t o find out , Kat y. And if t hey did, you should be more w orried about yourself t han him. Nodding, I pulled my hands fre e and st art ed w earing a pat h in t he carpet again. T hey didnt underst and. Id seen it in Nancys eyes. She knew w e w ere lying, but shed let me go. W hy? Kat y, Dee began slow ly. Im surprised t hat youre so concerned about Daemons w elfare. A fl ush sw ept over my cheeks. I didnt w ant t o look t oo closely at w hy I w as so concerned. Just because heshes Daemondoesnt mean I w ant anyt hing bad t o happen t o him. W at ching me closely, she arched one brow . Are you sure it s not more t han t hat ? I halt ed. Of course. Hes been bringing you st uff t o school. Adam leaned his head back, eyes narrow ed. Ive never seen him act like t hat w it h anyone. Not e ven my sist er. And you guys have been spending a lot of t ime t oget her, Dee adde d. So? Y ouve been spending a lot of t ime w it h Adam. As soon as it left my mout h, I realized how st upid t hat w as. Dee smiled, eyes glit t ering. Y eah, and w eve been having sex. Lot s of it . Adams eyes w ent w ide. W ow , Dee, put it all o ut t here like t hat . She shrugged. It s t rue. Oh, geez, t hat s not w hat s happeni g here. Moving t o t he couch, she sat beside a red-faced Adam. T hen w hat is hap pening?

Crap. I hat ed lying t o her. Hes been helping me st udy. For w hat ? T rig, I said qu ckly. I suck at mat h. Dee laughed. Okay. If you say so, but I hope you know t hat if you and my brot her have somet hing going on, Im not going t o be mad. I st are d at her. And part of me underst ands w hy you t w o w ould keep it hidden. You g uys are know n for your w ord w ar and everyt hing else. She frow ned. But I just w ant you t o know t hat Im okay w it h it . It s crazy and I hope Daemon is prepa red for w hat s going t o happen, but I w ant him happy. And if you make him happ y Okay. I got you. So not a conversat ion I w ant ed t o have w it h Dee in front of Adam. She smiled. I w ish youd reconsider doing T hanksgiving dinner w it h us. Y ou know youre w elcome. I seriously doubt Ash and Andrew w ould be happy w it h me at t he t able. W ho cares w hat t hey t hink? Adam rolled his eyes. I dont . Neit h er does Daemon. And you shouldnt eit her. Y ou guys are like a family. Im not T ingle s spread over my neck. W it hout t hinking, I spun around and raced across t he room. T hrow ing open t he door, I rushed out int o t he cold night air. I didnt even t hink. Daemon had reached t he t op st ep w hen I rushed him, w rapping my arms around his neck, squeezing him t ight . He seemed st unned for a second, a nd t hen his arms sw ept around my w aist . For several moment s, neit her of us spoke. We didnt need t o. I just w ant ed t o hold himfor him t o hold me. Maybe it w as t he connect ion w rapping us t oget her. Maybe it w as somet hing infin it ely deeper. At t hat moment , I didnt care. W hoa t here, Kit t en, w hat s goin g on? Burrow ing closer, I draw led in a deep breat h. I t hought t he DOD cart ed you off t o some lab t o keep you in a cage. Cage? He laughed a bit unst eadily. No . No cages. T hey just w ant ed t o t alk. It t ook longer t han I t hought . Ev eryt hings okay. Dee cleared her t hroat . Ahem.

St iffening, I realized w hat I w as doing. Oh, so not cool. Disent angling my a rms and w iggling out from his, I backed up and blushed. II w as just excit ed. Y ea h, Id say you w ere, Dee said, grinning like an idiot . Daemon w as st aring at me like hed just w on t he lot t ery. I kind of like t his level of excit ement . Ma kes me t hink of Daemon! bot h of us shout ed. W hat ? He grinned, t ousling Dees hair I w as only suggest ing We know w hat you w ere suggest ing. Dee dart ed out from un derneat h his hand. And I really w ant t o keep my food dow n t onight . She smile d at me. See. I t old you. Daemon is fine. I could see t hat . He w as also smokin hot , but back t o t he w hole point . T hey didnt suspect anyt hing? Daemon shook his head. Not hing out of t he norm, but t heyre alw ays paranoid. He paused, his e yes searching mine in t he dim light of t he porch. Really, you dont need t o w or ry. Y oure safe. It w asnt me Id been w orried about , and oh boy, t hat w as bad. M y sense of self-preservat ion w as messed up. And I honest ly needed t o get out of here. All right , I need t o go home. Kat No. I w aved him off, st art ing dow n he st eps. I really need t o go home. Blake called and I need t o call him back. B oris can w ait , Daemon said. Blake, I said, st opping on t he sidew alk. Dee had w isely gone inside, but Daemon had moved t o t he edge of t he porch. My t hough t s, my emot ions, felt overly exposed w hen I met his eyes. T hey asked me a lot of quest ionsespecially t he lady. Nancy Husher, he said, frow ning. A second lat e r, he w as st anding before me. Shes apparent ly a big deal w it hin t he DOD. T h ey w ant ed t o know w hat w ent dow n Hall ow een w eekend. I gave t hem t he D aemon-edit ed-version. Did t hey believe you? He nodded. Hook, line, and sinker. I sh ivered. But it w asnt you, Daemon. It w as me. Or it w as all of us.

I know , but t hey dont know t hat . His voice low ered as he cupped my cheek. T hey w ont ever know t hat . My eyes closed. T he w armt h of his hand eased some of t he fear. It s not me Im w orried about . If t hey t hink you blew a sat ell it e o ut of orbit , t hey could see you as a t hreat . Or t hey could just t hink Im t ha t aw esome. It s not funny, I w hispered. I know . Daemon moved closer, and before I k new it , I w as in his embrace again. Dont w orry about me or Dee. We can handle t he DOD. Trust me. I let him hold me for a couple of moment s, soaking up his w a rmt h, but t hen I slipped free. I didnt t ell t hat lady anyt hing. And t he damn phone rang as I w as get t ing out of t he car. She knew w e w ere lying about w hy w e w ere t here. T heyre not going t o care about us lying over t he phone. T hey probably t hink w e w ere out t here get t ing it on or somet hing. You dont need t o w orry, Kat . Anxiet y didnt fade. It snaked t hrough me. T here had bee n somet hing about Nancy. Calculat ing. As if a pop quiz had been sprung on us a nd w ed failed. I lift ed my eyes, meet ing his. Im glad youre okay. He smiled. I know . I could have st ood t here st aring at his sparkling eyes all night , but some t hing urged me t o run as far aw ay from him as quickly as I could. Somet hing bad w as going t o come from all of t his. I t urned and w alked aw ay. Chapter 16 As expect ed, I spent t he bet t er part of T hanksgiving poking around t he hou se alone. Mom really got shaft ed, pulling a double shift t hat t ook her out of t he house from around noon T hursday unt ill noon on Friday. I couldve gone nex t door. Bot h Dee and Daemon had invit ed me, but it didnt feel right bust ing up t heir alien T hanksgiving. And from t he amount of creepy peeping I w as doing from my w indow every t ime I heard a car door close out side, I knew everyone show ing up w as secret ly an ET . Even Ash arrived w it h her brot hers, lookin g like she w as going t o a funeral rat her t han a dinner part y.

Part of me didnt like t hat she w as t here. Y eah, I w as jealous. St upid. But Id made t he right call by not going. I w as an anxious w reck. Today alone, Id t ipped over t he coffee t able, shat t ered t hree glasses, and blew a light bulb . Being w it h people probably w asnt a good idea, but it w ouldve been nice t o l ose myself in t he holiday fest ivit ies for a lit t le w hile. T he only good t hing w as t he fact my head didnt feel like it w as being ripped apart aft er t he shenanigans. Around six in t he evening, I felt t hat now -oh-so-familiar t i ngle on t he back of my neck right before Daemon knocked. A ball of confusing fe elings unfurled inside me as I hurried t o t he door. T he first t hing I not ic ed w as t he large box beside him, and t hen t he scent of roast ed t urkey and yams. Hey, he said, holding a st ack of covered plat es. Happy T hanksgiving. I blin ked slow ly. Happy T hanksgiving. Y ou going t o invit e me in? He held up t he plat es, w iggling t hem. I come bearing gift s in t he form of food. I st epped aside . St ill grinning, he came in and w aved his free hand. T he box lift ed off t h e porch and t railed behind him like a dog. It landed just inside t he foyer. As I shut t he door, I caught sight of Ash and Andrew climbing int o t heir car. N eit her of t hem looked over. A lump formed in my t hroat as I t urned t o Daemo n. I brought a lit t le of everyt hing. He headed t ow ard t he kit chen. T heres t urkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed pot at oes, green-bean casserole, some kind of apple crisp t hing and pumpkinKit t en? Are you coming? Peeling myself aw ay f rom t he front door, I w ent int o t he kit chen. He w as set t ing up t he t ab le, uncovering t he dishes. II didnt know w hat t o t hink. Daemon raised his hand s and t w o depression glass candleholders Mom never used float ed t o t he t ab le. Candles came next , and w it h a w ave of his hand, t heir w icks sparked t iny flames. T he lump grew , nearly choking me. Dinnerw are and glasses came fro m several opened draw ers. Moms w ine flew out of t he fridge, pouring int o t w o cryst all flut es w hile Daemon st ood in t he middle of everyt hing. It w as like a scene st raight out of Beaut y and t he Beast . I kept w ait ing for a t eapot t o st art singing.

And aft er dinner, I have anot her surprise for you. Y ou do? I w hispered. He nodde d. But youve got t o join me for dinner first . I shuffled t o t he t able and sat , w at ching him w it h eyes t hat w ere blurry. He made me a plat e and t hen s at beside me. I cleared my t hroat . Daemon, II dont know w hat t o say, but t hank you. T hanks arent necessary, he said. Y ou didnt w ant t o come over, w hich I under st and, but you shouldnt be alone. Low ering my gaze before he could see t he t ea rs gat hering in my eyes, I grabbed t he flut e and dow ned t he bit t er-t ast ing w hit e w ine. W hen I looked up, his brow s w ere raised. Lush, he murmured. I grinned. Maybefor t oday. He nudged me w it h his knee under t he t able. Dig in b efore it get s cold. T he food w as divine. Any doubt s I had about Dees cooking a bilit ies vanished. T hroughout our lit t le makeshift dinner, I drank anot her glass of w ine. I also at e everyt hing t hat Daemon put on my plat e, including second helpings. And by t he t ime I st abbed t he pumpkin pie w it h my fork, I w as eit her a lit t le t ipsy or I w as st art ing t o believe t hat t here w as more t han just t he connect ion propelling him. T hat maybe he did care for me, because I w as able t o fight it sort ofand I know damn w ell t hat Daemon co uld if he w ant ed t o. Maybe he just didnt w ant t o. Cleaning up dinner w as a st rangely int imat e experience. Our elbow s brushed several t imes. Amiable si lence descended as w e w ashed t he dishes, side by side. My cheeks felt flushed . My t hought s w ere w ay t oo giddy. T oo much w ine. I follow ed Daemon int o t he foyer aft erw ard. He moved t he large box t o t he living room w it hout t ouching it . It sort of jingled. Sit t ing on t he edge of t he couch, I folde d my hands and w ait ed, having no clue w hat he w as up t o. Daemon opened t he box, reached inside, and pulled out a green-needled branch and poked me w it h it . I t hink w e have a Christ mas t ree t o put up. I know it s not during t he parade, but I t

hink Charlie Brow ns T hanksgiving special is on, and, w ell, t hat s not t oo bad . T hat w as it . T he lump in my t hroat w as back, but t here w as no st opping it t his t ime. Jumping from t he couch, I raced out of t he room. Tears formed , t hen slid dow n my cheeks. Emot ion clogged my t hroat as I w iped under my e yes. Daemon appeared in front of me, blocking t he st aircase. His eyes w ere w ide, pupils luminous. I t ried t o t urn aw ay, but he quickly enveloped me in h is st rong arms. I didnt do t his t o make you cry, Kat . I know , I sniffled. It s ju t It s just w hat ? He cupped my cheeks, his t humbs brushing aw ay t he t ears. My skin t ingled from t he cont act . Kit t en? I dont t hink you know how muchsomet hin g like t his means t o me. I t ook a deep breat h, but t he st upid t ears kept f alling. I havent done t his sincesince Dad w as alive. And Im sorry t o cry, because Im not sad. I just didnt expect t his. It s okay. Daemon t ugged me forw ard, and I w ent . He w rapped his arms around me, holding me close as I buried my face int o t he front of his shirt . I get it . Good t ears and all. T here w as somet hing w arm and right about being in his arms. And I w ant ed t o deny it , but for t he first t ime, I st oppedI just st opped. Even if Daemon saw me as one giant Ru biks Cube he had t o crack or if it w as t he healing mojo, it didnt mat t er. Not right now . I grabbed a handful of his shirt and held on. He may have t hought he knew how much t his meant t o me, but he really didnt . Daemon w ould never kn ow . I lift ed my head and reached up, clasping his smoot h cheeks. W it h his h elp, I brought his lips t o mine and kissed him. It w as a quick and innocent ki ss, but I felt t he zing all t he w ay t o my t oes. I pulled back, breat hless. T hank you. I really mean it . T hank you. He brushed t he backs of his fingers o ver my cheek, smoot hing t he last of my t ears aw ay. Dont let anyone know about my sw eet side. I have a reput at ion t o keep up. I laughed. All right , let s do t his. Trimming a Christ mas t ree w it h an alien w as a different experience. H e moved t he recliner out from in front of t he w indow w it h a jerk of his chi n. Bulbs hung in t he air along w it h t w inkling light s t hat w erent plugged in. W e laughed. A lot . Every so oft en Id get choked up w hen I t hought of Moms face t omorrow aft ernoon. Shed be happy, I t hought . Daemon dropped silvery t insel on my head w hile I plucked a bulb out of t he air. T hanks, I said.

It kind of fit s you. T he scent of art ificial pine filled t he living room. T he holiday spirit w oke inside me like a slumbering giant . I grinned at Daemon an d held up a bulb t hat w as so green it almost mat ched his eyes. I decided it w as going t o be his bulb. I placed it right under t he t w inkling st ar. It w as almost midnight by t he t ime w e finished. Sit t ing on t he couch, t high a gainst t high, w e st ared at our mast erpiece. T he t ree w as a lit t le t ins el-heavy on one side, but it w as perfect . A rainbow of colored light s shimmer ed. Glass bulbs glimmered. I love it , I said. Yeah, it s pret t y good. He leaned in t o me, yaw ning. Dee put up t he t ree t his morning. She has t o have everyt h ing t he same color, but I t hink our t ree looks bet t er. It s like a disco bal l. Our tree. I smiled, liking the sound of that. He bumped me w it h his shoulder . Y ou know , I had fun doing t his. I did, t oo. Daemons lashes low ered. Man, Id kil l for a set of t hose babies. It s lat e. I know . I hesit at ed. Y ou w ant t o st ay ? A single brow arched. T hat hadnt come out right . I dont mean t hat . Not t hat Id omplain if you did. His gaze dropped. Not at all. I rolled my eyes, but my t ummy w as coiling t ight . W hy had I offered for him t o st ay? His assumpt ion w asnt t oo far off. Daemon didnt st rike me as t he t ype t o dig PG-13 slumber part i es. I remembered t he last and only t ime w ed shared a bed. Flushing, I st ood. I didnt w ant him t o leave, but I didnt I didnt know w hat I w ant ed. Im going t o g et changed, I said. Need help? W ow . Y oure so chivalrous, Daemon.

His smile w idened, flashing deep dimples. W ell, t he experience w ould be mut u ally beneficial. I promise. No doubt it w ould be. St ay, I ordered, t hen hurried upst airs. I quickly changed int o a pair of sleep short s and a pink t hermal. Not t he sexiest sleepw ear, but as I w ashed my face and brushed my t eet h, I decided it w as t he best choice. Anyt hing else w ould give Daemon ideas. Hell, a paper sack w ould encourage him. I left my bat hroom and st opped. Daemon had not st ayed. My smile slipped from my face. He w as st anding by t he w indow , his back t o me. I got bored. I w asnt even gone five minut es. I have a short at t e nt ion span. He glanced back at me, eyes glit t ering. Nice short s. I grinned. T h ere w ere st ars on my short s. W hat are you doing up here? You said I could st ay . He faced me, his gaze drift ing t o t he bed. T he room suddenly seemed t oo sm all, t he bed even smaller. I didnt t hink you meant st aying on t he couch. Now I w asnt even sure w hat Id meant . I sighed. W hat w as I doing? Crossing t he room , he st opped in front of me. Im not going t o bit e. T hat s good. Unless you w ant m t o, he added w it h a devilish grin. Nice, I mut t ered, side-st epping him. Spac e w as definit ely needed. Not t hat it did much good. Heart pounding, I w at ch ed him kick off his shoes and t hen w hip off his shirt . He moved t o t he but t on on his jeans. My eyes w idened. W hat w hat are you doing? Get t ing ready for bed. But youre get t ing naked! He arched his brow . I do have boxers on. W hat ? Do you expect me t o sleep in my jeans? Y ou did last t ime. I felt t he need t o fan myself. Daemon laughed. Act ually, I had pajama bot t oms on. And hed had a shirt o n, but w ho w as keeping t rack? I couldve t old him t o leave, but I t urned aw ay, pret ending t o be engrossed w it h a book on my desk. Chills shot st raight t o my core w hen I heard t he bed groan under his w eight . Taking a shallow b reat h, I t urned around.

He w as in bed, arms folded behind his head, an innocent look on his face. T his w as a bad idea, I w hispered. It w as probably t he smart est idea youve ever had. I rubbed my palms on my hips. It s going t o t ake a lot more t han T hanksgiving dinner and a Christ mas t ree t o get laid. Damn. T here goes my w hole plan. Flust ered, infuriat ed, and t hrilled, I st ared at him. So many emot ions couldnt be possible. My head w as spinning as I st alked over t o my side of t he bedoh my God, w hen had w e developed sides?and quickly slid under t he covers. I did not w ant t o know if hed left t he jeans on or not . Can you t urn off t he light ? Da rkness descended w it hout him moving. Several moment s passed. T hat s a handy ab ilit y. It is. My eyes focused on t he pale light peeking t hrough t he curt ains. M aybe one day I can be just as lazy as you and t urn off light s w it hout moving . T hat s somet hing t o aspire t o. I relaxed a fract ion of an inch and smiled. God , youre so modest . Modest y is for saint s and losers. Im neit her. W ow , Daemon, ju st w ow . He rolled ont o his side, his breat h st irring t he hair along my neck . My heart leaped int o my t hroat . I cant believe you havent kicked me out yet . Sa me here, I murmured. Daemon w easeled his w ay closer, and, oh yeah, hed got t en rid of his jeans. His bare legs brushed mine, and my heart rat e spiked. I really didnt mean t o make you cry earlier. I flipped ont o my back and st ared up at hi m. He w as raised on one elbow . Silky locks fell int o his shining eyes. I know . T he w hole t hing you did, it w as sort of amazing. I just didnt like t he idea of you being alone. Slow and st eady breat hs raised my chest . Like w hen hed hug ged me dow nst airs and Id kissed him, I w ant ed t o st op t hinking. Impossible w hen his eyes held t he int ensit y of a t housand suns.

Daemon reached out , brushing a st rand of hair off my cheek w it h t he t ips o f his fingers. Elect ricit y shimmered t hrough me. T here w as no denying t he at t ract iont he pull t hat didnt w ant t o let eit her of us go. My gaze w as fi xed on his lips like an addict . Memories of t he w ay t heyd felt seared me. All of t his w as crazy. Invit ing him t o st ay, get t ing in bed w it h him, and t hinking w hat I w as about him. Crazy. Excit ing. I sw allow ed. W e should go t o sleep. His hand palmed my cheek, and I w ant ed t o t ouch him. I w ant ed t o be closer. W e should, he agreed. Lift ing my hand, I brushed my fingers over hi s lips. T hey w ere pillow y soft yet firm. Int oxicat ing. Daemons eyes flared, and my st omach hollow ed. He shift ed his head closer and his lips brushed t he corner of mine. His hands slid from my face and dow n my neck, and w hen he dip ped his head again, his lips brushed over t he t ip of my nose. And t hen he kis sed me. A slow -burning, t oe-curling kiss t hat left me aching for so, so much more. I felt like I w as spinning int o t hat kiss, falling int o him. He pulled back w it h a groan and set t led beside me, w rapping an arm around my w aist . Good night , Kit t en. Heart pounding, I let out a long sigh. T hat s all? Daemon l aughed. T hat s all for now . Bit ing my lip, I w illed my heart t o slow dow n. It seemed t o t ake forever. T hen finally, I w iggled closer unt ill he snaked an arm under my head. I t urned ont o my side, rest ing my cheek against his upper arm. Our breat hs mingled as w e lay t here, st aring at each ot her silent ly u nt ill his eyes drift ed shut . For t he second t ime t hat night , I admit t ed t hat maybe Id been w rong about Daemon. Maybe I didnt even know myself. And t he re w as no w ine t o blame t his t ime. I drift ed off t o sleep w ondering w ha t he meant by for now . Chapter 17 W hen Blake t ext ed me and asked t o meet him at t he Smoke Hole Diner Friday e vening, I didnt know w hat t o do. It seemedw rong t o have an early dinner w it h him w hen last night Id slept in Daemons arms.

My cheeks flushed. We didnt do anyt hing ot her t han t hat one kiss, but it w as just as int imat e, if not more. My feelings for him w ere all over t he place and w hat he did for me yest erday, w it h t he dinner and t he Christ mas t ree , meant somet hing I couldnt ignore. But I also couldnt ignore Blake. He w as my f riend, and aft er last night , I needed t o make sure he didnt expect anyt hing m ore t han t hat a friendship. Because somew here over t he course of a day, even t hough I hadnt figured out t hings w it h Daemon, I did realize t hat he w as ri ght about one t hing. I w as using Blake. He w as uncomplicat ed and harmless. T ot ally a nice guy and dat eable, but my feelings w ere lukew arm for t he surfe r. Not hing like how I felt for Daemon. And it w asnt right . If Blake did like m e, I couldnt st ring him along anymore. So I t ext ed him back and said okay, hop ing t his w ouldnt be t he most aw kw ard dinner of my life. T he w eat her had c hanged t he moment t he sun w ent behind t he mount ains. T he comfort able aut umn air w as replaced by near-frigid w inds, and t he sky t ook on a const ant g loomy, overcast presence. I pulled int o t he closest parking space t o t he doo r of t he diner. T he w ind had screamed t he w hole t rip, and I dreaded get t ing out of my w arm car. I couldnt help but not ice t hat t he space of glass abo ve t he rest aurant s business hours held a pict ure of Simon on it . I grimaced, t hrew open t he door, and hurried int o t he surprisingly crow ded rest aurant . Blake w as sit t ing near t he fireplace. He st ood and smiled w hen he saw m e. Hey, glad you made it . W hen he reached out as if he w ant ed t o hug me, I pr et ended not t o not ice and sat . I cant believe how cold it is. How w as your t rip? Frow ning slight ly, he t ook his seat and met hodically st raight ened his silverw are around a pret end plat e. It w asnt bad. Not very excit ing. W hen t he cut lery w as posit ioned just so, he glanced up. How w as your break? Not very di fferent t han yours. I paused, recognizing a few kids from school. T hey w ere cl ust ered t oget her, drinking sodas and eat ing a large oven pizza. Chadt he boy Lesa w as dat ingw aved at me and I w aved back. But Im not ready for it t o be ove r. W e paused w hile a plump w ait ress t ook our orders. I got a soda and a bask et of fries and he ordered soup. Hopefully t his doesnt end up all over me, he joke d. I cringed. Not likely, since Daemon w asnt hereyet . I really am sorry about all t hat . Blake t apped his st raw off my hand before peeling t he paper from arou nd t he plast ic. It s not a big deal. St uff happens. I nodded, st udying t he st eamed-over w indow s. He cleared his t hroat ,

frow ning again as his eyes narrow ed on a middle-aged man near t he bar w ho w as looking around nervously. I t hink t hat guys about t o skip out on his bill. Huh , really? Blake nodded. And he t hinks hes get t ing aw ay w it h it . He has so ma ny t imes before. In st unned silence, I w at ched t he man t ake one last drink and st and w it hout get t ing his check. Someone is alw ays w at ching, Blake add ed w it h a slight smile. A couple sit t ing behind t he man, bot h in flannel s hirt s and w ell-w orn jeans, w ere also w at ching t he cust omer about t o fle e. T he man leaned t ow ard t he w oman, w hispering somet hing. Her heavy face t w ist ed int o a scow ll, and she slammed her hand dow n on t he t able. No-goo d bums, alw ays t hinking t hey can get a free meal! T he out burst caught t he a t t ent ion of t he manager w ho w as t aking an order by t he door. He t urned t o face t he st art led man. Hey! Did you pay for t hat ? T he man st opped and f umbled in his pocket s. He mut t ered an apology and hast ily t hrew several cru mpled bills on t he t able. My head snapped back t o Blake. W hoa, t hat w asuncan ny. He shrugged. I w ait ed unt ill t he w ait ress ret urned w it h our order an d left , my unease grow ing. How did you know he w as going t o do t hat ? Blake b lew on his spoonful of veget able soup. A good guess. bullshit , I w hispered. His g aze met mine. It w as just a lucky guess. Doubt bubbled up. Blake w asnt an alienat least I assumed he w asnt , and none of t he Luxen I knew could read minds or for esee anyt hing, but t hat w as just t oo w eird. It couldve been a lucky guess, b ut every inst inct w as t elling me t here w as somet hing more. I munched on t he fries. So do you have lucky guesses a lot ? He shrugged. Somet imes. It s just in t uit ion. Int uit ion, I said, nodding. T hat s some spot -on int uit ion. Anyw ay, I heard about t hat kid going missing. T hat t ot ally sucks.

T he abrupt change of subject w as jarring. Y eah, it does. I t hink t he cops be lieve he ran aw ay. Blake t w irled his spoon in t he soup. Did t hey ask Daemon a lot of quest ions? I frow ned. W hy w ould t hey? Blakes hand st illed. W ell because Daemon did get in a fight w it h him. I mean, it seems likely t hey w ould ques t ion him. Okay, he had a point , and I w as being w ay t oo t w it chy about t h is. Yeah, I t hink t hey did, but he didnt have anyt hing t o do w it h I froze, not believing w hat I w as feeling. Dull heat flared bet w een my breast s. It coul dnt be. I dropped t he fry back int o t he basket . T he obsidian flared under my sw eat er. Frant ically, I reached around my neck, t ugging on t he chain. W he n t he obsidian slipped free, I w rapped my hand around it , w incing as t he st one scorched my palm. Panic claw ed up my t hroat as I lift ed my eyes. Blake w as doing somet hing w it h his w rist , but my eyes lat ched ont o t he front d oor. It sw ung open. Fall en leaves scat t ered across t he t ile. T he low hum of conversat ion cont inued, t he cust omers unaw are a monst er w as in t heir mix. Near-scalding heat radiat ed from t he obsidian. Our t able st art ed t o r at t led soft ly. In t he doorw ay, a t all and pale w oman w it h dark sunglass es covering half her face scanned t he crow ded pat rons. Her raven-colored hair hung in t hick, ropey st rands around her cheeks. Her red lips w ere spread in a serpent s smile. She w as an Arum. I w as st art ing t o st and, seconds aw ay from ripping t he obsidian off my neck. Would I really charge her? I w asnt sure, but I couldnt st and here and do not hing. My muscles t ensed. Arum alw ays t ra veled in fours, so if t here w as one, t hat meant t here w ere t hree more some w here. Blood pounded in my ears. I w as so int ent on t he female Arum t hat I hadnt paid at t ent ion t o Blake unt ill he w as in front of me. He raised one h and. Everyone st opped. Everyone. Some people had forks of food halfw ay t o t h eir mout hs. Ot hers w ere st opped in midconversat ion, mout hs hanging open in silent laught er. A few had even st opped w alking w it h one foot off t he gro und. A w ait ress had been light ing a candle w it h a small light er. She w as frozen but t he flame st ill danced above t he light er. No one t alked, no one moved, and no one even seemed t o breat he.

Blake? I t ook a st ep back from him, unsure of w hom I should be more afraid oft he Arum or t he harmless surfer boy. T he female Arum hadnt frozen. She w as mov ing her head side t o side in slick, fluid mot ions as she st udied t he frozen humans and, I assumed, a few Luxen. Arum, Blake accused, voice low . She w hipped around, her head st ill moving. She t ook off her sunglasses, squint ed. Human? Bl ake laughed. Not quit e. And t hen he launched himself at her. Chapter 18 Blake w as a freaking ninja. Moving light ning fast , he dipped under t he Arums out st ret ched arm and spun around, delivering a vicious spin kick t o her back . She st aggered forw ard a st ep and w hirled. T he air around her hand darkene d w it h black energy. She reared back, preparing t o deliver a blow . Dropping dow n, he spun and knocked her leat her-encased legs from underneat h her. T he dark energy flickered out as t hey bot h rose t o t heir feet again, circling ea ch ot her in t he narrow space bet w een t he cramped t ables and frozen people. I sort of just st ood t here, myst ified and ent ranced by t he display. T here w as no expression on Blakes face. It w as like a kickass sw it ch had been t hr ow n, and his w hole being w as focused on t he Arum. Blake dart ed in, his palm cat ching t he Arums chin, snapping her head back. Teet h rat t led, and w hen s he low ered her head, a dark, oily subst ance leaked from her lip. She faded out , t aking on her t rue form. Her shadow y body w as t hick and smoky as it char ged Blake. He laughed. And pivot ed around so fast t hat his hand w as just a bl ur as it sunk deep int o w hat appeared t o be her chest . His w at chw asnt a nor mal w at ch. It w as a shred of obsidian current ly embedded in t he Arums chest . Blake jerked his hand back.

As she t ook on a human form, her face w as pale and shocked. A second lat er, s he exploded in a rush of black smoke t hat blew my hair back and filled t he air w it h a bit t er scent . Not even out of breat h, Blake t urned t o me and pre ssed somet hing on his w at ch. He placed it back on his w rist , t hen ran a ha nd t hrough his messy hair. I gaped at him, t he obsidian rapidly cooling under my hand. Are you, likeJason Bourne or somet hing? St riding over t o our t able, he dropped a t w ent y and a t en on t he plaid t ableclot h. W e need t o t alk so mew here privat e. Eyes w ide, I t ook a deep breat h. My w orld just got a lit t le more insane, but if I could deal w it h aliens, I could deal w it h ninja Bl ake. T hat didnt mean I w as going somew here w it h him unt ill I knew w hat t h e hell he w as, t hough. My car. He nodded, and w e headed for t he door. Blake he ld it open for me as he faced t he frozen diner. W it h a w ave of his hand, eve ryone st art ed moving. No one seemed t o not ice t hat t heyd been frozen for mi nut es. W e w ere t w o st eps from my car w hen I realized my hands w ere shaki ng and t he back of my neck w as t ingling. Y ou have got t o be kidding me, Blake mut t ered and t ook ahold of my hand. I didnt even have t o look. T here w as n o Infinit i SUV in t he parking lot t hat I could see, but t hen again, Daemon h ad his ow n special met hod of t ravel if necessary. A t all, imposing shadow fe ll upon us, and I lift ed my gaze. Daemon st ood t here, a black baseball cap pu lled low , shielding t he upper half of his face. W hat w hat are you doing here? I asked, and t hen realized Blake w as holding my hand. I pulled it free. Daemons jaw w as so hard it could cut t hrough marble. I w as just about t o ask you t he same t hing. Ohoh dear, t his didnt look good. Suddenly, t he Arum chick and ninja Blake didnt even mat t er. Only Daemon did and w hat he must be assuming. T his i snt w hat Look, I dont know w hat s going on bet w een you t w o or w hat ever. As Bl ke spoke, he curved his hand around my elbow . But Kat y and I need t o t alk One s econd, Blake w as t alking, and t he next , he w as pressed against t he w indow of t he Smoke Hole Diner, w it h a six-foot -and-t hen-some alien all up in his gril e. Daemons face w as an inch from Blakes, t he Bill of his baseball cap crea sing Blakes forehead. Y ou t ouch her again and I w ill Y oull w hat ? Blake shot bac , his eyes narrow ed. W hat are you going t o do, Daemon? I grabbed Daemons shoulde r and pulled. He didnt budge. Daemon, come on. Let him go.

You w ant t o know w hat Im going t o do? Daemons ent ire body t ensed under my hand . You know w here your head and ass are? Well, t heyre about t o become w ell acqu aint ed w it h each ot her. Oh, good Lord. We w ere st art ing t o gain an audien ce. People w ere w at ching from t heir cars. No doubt an ent ire rest aurant w as w it nessing t his go dow n from t he inside. I t ried again t o break t he t w o boys apart , but bot h of t hem ignored me. Blake smirked. Id like t o see yo u t ry. Y ou might w ant t o ret hink t hat . Daemon laughed low . Because you have no idea w hat Im capable of, boy. See, t hat s t he funny t hing. Blake gripped Daemo ns w rist . I know exact ly w hat youre capable of. A shiver rolled dow n my spine. W ho in t he hell w as Blake? Flannel Shirt Guy came out of t he diner, hit chin g up his ragged pant s. He spit out a mout hful of chew as he approached us. Boys , youre gonna w anna break t his up right now before someone calls t he Blake raise d his free hand and Flannel Shirt Guy just st opped. W it h a sinking feeling, I looked over my shoulder. Everyone in t he parking lot w as frozen. No doubt t h ey w ere just as immobile inside t he diner. A w hit ish-red light crept along t he out line of Daemons body. T ense silence fell. I knew he w as seconds aw ay f rom going all Luxen on Blake. Daemons grip must ve t ight ened, because Blake gasp ed. I dont care w ho or w hat you are, but you bet t er give me a reason not t o b last you int o your next pat het ic life real quickly. I know w hat you are, Blake choked out . T hat s not helping, Daemon grow led, and I had t o agree. I spared a nervous glance at Flannel Shirt Guy. He w as st ill t here, frozen w it h his mo ut h hanging open, show ing off st ained t eet h. T he light around Daemon w as get t ing st ronger. T ry again. I just killed an Arum, and even t hough youre an ar rogant prick, w ere not enemies. A choke cut off his next w ords, and I grabbed bo t h of Daemons shoulders. T here w as no w ay I could let him st rangle Blake. I c an help Kat y, Blake w heezed. Good enough for you? W hat ? I demanded, dropping my h ands. Y eah, see, you saying her name alone makes me w ant t o kill you. So, no, not good enough for me. Blakes eyes dart ed t o mine. Kat y, I know w hat you are, w hat you w ill become capable of, and I can help you. Shocked, I st ared at him.

Daemon leaned in t o Blake. His eyes w ere pure w hit e and glow ing, like diamo nds. Let me ask you a quest ion. If I kill you, w ill t hese people unfreeze? Blak es eyes w idened, and I knew Daemon w asnt kidding around. He didnt like Blake t o st art off w it h and t he boyor w hat ever he w asobviously posed a t hreat of an unknow n kind. He knew a lot , t oo much, and he knew w hat I w as. W hat I w a s? Oh, hold up. I shot forw ard. Let him go, Daemon. I need t o know w hat hes t a lking about . His glow ing eyes w ere focused on Blake. Get back, Kat . I mean it ; get t he hell back. Like hell. St op it . W hen he didnt respond, I screamed, St op ! Just freaking st op for a couple of minut es! Daemon blinked and his eyes flick ered t o mine. Taking t he dist ract ion, Blake sw iped his arm across Daemons an d broke t he hold. He scrambled t o t he side, put t ing dist ance bet w een t h em. Jesus. Blake rubbed his t hroat . Y ou have anger management problems. It s like a disease. T heres a cure and it s called kicking your ass. Blake flipped him off. D aemon st art ed forw ard, and I barely managed t o get in front of him. Placing my hands on his chest , I looked int o eyes t hat w ere unrecognizable t o me. St op. Y ou need t o st op now . Daemons lip curled int o a snarl. Hes a We dont know w t he is, I cut in, already know ing w hat he w as going t o say. But he did kill a n Arum. And he hasnt hurt me or anyone else, and hes had plent y of opport unit y t o do so. Daemon exhaled roughly. Kat We need t o hear him out , Daemon. I need t o hear w hat he has t o say. I t ook a deep breat h. Besides, t hese people have be en frozen, like, t w ice now . T hat cant be good for t hem. I dont care. His gaze fl icked t o Blake, and, dear God, t he look on his face shouldve sent Blake running . But he shook out his broad shoulders and st epped back, t urning t hose diamon d eyes on me. I shrank back. Hell t alk. And t hen Ill decide w het her or not he g et s t o see t omorrow . Well, t hat w as t he best w e could hope for at t his p oint . I glanced back at Blake, w ho rolled his eyes. Boy had a deat h w ish. Can you, um, fix t hem? I w aved at Flannel Shirt Guy. Sure. He flicked his w rist . Po lice, Flannel Shirt Guy finished.

I t urned t o t he guy. Everyt hings fine. T hank you. Spinning around, I pushed my w indblow n hair out of my face. My carif you guys can get along in such an enclo sed space? W it hout responding, Daemon st alked over and slid int o t he passeng er seat . I let out a ragged breat h and headed for t he drivers side. Is he alw a ys so damn t ouchy? Blake asked. I shot him a dark look as I opened t he door. No t looking at Daemon, I t urned t he heat on and t hen t w ist ed around in my se at , facing Blake in t he back. W hat are you? St aring out t he w indow , his jaw w orked. T he same t hing I suspect you are. My breat h caught . And w hat do you t hink I am? Daemon cracked his neck but said not hing. He w as like a grenade t hat had it s t ab pulled. W e all w ere just w ait ing for him t o explode. I did nt know at first . Blake sat back. T here w as somet hing about you t hat drew me t o you, but I didnt underst and w hat it w as. Proceed w it h caut ion w hen it com es t o your next w ord choices, Daemon grow led. I squirmed in my seat , clut chi ng t he obsidian in my hand. W hat do you mean by t hat ? Blake shook his head and t hen st ared st raight ahead. T he first t ime I saw you, I knew you w ere diff erent . T hen w hen you st opped t he branch and I saw your necklace, I knew . O nly t hose w ho know t o fear t he shadow s w ear obsidian. Seconds t icked by in silence. T hen our dat eyeah, t hat glass and plat e didnt just fall int o my lap on it s ow n. A snicker came from t he passenger seat . Good t imes. Unease t riple d my heart rat e. How much do you know ? T here are t w o alien races on Eart h: t he Luxen and t he Arum. He paused as Daemon t w ist ed in his seat . Blake sw all ow ed. Youre capable of moving t hings w it hout t ouching t hem and you can manip ulat e light . Im sure you can do more. And you can also heal humans. T he inside of t he car w as t oo small. T here w asnt enough air. If Blake knew t he t rut h about t he Luxen, w ouldnt t hat mean t he DOD did? I dropped t he necklace and clenched t he st eering w heel, my heart racing. How do you know t his? Daemon ask ed, his voice surprisingly even. T here w as a pause. W hen I w as t hirt een, I w as leaving soccer pract ice w it h a friend of mineChris Johnson. He w as a nor mal kid like me, except he w as super fast , never got sick, and I never saw his parent s at any games. But w ho cares, right ? I didnt unt ill I w as goofing

around and st epped off t he curb, right in front of a speeding cab. Chris heale d me. T urns out he w as an alien. Blakes lips t w ist ed int o a w ry grin. I t ho ught it w as pret t y cool. My best friend w as an alien. W ho get s t o say t h at ? W hat I didnt know and w hat he never t old me w as t hat he lit my ass up. Five days lat er, four men ent ered my house. T hey w ant ed t o know w here t he y w ere, he cont inued, hands clenching int o fist s. I didnt know w hat t hey mean t . T hey killed my parent s and my lit t le sist er right in front of me. And w hen I st ill couldnt help t hem, t hey beat me w it hin an inch of my life. Oh my God, I w hispered, horrified. Daemon looked aw ay, jaw w orking. Not sure he reall y exist s, Blake said, let t ing out a dry laugh. Anyw ay, it t ook me a w hile t o figure out t hat w hen youre healed, you t ake on t heir abilit ies. Shit just st art ed flying everyw here aft er I w as sent t o live w it h my uncle. W hen I realized t hat my friend had changed me, I researched as much as I could. Not t hat I needed t o. T he Arum found me again. Acid churned in my st omach. W hat d o you mean? T he Arum in t he diner, she couldnt sense me because of t he bet a qua rt zyeah, I know about t hat , t oo. But if w e w ere out side of t he quart z ra nge, w e are just like yourfriend t o t hem. W ere act ually t ast ier. Well, t hat confirmed one of my fears. My hands slid off t he st eering w heel. I had no id ea w hat t o say. It w as like having t he carpet pulled out from underneat h my feet and face-plant ing on t he floor. Blake sighed. W hen I realized how much d anger I w as in, I st art ed t raining physically and w orking on my abilit ies. I learned about t heir w eakness t hroughot hers. I survived t he best I could. T his is all great , t he caring and sharing crap, but how did you end up here of all places? He looked at Daemon. W hen I learned about t he bet a quart z, I moved here w it h my uncle. Aw full convenient , Daemon murmured. Y eah, it is. T he moun t ains. Very convenient for me. T here are plent y of ot her places packed w it h bet a quart z. Suspicion clouded Daemons t one. W hy. Here? Seemed like t he least po pulat ed area, Blake answ ered. I couldnt imagine t here being t hat many Arum here . So everyt hing w as a lie? I asked. Sant a Monica, t he surfing?

No, not everyt hing w as a lie. Im from Sant a Monica and I st ill love surfing, he said. Ive lied as much as you have, Kat y. He had a point . Blake leaned his head back against t he seat and closed his eyes. He sank int o t he shadow s, fat igu e w eighing his shoulders dow n. It w as obvious his lit t le freeze show earlie r had w orn him out . Y ouve been hurt , havent you? And healed by one of t hem? Dae mon st iffened beside me. My loyalt y t o my friends w ouldnt allow me t o confir m t hat . I w ouldnt bet ray t hem, not even t o someone w ho may be like me. He sighed again. Y oure not going t o t ell me w hich one it w as? It s not your busines s, I said. How did you know I w as different ? You mean besides t he obvious obsidia n, t he alien ent ourage, and t he branch? He laughed. Youre full of elect ricit y. See? He reached bet w een t he seat s and placed his hand over mine. St at ic cr ackled, jolt ing us bot h. Daemon grabbed Blakes hand and t hrew it back at him. I do not like you. Feelings mut ual, bud. Blake looked at me. It s t he same w henever w e t ouch an Arum or a Luxen, isnt it ? Y ou feel t heir skin hum? I remembered t he first t ime w ed t ouched in biology. How do you know about t he DOD? I met anot her human like us. She w as under t he DODs t humb. Apparent ly she exposed her abilit ies and t hey sw ooped in. She t old me everyt hing about t he DOD and w hat t hey really w ant , w hich isnt t he Luxen or t he Arum. Now t hat had Daemons full at t ent ion. He w as pract ically in t he backseat w it h Blake. W hat do you mean? T hey w ant people like Kat y. T hey dont give t w o shit s about t he al iens. T hey w ant us. Icy fear shot t hrough me as I gaped at him. W hat ? Y ou need t o explain t hat a lot bet t er, Daemon ordered as st at ic built in t he t iny car. Blake leaned forw ard. Do you really t hink t he DOD doesnt know w hat bot h t he Arum and Luxen are capable of, t hat aft er st udying your kind for decade s and decades t hat t hey dont know w hat t heyre dealing w it h? And if you reall y believe not , t hen youre st upid or naive. Anot her jolt of t error shut t led t hrough me, but t his t ime for Daemon and my friends. Even I had my doubt s, b ut t heyd seemed so convinced t hat t heyd hidden t heir t alent s. Daemon shook h is head. If t he DOD knew about our abilit ies, t hey w ouldnt let us live free. T heyd have us locked up in a heart beat . Really? T he DOD know s t he Luxen are a peaceful race and t hey know t he Arum arent t he same as your kind. Having t he Luxen free t akes care of t he Arum alien problem. Besides, dont

t hey get rid of any Luxen w ho causes a problem? Blake jerked back as Daemon nea rly w ent over t he seat , but I grabbed his sw eat er. Not like I could hold hi m in place, but he st opped. Look, all Im saying is t here are bigger fish t he DO D w ant s. And t hat s t he humans t he Luxen mut at e. Were just as st rong as yo ueven st ronger in some cases. T he only t hing is, w e t ire out a lot quicker a nd it t akes us longer t o recharge, so t o speak. Daemon set t led back, his han ds clenching and unclenching. T he only reason w hy t he DOD let s you believe t hat your big, bad secret is hidden is because t hey know w hat you can do t o hu mans, Blake said. And w ere w hat t hey care about . No, I w hispered, my brain rebell ing against t he idea. W hy w ould t hey care about us inst ead of t hem? Gee, Kat y, w hy w ould t he government be int erest ed in a bunch of humans w ho have mo re pow ers t han t he very creat ures w ho creat ed us? I dont know . Maybe becau se t heyd have a superhuman army at t heir disposal or a group of people w ho can get rid of t he aliens if need be? Daemon sw ore under his breat ha w ork of art w it h curse w ords. And t hat scared me more t han anyt hing, because t hat mea nt Daemon w as act ually st art ing t o list en t o w hat Blake w as saying. And believe it . But how how are you st ronger t han t he Luxen? I asked. T hat s a good quest ion, Daemon admit t ed soft ly. In t he diner, w hen I knew t he guy w as g oing t o skip out on his meal? It s because I could pick up on bit s of his t hou ght s. Not all of t hem, but enough t o know w hat hes planning. I can hear almos t any humanany one t hat s not mut at ed. Mut at ed? God, t hat w ord brought fort h some really gross images. Y oure mut at ed. T ell me, have you been sick recent ly ? Had a really high fever? Apprehension rose so quickly it left me dizzy. From t he ot her seat , Daemon t ensed. I can t ell by your expression you have. Let me guess, you had a fever so bad t hat it felt like your ent ire body w as on fire? Last ed a couple of days and t hen you felt finebet t er t han ever? He t urned t o t he w indow again, shaking his head. And now you can move t hings w it hout t ouching t hem? Probably have no cont rol. T he t able shaking inside w asnt me. It w as you. T hat s just t he t ip of t he iceberg. Soon youll be able t o do a h ell of a lot more, and if you dont get cont roll of it , it s going t o be really bad. T his damn place is sw arming w it h DOD, hidden in plain sight . And t heyr e here looking for hybrids. Far as I know , t he Luxen dont t ypically heal human s,

but it happens. He glanced at Daemon. Obviously. Hands shaking, I t ucked my hair b ehind my ears. T here w as no point in lying about w hat I could do. Hed been rig ht . Jesus. Daemon had mut at ed me. T hen w hy are you here if it s such a risk n ow ? You, he said, ignoring Daemons barely audible grow ll. Honest ly, I t hought abo ut not coming back. Moving on, but t heres my uncleand you. T hat s not many like u s w ho havent been caught by t he DOD. Y ou need t o know w hat kind of danger yo ure in. But you dont even know me. It seemed absurd t hat hed risk so much. And w e do know you, Daemon added, eyes narrow ed. He shrugged. I like you. Not you, Daemon. He smiled. But Kat y. I really, really do not like you at all. My st omach t w ist e d. T his w asnt t he t ime t o get int o t hat mess. My brain w as on overload. Bl ake T hat w asnt said t o make you say you like me or not . Im just st at ing t he fa ct . I like you. He glanced at me, eyes shut t ered. And you dont know w hat youve s t epped in. I can help you. bullshit , Daemon said. If she needs help cont rolling h er abilit ies, t hen I can do it . Can you? W hat you do is second nat ure t o you . Not t o Kat y. I had t o learn how t o rein in my abilit ies. I can t each her . St abilize her. St abilize me? My laugh sounded a bit choked. W hat s going t o hap pen? Im going t o explode or somet hing? He looked at me. You can seriously end up hurt ing yourself or ot hers. Ive heard t hings, Kat y. Some mut at ed humans Well , let s just say it doesnt end pret t y. Y ou dont need t o scare her. Im not t rying o. It s just t he t rut h, Blake responded. And if t he DOD finds out about you, t heyre going t o t ake you in. And if you cant cont roll your abilit ies, t hey w i ll put you dow n. I gasped, t urning aw ay. Put me dow n? Like a feral animal? Al l of t his w as happening w ay t oo fast . Just last night Id been having a good, normal t ime w it h Daemon. T he very t hing Id w ant ed from Blake, w ho t urne d out not t o be normal at all. And t he w hole t ime I believed Blake w as at t ract ed t o me because he w ant ed t o be, he w as draw n t o me because w e w ere bot h X-Men w annabes.

Ha. Irony w as such a bit ch. Kat y, I know t his is a lot . But you have t o be prepared. You leave t his t ow n, t he Arum are going t o be on you. T hat is, i f you can slide by t he DOD. Youre right . T his is a lot . I faced him. I t hought y ou w ere normal. And youre not . Youre t elling me t hat I have t he DOD gunning f or me. T hat if I ever decide t o leave t his place, Im going t o be a Snack Pack for an Arum. And bet t er yet , I may lose complet e cont roll of w hat ever po w ers I have and w ipe out a family of four, t hen be put dow n! All I w ant ed t o do t oday w as eat some goddamn fries and be normal! Daemon let out a low w h ist le and Blake w inced. Y oure never going t o be normal, Kat y. Never again. No s hit , I snapped. I w ant ed t o hit somet hing, but I needed t o pull it t oget h er. If Id learned anyt hing from my dads sickness, it w as t hat t hings couldnt be changed. But I could change how I dealt w it h t hem. Since I moved heresince I met Daemon and DeeId changed. T aking a deep breat h, I pulled in t he anger, fear , and frust rat ion. Perspect ive w as needed. W hat are w e going t o do? W e dont need his help, Daemon said. But you do, Blake w hispered. I heard about t he w indow t hing w it h Simon. I glanced at Daemon, and he shook his head. W hat do you t h ink w ill happen next t ime? Simon ran off, doing God know s w hat . Y ou w ont g et so lucky again. Simons disappearance w asnt luck. I didnt w ant t o look at it t hat w ay. T ipping my head back, I closed my eyes. Ice set t led in my limbs. It w as no longer a fear of exposing t he Luxen, but myself now , t oo. And my mom . How do you know so much about t hem? I asked, voice small. T he girl I w as t ell ing you about ? She t old me everyt hing. I w ant ed t o help hert o get aw ay, b ut she w ouldnt leave. T he DOD had somet hing or someone t hat meant a lot t o h er. God. T he DOD w as like t he mafia. T heyd use any means necessary. I shivered . W ho w as she? Liz somet hing, he said. Dont know her last name. T he w alls of t he car seemed t o shift even closer. T rapped. I felt t rapped. Daemon w as boiling over in t he seat next t o me. Y ou know , he said t o Blake, t heres not hing st o pping me from killing you. Right now .

Y es, t here is. Blakes voice w as even. T heres Kat y and t he fact I doubt youre a c oldblooded killer. Daemon st iffened. I dont t rust you. Y ou dont have t o. Only Kat y does. And t hat w as t he t hing. I w asnt sure I did t rust him, but he w as li ke me. And if he could help me not expose Daemon and my friends, Id do anyt hing. It w as just t hat simple. Everyt hing else w ould have t o be played by ear. I looked at Daemon. He w as st aring ahead now , hand on t he dashboard as if t h e plast ic w as grounding him somehow . Did he feel as helpless as I did? It did nt mat t er. I couldnt w ouldnt risk him. W hen do w e st art ? I asked. T omorrow if ou can, Blake said. My mom leaves for w ork aft er five. I sw allow ed. Blake agree d and Daemon said, Ill be t here. Not necessary, Blake shot back. And I dont care. You arent doing a damn t hing w it h Kat y w it hout me being t here. He faced t he bo y again. I dont t rust you. Just so w ere clear. W hat ever. Blake climbed out of t he car. Cold air rushed in, and I called out his name. He st opped w it h his hand on t he door. W hat ? How did you get aw ay from t he Arum w hen t hey at t acked you? I asked. Blake looked aw ay, eyes squint ing at t he sky. T hat s not somet hi ng Im ready t o t alk about , Kat y. He shut t he door and jogged off t ow ard his car. I sat t here for several minut es, st aring out t he w indow , not really seeing anyt hing. Daemon mut t ered somet hing under his breat h and t hen opene d his door, disappearing int o t he shadow s surrounding t he diner. Hed left me. I didnt even remember t he t rip home. Pulling int o t he drivew ay, I killed t he engine and sat back, closing my eyes. Night seeped int o my silent car. I got out , t ook a st ep, and heard my porch st eps groan. Daemon had beat en me hom e. He came dow n t he st eps, his baseball cap hiding his eyes. I shook my head. Daemon

I dont t rust him. I dont t rust a damn t hing about him, Kat . He t ook off his hat , t hrust his fingers t hrough his hair, and t hen slammed t he cap back dow n. He comes out of now here and know s everyt hing. Every inst inct is t elling me he cant be t rust ed. He could be anyone, w orking for any organizat ion. W e dont know anyt hing about him. I know . Suddenly, I w as just so freaking t ired. All I w ant ed t o do w as lay dow n. But at least t his w ay w e can keep an eye on h im. Right ? He gave a short , dry laugh. T here are ot her w ays of dealing w it h him. W hat ? My voice rose and w as carried aw ay by t he w ind. Daemon, you cant be t hinking I dont even know w hat Im t hinking. He t ook a st ep back. And dammit , my head is so not in t he right place at t his moment . T here w as a pause. W hy w e re you w it h him in t he first place? My heart lurched. W e w ere grabbing somet hing t o eat and I w as Y ou w ere w hat ? Somehow I felt like Id w alked int o an ev en bigger t rap. Unsure of how t o answ er, I didnt say anyt hing. T hat w as my biggest mist ake. Underst anding daw ned, and he t ipped his chin up. For an ins t ant , t he green of his eyes darkened w it h raw emot ion. Y ou w ent t o Bryon aft er Aft er Id spent t he night w it h himw rapped in his arms. I shook my head, needing him t o underst and w hy I w ent t o see Blake. Daemon You know , Im not real ly surprised. His smile w as half know ing and half bit t er. We kissed. Tw ice. Y ou spent t he night using me as your ow n body pillow and liking it . Im sure t ha t had you freaking out t he moment I left . You ran st raight t o Boris, because he really doesnt make you feel anyt hing. And feeling somet hing for me scares t he hell out of you. My mout h snapped close. I did not run st raight t o Blake. H e t ext ed me about get t ing somet hing t o eat , and it w asnt even a dat e, Da emon. I w ent t o t ell him T hen w hat w as it , Kit t en? He st epped forw ard, pe ering dow n at me. He obviously likes you. Youve kissed him before. Hes w illing t o risk his ow n safet y t o t rain you. It s not w hat you t hink. If youd let me ex plain Y ou dont know w hat I t hink, he snapped. Somet hing aw full unfurled in my st omach. Daemon

Y ou know , youre unbelievable. I w as sure he didnt mean t hat in a good w ay. T he night of your part y, w hen you t hought I w as messing around w it h Ash? You w ere so pissed t hat you w ent out side and blew up w indow s, exposing yourself . I flinched. All t rue. And now youre doingw hat ? Messing around w it h him in bet w een kissing me? But I like you. T he w ords w ouldnt leave my lips. I didnt know w hy, but I couldnt say them. Not w hen he w as looking at me, full of anger and dist rust and, w orse yet , disappoint ment . Im not messing around w it h him, D aemon! W ere just friends. T hat s all. Skept icism drew his lips int o a t ight li ne. Im not st upid, Kat . I didnt say t hat you w ere! Irrit at ion spiked, overshadow ing t he deep ache in my chest . Youre not giving me a chance t o explain anyt hi ng. As usual, youre act ing like a freaking know -it -all and you keep cut t ing me off! And as usual, youre a bigger problem t han I couldve ever imagined. Flinching as t hough Id been slapped, I t ook a st ep back. Im not your problem. My voice cra cked. Not anymore. Regret seeped t hrough his anger. Kat No. I w as never your proble m in t he first place. Anger sped t hrough me like an out -of-cont roll forest fi re. And Im sure as hell not your problem now . T he w indow s in his eyes t o all t hose emot ions slammed shut , leaving me t rembling in t he dark. And I knew . I knew Id hurt him more t han I t hought possible. Id hurt him in a w ay much w or se t han hed ever hurt me. Hell. T hishe w aved his hand around meisnt even import ant right now . Just forget it . He w as gone before I could even finish my sent ence . St unned, I t urned around, but he w as now here. A pang hit me in t he chest and t ears filled my eyes as I t urned back t o my door. T he sudden realizat io n smacked me upside t he head. T his w hole t ime, Id been so busy pushing him aw ay, t elling him w hat ever w as bet w een us w asnt real. And now t hat Id reali zed t he dept h of w hat he felt for mew hat I felt for him he w as gone.

Chapter 19 All morning and part of t he aft ernoon, I poked around t he house like a zombie . T here w as t his w eird t hrobbing in my chest . My eyes ached as if t hey w ere filled w it h t ears t hat w ouldnt fall. It reminded me of t he mont hs aft er Dads deat h. W it h my heart not really in it , I did a quick review on t his dyst opian novel Id read last w eek and closed my lapt op. Lying dow n, I st ared at t he spider w eb of cracks in my bedroom ceiling. T he t rut h w as hard t o face. Id been t rying t o deny it all morning. A jumbled knot of clogged emot io ns had formed under my ribs last night and it w as st ill t here. Every so oft e n it seemed heavier, more int ense. I liked Daemonreally, really liked him. Id bee n so caught up nursing my hurt over t he w ay hed act ed w hen w e first met t ha t Id been blind t o my grow ing feelings, t o w hat I w ant ed, and t o how he fe lt . And now w hat ? Daemon, w ho never backed dow n from anyt hing, had w alked aw ay before allow ing me t o explain anyt hing. T here w as no escaping it . Id hurt him. Rolling over, I shoved my face int o t he pillow . His scent w as st ill t here. I clut ched it t ight ly and closed my eyes. How had t hings got t e n so t angled up? At w hat point had my life t urned int o some bizarre science fict ion soap opera? Honey, are you feeling okay? I opened my eyes and focused on my mom, w ho w as w earing scrubs w it h lit t le heart s and sw irls on t hem. W here did she get t hose t hings? Yeah, Im just t ired. You sure? She sat on t he ed ge of t he bed, placing her hand against my forehead. W hen she det ermined I w asnt sick, she smiled a lit t le. T he Christ mas t ree is beaut iful, honey. A rus h of sw irling emot ions crashed int o me. Y eah, I said, voice hoarse. It is. W ho h elped you w it h it ? I bit t he inside of my cheek. Daemon. Mom smoot hed my hair back w it h her hand. T hat s really sw eet of him. I know . I paused. Mom? Y es, hon

I didnt even know w hat I w as going t o t ell her. Everyt hing w as t oocomplicat ed, t oo jumbled up in t he t rut h of w hat my friends w ere. I shook my head. Not hing. Just t hat I love you. Smiling, she bent over and kissed my forehead. I love you, t oo. She got up and st opped at t he door. I w as t hinking about havin g W ill over for dinner t his w eek. W hat do you t hink? It w as great my mom ha d a st ell ar love life. Cool w it h me. Aft er Mom left for w ork, I forced mysel f t o get up. Blake w ould be here soon. So w ould Daemon, if he st ill show ed. I w ent int o t he kit chen and grabbed a Coke out of t he fridge. Passing t im e, I collect ed all t he books I had duplicat e copies of and placed t hem on my desk. A book giveaw ay w ould make me feel bet t er. W hen I w ent dow nst airs t o find my Cokebecause apparent ly it had run aw ay from me at some point a fami liar w armt h spread along my neck. I froze on t he bot t om st ep, hand grippin g t he banist er. T here w as a knock on t he door. Hopping from t he st ep t o t he floor, I rushed t o t he door and t hrew it open. Out of breat h, I clenche d t he knob. Hey. Daemon arched a dark eyebrow . It sounded like you w ere going t o come st raight t hrough t he door. I flushed. I, uh, w aslooking for my drink. Look ing for your drink? I lost it . He glanced over my shoulder, a small smile playing on his lips. It s right t here, on t he t able. T urning around, I saw t he red-and -w hit e can laughing at me from a corner t able. Oh. W ell, t hank you. Daemon st epped inside, brushing my arm as he passed. Oddly, t he fact he just invit ed h imself in didnt upset me anymore. He shoved his hands int o his pocket s and lean ed against t he w all. Kit t en A t hril w ent t hrough me. Daemon? T he half smile w as t here, but it lacked it s usual smugness. Y ou look t ired. I crept closer. I d idnt sleep w ell last night . T hinking about me? he asked in a hushed voice. T here w asnt a moment of hesit at ion. Y es.

His eyes w idened slight ly w it h surprise. Well, I w as preparing t his w hole speech about how you need t o st op denying t hat I consume your every w aking t hought and haunt your dreams. Now Im not sure w hat t o say. Leaning against t he w all beside him, I could feel his body heat . Y ou, speechless? T hat s one for t he record books. Daemon low ered his head, his eyes as deep and endless as t he forest s out side. I didnt sleep w ell last night , eit her. I moved closer unt il l my arm brushed his. He st iffened ever so slight ly. Last night I w ant ed t o ap ologize, he said, and I w as st unned yet again. He t urned so t hat he w as faci ng me complet ely, and I found his hand w it hout looking. His fingers t hreaded t hrough mine. Im sorry Someone cleared his t hroat . Surprise flit t ed t hrough m e. Before I could t urn, Daemons eyes narrow ed, glint ing w it h anger. He dropp ed my hand and t ook a st ep back. Crap. Id forgot t en about Blake. And Id forgot t en t o close t he door behind me. Am I int errupt ing? Blake asked. Y es, Bart , you are alw ays int errupt ing, Daemon responded. I t urned around, my heart def lat ing as if someone had popped it . T he ent ire lengt h of my back burned und er Daemons st are. Blake opened t he st orm door and st epped inside. Sorry it t o ok me so long t o get over here. T oo bad it didnt t ake longer. Daemon st ret ched idly, like a cat . And t oo bad you didnt get lost or Eat en by w ild boars or killed in a horrific t en-car pile-up. I get it . Blake int errupt ed and saunt ered pa st us. You dont need t o be here, Daemon. No one is forcing you. Daemon pivot ed on his heel, follow ing Blake. T heres no ot her place Id rat her be. My head w as alr eady st art ing t o t hrob. Training w it h Daemon present w asnt going t o be ea sy. I slow ly made my w ay int o t he living room. T hey w ere in an epic st are dow n. I cleared my t hroat . So, um, how are w e going t o do t his? Daemon open ed his mout h, and t he good Lord only know s w hat he w as about t o say, but B lake beat him t o it . W hat w e need t o do first is figure out w hat you can al ready do.

I t ucked my hair back, uncomfort able w it h bot h of t hem st aring at me likel ike I didnt even know w hat . Uh, Im not sure t heres much I can do. Blakes lips purse d. W ell, you st opped t he branch. And t he t ime w it h t he w indow s. T hat s t w o t hings. But I didnt do t hem on purpose. At Blakes confused expression, I look ed over at Daemon. He appeared bored, spraw led on t he couch. W hat I mean is, i t w asnt a conscious effort , you know . Oh. His brow s low ered. W ell, t hat s disap point ing. Gee. T hanks. My hands fell t o my sides. Daemons bright gaze slid t o Blake. W hat a great mot ivat or you are. Blake ignored him. So t hese have been ra ndom out burst s of pow er? W hen I nodded, he pinched t he bridge of his nose. Ma ybe it w ill just fade? I said, hopeful. It w ouldve already done t hat by now . Se e, one of four t hings happens aft er a mut at ion, from w hat I could learn. He st art ed moving around t he living room, giving me a w ide bert h. A human can b e healed, and t hen it fades aft er a few w eeks, even mont hs. Or a human can b e mut at ed and it st icks, and t hey develop t he same abilit ies as a Luxenor m ore. T hen t here are t he ones w ho kind ofself-dest ruct . But youre out of t ha t st age. T hank God, I thought w ryly. And? W ell, and t hen t here are humans w ho are mut at ed beyond w hat w ould be expect ed, I guess. W hat does t hat mean? Da emon t apped his fingers on t he arm of t he couch. I glared at t hem. Blake fol ded his arms and rocked back. Like in t he freakish-mut ant -looks depart ment an d in t he head, and it s different for everyone. Am I going t o t urn int o a mut a nt ? I squeaked. He laughed. I dont t hink so. I dont think so w asnt high on the reas surance scale. Daemons fingers st opped t heir annoying t apping. And how do you r eally know all of t his, Flake? Blake, he correct ed. Like I said, Ive know n ot hers like Kat y w ho have been sucked int o t he DOD.

Uh huh. Daemon smirked. Blake shook his head. Anyw ay, back t o t he import ant st uff. W e need t o see if you can cont roll it . If not Before I even had a chance t o respond, Daemon w as on his feet and in Blakes face. Or w hat , Hank? W hat i f she cant ? Daemon. I sighed. First off, his name is Blake. B-ll-A-K-E. And really, can w e do t his w it hout any macho-man moment s? Because if not , t his is goi ng t o t ake forever. He spun around, pinning me w it h a dark look t hat made me roll my eyes. Okay, so w hat do you suggest ? T he best t hing t o st art w it h i s t o see if you can move anyt hing on command. Blake paused. And I guess w e can go from t here. Move w hat ? Blake looked around t he room. How about a book? A book? Hell, w hich one? Shaking my head, I focused on t he one t hat had a cover of a girl w hose dress t urned int o rose pet als. So pret t y. It w as about reinca rnat ion and had a male main charact er w ho w as sw oon-w ort hy and t hen some . God, Id so w ant t o dat e Focus, Blake said. I made a face, but okay, I w asnt rea lly focusing. I pict ured t he book lift ing int o t he air and coming t o my ha nd like Id seen Daemon and Dee do so many t imes. Not hing happened. I t ried har der. Wait ed longer. But t he book remained on t he back of t he couchas did t he pillow s, t he remot e cont rol, and Moms Good Housekeeping magazine. T hree hou rs lat er and t he best Id done w as cause t he coffee t able t o t remble and Da emon t o doze off on t he couch. I fail. T ired and cranky, I ended pract ice an d w oke up Daemon by kicking t he leg of t he coffee t able. Im hungry. Im t ired. And Im done. Blakes brow s shot up. Okay. W e can pick up t omorrow . No biggie. I gl ared at him. St ret ching his arms, Daemon yaw ned. W ow , Brad, you are such a g reat t rainer. Im amazed.

Shut up, I said, and t hen ushered Blake out t he front door. On t he porch, I apo logized. Im sorry for being so bit chy, but I feel like an epic fail right now . L ike Im t he capt ain of my ow n personal failboat . He smiled. Youre not a failboat , Kat y. T his can t ake a w hile, but t he frust rat ion is w ort h it in t he end. T he last t hing you w ant is t he DOD know ing youre mut at ed and coming f or w hoever w as responsible. I shivered. Causing somet hing like t hat t o happe n w ould kill me. I know . Andt hank you for w ant ing t o help. I bit my lip and p eeked at him. Maybe Daemon w as right last night . Blake w as risking a lot even being around me. Wouldnt most people bail if t hey knew t he DOD w as heavily en t renched here? I just didnt w ant t o believe it w as because he had feelings fo r me. Blake, I know t his is dangerous for you and I dont Kat y, it s okay. He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. He also let go pret t y quickly; probably he w as afraid Daemon w ould appear out of now here and break his hand. I dont exp ect anyt hing from you. A lit t le bit of relief flooded me. I dont know w hat t o say. Y ou dont have t o say anyt hing. Didnt I, t hough? Trust ing Blake t ook a leap of fait h, but he had plent y of opport unit y t o t urn Daemon and me over and he hadnt . I w rapped my arms around my w aist against t he cold. W hat youre doin g by helping me is pret t y amazing. I just w ant ed t o say t hat . Blakes grin g rew int o a smile t hat caused his hazel eyes t o dance. Well, it does mean I get t o spend more t ime w it h you. T he t ips of his cheeks flushed, and he looked aw ay, clearing his t hroat . Anyw ay, Ill see you t omorrow . Okay? I nodded. Bla ke gave me a w eird sort of smile and t hen left . Feeling all kinds of w hacked out , I w ent back in. Daemon w asnt on t he couch, of course. Going on inst inc t , I shuffled int o t he kit chen. He w as t here. Bread, lunch meat , and mayo w ere spread out on t he count er. W hat are you doing? He w aved a knife around. Y ou said you w ere hungry. My heart did a back handspring. Y oudidnt have t o make me anyt hing, but t hank you. I w as also hungry. Daemon plopped mayo on t he bread , spreading it out evenly. He made t w o ham and cheese sandw iches quickly. Tur ning, he handed me mine as he leaned against t he count er. Eat .

I st ared at him. He smiled and t hen t ook a huge bit e of his. Chew ing slow l y, he w at ched me eat , and t he silence seemed t o st ret ch on forever. Aft e r he w ent round t w o w it h t he ham and cheese, w hich really w as just chees e and mayo, I cleaned up. I finished w ashing my hands and t urned off t he fauc et w hen Daemon placed his hands on eit her side of my hips, his fingers curving over t he count er. Heat rolled up and dow n my back, and I didnt dare move. He w as w ay, w ay t oo close. So, you had a very int erest ing conversat ion w it h But ler on t he porch. His breat h danced over my neck. I fought t he shiver and failed. His name is Blake and w ere you eavesdropping, Daemon? I w as keeping an e ye on t hings. T he t ip of his nose brushed t he side of my neck and my fingers spasmed against t he st ainless st eell sink. So, his helping you is amazing? Clos ing my eyes, I cursed under my breat h. Hes put t ing himself at risk, Daemon. W h et her you like him or not , you have t o give him props for t hat . I dont have t o give him anyt hing ot her t han t he ass-kicking he deserves. He rest ed his ch in on my shoulder. I dont w ant you doing t his. Daemon And it has not hing t o do w i h my raging dislike of t he boy. His hands left t he count er and found my hips. Or t he fact t hat T hat youre jealous? I said, t urning my cheek so t hat it w as d aringly close t o his lips. Me? Jealous of him? No. W hat I w as going t o say w as, or t he fact t hat he has a st upid name. Blake? It rhymes w it h flake. Com e on. I rolled my eyes, but t hen he st raight ened and t ugged me against him. W it h my back flush against his front , he w rapped his arms around my w aist . Dizzying w armt h zinged t hrough my veins. W hy, oh w hy, did he alw ays have t o be so damn close? Kit t en, I dont t rust him. Everyt hing about him is t oo co nvenient . To me, Daemons reasons for not t rust ing him w ere t oo obvious. I w i ggled free, managing t o get myself t urned around so I faced him. His hands fel l back t o t he sink. I dont w ant t o t alk about Blake. One dark brow arched. W ha t do you w ant t o t alk about ?

Last night . He st ared at me a moment , t hen backed off. Ret reat ed all t he w ay t o t he ot her side of t he kit chen t able as if he w ere suddenly afraid o f me. I folded my arms. Act ually, I w ant ed t o finish t he conversat ion w e w ere having before Blake came over. W hich is about last night . Y eah, I said slow l y, dragging out t he w ord. Daemon scrat ched t he five oclock shadow on his chin . I dont even know w hat I w as going t o say t o you. My brow s flew up. W hat a d isappoint ment . Look, last night I w as mad. I w as also a lit t le caught off g uard w it hw it h everyt hing. He closed his eyes briefly. Anyw ay, t hat s not impo rt ant . T his t hing w it h Bart is. I opened my mout h, but he w ent on. Part of me just w ant s t o snat ch him up and get rid of him. It w ould be easy. My mou t h hit t he floor t his t ime, and his smile w as cold. Im being serious, Kit t e n. Hes not just a danger t o you, but if hes playing us, hes a danger t o Dee. So I w ant her kept as far aw ay from t his as possible. Of course, I murmured. T here w as no w ay Id involve her. His muscled arms folded, and he became all business. And going along w it h everyt hing w ill keep t abs on him. So, you w ere right last night about t hat . T his w asnt t he part of last night s conversat ion I w a nt ed t o t alk about . Aft er seeing how affect ed he w as w hen hed t hought Id gone out on a dat e w it h Blakeeven t hough he seemed t o have got t en over t h at pret t y quicklyand spending all day feeling heart sick and shat t ered, I w a nt ed t o t alk t o him about us. About w hat Id realized as I moped around t he house all day. I dont like t his, but He paused. But Ill ask you one more t ime t o n ot do t his w it h him. Trust t hat I can find somet hing out t hat can help you help us. I w ant ed t o t ell him yes, but how w as Daemon going t o ask anyone w it hout arousing suspicion? If t he DOD w as everyw here, w ho could say t here w erent Luxen w orking for t hem? Anyt hing w as possible. Since I didnt answ er right aw ay, he seemed t o know w hat my decision w as, because he made t his la ugh/inhale sound and nodded. A splint er pierced my heart .

Okay. Y ou need t o get some rest . T omorrow is a big day. More But ler. Y ay. An d t hen he w alked out . Act ually w alked out of t he kit chen inst ead of doin g t hat super-fast t hing he usually did. And I st ood t here, w ondering w hat t he hell just w ent dow n and w hy I never st opped him and t old him w hat I w as t hinking. W hat I w as feeling. CourageI really needed t o find t he courage t o t ell him how I felt t omorrow , before t hings w ent furt her sout h bet w een us. Chapter 20 Days and t hen w eeks w ent by. Each morning st art ed t he same as t he one bef ore. Id w ake up dizzy, feeling like I hadnt slept at all. Every day t he dark smu dges under my eyes grew more prominent . I didnt speak t o my mom most mornings, w hich blew , because t hat w as t he only t ime w e really got t o see each ot her. She w as busy w it h w ork and W ill, and I w as busy w it h school; Blake; and a dist ant , closed-off Daemon. W ho spent most of t he pract ices w at chi ng Blake like a haw k does w hen searching for prey. A frost y air had developed bet w een Daemon and me, and no mat t er how many t imes I t ried t o st art up a conversat ion about our relat ionship, he w as quick t o shut me dow n. My he art ached. Even t hough he didnt st op t he t raining sessions and rarely missed t hem, he w as st ill dead set against t hem. Most of our t ime alone consist ed of him t rying t o convince me t hat Blake w as no good. T hat t here w as some t hing inherent ly w rong w it h t he boy, ot her t han t he fact he w as a hybr id. Like me. But as t he w eeks passed and t he DOD didnt st orm t he house for m e, I chalked it up t o Daemons right full paranoia. He had reason not t o t rust t he guy. Given w hat happened w it h Daw son and Bet hany, he w as leery of all humans. And Blake did his best t o handle Daemon. I had t o give it t o him. No t many people w ould keep coming back, especially considering I sucked but t at t he w hole abilit y t hing and Daemon made him feel less t han w elcome. Blake w as pat ient and support ive, w hile Daemon w as t he pissy pink elephant in t he room w it h t he bad at t it ude. All t he t raining aft er school affect ed any and all social life. Everyone knew t hat Blake and I w ere hanging out . No one, not even Dee, realized t hat Daemon w as t here, t oo. Since she w as

spending all of her t ime over at Adams, she didnt know w here Daemon w as or w ha t he w as doing. So Carissa and Lesa believed t hat Blake and I w ere dat ing, a nd Id given up on t rying t o convince t hem ot herw ise. And it blew , because t hey t hought I w as so w rapped up in him t hat not hing else mat t ered. W it hout even doing it , Id t urned int o one of t hose girls w hose life ceases t o exist out side of her boyfriend. And I didnt even have a boyfriend. T heir det ai led at t empt s t o draw me back int o t heir w orld w ere incessant , but each t ime Dee w ant ed t o t ake a shopping t rip or Lesa w ant ed t o grab somet hi ng t o eat aft er school, I had t o t urn t hem dow n. My evenings w ere all abo ut t raining. T here w as no t ime for reading. No t ime for my blog. T hose t h ings I once spent all my free t ime doing w ere now pushed t o t he side. I alw ays asked Blake t he same quest ion before w e got st art ed. Have you seen any A rum? T he answ er w as alw ays t he same. No. And t hen Daemon w ould show up and t hings usually got crazy at some point . Blake w ould t ry t o t each me w hile ignoring t he homicidal alien t aking up w ay t oo much room. Technically, w hene ver w e use our abilit ies, w e are sending a piece of ourselves, he explained. Li ke if I w ant t o pick somet hing up, a part of me is doing t hat as an ext ensi on of me. It s w hy using our pow ers w eakens us. T hat really made no sense t o me, but I nodded. Daemon rolled his eyes. Blake laughed. Y ou have no idea w hat Im t alking about . Nope. I smiled. All right , back t o t he arms, t hen. His fingers slipped over t he curve of my shoulders, and t he crazy began. Daemon w as up a nd off t he couch in a nanosecond, forcing Blake t o back aw ay. I t ook a deep, pat ient breat h and faced t he alien. He glared Blake int o submission. I t hin k I can help her w it h t his. Sit t ing on t he arm of t he couch, Blake w aved his hand. Sure. W hat ever. Shes all yours. Daemon grinned. T hat she is. My hand w a s it ching t o connect w it h his face. I am not yours. A small part of me w ant e d him t o deny my w ords, t hough. Shush it , he said, w alking up t o me.

How about I shush it right up your Kit t en, your language is so unladylike. He st ep ped behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. Admit t edly, t he st at ic ch arge from his t ouch w as much more pow erfuland t empt ing. He leaned in, his ch eek against my hair. Ben over t here is on t o somet hing. W henever w e use our abilit yt ap int o t he Sourcew e are sending a part of us t o do it . It s like an ext ension of our physical form. Daemon w as making just as much sense as Blake, but I w ent along w it h it . Pict ure having hundreds of arms. I did as he inst ruct ed. In my head, I imagined I looked like t hat Hindu goddess. I giggled. Kat y. Blake sighed. Sorry. Now t ake t hose arms and make t hem t ransparent in your m ind. Daemon paused. You can see t hose arms; see t he books all over t he living r oom. Can you? I know you know w here each and every one is placed. Know ing t hat if I spoke, Id break my concent rat ion, I nodded. Okay. Good. His fingers t ight ened. Now I w ant you t o t urn t hose arms int o light . An int ense, bright lig ht . Likeyour light ? Y es. I t ook anot her breat h and pict ured my Hindu arms as lo ng, slender ribbons of light . Y eah, I looked ridiculous. Do you see it ? he aske d soft ly. And do you believe it ? Pausing before I answ ered, I w orked really ha rd t o believe w hat I w as seeing. T he arms of blinding w hit e light w ere mi ne. Like Daemon and Blake had said, t hey w ere ext ensions of my being. I imagi ned each of t hose hands picking up t he books scat t ered about . Open your eyes , Blake inst ruct ed. W hen I did, books float ed around t he room. I moved t hem t o t he coffee t able, st acking t hem in alphabet ic order w it hout laying a finger on t hem. A heady t hril w ent t hrough me. Finally! Ecst at ic, I almos t st art ed jumping and squealing.

Daemon let go, his smile an odd mixt ure of pride and somet hing much more. It t ugged at my heart . So much so t hat I had t o look aw ay, and my gaze collided w it h Blakes. He grinned at me, and I grinned back. I act ually did somet hing. Y ou did. He st ood. And it w as pret t y damn good. Nice w ork. I t urned t o say so met hing t o Daemon, but t here w as a rush of w arm air and I realized t he spo t w here Daemon had st ood w as empt y. A door opened and t hen closed. Surprise d, I t urned t o Blake. I He sure can move fast , he said, shaking his head. I can mov e fast , but damn. Not as fast as him. I nodded, blinking back hot t ears. T he o ne t ime I act ually did somet hing right , Daemon bailed. How freaking t ypical . Kat y, Blake said soft ly, w rapping his hand around my arm. Are you okay? Y eah. I pulled free, dragging in deep breat hs. He follow ed me int o t he living room. D o you w ant t o t alk about it ? I choked out a laugh, embarrassed. No. Blake w as silent for several moment s. It s probably bet t er t his w ay. It is? I folded my ar ms, w illing my t ears t o go aw ay. Crying fixed not hing. He nodded. From w hat Ive gat hered, relat ionships bet w een t he Luxen and humans dont w ork out . An d before you t ell me t heres not hing bet w een you t w o, I know bet t er. I ca n see t he w ay you look at each ot her. But it s not going t o w ork out . If t h is w as supposed t o be a mot ivat ional speech, it w as so not w orking. Blake picked up t he first book, smoot hing his hands over t he glossy purple cover. It s bet t er if you cut t ies. Or he does, before someone get s hurt . My st omach hollow ed. Hurt ? He nodded solemnly. Look at it t his w ay. If he t hought t he DO D w as ont o you, w hat do you t hink hed do? Risk his life, right ? And if t he DOD does find out youve been mut at ed, t heyre going t o w ant t o know w ho did it . T heir first guess is going t o be him. I st art ed t o t ell Blake t hat it w asnt Daemon, but t hat w ould just sound suspicious, and damn if he didnt have a point . Daemon w as t he obvious suspect . I sat dow n, rubbing t he heel of m y hand over my forehead. I dont w ant anyone t o get hurt , I said finally. Blake s at beside me. Do w e ever? But w hat w e w ant rarely changes t he out come, Kat y.

 In trig the folowing day, Daemon tapped his pen off my back. Im not going to be at your training today, he said in a low voice. Disappoint ment sw elled inside me. Even t hough Daemon usually w asnt t he most helpful person during t hese sessio ns, I t ruly believed t he reason Id been able t o move t he books w as because o f him. And yeah, I also looked forw ard t o seeing him. Sigh. I forced a shrug, playing it cool. Okay. His emerald-colored eyes met mine for a brief moment and t hen he sat back, scribbling along his not ebook. Feeling as if Id been dismissed, I faced t he front of t he class and exhaled slow ly. Carissa t ossed a foldedup not e on my desk. Curious, I spread it open. Why the :( face? Gosh, was I tha t obvious? I scribbled a quick message: Just tired. heart your new glasses. And I did. They were a rocking zebra print. I managed to toss the note back to her. We werent worried about our teacherit was doubtful he could see all t he w ay t o t he back of t he classroom. T he guy made Sant a look young. A few seconds lat er, t he not e w as back on my desk. I grinned as I unfolded it . Thank you. Les a wants me to tell you: Daemon looks hot today. I have to agree. I laughed under m y breath and wrote back, Daemon always looks hot!!! Stretching into the aisle, I went to drop the note back on Carissas desk. Before it could leave my fingertips , it was snatched from my hand. Son of a donkey but t ! My mout h dropped open a nd my cheeks burned. T w ist ing around in my seat , I glared at Daemon. He held t he not e close t o his chest and grinned. Passing not es is bad, he murmured. Gi ve it back, I hissed.

Shaking his head, he unfolded t he not e much t o myand Im sure, t o Lesas and Cari ssas horror. I w ant ed t o die as I w at ched t hose vibrant eyes quickly scan t he not e. I knew w hen he got t o my part , because his dark brow s shot up his forehead. He grinned, used his mout h t o pop off t he cap on his pen, and w rot e somet hing on t he page. Groaning, I glanced at Lesa and Carissa. Lesas mout h w as hanging open and Carissas cheeks mat ched mine. God, he w as t aking enough t ime. Daemon finally folded t he not e and handed it back. T here you go, Kit t en. I hat e you. I snapped aroundjust in t ime, because t he t each w as scanning t he classroom. W hen he w ent back t o t he chalkboard, I handled t he not e lik e it w as a bomb. Slow ly and carefully, I unfolded t he damn t hing. And I died a lit t le more. T hat not e w ould never, ever see t he light of day again. I refolded t he paper and shoved it in my bookbag, my movement s st iff and my ent ire body enflamed. Daemon chuckled. For several days, Blake and I worked alone. Unsurprisingly, things were a lot smoother without Daemons threatening presence. With Blakes coaching, I w ent from being able t o move small object s for short periods of t ime t o rearranging t he ent ire living room w it h a single t houg ht . Each t ime I w as successful, Blake got all kinds of happy, and I t ried t o join in t he revelry because t his w as goodbut t here w as alw ays an edge of d isappoint ment riding each accomplishment . I w ant ed t o share my successes w it h Daemon, and he w asnt t here. Blake event ually moved on t o harder st uff, at t empt ing t o t each me how t o cont roll t he more pow erful t hings t hrou gh a horrible series of t rial-and-error experiment s. T he first t ime Id at t e mpt ed t o cont roll fire ended up w it h w hat I sw ore w ere second-degree bur ns on my fingers. Hed present ed me w it h a series of w hit e candles and my goa l w as t o light all of t hem at once t hrough concent rat ion. I w as allow ed t o t ouch each of t hem, and aft er several hours of st aring at t hem w it h a seriously empt y st omach, Id managed t o light one by pict uring t he flame in my mind and holding t he image. Once I had mast ered t hat , I could no longer t ouch t he candle. Inst ead I had t o creat e t he fire just by looking at it . Blake w aved his hand over t he candles, and all t he w icks sparked a t iny fla me.

Easy peasy, he said, and t hen ran his hand over t hem again. T he flames w ent ou t . How did you do t hat put t ing t hem out ? Can t he Luxen do t hat ? He smiled at me. T hey can only cont roll t hings relat ed t o some form of light , right ? So moving, st opping t hings, and fire are all right up t heir all ey. T hey ca n generat e enough energy t o creat e elect ricit y and fuel a st orm. I nodded, remembering how it had st ormed t hat day Daemon had ret urned from t he lake an d Mr. Garrison had been w ait ing for him. And it s like pulling at oms from t he air around us, so yes, t hey can creat e w ind. W ere just st ronger t han t hey are at it . Y ou keep saying t hat , but I dont underst and how . He shrugged. T hey have only one kind of DNA. He paused, frow ning. If t hey have DNA. But let s say t hey do for argument s sake. We have t w o different set s of DNA in us. Like t he best of bot h w orlds. Not very scient ific. Anyw ay, t ry it . He prodded me w it h his knee. I did exact ly w hat I had done w hile holding t he candle, but s omet hing w ent w rong. My fingers lit up like t he Fourt h of July. Holy shit ! B lake jumped out of t he w ay, pulling me along w it h him. Shock had set in as h e dragged me int o t he kit chen and shoved my hands under a rush of cool w at e r. It w as t he first t ime Id heard Blake sw ear. Kat y, I asked you t o light t he candle, not your damn fingers! It s really not t hat hard. Jesus. Sorry, I mumble d as I w at ched my skin t urn an ugly shade of pink and t hen red. It didnt t ak e long before t he skin puckered and blist ered. You may not be able t o cont rol l fire or st art it , he comment ed, gent ly w rapping my fingers in a t ow el. If you could, it shouldnt have burned you. T he fire w ould have been a part of you . But w hat t hat w as? T hat w as real honest -t o-God fire. I frow ned as my fi ngers t hrobbed. W ait a sec. T heres a chance I cant w ork w it h fire and you let me do t hat ? How else am I going t o figure out your limit at ions?

W hat t he hell! I pulled my hand free, furious. T hat s not cool, Blake. W hat s nex t ? Trying t o st op a moving vehicle by st anding in front of it , but w hoops, I cant do t hat and now Im dead? Blake rolled his eyes. Y ou should be able t o do t hat . At least , I hope so. Disgust ed w it h him, I w ent back t o t he candle s. Needing t o prove myself, I t ried again and again. I couldnt light t he fire w it hout t ouching t he candles no mat t er how hard I t ried. T he follow ing morning I had t o come up w it h a good excuse for my mom. It involved somet hin g st upid like placing my hand on a lit burner, but she believed me, and I even scored some w eak pain pills. Lat er t hat night , Blake explained t hat hed neve r been able t o heal anyone. W hen I asked w hen and w hy hed been present ed w i t h t he opport unit y, he didnt get a chance t o answ er. W armt h t ingled over my neck and t hen a few seconds lat er t here w as a knock on my door. I shot u p. Daemon. W oo hoo. Blake exuded so much false ent husiasm he couldve been an act or . Ignoring him, I rushed t o t he front door. Hey, I gasped, feeling hot and dizzy w hen I saw him. It never failed t o amaze me how st riking Daemon really w as. Are you helping t onight ? Daemons gaze dropped t o my bandaged fingers and nodded . Y eah. W heres Bilbo? Blake, I correct ed. Hes in t he living room. He shut t he do behind him. About your hand W hen Daemon had asked me about it in class earlier, Id avoided answ ering, because I seriously doubt ed he w ould t hink how it happene d w as kosher. T he last t hing any of us needed w as for him t o kill Blake ove r my ow n inept it ude. I burned it on t he st ove last night . I shrugged, lookin g dow n at t he t ips of his black boot s peeking out from his denim jeans. T hat is I sighed. Lame? Y eah, really lame, Kat . Maybe you should st ay aw ay from t he s t ove for a lit t le w hile? He sidled past me and headed for t he living room. I t railed behind, know ing I couldnt leave him alone w it h Blake for any amount of t ime. Blake gave him a halfheart ed w ave. Nice of you t o join us again.

Grinning, Daemon plopped dow n next t o Blake and spread his arm over t he back of t he couch, crow ding t he ot her boy. I know youve missed me. It s all right , Im here. Y eah, Blake said, sounding real genuine. We got st art ed w it h moving st uff around for a lit t le w hile and Daemon didnt say much, not even a Wow or a Co ngrat ulat ions, but he w at ched me. Const ant ly. Moving st uff is just a parlor t rick, really. Blakes arms w ere pinned t o his chest . W ow . Daemon cocked his h ead t o t he side. Y oure just now figuring t hat out ? Blake ignored him. T he good new s is you can do it on command now , but t hat doesnt mean you have cont rol. I hope it does, but w e really dont know . Damn. Blake w as such a dow ner somet imes. I have an idea. Youre going t o need t o complet ely t rust me. If I ask you t o do somet hing, you cant fire back w it h a t housand quest ions. He paused w hile Daemons eyes narrow ed. W e need t o see somet hing amazing. Amazing? I w as m oving st uff w it hout t ouching it ! T hat s pret t y amazing in my book. But t hen again, t here w as t he fire hoopla. Im doing my best . Y our best isnt good enou gh. He exhaled loudly. Okay. St ay here. I glanced at Daemon as Blake disappeared i nt o t he foyer. I have no idea w hat hes up t o. Daemon arched a brow . Im guessing it s going t o be somet hing I dont like. Like t here w as much Blake could do t ha t Daemon w ould like. W hat he didnt know or get w as t hat Blake hadnt put t he m oves on me. Not once since hed t ried t o hug me t hat day in t he diner. But may be it w as just plain old dislike. W hile w e w ait ed, I heard draw ers opening in t he kit chen. T here w as a clank of silverw are. Oh goodie, more glassw ar e t o dest roy. Blake ret urned and st opped in t he doorw ay, one hand behind h is back. Y ou ready? Sure. He smiled and t hen cocked his arm back. Light reflect ed off t he sharp edge of met al. A knife? And t hen t he but cher knife w as flyi ng st raight at my chest .

A scream caught in my t hroat . I t hrew up my hand, horrified and panicked. T h e knife st opped in midair. Frozen inches from my chest , point y end facing t o w ard me. It just st ayed t here, suspended. Blake clapped. I knew it ! I st ared at him as my crit ical-t hinking skills slow ly t rickled back in. W hat t he hel l, Blake? Several t hings happened all at once. Now t hat my concent rat ion w as broken, t he knife fell out of t he air, smacking off t he floor harmlessly. Bl ake w as st ill clapping. I let loose several curses t hat w ouldve caused my mom t o cry and Daemon, w hod appeared t o have been knocked int o a st upor by w ha t Blake had done, snapped out of it . Daemon shot off t hat couch like a rocket , simult aneously flipping int o his t rue form. A heart beat lat er, he had Bla ke pinned halfw ay up t he w all, sw at hed in an int ense w hit ish-red light t hat lit up t he ent ire living room. I craned my neck and w hispered, Holy smoke s. W hoa! W hoa! Blake yelled, arms flailing in t he light . Y ou need t o check you rself. Kat y w asnt in any danger. T here w as no response from Daemon, not one t hat Blake could hear, anyw ay, but I did. Loud and clear. T hat s it . Im going t o kill him. W indow s began t o shake and w alls t rembled. T he flat -screen on t he T V st and rat t led. All around, lit t le puffs of plast er filled t he a ir. Daemons light flared, sw allow ing Blake w hole, and for a horrible moment , I really t hought he had killed Blake. Daemon! I shrieked, dart ing around t he co ffee t able. St op! But t hen t here w as a crackling sound, like air heat ed and charged aft er a light ning st rike. St ill in his Luxen form, Daemon jerked bac k and let Blake go. T he boy landed on his feet and st aggered t o t he side as he rose. Daemon hummed and st art ed t ow ard Blake, but I got in t he middle. Ok ay. Y ou t w o need t o freaking st op. Blake ran bot h his hands dow n his shirt , st raight ening it . Im not doing anyt hing. Y ou did t hrow a freaking knife at me, I shot back. W rong t hing t o say, because I heard Daemon promise, I w ill b reak him in t w o. St op. An arm appeared in t he light and fingers brushed along my cheek. T he t ouch w as soft as silk and brief, last ing only half of a secon d and so quick t hat I doubt ed Blake even saw it . T hen his light flickered ou t . He st ood in his human form, t rembling w it h barely rest rained rage, his eyes w hit e and sharp like icicles. W hat t he hell w ere you t hinking? She w asnt in any danger! If I t hought for a second she couldnt do it , I w ouldnt have t h row n it at her! Daemon sidest epped me, his large hand curled int o a fist . Hum an or alien, Daemon

could do some real damage. But t here w as no w ay you w ouldve know n she could d o it ! Not a hundred percent ! Turning w ide, pleading eyes t o me, Blake shook h is head. I sw ear you w ere never in any danger, Kat y. If I t hought you couldnt st op it , I w ouldnt have done it . Daemon cursed again and I moved, blocking him . W ho does t hat ? Daemon demanded. Heat rolled off his body. Act ually, Kiefer Su t herland did. In t he original Buffy movie, he explained. W hen I cont inued t o gape at him, he grimaced. It w as on T V a few night s ago. He t hrew one at Buf fy and she caught it . T hat w as Donald Sut herlandt he dad, Daemon correct ed, muc h t o my surprise. Blake shrugged. Same difference. Im not Buffy! I yelled. A slow gr in pulled at his lips. Y ou are definit ely cut er t han Buffy. And t hat w asnt t he right t hing t o say. Daemon grow led low in his t hroat . You got a deat h w ish? Because youre really pushing it t onight , buddy. Im dead serious. Really pus hing it . I can hold you up against t hat w all unt ill you run out of juice. Ca n you hold me off forever? No? I didnt t hink so. Blakes jaw jut t ed out . Okay. Im sorry. But if she hadnt been able t o cat ch it , I w ouldve st opped it . Just li ke you w ouldve. No harm. No foul. A w hirlw ind of rage w as building inside Daem on and I doubt ed I could st op him again if he w ent aft er Blake. I t ensed. I t hink t hat s enough for t onight . But Blake, I really t hink you should leave, I s id meaningfully. Okay? I t hink you need t o go. Blake looked over my shoulder and seemed t o get it , because he nodded. All right . He st art ed t ow ard t he doo r and st opped. But you did great , Kat y. I dont t hink you realize how aw esome t hat w as. A low hum rat t led t he floors and Blake t ook his cue, hight ailing his behind out of t he house. Only w hen I heard t he rumbling of his t rucks en gine did I relax. No more, Daemon said, voice low . Absolut ely no more. Slow ly, I t urned around. His eyes w ere st ill doing t he glow t hing. Up close, t hey w ere sort of beaut ifulodd but really st riking. He could have killed you, Kat . Im not okay w it h t hat . I w ont be okay w it h t hat .

Daemon, he w asnt t rying t o kill me. He looked incredulous. Are you insane? No. T ir d, I bent and picked up t he huge serial-killer knife. As I held it , it sunk in t hat I had st opped a knife w hizzing t ow ard my chest . I faced Daemon, sw a llow ing. He w as st ill rant ing. I dont w ant you doing any more t raining w it h him. I dont even w ant you near him. T hat boys got a few screw s loose. Freezing anyt hing w as a huge deal. It w as one of t he most pow erful uses of t he Sou rce, Blake and Daemon had bot h said, w it h t he except ion of using it as a w eapon. Im going t o give him back-all ey plast ic surgery. I cant Daemon, I w hispere . believe he did t hat . All of a sudden, he w as w rapping his arms around me, hau ling me against his chest . By some miracle, I didnt st ab him. Jesus, Kat , he co uld have hurt you. Somew hat shocked by t he close cont act t hat hed avoided sinc e t he evening he made me a sandw ich, I didnt move at first . His ent ire body h ummed. T he hand t hat came up, w rapping around t he back of my head, shook sli ght ly. Look, youve obviously got some cont rol. I can help you w ork on it , he sa id, rest ing his chin against t he t op of my head, and God, his arms, his body w as so w arm and so perfect . T his cant happen again. Daemon. My voice w as muffled against his chest . W hat ? He pulled back a lit t le, low ering his chin. I froze it . His brow s knit t ed. Huh? I froze t he knife. I w iggled free, w aving t he t hing around. I didnt just st op it , but I froze it . T he t hing w as just hoveri ng in air. It seemed t o hit him, t oo. Holy I laughed. God, t hat s pret t y huge, is nt it ? Daemon nodded. It is. T hat st hat s a big deal. Excit ement t hrummed t hroug me. W e cant st op t raining.

Kat We cant ! Look, t hrow ing a knife at me isnt cool. And God know s, Im not exact y t hrilled t hat he did it , but it w orked. It really w orked. Were get t ing s omew here W hat part of He couldve killed you dont you underst and? Daemon backed off hich usually meant he w as really, really angry. I dont w ant you t raining w it h him. Not w hen hes put t ing your life in danger. Hes not put t ing my life in dan ger. Besides cat ching my fingers on fire and t he knife incident but st ill, t he risks w ere w ort h it . If I could cont roll t hese abilit ies and act ually u se t hem t o prot ect Daemon and Dee, t hen I w ouldnt be just a humanor just a mu t at ed human one st ep aw ay from exposing t hem t o t he w orld. W e cant st op, I reasoned. Ill be able t o cont roll it and use t he Source, just like you and De e can. I can help you Help me w it h w hat ? Daemon st ared at me, t hen laughed. Hel p me t o fight Arum? Okay. I w asnt going t hat far, but now t hat he ment ioned i t , w hy not ? According t o Blake, I had pot ent iall t o be st ronger t han Da emon. Crossing my arms over my chest , I t apped t he edge of t he knife on my a rm. Y eah, w hat if I w ant ed t o? He laughed again, and I w ant ed t o kick him. Kit t en, youre not helping me fight Arum. W hy not ? If I can cont roll t he Sourc e and help, w hy not ? I could fight . I t hink t he reasons are pret t y huge, he yelled, all t he humor vanishing. First off, youre a human. Not really. His eyes narr ow ed. Grant ed, youre a mut at ed human, but a human w hos a hell of a lot w eaker and more vulnerable t han a Luxen. I exhaled slow ly. Y ou dont know how w eak or vulnerable Ill be fully t rained. W hat ever. Secondly, you have no business going up against t he Arum. T hat w ill never happen. Daemon It w ont if Im st ill alive. Do you underst and t hat ? Y ou w ill never go aft er an Arum. I dont care if you ca n st op t he w orld from spinning. I t ried t o push dow n my anger. One t hing I hat ed more t han Daemons douche-nozzle side w as him t elling me w hat t o do. Y ou dont ow n me, Daemon. It s not about ow nership, you lit t le nut .

Nut ? I glared at him. I w ouldnt call me names w hen I have a knife in my hand. He i gnored t hat . T hirdly, t here is somet hing off about Blake. Y ou cant t ell me you dont see or sense t hat . Oh, dont Y ou know not hing about himnot hing deeper t n t hat he likes t o surf and blog. Big deal. T hese arent good enough reasons. Becau se I dont w ant you in dangerhow about t hat ? Is t hat damn good enough for you? h e shout ed, and I jumped. He looked aw ay, draw ing in several deep breat hs. I hadnt realized t hat couldve been t he real reason behind it all. About every part of me soft ened, and my t emper slipped aw ay like a snow flake melt ing. Daemon , you cant st op me just t o prot ect me. His head sw ung back t o me. I need t o p rot ect you. Need w as such a strong w ord that it stole my breath and my heart. D aemon, Im flatteredI am, but your job is not to protect me. Im not Dee. Im not anot her one of your responsibilit ies. Damn right youre not Dee! But you are my respons ibilit y. I got you int o t his mess. And I w ill not be dragging you furt her i nt o it ! My head w as spinning. His reasons for w ant ing me t o st op t raining w it h Blake w ere right but all w rong. I needed t o prove t o him t hat I w a snt a liabilit y or somet hing t o be const ant ly w at ched over. If he felt t h at w ay and did keep put t ing himself in jeopardy because of me, he could lose his ow n life or Dees. Im not st opping, I said. Daemon st ared at me. Does it even m at t er t hat I dont w ant you in t hat kind of danger? T hat I w ont facilit at e somet hing as idiot ic as you gearing up t o go against t he Arum? I flinched. O uch, t hat st ung. W ant ing t o help you and your kind is idiot ic? His jaw t igh t ened. Y eah, it is. Daemon, I w hispered. I get t hat you care You dont get it . T t he problem! He st opped, pulling it all back in, sucking t he air right out of t he room w it h it . I w ont be a part of t his. I mean it , Kat y. You chose t his, t henw hat ever. I w ont have t his hanging over my head like I do every frea king day w it h Daw son. I w ont make anot her mist ake and condone t his.

I sucked in a sharp breat h. My chest ached at t he t hought of him carrying t h at kind of guilt guilt t hat didnt belong t o him. Daemon W hat w ill it be, Kat y? H looked at me dead-on. T ell me now . I dont know w hat t o t ell you, I w hispered, t ears burning my eyes. Didnt he see? Going t hrough w it h t his w ould give me a bet t er chance of not t urning out like Bet hany and Daw son, of being able t o t ake care of myself and prot ect him, because one day, hed need it . Daemon t ook a st ep back as t hough Id hit him. T hat w as t he w rong t hing t o say. His face t urned hard, his eyes like glaciers. T he coldness radiat ing from him ch illed me t o t he bone. Hed never looked more det ached. Im done. Chapter 21 Part of me w ant ed t o skip classes t he next day, but it w asnt like I could hi de forever. Unexpect edly, Daemon w as a no-show . I didnt see him in t he halls, eit her, or w hen I grabbed my st uff out of my locker before lunch. He never s how ed. Id chased him right out of t he damn school. Hey, Blake said, st rolling up t o me. Y ou dont look any bet t er. T hrough t he durat ion of bio, Id pret t y mu ch had my face st uck in my t ext book. I sighed, closing t he door. Y eah, not f eeling it t oday. Hungry? W hen I shook my head, he t ugged on my backpack. Me neit her. I know a place t o go, no food and no people. Sounded good t o me, because t he last t hing I could st omach right now w as w at ching Adam and Dee go t o s econd base at t he lunch t able. Turned out , t he place Blake had in mind w as t he empt y audit orium. Perfect . W e sat in t he back, propping our feet up on t he seat s in front of us. Blake pulled an apple from his bag. Did Daemon ever calm dow n last night ? I groaned inw ardly. Y eahnot really. I w as afraid of t hat . T here w as a pause as he bit int o t he shiny red fruit . You really w erent in any danger. If you didnt st op it , one of us w ouldve. I know . I scoot ed dow n and laid my head on t he back of my seat . He just doesnt w ant t o see me hurt . And t hat act ually hurt t o say, because I knew t here w as a mile-long road of goo d int ent ions behind w hat he had been saying last night , but he needed t o se e me as an equal. Not someone w ho w as w eak and needed rescuing.

T hat s admirable. Blake grinned around his apple. You know I dont like t he t ool, b ut he cares about you. And Im sorry. I didnt mean t o cause t rouble bet w een you t w o. It s not your fault . I pat t ed his knee, not surprised w hen I got a lit t le shock. Everyt hing w ill be okay. Blake nodded. Can I ask you somet hing? Sure. He t ook anot her bit e before he cont inued. Is Daemon t he one w ho healed you? I ask, because it may give me a bet t er underst anding of your pow er t o know w ho changed you. Anxiousness blossomed. W hy w ould you t hink it w as him? Blake g ave me a point ed look. It w ould explain how close you t w o are. My friend and I w ere close aft erw ard. I almost alw ays knew w hen he w as around. W e w ere like t w o halves of t he same w hole aft er he healed me. It w as a st rongbond . Healing me w as so forbidden t hat even an army of Arum couldnt get me t o admit t hat it had been Daemon. T hat s good t o know , but t hat s not t he case. Curios it y did get t he best of me, t hough. Y ou say you t w o w ere close. Did it mak e youat t ract ed t o him? W hat ? He laughed. No. We w ere like brot hers, but t he connect ionw hat ever it is t hat t hey do t o usdoesnt force us t o feel anyt hing . It just makes us close t o w ho healed us. It s st ronger t han a familial bond , but not sexual or even emot ional on t hat kind of level. I low ered my lashes before he could see t he rush of fresh t ears t hat burned my eyes. Great . I w as t he biggest asshat alive. T his w hole t ime Id kept t hrow ing t he alien co nnect ion in Daemons face and it hadnt been w hat w as propelling him. W ell, t hat s good t o know . My ow n voice sounded st range t o me. Anyw ay...w hy is it so i mport ant w ho healed me? He looked at me like he doubt ed my IQ as he finished o ff his apple. Because I hear t hat how st rong t he Luxen is w ho heals you is an indicat ion of how much st ronger youll be. At least , t hat s w hat Ive picked up from Liz. Her pow er and limit at ions w ere linked t o w ho healed her. Same a s me. Oh. Well, t hat explained how I blast ed a sat ell it e int o out er space. D aemons ego w ould go t hrough t he chart s if he knew . I st art ed t o grin, but t hinking of him renew ed t he ache in my chest . W hich is w hy I t hought it w as Daemon, but hes pret t y damn pow erful. No offense, but you really havent don e anyt hing ext raordinary, so Gee, t hanks? I laughed at his chagrined look. Anyw ay , it s not anyone youd ever expect , and t hat s all Im w illing t o say about it , okay? All right . He held up t he core of his apple, frow ning. Y ou dont t rust me, do you? I w as quick t o t ell him t hat I did, I st opped. Someone at least dese rved my honest y. Dont t ake it personally, but right now , I t hink t rust is som et hing not easily given, considering.

Blake glanced at me sidew ays and smiled. Good idea. If I saw another knife in the next ten years, Id need long-term psychiatric care. Spending time with a knife b eing thrown at me wasnt my idea of fun. T hankfully, Id been able t o st op t hem all. And w it hout Daemon t here, Blake st ayed in one piece. He moved ont o t h row ing non-deadly st uff at my head, like pillow s and books, by t he end of t he w eek. Aft er several hours, Id mast ered t he art of not eat ing fabric. I ne ver let t he books hit me or t he floor, t hough. T hat just seemed sacrilegious . It seemed ass backw ard t o st art off w it h t he knives and end w it h t he pillow , but I underst ood his mast er plan. My abilit y w as also t ied t o my emot ionslike fear. I needed t o be able t o t ap int o t hose st rong feelings a nd use t hem w hen I w asnt freaking out . I also needed t o be able t o cont rol l t hem w hen I w as spazzing. I groaned as I picked up all of t he pillow s off t he floor and t he books off t he coffee t able, put t ing t hem each back w h ere t hey belonged. T ired? Blake comment ed, lounging against t he w all. Y eah. I yaw ned. Y ou know how t he Luxen get t ired from using t heir pow ers? Blake grab bed t he last book, placing it w here hed got t en it : t he T V st and. Y eah, an d I remember you saying somet hing about us t iring out fast er t han t hey do. We are just like t he Luxen in t hat sense. T hey use up energy t o do t hingst he w hole sending-a-piece-of-t hem t hing? Were t he same w ay, but t hey can go a l ot longer t han w e can. I dont know w hy. Has somet hing t o do w it h t he fact t hat w e only have half-alien DNA, but w e have t o be careful, Kat y. T he mo re abilit ies w e use, t he w eaker w e get . And fast er. Great , I mut t ered. So Daemon couldve really held you against t he w all all night ? Y ep. He st opped besi de me. Sugar helps. But so does t he Melody St one. T he w hat ? I rubbed t he back of my neck as I dropped ont o t he couch. It s a t ype of cryst ala very rare opal. He sat beside me, so close t hat his t high pressed against mine. I scoot ed aw ay.

W hat does it do? He rest ed his head back on t he cushion and gave me a lopsided shrug. From w hat Ive learned, it can help increase our pow ers. Possibly even st abilize t hem so w e dont grow t ired like t he Luxen do. T he w hole cryst all bu siness didnt make sense t o me. It sounded like a bunch of New Age crap, but t he n again, w hat did I know ? Do you have one? Blake laughed. No. T heyre hard t o get . Grabbing an abused pillow , I placed it under my head and closed my eyes, snug gling against t he arm of t he couch. Well, t hen I guess it s just me and sugar. T here w as a pause. Y ou did really w ell, t hough. Y oure a fast learner. Ha! You w erent saying t hat t he first w eek of t raining. I yaw ned. Maybe t his w ont be s o hard. Ill get cont roll of my abilit iesand everyt hing w ill go back t o normal . T hings w ont ever be normal, Kat y. Once you st ep out side t he range of t he b et a quart z, t he Arum w ill find you. T he couch dipped on my side, but I w as t oo t ired t o open my eyes. But if you can really cont roll t his, youll be able t o defend yourself. And t hat s w hat I w ant ed. T o st and beside Daemon, not cow er behind him. Y oure such a bearer of great new s. Y ou know t hat ? I dont mean t o. T he cushion under me shift ed even more, and I felt Blakes fingers brushing my hair aside. My eyes snapped open, and I jerked up, t w ist ing around t o fa ce him. Blake. He sat back, placing his hand on his t high. Im sorry. I didnt mean t o st art le you. I just w ant ed t o make sure you w ere okay over t here. W as t hat all? Or more? Oh, man, t his w as so aw kw ard. T hings are really complicat ed right now . Underst andable, he said, sit t ing back. Y ou like him, dont you? I c lut ched t he pillow t o my chest , not sure w hat t o say. Dont lie. He laughed w hen I frow ned. Y ou alw ays blush w hen you lie. I dont know w hy people keep sayin g t hat . My cheeks are not a human lie det ect or. I t oyed w it h a frayed t hr ead, know ing w e needed t o have that conversation, especially since w e w ere w orking together. Im sorry. Just right now

Kat y, it s okay. He placed his hand on mine, squeezing reassuringly. For real. I li ke you. I do. Obviously. But you have a lot going on, and probably some of t hat w as before I even came here. So it s okay. Really. T he first real smile in t w o days t urned up my lips. T hanks for being sounderst anding. Blake pushed off t h e couch, running his hand t hrough his hair. W ell, I have t he t ime t o be pat ient . Im not going anyw here. I sat in class, trying to focus on what Carissa and Lesa were talking about. My skin was alternating between hot and cold flashes. S o, Kat y, youve been hanging out w it h surfer boy a lot . Lesa cocked an eyebrow . Care t o share t he det ails on t hat ? I shrank in my seat . No. W ere just hangi ng out . Just hanging out , Lesa repeat ed slyly, is like code for having sex. Cariss as mout h dropped open. No, it s not ! You obviously havent dat ed a lot of guys aroun d here. Lesa sat back in her chair, pulling on a t ight curl. Act ually, pret t y much everyt hing w it h guys around here is code for sex. Im going t o have t o go w it h Carissa on t his one. Hanging out does not equal sex t he last t ime I T in gles shot across my neck and my heart rat e spiked. I caught a glimpse of Daemon coming t hrough t he doorw ay and I focused on Lesas face as t hough she w ere m y lifeline. Daemon glided past my seat and t ook his behind me. I clenched t he edges of my not ebook, hoping our t eacher w ouldnt t ake his sw eet t ime get t ing t o class. A pen poked me in t he back. An unbelievably giddy rush sw ept t hrough me. I t urned slow ly. I couldnt pick up anyt hing from his guarded expres sion. I see youve beenbusy, he said, lashes low ered. Sucky part about living next t o Daemon w as t he fact he pret t y much saw everyt hing I did. And t hat meant he knew I w as st ill t raining w it h Blake. Y eah, kind of. Daemons elbow s scoo t ed over t he desk as he cupped his chin in his hands. So w hat is Bobo doing? It s Blake, I said, voice low . And you know w hat w eve been doing. Y oure more

Not going t o happen. He t hen laughed under his breat h, but t here w as no humor t o it as he inched a lit t le closer. His irises deepened. I really w ish youd t hink about t his. And I w ish youd t hink about t his. Daemon didnt respond. He pull ed his elbow s back t ow ard him, crossing his arms. Our conversat ion w as obvi ously over. I t w ist ed around, feeling icky. Morning classes dragged. Lesa w a s w ait ing for me out side of bio, st opping me from going in. Can I ask you a q uest ion? she said, glancing around. I sighed. Sure. She pulled me against an unocc upied locker. W hat s going on? You kissed Daemon before Hall ow een, w ent out w it h Blake once, and now you w ent out w it h him again, but you and Daemon unde niably have somet hing going on. I made a face. Gee, it sounds like Im a ho-bag or somet hing. Lesa made a face. Im so not t he one w hos going t o slut shame. T rust me. Im just curious. Do you have any idea w hat youre doing? One of t he reasons I liked Lesa? She didnt beat around t he bush. She spoke w hat she t hought , and b ecause of t hat , I w as more open w it h her t han anyone. I honest ly dont know . I mean, I do. Im not dat ing Blake. And Im not dat ing Daemon. Y oure not ? I leaned against t he cool st eell and sighed. It s complicat ed. Cant be t hat complicat ed, s he said. W ho do you like? Closing my eyes, I finally put voice t o it . Daemon. Ah-h a! She bumped me w it h her hip. Wait . How is it complicat ed? Daemons got it for you big t ime. Everyone can see t hat , even w hen you guys are at each ot hers t hroat s. And you like him. W hat s t he deal? How could I explain how messed up e veryt hing w as? It s just really complicat ed. T rust me. Lesa frow ned. Im going t o have t o t ake your w ord for it , because Blake is coming dow n t he hall. She w hipped around so quickly it w as like shed been caught peeping dow n my shirt . Bio w as unevent ful. Blake t ypically act ed like w e w erent mut ant s or any t hing w hile w e w ere in school, and I appreciat ed him for t hat . Here, I co uld be normal, as odd as t hat w as. I discovered t hey w ere serving cold lasag na and salad t hat smelled funny for lunch. Yum. I slopped some on my plat e w h ile craving a st raw berry smoot hie. Doubt full Id get t hat

delivered t oday. Daemon had st opped bringing me t reat s about t he t ime t ra ining had st art ed. I missed it . I missed him. Dee and Adam w ere joined at t he mout h w hen I sat dow n. I glanced at Carissa. She rolled her eyes, but I sm iled. My sucky love life aside, I w as st ill on Team Love Rocks. T he only t hi ng I honest ly couldnt deal w it h w as my mom and W ill making out , w hich Id go t t en an eyeful of yest erday before she left for w ork. Ew . Y ou going t o eat t hat salad? Dee asked. It s cut e how you st opped kissing for food. I laughed, pu shing my t ray t ow ard her. Hey, Adam. His cheeks w ere flushed. Hey, Kat y. Sorry. I w orked up an appet it e. Dee grinned. And I lost mine, Carissa mut t ered. Blake never arrived at t he cafet eria, but Daemon had. Hed t aken his seat beside And rew and Ash. Against my w ill, I w at ched him. Daemon glanced up, holding a smo ot hie. He smirked. Bast ard. I shift ed my gaze t o Dee. How can you eat t hat ? I sw ear t he edges of t he let t uce are brow n. It s gross. Adam laughed. Dee ca n eat anyt hing. So can you. She offered him t he t omat o on her fork. W ant some? Ok ay. I sat back. If you feed him, Im going t o have t o find a new t able. I second t hat , Carissa added. Dee rolled her eyes but relent ed. I like t o share. W hat s w rong w it h t hat ? T hen she looked at me, her expression hopeful. Im glad youre e at ing w it h usalone t oday. Uncomfort able, I nodded and focused on pulling apar t my lasagna. I hat ed layered food, unless t hose layers involved chocolat e an d peanut but t er. Lunch and t he aft ernoon classes finally ended, and I sw ung by t he post office t o pick up t he mail before Blake came over. As I w as pla cing t he junk and packages on t he backseat , I caught sight of one of t he bla ck Expedit ions parked at t he edge of t he parking lot , as if t heyd pulled ove r abrupt ly and left t he engine running.

It could be any Expedition, I told myself as I closed the door, but a shiver dan ced dow n my spine and all the tiny hairs rose on my arms. Maybe Id developed som e kind of w icked sixt h sense along w it h my alien mojo? Going t o t he drivers side, I kept an eye on t he Expedit ion. Smoke plumed out of t he muffler, chok ing t he air. Suddenly, t he passenger door jerked open and I saw t w o people. Brian Vaughn, t he DOD officer w ho ow ned t he creepiest laugh ever, w as leani ng over t he passenger, grabbing for t he door. His mout h w as a t hin, angry s lash as he groped for t he door w it h one hand w hile his arm braced a girl aga inst t he seat . Squint ing, I t ook anot her look at t he girl w hen I shouldve been climbing int o my car and get t ing t he hell out of t here. T he last t hi ng I needed w as for Vaughn t o cat ch me peeping at him, but I knew t his girl. Id seen her face on a flyer, t aped on t he glass w indow s of FOOLAND. Her brow n hair w as pulled back t ight ly from her pale, elfin face. Her eyes w erent dan cing w it h laught er w hen she t urned t o t he door, w at ching Vaughn pull it shut , closing her inclosing me out . Her eyes w ere empt y. But it w as her. It w as Bet hany. Chapter 22 Bet hanyDaw sons girlfriendw as alive. And she w as w it h t he DOD. It sounded ins ane, and I w ent t hrough every st age of denial as I made my w ay home, but it w as her. T hat face had been burned int o my memory. I paced t he house unt ill Blake show ed up, st unned by w hat t his could mean. He t ook one look at me a nd frow ned. Y ou look like youve seen a ghost . I t hink I have. My hands opened and closed at my sides. I t hink I saw Bet hany t oday w it h t his guy from t he DO D. Blake frow ned. W hos Bet hany? It felt w rong t elling Blake about t his, but I needed t o t ell someone. Bet hany w as Daw sons girlfriend. And Daw son w as Daem on and Dees brot her.

T hey w ere supposedly at t acked by an Arum and killed, but t heir bodies w ere t aken aw ay by t he DOD before Daemon or Dee could see t hem. Underst anding da w ned in his eyes. Man, I w as curious. Every Luxen comes in t hrees. I nodded. But if it s really herand Im pret t y sure it s herw hat does t hat mean? Blake sat on t he arm of t he recliner, t urning t he T V remot e over and over above his handsw it hout t ouching it . How close w ere Daw son and Bet hany? T hen it hit me. It all seemed so clear. T he w alls t ilt ed a lit t le as panic punched a hole in my chest . Oh my God, Daw son had healed Bet hany. T hat s w hat everyone t hinks. T hat she got hurt somehow and he healed her. And he couldve changedmut at edher, right ? Blake nodded. Oh, man And I bet Bet hany is a nickname for Elizabet h and And w hat did t hat girl look liket he one w ho t old you about t he DOD named Liz? Hi s brow s rose. She had brow n hair, a lit t le darker t han yours. Kind of sharp feat ures, but really pret t y. It all st art ed t o click t oget her. T his is in sane. How w ould t he DOD have know n about her? She and Daw son disappeared jus t a couple of days aft er w hat ever happened bet w een t hem, unlessunless someo ne w ho suspect ed t hat Bet hany had been healed t old t he DOD. My st omach t u mbled over as I pulled my hair back int o a messy t w ist . W ho w ould do t hat ? One of t he Luxen? I dont know . I w ouldnt put it past t he DOD t o have Luxen w ho are t he eyes and ears for t hem, he said, rubbing his brow . Man, t hat sucks. Suck didnt even cover it . T hat meant someone close t o t he Blacks had most lik ely bet rayed t hem in t he w orst w ay. Anger w hipped t hrough me. I t urned j ust as t he curt ains Bill ow ed out as if a rush of air had ent ered t he room. A small cyclone of books and magazines moved t hrough t he living room, spinnin g and spinning. W hoa, simmer dow n, St orm. I blinked and t he cyclone fell apart . Sighing, I picked up t he books and magazines now scat t ered around t he roo m. My pulse t hrummed in my ears as my mind raced t hrough w hat Id discovered. If t he DOD has Bet h, t hen w hat did t hey do w it h Daw son? Do you t hink hes s t ill alive? Hope sparked w it h t hat idea. If Daw son w as alive, t hat w ould I t w ould be like my fat her st ill being alive. My life w ould change. Daemons an d Dees lives w ould change for t he bet t er. T heyd be a family again Blake graspe d my arm gent ly, t urning me t ow ard him. I know w hat youre t hinking. How w on derful it w ould be for him t o st ill be alive, but Kat y, t he DOD doesnt w ant Daw son. T hey w ant ed Bet hany. And t heyd do anyt hing t o get cont roll of m ut at ed humans. If t he DOD t old his family he w as dead But you dont know if t he y t old t he t rut h, I prot est ed.

W hy w ould t hey keep him alive, Kat y? If t hat really is LizBet ht hen t hey hav e w hat t hey w ant . Daw son w ould be dead. I couldnt believe t hat . T here w a s a chance he w as alive, and t here w as no w ay I could live w it h myself w i t hout t elling Daemon and Dee. Kat y, he cant be alive. T hey are rut hless, he pe rsist ed, and his grip t ight ened on my arm. You do underst and t hat , right ? H e shook my arm. Hard. Do you? Surprised by his doggedness, I lift ed my chin. My e yes met his, and t here w as somet hing w rong in his, a qualit y t hat w as sli ght ly off and scary, like w hen hed smiled and t hrew t he knife at my head. Ice t rickled t hrough my veins. Y eah, I underst and. It probably w asnt even her. I sw allow ed, forcing a smile. Blake, can you let go of my arm? Y oure hurt ing me. He blinked and t hen seemed t o realize hed been squeezing my arm. He let go and choked out a laugh. Im sorry. I just dont w ant you get t ing your hopes up and bei ng let dow n. Or doing somet hing crazy. No, my hopes arent up. Rubbing my arm, I ba cked up. And w hat could I do, anyw ay? Id never t ell Daemon or Dee if I w asnt su re. Relieved, he smiled. Good. Let s st art t raining. Nodding, I dropped t he subje ct and hoped Blake forgot about it . Our t raining consist ed of freezing t hing s, and as soon as he left , I rushed t o grab my cell. It w as near midnight , b ut I t ext ed Daemon anyw ay. Can u come over? I waited ten minutes before I tex ted him again. This is important!!! Another ten minutes went by, and I was start ing to feel like I was one of those psychotic girlfriends who texted the crap ou t of guys until they responded. Damn him. Cursing, I sent him one more t ext . I ts abt Dawson. Not even a minute later, I felt the rush of warmth on my neck. St omach tumbling and twisting, I answered the door. Daemon My words died off and my e yes w idened. I must ve w oken him up, because No shirt . Again. It had t o be bel ow t hirt y degrees out side, but he w as st anding in front of me in flannel pa jama bot t oms and not hing else but glorious, perfect ly formed skin st ret che d t aut over hard muscle.

I hadnt forgot t en w hat hed looked like shirt less, but my memory had not served him one bit of just ice. Daemon st epped inside, eyes w ide and luminous. W hat about Daw son? I shut t he door, heart racing. W hat if t elling him w as a mist ake? W hat if Daw son w as dead? Id just be screw ing up Daemons life even more. M aybe I shouldve list ened t o Blake. Kat , Daemon snapped, impat ient . Sorry. I move d past him, careful not t o t ouch any of his exposed skin, and w ent int o t he living room. Popping in front of me, he plant ed his hands on his hips. I t ook a deep breat h. I saw Bet hany t oday. Daemons head jerked t o t he side and he bl inked once, t hen t w ice. W hat ? Daw sons girl I know w hat you said, he int errupt me, dragging bot h hands t hrough his t ousled hair. For a moment I w as a bit dist ract ed by t he w ay t he muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled. Focus. How can you be sure it w as her, Kat ? Y ouve never seen her. Ive seen her missing p ersons flyer. It s a face I cant forget . I sat dow n, rubbing my hands over my knee s. It w as her. Holy shit ... Daemon sat beside me on t he couch, dropping his hands bet w een his legs. W here did you see her? I w at ched t he confusion lining his face and I w ant ed not hing more t han t o comfort him somehow . At t he post o ffice aft er school. And you w ait ed unt ill now t o t ell me? Before I could answ er, he laughed under his breat h. Because you w ere t raining w it h Bilbo Baggi ns and you had t o w ait unt ill he left t o t alk t o me? Squeezing my knees, I jerked my chin. Daemon shouldve been t he first person I w ent t o. Being shocked by w hat I saw and t he t raining sessions w erent nearly as import ant or a goo d enough excuse. Im sorry, but Im t elling you now . He nodded curt ly and ret urned t o st aring at t he Christ mas t ree. It seemed like forever ago t hat w ed put it up. Man, I dont I dont even know w hat t o say. Bet hs alive? I nodded, pressing m y lips t oget her. Daemon, I saw her w it h Brian Vaughn. Shes w it h t he DOD. T heyd pulled over on t he side of t he road and t he car door had opened. T hat s h ow I saw t hem. He w as closing t he door and he looked angry. Daemon slow ly t w ist ed his head t ow ard me, and our gazes locked. T ime st ret ched. An array of emot ions w ent t hrough his eyes, t urning t hem from a bright green t o a d ark, st ormy color. I saw t he moment he knew w hat I w as get t ing at t he seco nd t hat his ent ire w orld came crumbling dow n and w as rebuilt w it hin secon ds.

Suspect ing t hat Daw son had healed Bet hany, and t hen jumping t o Daw son and Bet hany disappearing because of t he DOD rat her t han t he Arum w asnt a hard leap t o make. Not aft er discovering t hat by healing me, Daemon had also chang ed me. T hen you t hrow Blake int o t he mix, plus everyt hing hed t old us about t he DOD and t heir search for mut at ed humans. Daemon w as smart . He shot t o his feet and w it hin seconds, he w as out of his human form and blinding me. His light flared a shade of red-w hit e as he pinged across t he room. W ind pic ked up, st irring t he bulbs on t he Christ mas t ree. She w as w it h t he DOD? His voice w hispered t o me, t ight w it h fury. T he DOD is responsible for th is? Hearing Daemons voice in my head alw ays t ook me a few seconds t o get accus t omed t o, and out of habit I answ ered verbally. I dont know , Daemon, but t hat s not t he w orst part of t his. How w ould t he DOD know w hat happened bet w e en Daw son and Bet hany unless? Unless someone told them? His light pulsed and a b last of heat filled the room. But Daw son didnt even tell me hed healed her or tha t anything happened. How w ould anyone know ? Unless someone had seen them other than me, suspected w hat happened, and betrayed us I nodded, not even sure if he w as looking at me or not . All I could see w as his form, no feat ures, no eye s. T hat s w hat Ive been t hinking. It had t o be someone w ho knew , and t hat pr obably really limit s t he pool of suspect s. Several moment s passed and t he t emperat ure in t he room cont inued t o rise. I need t o know w ho bet rayed us. T hen Ill make t hem w ish t heyd never landed on this planet. Eyes w ide, I st o od and pushed up t he sleeves of my sw eat er. Sw allow ing, I t ook a chance. D aemon? His light flickered. I hear you. More proof t hat our connect ion hadnt go ne anyw here. I know youre hell-bent on revenge, but most import ant ly, w hat if Daw son is st ill alive? Daemon drift ed over t o me, and t iny beads of sw eat broke out on my forehead. T hen I dont know if I should be happy or sad. Hed be a live, but w here? T he DOD has him, and if thats the case, w hat kind of life has he had? For tw o years? His next w ords sounded choked, even w ithin my mind. W hat have they been doing to him? Tears filled my eyes, blurring his light . Im s orry, Daemon. Im really sorry. But if hes alive, t hen hes alive. I reached out , p lacing my hand t hrough t he light , t ouching his chest . T he light pulsed err at ically t hen calmed. My fingers hummed. T hat s got t o mean somet hing, right ?

Yes, yes it does. T hen he stepped back, and a second later he w as in his human form. I need to find out if my brother is aliveand if hes not He looked aw ay, jaw w orking. I need t o know how and w hy he died. It s obvious w hy t hey w ould w an t Bet h, but my brot her? I sat back dow n, w iping my palm over my forehead. I do nt know Daemon grasped my hand so quickly, I gasped. W hat are you doing? He t urned my hand over, his brow s furrow ing. W hat is t his? Huh? I glanced dow n, and my h eart st ut t ered. A deep, purplish bruise circled my w rist , right w here Blak e had grabbed me earlier. It s not hing, I said quickly. I banged my arm int o t he count er earlier. His eyes lift ed, piercing mine. Are you sure t hat s w hat happe ned, because I sw ear if it s not , you t ell me and t hat problem w ill be solve d. I forced a laugh and an eye roll for ext ra benefit . T here w as no doubt in my mind t hat Daemon w ould do somet hing t errible t o Blake even t hough it w as an accident . T here w ere no shades of gray w it h him. Y es, Daemon, t hat s all t hat happened. Geez. St udying me, he backed up and sat on t he couch. Sever al moment s passed. Dont t ell Dee about t his, okay? Not unt ill w e get some lea ds or somet hing. I dont w ant her know ing anyt hing unt ill w e know for sure. G reat . One more lie, but I could underst and w hy. How are you going t o get lead s? Y ou said you saw Bet hany w it h Vaughn, right ? I nodded. W ell, I happen t o k now w here he lives. And he probably know s w here Bet h is and w hat happened t o Daw son. How do you know w here he lives? He smiled, a bit evilly. I have my w ay s. A new panic dug in w it h icy fingers. W ait . Oh no, you cant go aft er him. T hat s insane and dangerous! Daemon arched a coal-black brow . As if you care w hat happens t o me, Kit t en. My mout h dropped open. I do care, jerk-face! Promise me you w ont do anyt hing st upid. W at ching me a few seconds, his smile t urned sa d. I w ont make promises I know Ill break. Argh! Y oure so freaking frust rat ing. I d idnt t ell you so youd go off and do somet hing st upid. Im not going t o do anyt hin g st upid. And even if w hat I plan is risky and insane, it s a w ell-t hought -o ut level of st upidit y. I rolled my eyes. T hat s reassuring. Anyw ay, how do you know w here he lives?

Since w ere surrounded by people w ho pot ent ially w ant t o do my family harm, I t end t o keep t abs on t hem like t hey keep t abs on me. He leaned back, st re t ched his arms unt ill his back bow ed. Good God, I had t o look aw ay. But not before I caught t he gleam of sat isfact ion in his eyes. Hes been st aying at a rent all in Moorefield, but Im not sure w hich one it is. I shift ed on t he couch , yaw ning. W hat are you going t o do? St ake out his block? Y es. W hat ? Do you ha ve a James Bond fet ish? Possibly, he replied. I just need a car not easily recogniz able. Does your mom w ork t omorrow ? My brow s rose. No, shes off in t he evening and w ill probably be sleeping, but Her car w ould be perfect . He shift ed his w eight on t he couch and w as now so close, his bare arm pressed int o mine. Even if Vaughn has seen her car, he w ont suspect it belongs t o her. I scoot ed over. Im not let t ing you t ake my moms car. W hy not ? He inched over, grinning. A charmin g smilet he same hed used on my mom t he first t ime t heyd met . Im a good driver. T at s not t he point . I moved against t he arm of t he couch. I cant just let you t ake her car w it hout me. He frow ned. Y oure not get t ing involved in t his. But I w ant ed t o be involved in t his, because it did involve me. I shook my head. Y ou w ant my moms car, t hen you get me along w it h it . It s a t w o-for-one spec ial. Daemon t ipped his chin now , peering up t hrough t hick lashes. Get you? Now t hat sounds w ay more int erest ing of a deal. My cheeks flushed. Daemon alread y had me, but he just didnt know . As in a part nership, Daemon. Hmm. Daemon flickere d t o t he door. Be ready aft er school t omorrow . Dit ch Bart holomew by any me ans necessary. And do not speak a w ord of t his t o him. Y ou and I w ill be pl aying spy alone. Chapter 23 Making up some lame excuse about having t o spend t ime w it h my mom, I success fully dit ched a very pout y Blake. Get t ing t he keys from my mom w asnt t oo d ifficult , eit her. Shed

crashed from a double shift as soon as she got home, and I knew she w ouldnt be a w ake t o not ice her car w as gone. W ed w ait ed unt ill darkness fell, w hich clocked in around five t hirt y. Daemon met me out side and t ried t o t ake t h e keys. Nope. My moms car means Im driving. He glared at me but got int o t he passe nger seat . His long legs w ere no mat ch for t he cramped seat ing. He looked l ike hed out grow n t he car. I laughed. Daemon scow led. I t urned on a rock st a t ion, and he changed it t o an oldies st at ion. Moorefield w as only fift een minut es aw ay, but it w ould be t he longest damn drive of my life. So how did y ou drop But t er-face? he asked before w e even pulled out of t he drivew ay. I s hot him a dirt y look. I t old him I have plans w it h my mom. It s not like I spe nd every w aking minut e w it h Blake. Daemon snort ed. W hat ? I glanced at him. H e st ared out t he w indow , one hand on t he oh-shit handle. As if my driving w as t hat bad. W hat ? I repeat ed. You know w hat Im doing w it h him. It s not like w ere hanging out and w at ching movies. Do I really know w hat youre doing w it h him? he asked soft ly. My hands t ight ened on t he w heel. Y es. T he muscle w ork ed in his jaw , and t hen he t urned, angling his body t ow ard me t he best he could given t he limit ed space. You know , your w hole life doesnt have t o invol ve t raining w it h Bradley. Y ou can t ake t ime off. Y ou could also join us. I liked it w hen you helped out , w hen you w ere t here, I admit t ed, feeling my c heeks burn. T here w as a pause. Y ou know my st ance on t hat , but you need t o st op avoiding Dee. She misses you. And t hat s just messed up. Guilt chew ed at me w it h small, razor-sharp t eet h. Im sorry. Y oure sorry? he said. W hat for? For eing a crappy friend? In a second, anger flashed t hrough me, w ild and hot like a fireball. Im not t rying t o be a crappy friend, Daemon. You know w hat Im doing. Y oure t he one w ho t old me t o keep her out of t his. Just t ell Dee Im sorry, okay? T he familiar challenge w as in his voice. No. Can w e not t alk?

And t hat w ould also be a no. But he didnt say anyt hing else w hile he gave me di rect ions t o t he subdivision w here Vaughn lived. I parked t he car halfw ay b et w een t he suspect ed six houses, grat eful t hat my mom t int ed t he w indo w s of her car. T hen Daemon st art ed in again. How has your t raining been goin g? If you got over yourself, youd know . He smirked. Are you st ill able t o freeze t hings? Move object s around? W hen I nodded, his eyes narrow ed. Have you had any unexpect ed out burst s of pow er? Besides t he w hole mini cyclone in my living room aft er seeing Bet hany, I hadnt . No. T hen w hy are you st ill t raining? T h e w hole purpose w as for you t o get cont rol. Y ou have. W ant ing t o bang my head against t he st eering w heel, I groaned. T hat s not t he only reason, Daemo n. And you know t hat . Obviously I dont , he ret ort ed, pushing back against his s eat . God, I love how youre all up in my personal business but dont w ant t o be in volved in it . I like t alking about your personal business. It s usually ent ert a ining and alw ays good for a laugh. W ell, I dont , I snapped. Daemon sighed as he t w ist ed in his seat and t ried t o get comfort able. T his car sucks. It w as you r idea. I, on t he ot her hand, t hink t he car is a perfect size. But t hat mig ht be because Im not t he size of a mount ain. He snickered. Y oure t he size of a l it t le, it t y bit t y doll. If you say a vacant doll, I w ill hurt you. I w ound t he necklace chain around my fingers. Got t hat ? Y es, maam. I st ared out t he w i ndshield, caught bet w een w ant ing t o just be angry w it h himbecause t hat w as easyand w ant ing t o explain myself. So much bubbled up in me t hat not hing w ould come out . He sighed. Youre w orn dow n. Dees w orried. She w ont st op buggi ng me t o check on you and see w hat s w rong, since you w ont hang out w it h her anymore.

Oh, so w ere back t o you doing t hings t o make your sist er happy? Are you get t ing bonus point s for asking? I asked before I could st op myself. No. He reached out , cat ching my chin in a gent le grasp, forcing me t o look at him. And w he n I did, I couldnt breat he. His eyes churned. Im w orried. Im w orried for a t hous and different reasons and I hat e t hisI hat e feeling like I cant do anyt hing ab out it . T hat hist ory is on repeat and even t hough I can see it as clear as d ay, I cant st op it . His w ords opened up a hole in my chest and suddenly I t hou ght of Dad. W hen I w as lit t le and w ould get upset , usually over somet hing st upid like a t oy I w ant ed, I could never really put my frust rat ion int o w ords. Inst ead, Id t hrow a fit or pout . And Dadhe alw ays said t he same t hi ng. Use your w ords, Kitty-cat. Use your w ords. Words w ere t he most pow erful t ool. Simple and so oft en underest imat ed. T hey could heal. T hey could des t roy. And I needed t o use my w ords now . I w rapped my fingers around his w r ist , w elcoming t he jolt t hat t ouching him gave me. Im sorry, I w hispered. Dae mon looked confused. About w hat ? About everyt hingabout not hanging out w it h Dee and being a t errible friend t o Lesa and Carissa. I t ook a deep breat h and ge nt ly pulled his hand aw ay. I looked out t he w indshield, blinking back t ears . And Im sorry about not being able t o st op t raining. I get w hy you dont w ant me t o. I really do. I underst and t hat you dont w ant me in danger and t hat yo u dont t rust Blake. Daemon sat back against t he seat and I forced myself t o con t inue. Most of all, I do know you fear t hat Im going t o end up like Bet hany an d Daw sonw hat ever really did happen t o t hemand you w ant t o prot ect me from t hat . I underst and. And it it kills me know ing t hat it hurt s you, but youve got t o underst and w hy I need t o be able t o cont roll and use my abilit ies. K at Let me finish, okay? I glanced at him and w hen he nodded, I t ook anot her brea t h. T his isnt just about you and w hat you w ant . Or w hat youre afraid of. T hi s is about memy fut ure and my life. Grant ed, I didnt know w hat I w ant ed t o d o w it h my life w hen it came t o college, but now I face a fut ure w here if I st ep out of t he range of t he bet a quart z, Im going t o be hunt ed. Like you . My mom w ill be in danger if an Arum sees and follow s me home. And t hen t he res t his w hole DOD mess. I squeezed my hand around t he obsidian. I have t o be a ble t o defend myself and t he people I care about . Because I cant expect you t o alw ays be t here t o prot ect me. It s not right or fair t o eit her of us. T hat s w hy Im t raining w it h Blake. Not t o piss you off. Not t o get w it h

him. Im doing it so t hat I can st and beside you, as your equal, and not be some one you need t o prot ect . And Im doing t his for myself, so t hat I dont have t o rely on anyone t o save me. Daemons lashes low ered, shielding his eyes. Seconds passed in silence and t hen he said, I know . I know w hy you w ant t o do t his . And I respect t hat . I do. T here w as a but coming. I could feel it in my bone s. But it s hard t o st and back and let t his happen. Y ou dont know w hat s going t o happen, Daemon. He nodded and t hen t urned t o t he passenger w indow . One ha nd came up, rubbing along his jaw . It s hard. T hat s all I can say about t his. Il l respect w hat you w ant t o do, but it s hard. I released t he breat h I hadnt re alized I w as holding on a soft sigh and nodded. I knew he w asnt going t o say a nyt hing more about t his. Respect ing my decision w as bet t er t han an apolog y. At least now , w e w ere on t he same page, and t hat w as import ant . I pee ked at him. Anyw ay, w hat are w e going t o do if w e see Vaughn? Havent t hought t hat far ahead yet . W ow . T his w as a good plan. I paused. I really doubt Bet han y is in one of t hese houses. T hat w ould just be t oo dangerous. I agree, but w hy did t hey have her out in public like t hat ? Hed asked t he million-dollar que st ion. W here anyone could see her? I shook my head. I got t he dist inct impressi on t hat Vaughn w asnt t oo happy. Maybe she escaped. He looked at me. T hat w ould make sense. But Vaughn, w ell, hes alw ays been a punk. Y ou know him? Not ext remel y w ell, but he st art ed w orking w it h Lane a few mont hs before Daw son disa ppeared. T he last w ord seemed t o get st uck on his t ongue, as if he w ere st ill get t ing acquaint ed w it h t he possibilit y t hat Daw son w asnt dead. Lane had been our handler for God know s how long, and t hen Vaughn show ed up w it h him. He w as t here w hen t hey t old us about Daw son and Bet hany. Daemons t h roat w orked. Lane seemed genuinely upset . Like Daw son w asnt just a t hing t ha t had died, but a person. Maybe he grew at t ached t o Daw son over t he years. Seehe cleared his t hroat Daw son had t hat kind of effect on people. Even w hen he w as being a smart ass, you couldnt help but like him. Anyw ay, Vaughn couldnt hav e cared less. I didnt know w hat t o say. So I reached over t he small space bet w een us and squeezed his arm. He looked at me, his eyes bright . Beyond him, sev eral large snow flakes fell w it h a quiet hush.

Daemon placed his hand on mine for t he briefest moment . Somet hing infinit e f lared bet w een usst ronger t han physical, w hich w as w eird because it really fueled all t hat physical st uff in me. T hen he pulled back, w at ching t he sn ow . Y ou know w hat Ive been t hinking? W hy I hadnt craw led over t he cent er con sole and int o his lap yet ? Because damn if I w as w ondering t hat very t hing , but t he car w as w ay t oo small for t hose kinds of shenanigans. I cleared m y t hroat . W hat ? Daemon leaned back against t he seat , w at ching t he snow ju st like I w as. If t he DOD know s w hat w e can do, t hen none of us are really safe. Not t hat w eve ever been safe, but t his changes everyt hing. He t urned hi s head t ow ard me. I dont t hink I said t hank you. For w hat ? For t elling me about Bet hany. He paused, a t ight smile pulling at his lips. You needed t o know . I w ould w ait . Tw o headlight s t urned ont o t he st reet . It w as at least t he fift h one, but it w as from an SUV. Weve got one. Daemons eyes narrow ed. It s an Ex pedit ion. We w at ched t he black Expedit ion slow dow n and pull int o t he dri vew ay of a single-st ory home t w o houses in. Even t hough t he w indow s in o ur car w ere t int ed, I w ant ed t o slide dow n in t he seat and hide my face. T he drivers door opened and Vaughn st epped out , frow ning at t he sky as if i t dared t o annoy him by snow ing. Anot her car door closed and a figure moved i nt o t he light . Dammit , Daemon said. Nancys w it h him. W ell, you w erent really p anning on t alking t o him, w ere you? Y eah, I kind of w as. Dumbfounded, I shook my head. T hat s insane. W hat w ere you going t o do? Bust up in his house and de mand answ ers? W hen he nodded, I gaped. T hen w hat next ? Anot her t hing I hadnt f ully w orked out yet . Geez, I mut t ered. Y ou suck at t his w hole spy t hing. Daem on chuckled. Well, w e cant do anyt hing t onight . If one of t hem w ent missing it probably w ouldnt be such a huge deal, but t w o of t hem w ould raise t oo ma ny quest ions. My st omach churned as I w at ched t he agent s disappear int o t he house. A light t urned on inside, and a slender figure moved in front of t he w indow , draw ing t he curt ains closed. Huh. Privat e bunch, arent t hey?

Maybe t heyre get t ing some bow -chicka-pow -w ow . I looked at him. Ew . He flashed his t eet h. Shes definit ely not my t ype. His gaze dropped t o my lips, and part s of me quivered in response t o t he heat in his gaze. But now I t ot ally have t hat on my mind. I w as breat hless. Y oure a dog. If you pet me, Ill Dont even t hat sent ence, I said, fight ing a grin. Smiling only encouraged him, and he ne eded no ext ra reason t o be a t error. And knock t he innocent look off your fac e. I so know T he obsidian flared quickly, heat ing up my sw eat er and chest lik e someone placed a hot coal against my skin. I yelped and jerked in my seat , ba nging my head on t he roof. W hat ? An Arum, I gasped. An Arum is nearby! Y ou dont ha ve any obsidian on you? Alert and t ense, he scanned t he dark road. No. I left it in my car. I st ared at him, shocked. Seriously? Y ou left t he one t hing t hat kills your enemy in your car? It s not like I need it t o kill t hem. St ay here. He st art ed t o open t he door, but I grabbed his arm. W hat ? You cant get out of t he car. Were right in front of t heir house! T heyll see you. I ignored t he rising fear t hat alw ays came w it h t he Arum. Are w e st ill close enough t o t he R ocks? Y es, he grow led. T hey prot ect us for about fift y miles in every direct io n. T hen just sit st ill. He looked like he didnt underst and t he concept , but he t ook his hand off t he door and sat back. A few seconds lat er, a shadow moved up t he st reet , darker t han t he night it self. It glided t o t he curb, drif t ing over t he law ns coat ed w it h a t hin layer of snow , st opping in front of Vaughns house. W hat t he hell? Daemon placed his hands on t he dashboard. T he Arum t ook form, right t here, out in t he open. He w as dressed like t he ones w ed faced in t he past : dark pant s, black jacket , but no sunglasses.

His pale blond hair moved slight ly as he st epped up t o t he front door and pr essed his finger on t he doorbell. Vaughn answ ered t he door and grimaced. His mout h moved, but I couldnt make out w hat he said. T hen he st epped t o t he si de, let t ing t he Arum ent er his house. Holy monkey balls, I said, eyes w ide. T hat did not just happen. Daemon sat back, his voice t ight w it h fury w hen he s poke. T hat did. And I t hink w eve discovered how t he DOD know s w hat w ere capa ble of. Mind reeling, I st ared at him. T he DOD and t he Arum are w orking t oget her? Sw eet alien baby W hy? His brow s puckered, and he shook his head. Vaughn sa id a nameResidon. Read his lips. T his new development w as so not good. W hat do w e do now ? W hat I w ant t o do is blow up t heir house, but t hat w ould draw t oo much at t ent ion. I pursed my lips. No doubt . W e need t o go see Mat t hew . N ow . Matthew lived farther out in the boondocks than we did, and if the snow kept coming down, I had no idea how I was going to get Moms car home. His house w as a large cabin built int o t he side of a mount ain. I carefully made my w ay up his st eep, graveled drivew ay t hat my moms Prius w ouldnt dare conquer. If you fa ll and break somet hing, Im going t o be irrit at ed. Daemon grabbed my arm as I s t art ed t o slip. Sorry, not all of us can be as aw esome I squealed as he slid an arm around my back and lift ed me int o his arms. Daemon zipped us up t he driv ew ay, w ind and snow blow ing at my face. He put me dow n, and I st umbled t o t he side, dizzy. Could you give me a w arning next t ime? He grinned as he knocke d on t he door. And miss t hat look on your face? Never. Somet imes I seriously w ant ed t o just punch him in t he face, but it made me w arm in all t he right p laces t o see t his side of him again, t oo. Youre insufferable. Y ou like my kind o f suffering. Before I could answ er, Mr. Garrison opened t he door. His eyes narr ow ed w hen he saw me st anding next t o Daemon, shivering. T his is unexpect ed.

W e need t o t alk, Daemon said. Eyeing me, Mr. Garrison led us int o a very spars ely decorat ed living room. T he w alls w ere bare log and a fire in t he firepl ace crackled, t hrow ing off heat and t he scent of pine. T here w asnt a single Christ mas decorat ion. Needing t o t haw out , I sat close t o t he fire. W hat s going on? Mr. Garrison asked, picking up a small glass full of red liquid. Im assu ming it s somet hing I dont w ant t o know , considering shes w it h you. I checked myself before I said somet hing back. T he man w as an alien, but he w as also i n cont roll of my bio grade. Daemon sat beside me. On t he w ay up here, w e agr eed not t o t ell Mr. Garrison Id been healed, much t o my relief. I guess w e sho uld st art from t he beginning, and youre probably going t o w ant t o sit . He mo ved his hand, sw irling t he ruby liquid in his glass. Oh, t his is st art ing ou t good. Kat y saw Bet hany yest erday w it h Vaughn. Mr. Garrisons brow s shot up. H e didnt move for a long breat h, and t hen he t ook a drink. T hat s not w hat I w as expect ing you t o say. Kat y, are you sure t hat s w ho you saw ? I nodded. It w as her, Mr. Garrison. Mat t hew , call me Mat t hew . He t ook a st ep back, shak ing his head. I felt like I just complet ed some major t ask t o move t o a firs t -name basis w it h him. Mat t hew cleared his t hroat . I really dont know w hat t o say. It get s w orse, I said, rubbing my hands t oget her. I know w here one of t he DOD officers lives, and w e w ent t here t onight . W hat ? Mat t hew low ere d his glass. Are you insane? Daemon shrugged. W hile w e w ere w at ching his house , Nancy Husher show ed up and guess w ho else did? Sant a? Mat t hew said dryly. I laughed out loud. W ow , he did have a sense of humor. Daemon ignored t hat . An Arum show ed up and t hey let him in. Even greet ed him by name Residon. Mat t hew dow ned t he ent ire drink and set t he glass on t he mant ell above t he firep lace. T his isnt good, Daemon. I know you w ant t o rush up t here and find out ho w Bet hany is st ill alive, but you cant . T his is t oo dangerous.

Do you underst and w hat t his means? Daemon st epped forw ard, holding his hands out , palms up. T he DOD has Bet hany. Vaughn w as one of t he Officers w ho came and t old us t hat t hey w ere bot h dead. So t hey lied about her. And t hat m eans t hey couldve lied about Daw son. W hy w ould t hey have Daw son? T hey t old us he w as dead. Obviously Bet hany isnt , but t hat doesnt mean hes alive. So get t hat out of your head, Daemon. Anger flashed in Daemons deep green eyes. If it w a s one of your siblings, w ould you get it out of your head? All my siblings are dead . Mat t hew st alked across t he room, st opping in front of us. You guys are all I have left , and I w ill not st and by and humor false hope t hat w ill get you killed or w orse! Daemon sat dow n beside me, t aking a deep breat h. Y oure famil y t o us, t oo. And Daw son also considered you family, Mat t hew . Pain flashed in Mat t hew s ult ra-bright eyes, and he looked aw ay. I know . I know . He moved over t o his recliner and sat dow n heavily, shaking his head. Honest ly, it w ou ld be best if he w erent alive, and you know t hat . I cant even imagine But if he is , w e need t o do somet hing about it . Daemon paused. And if hes t ruly dead, t he n T hen w hat kind of closure w ould t hat be? T heyd already believed he w as dead , and finding out t hat it w asnt t he Arum w ould rip open old w ounds and dump salt on t hem. Y ou dont underst and, Daemon. T he DOD w ould have no int erest in Bet hany unlessunless Daw son healed her. Blake had been saying t his all along. T he confirmat ion relieved me. W hat are you saying, Mat t hew ? Daemon asked, ke eping up w it h t he cluelessness. Mat t hew rubbed his brow , w incing. T he eld erst hey dont t alk about w hy w ere not allow ed t o heal humans, and t hey have g ood reason. It s forbidden, not only because of t he risk of exposure on our end, but because of w hat it does t o a human. T hey know . So do I. W hat ? Daemon gla nced at me. Do you know w hat happens? He nodded. It alt ers t he human, splicing h is or her DNA w it h ours. T here has t o be a t rue w ant for it t o w ork, t h ough. T he human t akes on our abilit ies, but it doesnt alw ays st ick. Somet im es it fades. Somet imes t he human dies from it or t he change backfires. But if successful, it forms a connect ion bet w een t he t w o. As Mat t hew w ent on, Daemon grew more agit at ed, and right fully so. T he connect ion bet w een a hum an and a Luxen aft er a massive healing is unbreakable at a cell ular level. It marries t he t w o t oget her. One cannot survive if t he ot her perishes. My mou t h dropped open. Blake had so not t old me t hat , but t hat meant

Daemon w as on his feet , chest rising w it h every rough, painful breat h. T hen if Bet hany is alive T hen Daw son w ould have t o be alive, Mat t hew finished, so unding w eary. If he had in fact healed her. He had t o have. T here w as no ot he r reason w hy t he DOD w ould be int erest ed in Bet hany. Daemon just st ared a t t he fire, t w ist ing and curling on it self. Once again, I w ant ed t o do s omet hing t o comfort him, but w hat could I really do t o make any of t his bet t er? I shook my head. But you just said he couldnt be alive. T hat w as my w eakes t at t empt t o persuade t his one from get t ing himself killed. Did youdid you kn ow t his t he ent ire t ime? Raw emot ion filled Daemons voice. His form st art ed t o fade, as if he w ere losing all cont rol. Did you? Mat t hew shook his head. N o. No! I believed bot h of t hem t o be dead, but if he did heal herdid change he rand shes alive, t hen he has t o be alive. T hat s a big ifan if based on w het her or not Kat y really did recognize someone shes never met . Daemon sat dow n, eyes glit t ering in t he firelight . My brot hers alive. Heshes alive. He sounded numb, l ost , even. W ant ing t o cry for Daemon, I dragged in a shallow breat h. W hat d o you t hink t heyre doing t o him? I dont know . Mat t hew st ood unst eadily, and I w ondered how much hed been drinking before w e arrived. W hat ever it is, it cant be It couldnt be good. And I had a sinking suspicion. According t o Blake, t he DO D w as int erest ed in acquiring more mut at ed humans. W hat bet t er w ay t o achieve t hat goal t han capt uring a Luxen and forcing him t o do it ? Bile ros e. But if it t ook a t rue w ant t o successfully change a human, how could Daw son t ruly w ant t o heal t hem w hen forced? Was he failing, and if so, w hat w as happening t o t hose humans? Mat t hew had already said it . If t he change didnt st ick, t hey w ere horribly mut at ed, or t hey died. My God, w hat could t hat do t o a persont o Daw son? T he DOD know s, Mat t hew . T hey know w hat w e can do, Daemon said finally. T heyve probably know n since t he beginning. Mat t h ew s lashes sw ept up, and he met Daemons st are. Ive never t ruly believed t hey di dnt , t o be honest . T he only reason I never voiced my belief is because I didnt w ant any of you t o w orry. And t he eldersdo t hey know t his, t oo? T he elders a re just grat eful t o have a place t o live in peace and be basically separat ed from t he human race. St ick t heir heads in t he sand kind of t hing, Daemon. If anyt hing, t hey probably choose t o not believe our secret s arent safe. Mat t hew glanced at his empt y glass. It seasier for t hem. T hat sounded incredibly st upid and I said so. Mat t hew smiled w ryly in response. Dear girl, you do not kn ow w hat it is like t o be a guest , do you?

Imagine living w it h t he know ledge t hat your home and everyt hing could be w hipped out from under you at any moment ? But you have t o lead people, keep t hem calm and happy safe. T he w orst t hing w ould be t o voice t he darkest of y our concerns t o t he masses. He paused, eyeing t hat glass again. T ell me, w hat w ould humans do if t hey knew aliens lived among t hem? My cheeks flamed. Uh, t heyd probably riot and go nut s. Exact ly, he murmured. Our kinds are not t hat diffe rent . Not hing w as really said aft er t hat . We all sat t here, lost in our ow n t roubles. My heart w as cracking int o a million pieces because I knew Daemo n w ant ed t o rush Vaughn and Nancy right now , but he w asnt t hat reckless. T here w as Dee, and any act ion he t ook w ould affect her. And apparent ly it w ould also affect me. If he died, t hen Id die. I couldnt even fully w rap my head around t hat . Not right now w it h everyt hing else going on. I decided t o lea ve t hat unt ill lat er t o freak out over. W hat about t he Arum t hing? I asked. I dont know . Mat t hew refilled his glass. I cant even fat hom a reason w hy t he D OD w ould be w orking w it h t hemw hat t hey could even gain. T he Arum absorb o ur pow ers, but never healingnot hing of t hat magnit ude. T hey have a different heat signat ure t han w e do, so w it h t he right t ools, t he DOD w ould know t hey w erent dealing w it h us, but t o w alk up t o an Arum or a Luxen on t he st reet , t here w ould be no w ay t o t ell us apart . Wait . I t ucked my hair b ack, glancing at a silent Daemon. W hat if t he DOD capt ured an Arum, believing it t o be a Luxen, and you guys w ere st udied, t oo, right ? Forced t o assimil at e int o t he human w orld? I dont know w hat assimilat ion ent ails, but Im sur e it w as some kind of observat ion, so w ouldnt t hey have not iced event ually, especially w it h t he heat -signat ure t hing? Mat t hew got up, w ent t o a ca binet in t he far corner. Opening it , he pulled out a square bot t le and poure d himself a glass. W hen w e w ere being assimilat ed, t hey never saw our abilit ies. So, if w e w ork off t he t heory t hat t heyve know n for some t ime, t he y st udied our abilit ies on Luxen w ho could never t ell us t hat t he DOD is a w are w hat w e can do. Nausea rose sharply. Y oure saying t hat t hose Luxen w oul d be Dead, he said, t urning around and t aking a drink. Im not sure how much Daemon h as t old you, but t here w ere Luxen w ho didnt assimilat e. T hey w ere put dow nlike feral animals. No st ret ch of t he imaginat ion t o believe t hat t hey us ed some Luxen t o st udy t heir abilit ies, t o learn about us, and t hen got ri d of t hem.

Or sent t hem back as spiesones w ho could keep an eye on t he ot hers, report ba ck t o t he DOD w it h any suspicious act ivit y. Seemed paranoid, but t his w a s t he government w e w ere t alking about . But t hat doesnt explain w hy t he Ar um w ould w ork w it h t he DOD. It doesnt . Mat t hew moved t o t he fireplace. He propped his elbow on t he mant el, sw irling t he ruby liquid w it h his ot her hand. I am afraid t o t heorize over w hat t hat could mean. Part of me doesnt even care about t hat right now . Daemon finally spoke again, sounding t ired. Someone bet rayed Daw son. Someone had t o t ell t he DOD. It could be anyone, Mat t hew sa id w earily. Daw son didnt t ry t o hide his relat ionship w it h Bet hany. And if anyone w as w at ching t hem closely, t hey couldve suspect ed somet hing happen ed. W e all w at ched t hem w hen t hey first got t oget her. Im sure some of us didnt st op. T hat did not hing t o really calm Daemon. Not t hat I expect ed it t o. We left Mat t hew s house short ly aft er t hat , silent and st uck somew her e bet w een hope and despair. At my moms car, I handed him t he keys w hen he ask ed for t hem. I st art ed t ow ard t he passenger side, t hen st opped. Turning around, I w ent back t o him and snaked my arms around his t aut body. Im sorry, I w hispered, squeezing him t ight . W ell figure out somet hing. W ell get him back. Aft er a moment of hesit at ion, his arms w rapped around me and held me so t ig ht ly I couldve molded t o him. I know , he said against t he t op of my head, his voice firm and st rong. Ill get him back if it s t he last t hing I do. And part of me already knew and w as afraid of w hat Daemon w as w illing t o sacrifice for his brot her. Chapter 24 Daemon didnt w ant his sist er t o know Daw son w as most likely alive. I promise d, mainly because I underst ood t hat imagining w hat w as being done t o Daw so n right now w as probably w orse t han t hinking he w as dead. Daemon didnt w ant t o share t hat helplessness w it h his sist er. He w as t hat kind of guy, and I respect ed him for it . But t here w as a rising t ide of sorrow for his brot her I w ished I could t ake aw ay.

During t he next couple of days, I did my t raining w it h Blake and t hen aft e r he left , Daemon and I w ould drive t o Moorefield. Brian hadnt ret urned home since t he night w ed seen him and Nancy w it h t he Arum. I had no idea w hat Da emon planned, but w hat ever it w as, I w asnt let t ing him do it alone, and for once he w asnt hell-bent on doing everyt hing alone. On t he T hursday before Ch rist mas break, Blake and I w orked on manipulat ing light . It w as harder t ha n freezing an object . I had t o pull from w it hin me, t o t ap int o an abilit y I had no real underst anding of. Frust rat ed aft er hours of me not being ab le t o produce even a spark of t he deadly light , Blake looked like he w ant ed t o run his head int o a w all. It s not t hat hard, Kat y. Y ou have it in you. M y foot t apped t he floor. Im t rying. Blake sat on t he arm of t he recliner, rubb ing his brow . Y ou can move t hings easily now . T his shouldnt be t hat much har der. He w as doing w onders for my self-confidence. Look at it t his w ay. Every c ell in your body is encased in light . Pict ure in your mind pulling all t hose cells t oget her and feel t he light . It s w arm. It should vibrat e and hum. It s like light ning in your veins. T hink of somet hing t hat feels t hat w ay. I y aw ned. Ive t ried He shot off t he chair, moving fast er t han Id ever seen him. Gra bbing my w rist unt ill his t humb and forefinger met , he st ared int o my w id e eyes. Y oure not t rying hard enough, Kat y. If you cant manipulat e light , t he n T hen w hat ? I demanded. Blake drew in a deep breat h. It s just t hat if you cant nt roll t he st rongest part of you, t heres a chance youll never really be under cont rol. And youll never be able t o defend yourself. I w ondered if it had been t his hard for Bet hany. Im t rying. I promise. He let go of my w rist and ran a ha nd t hrough his spiky hair. T hen he smiled. I have an idea. Oh, no. I shook my head . I dont like your ideas at all. He cast a grin over his shoulder as he pulled his keys out of his pocket . Y ou said youd t rust me, right ? Y eah, but t hat s before you t hrew a knife at my chest and caught my fingers on fire. Blake laughed, and I scow led. None of t hat w as funny. Im not doing anyt hing like t hat . I t hink w e just need t o get out of here. Go grab somet hing t o eat .

W ary, I shuffled from one foot t o t he next . Really? T hat doesnt sound like a b ad idea. Y eah, w hy dont you grab a jacket and w ell get some food. Lat ely, I w as alw ays hungry, so t he prospect of greasy food sealed t he deal. Grabbing my ch unky sw eat er, I slipped it on and follow ed Blake out t o his t ruck. It w asnt as huge as t he ones t he guys drove around here, but it w as nice and brand sp anking new . W hat are you in t he mood for? He clapped his hands t oget her, w ar ming t hem up as t he engine roared t o life. Anyt hing t hat w ill cause me t o gain t en pounds. I buckled myself in. Blake laughed. I know just t he place. Press ing against t he seat , I decided t o ask t he quest ion t hat had been plaguing me since Daemon and I t alked t o Mat t hew . W hat happened t o t he Luxen w ho healed you? His hand clenched t he st eering w heel unt ill his knuckles bleache d. II dont know . And not know ing kills me, Kat y. Id do anyt hing t o find out . I st ared at him as sadness crept int o me. Since Blake w as here, his friend had t o be alive. Most likely t he DOD had him. I st art ed t o say somet hing about it but st opped. Lat ely, Id st art ed t o feel more and more w eird around Blak e. I couldnt put my finger on it , and maybe it w as just a mat t er of Daemon re peat ing it every chance he got , but I didnt t rust Blake as much anymore. W hy d o you ask? He glanced at me, face draw n t ight . I shrugged. I w as just curious. Im sorry about w hat happened. He nodded, and neit her of us said anyt hing for a w hile. It w asnt unt ill w e passed t he exit for Moorefield t hat I st art ed t o get nervous. Is it safe for us t o go t his far? T he Rocks only have a fift y-mile radius, right ? T hat s just a guesst imat e. W ell be fine. I nodded, unable t o shake t he sudden dread curling around my insides. Each mile fart her Blake t ook me from home, I st art ed t o get ant sy. T he Arum w ere obviously around , could even know w ho w e w ere, since it looked like t hey might be in cahoot s w it h t he DOD. T his w as reckless, even st upid. Running my hands over my j eans, I st ared out t he w indow as Blake hummed along t o a rock song. I reache d int o my purse and pulled out my cell. If w e w ere really w it hin t he shelt er of t he bet a quart z, Blake should be cool w it h me let t ing Daemon know .

Youre not one of t hose girls w ho has t o t ell her boyfriend every move she make s, are you, Kat y? Blake nodded at my phone and smiled, but t he humor never reac hed his eyes. Besides, w ere here anyw ay. I w asnt one of t hose girls, but He pull ed int o t he parking lot of a lit t le joint t hat boast ed t he best w ings in West Virginia. Christ mas light s decorat ed t heir pit ch-black w indow s. T h ere w as a giant mount aineer st at ue guarding t he ent rance. It all looked in credibly normal. I silent ly blamed Daemon for making me doubt Blake, shoved my phone back in my purse, and headed int o t he rest aurant . Dinner w as oddly st rained. Not hing like t he first t w o t imes Blake and I had gone out . Trying t o get him t o even t alk about surfing w as like squeezing glasspainful and po int less. I t alked about how much I missed blogging and reading w hile he t ext ed aw ay on his phone. Or played a gameI couldnt be sure. Once I t hought I heard a pig oink. Event ually I st opped t alking and focused on ripping t he skin of f my w ings. It w as past six, and w ed been sit t ing at t he lit t le t able, g oing on our t hird soda refill, w hen I couldnt deal w it h t his anymore. Are you ready? Just a few more minut es. T his w as t he second set of Just a few more minu t es. I sat back, blow ing out a long breat h, and st art ed count ing t he red s quares on some dudes flannel jacket . Id already memorized t he Christ mas song t heyd been playing over and over. I glanced at Blake. Im really ready t o go home. An noyance flared in his hazel eyes, t urning t he flecks of brow n dark. I t hought youd enjoy get t ing out and just chilling. I am, but w ere sit t ing here, not eve n t alking t o each ot her, w hile you play some pig-poking game on your phone. Seriously not a fun t ime for me. He propped his elbow s on t he t able and rest ed his chin in his hands. W hat do you w ant t o t alk about , Kat y? My irrit at ion rose at his t one. Ive been t rying t o t alk t o you about all kinds of t opi cs for over an hour. So, doing anyt hing for Christ mas? he asked. T aking a deep b reat h, I reined in my t emper. Y eah, Mom is act ually off for once. W ere doing somet hing w it h W ill.

T he doct or? Sounds like t heyre get t ing pret t y serious. T hey are. I pulled my sw eat er closer, shivering as t he door opened. Im pret t y sure t hat s t he only reason w hy Blakes phone dinged, and he immediat ely checked it out . Annoyed, I c lamped my mout h shut and st ared at t he empt y t able behind him. You ready? he asked. T hank freaking God. I grabbed my purse and st ood, w alking out w it hou t w ait ing for him t o pick up t he check. My boot s crunched over t he packed snow and ice. As soon as November had rolled around, all it did w as snow an inc h or t w o every few days. It w as like one giant prelude t o a blizzard. Blake joined me a couple minut es lat er, frow ning. W ay t o w ait . I rolled my eyes b ut said not hing as I climbed int o his t ruck. We headed back ont o t he road i n silence. Arms folded t ight ly across my chest , I felt like a pissy girlfrien d, w hich w as so w rong. W e w erent like t hat , but it w as as if w ed just had t he dat e from hell. And t o make everyt hing w orse, he w as driving at t he speed of Grandma. My leg bounced w it h annoyance and impat ience. I just w ant ed t o go home. T here w ould be no t raining t onight . I w as going t o pick u p an effin book, and I w as going t o read for fun. T hen I w ould blog. I w ould forget about Blake and t his st upid, crapt ast ic alien pow er. My gaze droppe d t o my boot . T here w as somet hing on t he floor, hard and slender under t h e t hin soles of my boot . Moving my foot t o t he side, t he passing highw ay l ight s reflect ed off somet hing gold and shiny. Curious, I st art ed t o bend d ow n. T he obsidian flared under my sw eat er w it hout any w arning at t he sam e moment Blake sw erved t he t ruck off t he road and int o a dit ch. Sw inging t ow ard him, my heart raced as t he heat from t he obsidian seared my skin. T he res an Arum nearby. I know . He killed t he engine, jaw t ight . Get out of t he t ru ck, Kat y. W hat ? I shrieked. Get out of t he t ruck! He reached over, unhooking my seat belt . W ere t raining. Realizat ion set in, hard and fright ening. I let out a shaky breat h as t he obsidian cont inued t o increase in heat . You brought me out of t he safet y of t he bet a quart z on purpose! If your st rongest abilit i es are at t ached t o your emot ions, t hen w e need t o find out how t o t ap i nt o t hem w hen youre feeling all emot ional t o see w hat you can do, t hen pra ct ice w it h less excit ement . Like w e did w it h t he knife and t hen pillow s. He st ret ched over fart her and opened my car door.

Arum can sense us bet t er t han t hey can t he Luxen. It s t he DNA t hing. Luxen have a built in cloaking in t heir DNA. W e dont . My chest rose and fell quickly . Y ou never t old me t hat before. Y ou w ere safe w it hin t he bet a quart z. It w asnt an issue. I st ared at him, horrified. W hat if I had left w it h my mom t o go shopping out of t he radius w it hout know ing t his? We w ouldve been at t acked. Did Blake even care about my safet y? Now get out , he said. Obviously not . No! No w ay am I going out t here w it h an Arum! Y oure a crazy Y oure going t o b e okay. He sounded as if he w ere t elling me t o give a speech in front of a cla ss and not face a murderous alien. Im not going t o let anyt hing happen t o you. T hen he got out of t he car, disappearing int o t he t hick t ree line and leavi ng me alone in t he t ruck. Too st unned t o move, I st ared at t he encroaching darkness. I couldnt believe hed done t his. If I survived t onight , I w as going t o kill Blake. An inky shadow glided over t he road and follow ed t he t rail Blake has w alked int o t he w oods. A burst of light exploded, filling up t he sky, but w as quickly snuffed out as I heard Blakes pained scream. Scrambling out of t he t ruck, I slammed t he door shut and squint ed int o t he darkness. Blak e? Aft er several moment s of no answ er, panic claw ed up my t hroat . Blake! I st opped at t he edge of t he w oods, w ary t o ent er t hem. Clut ching my sw eat er close, I shivered as an unnat ural silence set t led around me. Screw t his. T urning around, I headed back t o t he t ruck. Id call my mom. Id even call Daem on. T here w as no A shadow pooled in front of t he passenger door before I could t ake anot her st ep. Dark and oily, it built ont o it self unt ill an out line of a man blocked my pat h. Crap, I w hispered. It t ook t he form of a human male , a st art ling resemblance t o t he one w ed seen out side of Vaughns house. hello , lit t le one. Arent you somet hing...special? Spinning around, my sw eat er flap ped like w ings behind me as I t ook off. I ran fast fast er t han Id ever run bef ore. So fast t hat t he lit t le flakes of snow t he bit ing w ind pelt ed again st my cheeks felt like t iny pebbles. I w asnt even sure my feet w ere t ouching t he ground. But no mat t er how fast I ran, t he Arum w as fast er.

A dark, murky shade appeared beside me and t hen in front of me. Sliding across snow and ice, I grabbed for my obsidian. Ready t o shove t he point int o w hat ever part my hand landed on. Ant icipat ing t he move, an arm t ook form and sw ung out . It caught me in t he st omach. Up in t he air I w ent , landing on my side. Jarring pain shot t hrough my bones. I rolled ont o my back, blinking snow from my lashes. Now I knew w hy Daemon w as so adamant against me running out a nd fight ing t he Arum. Id just got my ass kicked and t he fight hadnt even st art ed. A dark, insidious shadow crept int o my vision. Out of human form, w hen he spoke his voice w as a menacing murmur among my ow n t hought s. Y oure not a Lu xen, but youre sssomething unique. W hat pow ersss do you have? Pow ers? T he pow ers Daemon had given me w hen he mut at ed me. T he Arum w ould t ake t hem by killing me. But Id killed an Arum before by t apping int o Daemon and Dee. Blake believed t hat abilit yt hat Sourcest ill exist ed in me. It had t o, and if it di dnt , I w ould die. And I w ant ed t o be able t o defend myself. Not lay here. N ot w ait on someone t o save me. W hat had Blake said t o pict ure? Light ning i n t he veins and cells surrounded in light ? T he Arum leaned over me; t he t en drils of black smoke w ere t hick and colder t han t he hard ground. A smoky, t ransparent smile appeared. Easssier than I thought. I squeezed my eyes shut and pict ured every w eird cell Id ever seen in bio class surrounded by light , and I t hought about t hat one moment t hat first t ime Id ever felt light ning in my v eins. I held ont o t he image as t he first brush of t he Arums cold fingers sw e pt over my cheek. I lat ched ont o t he sw amping, red-hot lava coursing t hroug h my veins. It st art ed w it h a cracklea small light burned behind my eyelids. A st range feeling spread dow n my arm, scalding hot . T he light behind my eyes w as red-w hit e; t he source of t he pow er w as ut t erly dest ruct ive, shat t ering in it s complexit y. I could feel it burning t hrough my veins, w hispe ring a hundred promises. It called t o me, w elcomed me home. It had been w ait ing, w ondering w hen I w ould heed it s call. W ind w hipped t he snow out from underneat h me as I rose. W hen I opened my eyes, t he Arum w as gliding back, shift ing bet w een human and Arum. I w as on my feet now , barely breat hing. I could feel it , and it w as excit ing and t errifying. Every nerve in my body c ame alive and t ingled in ant icipat ion. It w ant ed t o be used, t his pow er. It seemed like t he most nat ural of all t hings. My fingers curved inw ard. T he w orld around me w as lit in red and w hit e.

Destroy. T he Arum shift ed back int o it s t rue form, spreading out and endles s like t he night sky. T here w as a snapping sound coming from inside me, and t he Source rushed from my fingert ips, slamming int o t he Arum at an alarming s peed. He spun int o t he air, but t he Source follow ed him. Or I made it follow him. But he w as shift ing forms so quickly it w as dizzying. He froze and t he n shat t ered int o a million t hin shreds of glassy shadow s. T he obsidian coo led against my skin. Perfect , Blake said, clapping his hands t oget her. T hat w a s freaking unbelievable. Y ou killed an Arum w it h one shot ! Waves of elect ric it y ret urned t o me, and t he red-w hit e haze faded aw ay. W hen t he Source left , so did most of my energy. I t urned t o Blake, feeling somet hing else re place t he void t he Source had left behind. Y ouyou left me alone w it h an Arum. Y eah, but look at w hat you did. He st rode forw ard, grinning at me like I w as t he prized pupil. Y ou killed an Arum, Kat y. Y ou did it all by yourself. I t oo k a breat h and it hurt . Everyt hing hurt . W hat if I hadnt been able t o kill t he Arum? Confusion marked his expression. But you did. I st epped back, w inced, a nd realized my pant s w ere soaked and clinging t o my chilled, chafed skin. W ha t if I couldnt do it ? Blake shook his head. T hen... T hen I w ouldve died. My hand s ook as I placed it on my hip. My ent ire backside t hrobbed from t he fall. Do yo u even care? Of course I do! He moved forw ard, placing his hand on my shoulder. I yelped as sparks of pain shot st raight dow n my arm. Dont dont t ouch me. In a flash , t he confusion w as gone and replaced by anger. Y oure overreact ing w hen you s hould be celebrat ing. Y ou did somet hingamazing. Dont you underst and t hat ? No one kills an Arum in one blast . I dont care. I st art ed limping back t ow ard t h e car. I w ant t o go home. Kat y! Dont act like t his. Everyt hings fine. Y ou did J t ake me home! I screamed, close t o t ears, close t o complet ely shut t ing do w n. Because t here w as somet hing w rong w it h him. I just w ant t o go home.

Chapter 25 Running lat e t o t rig on t he last day of classes before break, I eased int o my seat and w inced. T here w as a good chance t hat Id broken my but t last nigh t . Sit t ing w as ext remely painful. Lesa raised a brow as she w at ched me st ruggle t o get comfort able. Are you okay? Daemon asked, causing me t o jump a li t t le. Y eah, I breat hed out as I carefully t urned halfw ay, surprised t hat he hadnt poked me. Just slept w rong. His eyes w ere sharp. Did you sleep on t he floo r or somet hing? I laughed dryly. Feels like it . Daemon st opped me from t urning around. Kat W hat ? Unease crept t hrough me. W hen he looked at me like t hat I fel t exposed t o t he core. Never mind. He sat back, eyes narrow ed as he folded his arms. Y ou st ill on for t onight ? Bit ing my lip, I nodded and made a ment all n ot e t o pick up some energy drinks on t he w ay home. W hen Id got t en back las t night , I brut alized Moms secret chocolat e st ash. It did not hing t o help r eplenish my energy. Easing back around, I grit t ed my t eet h and ignored t he flare of pain. It could be w orse. I could be dead right now . Sit t ing in t he seat during class sucked t o t he nt h degree. My body ached from hit t ing t h e cold, hard ground last night . T he only reprieve I had w as t hat Blake w asnt in bio, and I w asnt sure how t o feel about t hat . Id lain aw ake last night , replaying everyt hing t hat had happened. Would Blake have let me get seriously hurt or die if I hadnt been able t o use t he Source t o t ake out t he Arum? I d idnt have an answ er, and t hat t roubled me. W alking out of bio, Mat t hew call ed out t o me. He w ait ed unt ill t he class w as empt y before speaking. How ar e you feeling, Kat y? Good, I said, surprised. Y ou? Mat t hew smiled t ight ly as he leaned against t he corner of his desk. You looked like you w ere in pain during class. Hopefully my lect ure w asnt t hat bad. I flushed. No, it s not your lect ur e. I slept w rong last night . Now Im all achy. He looked aw ay. I dont w ant t o ke ep you, but how is Now I underst ood w hy hed really st opped me. I glanced at t he open door. Daemons okay. I mean, hes as okay as he can be, I guess. Mat t hew close d his eyes briefly. T hat boy is like a son t o mebot h he and Dee are. I dont w an t t o see him doing anyt hing crazy.

He w ont , I t old him, w ant ing t o reassure t he man. And I also didnt w ant Mat t hew know ing t hat Daemon w as st alking Vaughn. Doubt ed t hat w ould go over w ell. I hope so. Mat t hew looked at me, eyes bloodshot . Some t hings are best l eft unknow n, you know ? People search for answ ers and t hey dont alw ays like w hat t hey get . Somet imes t he t rut h is w orse t han t he lie. He t urned back t o his desk, messing w it h a st ack of papers. I hope you sleep bet t er, Kat y. Realizing Id been dismissed, I left t he class w eirded out t o t he max. Was M at t hew drinking w hile at w ork? Because t hat w as t he st rangest conversat ion Id ever had w it h him. And it w as t he longest conversat ion alone w it h h im. At lunch, I joined my friends and t ried t o forget about last night . Wat c hing Dee and Adam make out w as a good dist ract ion. During t he rare moment s her mout h w asnt at t ached t o his, she t alked about t his w eekend and Christ mas. W henever she looked at me, t hough, t here w as a sadness in her eyes. A gulf had developed bet w een us, and I missed her. I missed my friends so much. W hen classes w ere over, I headed t o my locker t o grab my English book, since t here w as a paper due once school st art ed back up. Just as I shoved it int o my backpack, I heard my name. I looked up, t ensing w hen I saw Blake. Heyyou w erent in bio. I came in lat e t oday, he said, leaning against t he locker beside me . Im not going t o be able t o do any pract ice t onight or during Christ mas brea k. Im visit ing some family w it h my uncle. Sw eet relief flooded my syst em, lea ving me dizzy. Aft er last night , I w asnt sure I w ant ed t o cont inue t raini ng w it h Blake, despit e my need t o be able t o defend myself. Now just w asnt t he t ime t o t alk about any of t hat . T hat s okay. I hope you have fun. T here w as a dist ant , closed-off look in his eyes as he nodded. I cleared my t hroa t . W ell, Im going t o get going. See you w hen W ait . He st epped closer. I w ant e t o t alk t o you about last night . I closed my locker door w hen I w ant ed t o slam it shut . W hat about it ? I know youre pissed. Yeah, I am. I faced him. Could e really not underst and w hy I w as mad? You risked my life last night . W hat i f I didnt use t he Source? Id be dead now . I w ouldnt have let him hurt you. Sincerit y filled his w ords and eyes. Y ou w ere safe. T he bruises up and dow n t he side of my body are t elling me I got hurt .

He blew out an exasperat ed breat h. I st ill dont get w hy youre not happier about t his. T he pow er you show edit s amazing. I shift ed t he bag off my bruised bac kside. Look, can w e t alk about t raining w hen you get back? He looked like he w ant ed t o argue, because t hose green flecks in his eyes deepened and churned, but he t urned his cheek and let out a harsh breat h. I w ant ed t o be out of t his school, t o be home in my bed, and t o be aw ay from him. Aw ay from t his boy Id once believed w as normal, once believed w ant ed t o help me because w e w ere alike, and now I w asnt sure if he really cared if I survived any of his t raining t echniques at all. Changing into a pair of loose sweats and a thermal when I got home, the first thing I did after that was take a nap, and I slept mo st of the evening aw ay. Mom w as gone w hen I got up, and I scrounged t oget he r a sandw ich and t hen gat hered all t he books Id got t en in t he last mont h. I st acked t hem beside my lapt op and w as in t he process of get t ing my w e bcam t o not zoom up my nose w hen I felt t he familiar t ingles like a w arm br eat h on t he back of my neck. I glanced at t he clock. It w asnt even t en oclock yet . Sighing, I got up and w ent t o t he front door, opening it before Daemon could knock. He st ood t here, his hand raised in midair. Im really beginning t o dislike t he fact t hat you know w hen Im coming, he said, frow ning. I t hought y ou loved it . It enables you t o be such a great st alker. Ive already t old you. I dont st alk you. He follow ed me int o t he living room. I use it t o keep an eye on you. T heres a difference? I sat on t he couch. Daemon sat right beside me, his t high pressing against mine. T here is a difference. Somet imes your logic scares m e. I w ished Id changed int o somet hing else. He w as just in jeans and a sw eat er, but he looked good. And my t hermal had lit t le st raw berries on it . Emba rrassing. So w hat are you doing over here so early? Leaning back against t he cus hions, he w as even closer t han before, smelling of a crisp aut umn morning. W hy, oh w hy, did he have t o alw ays get so close? Bill didnt come by t onight ? I t ucked my hair back behind my ear, ignoring t he mad rush of t he desire t o cl imb int o his arms. No. He had somet hing t o do w it h family. His eyes narrow ed on t he lapt op. W hat are you doing? Making anot her one of t hose videos? I w as planning t o. I havent done one in a w hile, but t hen you show ed up. Plan ruin ed. He grinned. Y ou st ill can film one. I promise Ill behave. Y eah, not going t o happen.

W hy not ? He raised his hand, and t he book on t he t op of t he pile shot t ow a rd him. Hey, I have an idea. I could pret end t o be him. W hat ? I frow ned as he s how ed me t he blond guy on t he cover. W ait . Y ou dont mean Daemon shimmered out , and in his place w as t he exact replica of t he cover model, right dow n t o t he curly lock of blond hair, baby blue eyes, and brooding st are. W ow , such a pret t y boy. hello t here Oh my God. I poked his golden cheek. Real. I laughed. Y ou cant do t hat . People w ould freak. But it w ould definit ely get a lot of at t ent ion. He w inked. It w ould be fun. But t his cover modelI t ook t he book from hi m and w aved it aroundis a real person somew here. Hed probably be curious how he e nded up in my In My Mailbox video. His full lips pout ed. You do have a point . T h e cover model faded out , and Daemon reappeared. But dont let t hat st op you. Go ahead and film. Ill be like your assist ant . T rying t o det ermine if he w as be ing serious or not , I st ared at him. I dont know about t his. Ill be complet ely qu iet . Ill just hold books for you. I dont t hink you have t he abilit y t o be compl et ely quiet . Ever. I promise, he said, grinning. T his w ould probably end up dis ast rous, but t he idea of him being in t he video had me all giddy and amused. I adjust ed t he w ebcam so he w as included in t he pict ure and pressed record . Taking a deep breat h, I st art ed t o do my vlog. Hi, t his is Kat y from Kat ys Krazy Obsession. Sorry for such a long absence. School andmy eyes dart ed t o Dae mon for a fract ion of a secondst uff have got t en in t he w ay, but anyw ay, I h ave a guest . T his is Daemon Black, he answ ered for me. Im t he guy she lays aw ake at night and fant asizes about . My cheeks flushed as I elbow ed him back. And t h at is so not t he t rut h. Hes my neighbor And t he guy shes complet ely obsessed w i t h. I forced a w eak smile. Hes very egot ist ical and likes t o hear his voice, b ut hes promised t o st ay quiet . Right ? He nodded and smiled angelically for t h e camera, but his eyes st irred w it h amusement . Yep, t his w as a bad idea. I t hink reading is sexy. Daemon smiled at himself. My brow s inched up my forehead . Do you now ?

Oh, yes, and you know w hat else I t hink is sexy? He leaned forw ard so his ent i re face filled t he pict ure and nodded his head t ow ard me. Bloggers like t his . Hot . Rolling my eyes, I smacked his arm. Get back, I w hispered. Daemon sat back and t ried t o st ay quiet for t he next five minut es. He handed me each book, unable t o refrain from making a comment and t aking my w hole recording host a ge. Like, T his guy looks st upid, or W hat s t he obsession w it h fall en angels? A nd my favorit e w as w hen he held t he book in front of my face and said, T his reaper dude sounds like my kind of guy. He gets to kill people for a living. At t he end of t he recording, I couldnt even hide t he st upid grin plast ered on my face. And t hat s it for t oday. T hanks for w at ching! Daemon pract ically knock ed me over t o get in one last comment . Dont forget . T here are cooler t hings o ut t here t han fall en angels and dead guys. Just saying. He w inked. I pict ure d an ent ire legion of females sw ooning. Pushing him aside, I w inced and click ed t he off but t on on t he w ebcam page. You like seeing yourself being recorde d. He shrugged. T hat w as fun. W hen do you do anot her? Next w eek if I get more b ooks. More books. His eyes w ent w ide. Y ou have, like, t en books you just said yo u havent read. Doesnt mean I w ont get more books. I smiled at his incredulous express ion. I havent been able t o read a lot lat ely, but I w ill, and t hen I w ont be o ut of anyt hing new t o read. You havent had t ime because of him and t hat s ridicu lous. He looked aw ay, jaw w orking. Reading is somet hing you love. So is bloggin g, and youve complet ely dumped t hose t hings. I have not ! Y oure such a lit t le li ar, he shot back. Ive checked out your blog. Y ouve done five post s in t he last mo nt h. My jaw hit t he floor. Y ouve been st alking my blog, t oo? Like I said before, Im not st alking. Im just keeping an eye on you. And like I said before, your reaso ning is fault y. I bent forw ard, closing my lapt op. You know w hat Ive been doing . It pret t y much soaks up my t ime W hat t he hell? he exploded, grabbing t he bac k of my t hermal and t ugging it up. Hey. I t w ist ed around, ignoring t he fresh spike of pain. W hat are you doing? Hands off, mofo. He looked up, eyes glow ing w it h a hint of desperat ion and vengeance. T ell me w hy

your back looks like you fell out of a t w o-st ory w indow . Oh, crap. Standing, I headed tow ard the kitchen to get some space. Daemon w as right behind me as I grabbed a Coke out of the fridge. II fell in t raining w it h Blake. It s not a b ig deal, t hough. Sounded believable, and t he t rut h w ould send him int o a mu rderous rage t hat right now no one w ant ed. And Daemon didnt need somet hing el se t o st ress over. I t old you I slept w rong, because I figured youd make fun o f me. Y eah, I w ouldve made fun of youa lit t le bit , but Jesus, Kat , you sure yo u didnt break somet hing? Not really. Im fine. Concern et ched int o t he lines of hi s face as he follow ed me around t he t able, eyes unflinching. Y ouve been hurt i ng yourself a lot lat ely. Not really. Youre not clumsy, Kit t en. So how does t his keep happening? He advanced forw ard, moving like a predat or about t o pounce. S uddenly I w asnt sure w hat w as w orse: him moving at t he speed of light or w i t h slow , calculat ed st eps t hat sent a shiver dow n my spine. I t ripped in t he w oods t he night I first found out about you, I reminded him. Nice t ry. He sh ook his head. You w ere running full-out in t he middle of pit ch-black w oods. E ven Id He w inked. Well, maybe not me, but normal people w ould trip then. Im just to o aw esome. W ell God he w as full of himself. It looks like it hurt s. It does a lit t le. T hen let me fix it . He reached out , fingers blurring. W ait . I backed up. Sh ould you be doing t hat ? Healing you cant hurt . Not at t his point . He t ried t o t ouch me again, but I knocked his hand aw ay. Im just t rying t o help! Id cornere d myself. I dont need you t o help me. T he muscle in his jaw st art ed w orking as he t urned his head. It appeared as if hed given up, but t hen his arm w ent aro und my hips and a second lat er he w as sit t ing on t he couch in t he living r oom, and I w as in his lap. St unned, I st ared at him. T hat s not fair! I w ouldnt have had t o do it if you w ould just st op being so freaking st ubborn and let me help you. Daemon held me st ill, ignoring my prot est s as he slipped his hand under my t

hermal, flat t ing it against my low er back. I jerked at t he zing his t ouch p roduced. I can make you feel bet t er. It s ridiculous t hat you w ont let me. We hav e st uff t o do, people t o st alk, Daemon. Just let me up. I w iggled, t rying t o get free, and groaned in pain. I dont know w hy I didnt w ant him t o heal me; w ed already proven I didnt develop a t race from being near him anymore. But he a lready had t oo many people count ing on him. No, he said. Heat flared against my back, pleasant and heady, t hreat ening t o consume me w hole. His lips t urned up at one corner w hen he heard my soft int ake of breat h. I cant be around you w hen I know youre in pain, okay? My mout h opened, but I didnt say anyt hing. Daemo n looked aw ay, focusing on a blank spot on t he w all. Does it really bot her yo u, me hurt ing? I asked. I dont feel it , if t hat s w hat youre asking. He paused, ex haling soft ly. Just know ing youre hurt is enough for it t o bot her me. I low ere d my gaze and st opped st ruggling. Only one hand w as on me, but I could feel i t in every cell. W hen Blake had said t o t hink of somet hing t hat felt like l ight ning heat , Id t hought of Daemons t oucht he w ay he kissed. T hat w as w hat I felt w hen I t apped int o t he Source and dest royed t he Arum. T he w hole healing t hing had a lulling effect . It w as like lying out in t he sun or snug gling under cozy blanket s. Lack of sleep and his t ouch lapped at me in st eady , comfort ing w aves. Relaxing in his loose embrace, I placed my head on his sho ulder and closed my eyes. His t oucht he healing w armt h sunk deep int o my skin , t hrough bruised muscle and bone. Aft er some t ime, I realized not hing ached , but he w as st ill holding me. T hen Daemon st ood, cradling me in his arms. I st irred. W hat are you doing? T aking you t o bed. My body flushed at t hose w ord s. I can w alk. I can get you t here fast er. And he did. One second w e w ere in t he living room, surrounded by t he t w inkling light s on t he Christ mas t ree, and t hen t he next w e w ere in my bedroom. See? I w as half t ransfixed by him as he placed me on t he bed, moving t he covers back w it hout t ouching t hem. Such a handy abilit y w hen t he hands w ere full. Daemon t ugged t he comfort e r up, hesit at ing as he st ared dow n at me. Do you feel bet t er? Yeah, I w hisper ed, unable t o look aw ay. W it h him st anding over me, his eyes such a st ark cont rast w it h t he darkness, he looked like somet hing st raight out of my dr eamsor t he books I read.

His t hroat w orked slow ly. Can I? T here w as a pause and my heart st ut t ered. C an I just hold you? T hat s all t hat s all I w ant . A knot formed in my t hroat an d my chest t ight ened, cut t ing off my voice. I didnt w ant him t o leave, so I nodded. Relief flickered across his st oic face, soft ening t he hard lines, an d t hen he w alked around t o his side, kicked off his shoes, and slid int o bed beside me. He moved closer, ext ending an arm, and I w ent , curling against hi s body, my head nest led in t he space bet w een his shoulder and chest . I kind of like being your body pillow , he admit t ed, a smile in his voice. Even if you drool on me. I do not drool. I smiled, placing my hand over his heart . W hat about t ailing Vaughn? T hat can w ait unt ill t omorrow . He t ilt ed his head t o t he side, his lips moving against my hair as he spoke. Get some rest , Kit t en. Ill b e gone before morning. Under my hand, t he st eady beat of his heart mat ched my ow n, slight ly accelerat ed. Was it t he healing or just being t his close? I d idnt know . But before I knew it , Id drift ed int o t he deepest , calmest sleep Id had in w eeks.

Chapter 26 T he irat e sound of KAT Y ANN SW ART Z! being yelled, follow ed by a husky male l augh w as w hat roused me from t he sat isfying haze of deep sleep. My eyes flut t ered open, and I t ried t o remember t he last t ime Mom had used my full nam e. Oh yeah, it had been years ago, w hen Id t ried t o pet a baby opossum t hat h ad got t en on our balcony somehow . Mom st ood in my bedroom doorw ay, dressed in her robe, her mout h hanging open. W ill st ood behind her, one a st range, s at isfied smile on his face. W hat ? I mumbled. My hard pillow moved. Glancing dow n, I felt my cheeks burn hot . Daemon w as st ill in my bed. And I w as half ly ing on him. One of his hands w as w rapped around mine, pinning it against his c hest . OhmyGodno Mort ified on an epic level, I pulled my hand free. T his isnt w h at it looks like. It s not ? Mom folded her arms. T heyre just kids, W ill said, grinn ng. At least t heyre fully clot hed. Not helping, she shot back.

I st art ed t o sit up, but Daemons arm t ight ened around my w aist as he rolled int o me, nuzzling my neck. Want ing t o die a t housand deat hs, I pushed at h im. He didnt budge. His eyes opened int o t hin slit s. Mmm, w hat s your problem? I st ared meaningfully at t he doorw ay. Frow ning, he t urned his head and froze . Oh, w ow , aw kw ard. He cleared his t hroat as he removed his arm from my w ais t . Good morning, Ms. Sw art z. Mom smiled t ight ly. Good morning, Daemon. I t hin k it s t ime for you t o go home. Daemon left as fast as humanly possible aft er t hat . Mom w ent dow nst airs w it hout saying a w ord. Know ing I w as in t rou ble, I passed W ill in t he hall w ay. He w as barefoot . Apparent ly, I w asnt t he only female in t he house t o have had a guy in my bed. I found her shoving t he coffee pot int o t he maker. Mom, it s not w hat you t hink. I promise. She t urned around, plant ing her hands on her hips. Y ou had a boy in your bedroom, in your bed. W hat am I supposed t o t hink? Looks like you had a sleepover, t oo. I fixed t he pot so it w asnt half out of t he maker. Im t he adult here. I can have w homever I w ant in my bed, young lady. W ill laughed form t he doorw ay. I have t o disagree w it h t hat . Im hoping Im t he only one in your bed. Ew , I groaned, g oing t o t he fridge t o get juice. Moms eyes narrow ed on her boyfriend. Is t his w hat youre doing w hen Im w orking night s, Kat y? I sighed. No, Mom, I sw ear it s not . W e w erest udying, and w e fell asleep. You w ere st udying in your bedroom ? She smoot hed some of t he mussed hair back from her face. Ive never had t o set rules w it h you before, but I see t here need t o be some est ablished. Mom, I gro aned, glancing at W ill. Come on T here w ill be no boys in your bedroom. Ever. She p ulled t he creamer out . T here w ill be no boys st aying t he night in any part of t his house. Sit t ing dow n, I sipped my OJ. Can you st op referring t o boys in t he plural? Geez. She poured herself a cup of coffee. Blake is here all t he t ime. And t hen t here is Daemon. So, yes, it s boys in t he plural sense. I brist led. Neit her of t hem is my boyfriend. Is t hat supposed t o make me feel bet t e r about one of t hem being in your bed? She t ook a drink of her coffee and t hen scrunched up her nose in dist ast e. Honey, Ive never had t o w orry about you do ing anyt hing st upid.

I st ood and handed her t he sugar she forgot . Im not doing anyt hing st upid. No t hing is happening w it h eit her of t hem. W ere just friends. She ignored t he last st at ement . I cant be here a lot , and I have t o t rust you. Please t ell me t hat youre beingsafe. Oh my God, Mom, Im not having sex. Her look t old me she w a snt ent irely convinced. Just make sure youll be careful. Y ou dont w ant t o be a y oung mot her. Oh, dear God, I w hispered, hiding my face behind my hands. And I am c oncerned, she cont inued. First it w as Daemon, t hen you seemed t o have st art e d seeing Blake, but now Im not seeing eit her of t hem, I said for w hat felt like t he hundredt h t ime. Y ou t w o did look very close. W ill propped a hip against t he sink, w at ching us. Y ou and Daemon. T his really isnt any of your business, I said, angry t hat he w as here for such a privat e and excruciat ingly embarrass ing conversat ion. Kat y, Mom snapped. W ill laughed it off. No. It s okay, Kell. Sh es right . T his isnt my business. But t here does seem t o be some hist ory bet w een you t w o. For a moment , his smile reminded me of someone. Fake. Plast ic. Nancy Husher. I shuddered. God, I w as paranoid. W ere just friends. Friends w ho ho ld hands w hile sleeping? I glanced at my mom, but she w as busy st udying t he i nside of her chipped cup. Feeling overly exposed, I folded my arms around me. Im s orry, Mom, for upset t ing you. It w ont happen again. I hope not . She w ashed out her coffee cup, w earing a slight frow n. T he last t hing I w ant right now is a grandchild. Done w it h t his conversat ion, I squeezed past W ill and w ent int o t he living room. Gah, my mom t hought I w as making babies. Even I w as dist urbed by t hat t hought . Grabbing my backpack off t he floor, I dragged it t o t he couch. W hen I looked up, I saw Mom and W ill in t he hall w ay. He w as w hispering somet hing t o her, and she laughed soft ly. Before I could look aw a y, he kissed herbut our eyes locked.

Hours later, Will was still in the housemy house. Not his. Was this how my Saturd ays would be when Mom was off? Watching the two of them w orking on crossw ord p uzzles in bet w een making out ? I w ant ed t o claw my eyes out . T he w ay he st ared at me made my skin feel like a t housand dirt y roaches w ere craw ling under it . It had t o be my paranoia, but I couldnt shake t he ugh fact or. I che cked my blog real quickly and found t hat I had over t w ent y comment s on my I MM. Curious for t he sudden comment love, I scrolled t hrough t hem. Some of t h em gushed over t he books I had. Ot hers gushed over t he boy w hod been sit t in g beside me. Dammit . Hed hijacked my blog. Put t ing in earbuds, I list ened t o some t unes w hile reading my English assignment . Mom appeared somet ime lat e r, and I t ugged out t he buds, hoping w e w erent going t o have anot her sex co nversat ion. Especially w hen I knew W ill w as right in t he kit chen, making h imself at home. Honey, Dee is here t o see you. T hen she w alked over and flipped my t ext book shut . And before you say youre busy or have plans w it h a boy, yo u need t o get up and go t alk t o her. I t ook t he last bit e of my cold Pop-T art and frow ned. Oookay She pushed back her side-sw ept bangs. Y ou cant spend every w aking second st udying and hanging out w it h Blake or w homever. Or w homever ? Like I had this long list of boys. I sighed as I stood. Before I left the room , I caught her staring at the Christmas tree, and I w ondered w hat she w as t h inking. Dee w as w ait ing out side, a vision in w hit e. It t ook me a few seco nds t o realize t he w hit e sw eat er she w ore had blended int o t he backgrou nd. It w as snow ing heavily, so much so I could barely see t he t ree line a fe w yards aw ay. Hey, I said lamely. She blinked and her eyes immediat ely dart ed f rom my face. Hey, she responded w it h forced ent husiasm. I hope Im not bot hering you. I leaned against t he door. W ell, I just st art ed my English paper. W ant e d t o kind of get t hat out of t he w ay. Oh. Her pink lips t urned dow n. W ell, it s going t o have t o w ait . W ere going t o w at ch a movie. I st epped back. W i t h everyt hing t hat w as going on and all t he lies, being around Dee w as har d. Maybe some ot her t ime, because Im really busy. How about next w eekend? I didnt w ait for an answ er. I st art ed t o shut t he door.

Dee did t he super-speed crap and pushed t he door back open. She looked like an angry lit t le pixie. T hat w as ext remely rude, Kat y. I flushed. I couldnt deny t hat and st ill, it obviously hadnt driven her aw ay. Im sorry. Im just so sw ampe d w it h schoolw ork. I underst and t hat . She pushed t he door fart her open. But youre going t o t he movies w it h Adam and me. Dee Youre not backing out of it . Her es met mine, and I saw t he hurt in t hem. I sw allow ed, looking aw ay. I know y ou and Daemon arew ell, w hat evers going on bet w een you t w o, and youre doing w hat ever w it h Blake and Ive been spending a lot of t ime w it h Adam, but t ha t doesnt mean w e cant be friends. She rocked back on her heels, clasping her hands under her chin. Just put your shoes on, Kat y, and go t o t he movies w it h me. Please. I miss you. Please. How could I say no? I t urned slight ly, spying my m om st anding in t he doorw ay t o t he kit chen. T he look on her face pleaded w it h me, t oo. I w as caught bet w een t he t w o, and neit her knew t hat I w as t rying t o st ay aw ay from Dee for her ow n good. Please, Dee w hispered. I r emembered Daemon t elling me I w as being a shit t y friend. I w asnt t rying t o be, and Dee didnt deserve t hat . I nodded. Let me grab my hoodie and shoes. She j umped forw ard and gave me a quick, t ight hug. Ill be w ait ing right here. Just i n case I t ried t o sneak out of it , I supposed. Passing my mom a look, I grabb ed my hoodie off t he back of t he recliner and slipped int o a pair of knee-hig h, fake-sheepskin boot s. Pocket ing money in my jeans, I headed out int o t he brisk December aft ernoon. Snow covered t he ground, making it slick under my bo ot s. Dee skipped beside me and t hen t ook off, t hrow ing herself int o Adams a rms. Giggling, she kissed t he t op of his blond head and t hen w iggled free. I hung back, my hands shoved int o my hoodie. Hey, Adam. He looked surprised t o se e me. Hey, youre act ually coming w it h us? I nodded. Aw esome. He glanced at Dee. W hat about ?

Dee dashed around t he front of Adams SUV, shoot ing her boyfriend a look. I slid int o t he backseat . Did you invit esomeone else? Buckling herself in, she t w is t ed around t o face me. Ah, yeah, but it s cool. Y oull see. Adam t urned around in t he drivew ay, and I felt t he w armt h t ingling along my neck. Unable t o st op myself, I t w ist ed in t he seat , eager t o see him. Daemon st ood on t he porch, dressed in only jeans, even t hough it w as t oo cold for t hat . A t ow ell w as flung over his shoulder. Impossible, but Id sw ear our gazes sought t h e ot hers out . I w at ched unt ill t he house disappeared from view , posit ive t hat hed w ait ed unt ill he could no longer see t he car. Color me annoyed when I realized who Dee had invited. Ash Thompson was waiting at the movie theater. She gave me her typical bitch look and w alked in ahead of us, somehow managing t o sw ay her hips in skint ight jeans and four-inch heels across t he ice-cover ed pavement . I w ouldve broken my neck. Lucky me, I ended up sit t ing bet w een Ash and Dee. I sunk in my seat , ignoring Ash as w e w ait ed for t he light s t o go dow n and t he movie t o st art . W hose idea w as it t o pick a zombie fl ick? Ash demanded, cradling a bucket of popcorn bigger t han her head. Was it Kat y? T hey kind of share t he same appearance. Ha ha, I mut t ered, eyeing her popcor n. Bet t here w asnt much bet w een her ears for a zombie t o survive on. On my o t her side, Dee and Adam had cleaned out t he candy count er. She dipped a choco lat e bar in her cheese sauce, and I gagged behind my hand. T hat is so gross. Dont knock it , she said, t aking a huge bit . It s t he best of bot h w orlds. Chocolat e and cheese, w hich is w hy t he let t er C is my favorit e in t he alphabet . Y ou know , Ash said, w rinkling her nose, Im act ually going t o have t o agree w i t h living dead girl here. T hat is disgust ing. I frow ned. Do I look t hat bad o r somet hing? Ash said, Y es, at t he same t ime Dee said, No. I folded my arms and k icked my feet ont o t he empt y seat in front of me. W hat ever, I mut t ered. So, A dam said, draw ing t he w ord out , t hings going w ell bet w een you and Blake? S inking dow n fart her in my seat , I bit back a st ring of curses. Y eah, t hings are dandy. Ash snort ed.

W ell, youve been spending a lot of t ime w it h him. Dee w at ched me as she dippe d anot her bar of chocolat e. T hings must be going great . Look, Im just going t o be honest here. Ash flicked a but t ery kernel in her mout h. You had Daemon Daemon . And I know how good t hat is. T rust me. A surge of jealousy rose so quickly, I w ant ed t o slam t he popcorn dow n her t hroat . Im sure he is. She snickered. An yw ay, I have no idea w hy youd give him up for Blake. Hes cut e and all, but he c ant be as good as Ew ! Dees face scrunched up. Can w e not t alk about how good he is t anyt hing t hat w ill force me int o t herapy lat er? T hank you. Ash chuckled as she shook her bucket of popcorn. Im just saying I dont care w hat youre saying. I bbed a handful of her popcorn part ly t o see her eyes narrow . I dont w ant t o t alk about Daemon. And Blake and I arent dat ing. Friends w it h benefit s? Adam ask ed. I groaned. How did t oday end up being all about my non-exist ent sex life? T here are no benefit s at all. T hey st opped quest ioning me about Daemon and Bl ake aft er t hat . Halfw ay t hrough t he movie, t he t hree aliens got up and c ame back w it h more food. I did t ry t he chocolat e dipped in cheese, and it w as as gross as expect ed. And even t hough I w as st uck next t o Ash, I w as h aving fun. T he t ime I spent w at ching zombie aft er zombie eat various part s of humans, I forgot about everyt hing t hat w as going on. T hings felt normal. I w as smiling, joking w it h Dee as w e left t he movie t heat er. T he sun ha d already set , and t he parking lot w as aw ash in t he soft glow of st reet la mps and Christ mas light s. W e hung back from Ash and Adam, arm and arm. Im glad you came, she said in a hushed voice. I had fun. I did, t oo. ImIm sorry I havent bee round a lot . T he breeze played w it h her curls, t ossing t hem across her face . Is everyt hingokay w it h you? I mean, I know a lot has happened since you moved here. And Im so afraid t hat youve decided you dont w ant t o be friends w it h me anymore because of w hat I am and everyt hing t hat ent ails. No. No w ay. I rushe d t o reassure her. I w ouldnt care if you w ere a w ere-ll ama. Y oure st ill my b est friend, Dee. It hasnt felt like t hat in so long. She smiled w eakly. W hat s a w ere-ll ama, by t he w ay? I laughed. It s like a ll ama and a human, like a w erew olf.

Her nose w rinkled. T hat is bizarre. Y eah, it is. Wed st opped at Adams car. Ash w a s fiddling w it h her keys as she inspect ed her nails. Snow w as already beginn ing t o fall again, each flake fat t er t han t he one before. I closed my eyes for a second, and w hen I reopened t hem, t he snow had st alled. Over just like t hat , in t he blink of an eye. Chapter 27 I loved Christ mas w hen Dad w as alive. Bot h of us w ere t hose people w ho di gressed several years on Christ mas morning. Id scamper dow n t he st airs at t h e crack of daw n t o sit alone in front of t he Christ mas t ree, spending t he early hours of Christ mas morning w ait ing for my parent s t o w ake. A rit ual l only broken w hen Dad died. T he last t hree years, Id made cinnamon buns alone , filling t he air w it h t heir sw eet scent , and w hen Mom came home from w o rk, w ed exchange gift s. T his year w as different . W hen I w oke up, t he scen t of cinnamon already permeat ed t he air and W ill w as dow nst airs, w earing a checkered robe and sharing a cup of coffee w it h Mom. Hed st ayed t he night . Again. Upon seeing me st anding in t he doorw ay, he got up and hugged me. I fr oze, my arms hanging aw kw ardly at my sides. Merry Christ mas, he said, pat t ing me on t he back. I mumbled t he same back t o him, aw are of my mom beaming fro m t he couch. We opened gift s, like w e used t o w it h Dad. Maybe t hat s w hat put me in a w eird mood t hat lingered all morning, dogging every st ep I t ook , det ermined t o ruin t he holiday. Mom had gone upst airs t o show er aft er p ut t ing W ill and me t o w ork on dinner. He pulled a glazed ham out of t he ov en. His at t empt s at small t alk had been vast ly ignored unt ill he w ent t h ere. Any more overnight visit s? he asked w it h a sly, conspirat orial smile. I b eat t he mashed pot at oes harder, w ondering if he w ere t rying t o be t he go od guy in t he pict ure so I w ouldnt give Mom crap about him. No.

Not like youd t ell me, right ? He dropped t he oven mit t s on t he count er, faci ng me. Honest ly, I hadnt seen Daemon since Sat urday morning. T w o days had gon e by w it hout a w ord from him. T hat boy does seem like a nice kid, W ill w ent on, pulling out one of t he knives Blake had t hrow n at my head. Hes a lit t le i nt ense, t hough. He paused, brow s draw ing in a slant as he held t he knife up. W ell, so w as his brot her. I almost dropped t he spat ula. Y oure t alking about Daw son? W ill nodded. He w as t he more out going of t he t w o, but just as int ense. Act ed like t he w hole w orld could end any minut e and each second had t o be lived t o t he fullest . I never got t hat impression from Daemon. Hes a bi t more reserved, eh? Reserved? At first I w ant ed t o deny t hat , but Daemon ha d alw ays beenrest rained. As if he w ere holding back t he most import ant part of himself. Cut t ing int o t he st eaming ham, W ill chuckled. All of t hem w er e really t ight . I guess t hat comes w it h being t riplet s. Like t he T homps on kids. My pulse w as jumping all over t he place for no reason. I w ent t o w o rk on t he pot at oes again. Y ou sound like you know t hem pret t y w ell. He shr ugged, moving several t hick slices ont o one of Moms fancy porcelain plat t ers t hat hadnt seen t he light of day in years. It s a small t ow n. Pret t y much kno w everyone around here. None of t hem has ever ment ioned you. I sat t he bow ll on t he count er and grabbed for t he milk. Dont know w hy t hey w ould. He angled t ow ard me, smiling. I dont t hink t hey even realize t hat Bet hany w as my niece. T he cart on of milk slipped from my fingers, knocking off t he count er and hit t ing t he floor. Frot hy w hit e liquid pulsed across t he t ile. Yet I st ood frozen. Bet hany w as his niece? W ill set t he knife dow n and grabbed several paper t ow els. Slippery bugger, isnt it ? Snapping out of it , I bent dow n and g rabbed t he cart on. Bet hany w as your niece? Y eah, such a sad st ory, and Im sure youve heard it . I have. I placed t he milk back on t he count er and helped him mo p up my mess. Im sorry about w hat happened. So am I. He t ossed t he t ow els in t he t rash. It dest royed my sist er and her husband. T hey moved aw ay just a mont h or so ago. I guess t hey couldnt st and living here, being reminded of her. T h en t hat Cut t ers boy disappears, just like w it h Bet hany and Daw son. It s a damn shame so many young people disappeared.

Never once had Daemon or Dee said a w ord about W ill being relat ed t o Bet han y, but t hey also didnt t alk about her oft en. Troubled by t he relat ion W ill had and t he ment ion of Simon, I finished making my pot at oes in silence. He l iked t hem count ry st yleskin on. Y uck. T heres somet hing I w ant ed t o make su re you underst ood, Kat y. W ill laced his fingers in front of him. Im not t rying t o t ake t he place of your fat her. Surprised by t he t urn in t he conversat i on, I st ared at him. He st ared back, pale eyes st eady and fixed on mine. I kno w it s hard w hen one parent moves on, but Im not here t o replace him. Before I co uld respond, he pat t ed me on t he shoulder and left t he kit chen. T he ham ha d cooled on t he count er. T he mashed pot at oes w ere finished and so w as t h e macaroni casserole. Up t o t hat moment , Id been st arving, but w it h t he me nt ion of my fat her, all my appet it e vanished. Deep dow n I knew W ill w asnt t rying t o t ake his place. No man could ever t ake my fat hers place, but t w o fat t ears rolled dow n my cheeks. Id cried t he first Christ mas w it hout him, but t he last t w o I hadnt . Maybe I w as crying now because t his w as t he fi rst real holiday Id had w it h my mom t hat involved someone ot her t han my dad. My elbow caught t he edge of t he bow ll as I t urned, and it spun t ow ard off t he count er. W it hout t hinking, I froze t he bow ll so all my hard w ork w ouldnt end up on t he floor. I grabbed it out of t he air, placing it back on t h e count er. Turning around, I caught sight of a shadow in t he hall w ay, right out side t he kit chen door. My breat h froze in my t hroat as t w o foot st eps heavier t han my moms crossed t he hall and st art ed up t he st eps. W ill. Had he seen me? And if he had, w hy hadnt he bust ed in here demanding how I froze a bow ll in midair? When I woke up the day after Christmas, Will had already take n down the tree. That alone earned him serious negative points. That wasnt his tr ee to t ake dow n. And Id w ant ed t o keep t hat green bulb, and now it w as pac ked aw ay in an at t ic I w ouldnt dare vent ure int o. Add t hat t o my grow ing dislike of t he man, and I foresaw some serious problems in t he fut ure. Had h e seen me st op t he bow ll? I didnt know . Could it be a coincidence t hat t he uncle of t he girl w ho had mut at ed just like me w as now put t ing t he moves on my mom? Seemed unlikely. But I had no evidence and w ho could I really go t o? W ell, t here w as one person. It w as hours aft er Mom had left for w ork an d moment s before I headed upst airs t hat I felt w armt h prickle my neck. St o pping in t he hall w ay, I w ait ed w it h my breat h in my t hroat . T here w a s a knock on my door.

Daemon w ait ed on t he porch, hands in his pocket s and a black baseball cap pu lled low , hiding t he upper part of his face. T he look accent uat ed his sensu al lips t hat w ere t ipped in a crooked grin. Y ou busy? I shook my head. W anna g o for a ride? Sure. Let me grab somet hing w armer t o put on. I hurried t o find m y boot s and hoodie, t hen joined him out side. Are w e going t o check on Vaughn ? Not really. T heres somet hing Ive discovered. He led me t o his SUV and w ait ed u nt ill w e bot h climbed in before he cont inued. But first , did you have a good Christ mas? I w as going t o st op over, but I saw your mom w as home. It w as go od. W ill spent t he day w it h us. T hat w as w eird. W hat about you? It w as ok ay. Dee nearly burned t he house dow n t rying t o make a t urkey. Ot her t han t hat , not very ent ert aining. He pulled out of t he drivew ay. So, how much t r ouble w ere you in aft er Sat urday? I flushed, t hankful for t he darkness. I got a lect ure about not making my mom a grandmot her. Daemon laughed, and I sighed. Now I have rules t o follow , but not hing serious. Sorry about t hat . He grinned as he slid me a sidew ays look. I didnt mean t o fall asleep. It s okay. So w here ar e w e going? W hat have you found out ? Vaughn came home Sunday night for about t en minut es. I follow ed him t o just out side of Pet ersburg t o t his w arehou se in an indust rial park t hat hasnt been used in years. He st ayed t here for a few hours and t hen left , but t here w ere t w o officers w ho remained. He slo w ed dow n as a deer dashed across t he highw ay. T heyre keeping somet hing t her e. Excit ement hummed t hrough me. Y ou t hink t heyre keeping Bet hanyor Daw son? He glanced at me, lips pressed int o a t ight line. I dont know , but I need t o get in t here and someone needs t o keep an eye on t he out side w hile I go. Feelin g useful, I nodded. W hat if t he guards are st ill keeping w at ch? T hey w erent d oing anyt hing unt ill Vaughn show ed up. Hes home right now . W it h Nancy. His l ip curled. I t hink t he t w o really have somet hing going on. It w as like W ill and my mom. Gross. T hinking of t hat reminded me of somet hing I needed t o as k. Did you know my moms boyfriend is Bet hanys uncle?

No. His brow s pinched as he focused on t he road. I didnt really t ry t o get t o k now her. Hell, I didnt really t ry t o get t o know any human girl. T here w as a w eird flut t er in my belly. So youve neverdat ed a human girl before? Dat ed? No. He glanced at me quickly, seeming t o decide w hat t o say next . Hang out w it h? Y es. T he flut t er t urned int o a red-hot snake coiling around my insides. Hun g out hung out in t he w ay everyone t hought Blake and I w ere? I w ant ed t o h it somet hing. Anyw ay, I didnt know t hey w ere relat ed. I pushed aw ay t he jeal ousy. Now w asnt t he t ime. Do you t hink t hat s w eird? I mean, hes relat ed t o Bet hany, w hos sort of like me now , and hes messing around w it h my mom. W e kn ow t hat someone had t o have bet rayed Daw son and Bet hany. It s w eird, but how w ould he know w hat had happened? He w ouldve needed t o have some inside know l edge of t he w hole healing process t o know w hat t o look for. Maybe hes an impla nt . Daemon looked at me sharply but didnt say anyt hing. T he possibilit y w as d ist urbing. W ill could be using my mom t o keep an eye on me. Gaining her t rus t , sleeping in her bed Id kill him. Aft er a few moment s, Daemon cleared his t h roat . Ive been t hinking about w hat Mat t hew t old ust he w hole marrying DNA t hing. Every muscle in my body t ensed, and I st ared st raight ahead. Y eah? I t alke d t o him lat er and I asked him about t he connect ion, if it could make someon e feel anyt hing. He said no. But I already knew t hat . T hought you should kno w . Closing my eyes, I nodded. Of course, I already knew t hat . I squeezed my ha nds int o t ight balls. I almost t old him I knew , but bringing up Blake w ould really mar t he moment . W hat about t he w hole you die, I die t hing? W hat abou t it ? he responded, eyes on t he road. T here isnt anyt hing w e can do about t ha t ot her t han not get t ing ourselves killed. T heres more t o it t han t hat , I s aid, w at ching t he rolling w hit e-t ipped hills go by. W ere really joined t og et her, you know . Like, forever I know , he said quiet ly. T here really w asnt anyt hing I could add t o t hat . We arrived at t he abandoned indust rial park near midnight , driving past it first t o make sure t here w ere no cars around. T h ere w ere t hree buildings clust ered t oget her near a field covered

in w hit e. One w as a squat , one-st ory brick building and one in t he middle w as several st ories high, large enough t o st ore a jumbo jet . Daemon pulled behind one of t he buildings, parking t he SUV bet w een t w o large sheds w it h t he front facing t he only ent rance. He t urned t o me, killing t he engine. I need t o get in t hat building. He gest ured at t he t all one. But you need t o st ay in t he car w hile I do t his. I need eyes on t he road and I dont know w hat s w ait ing in t here. Fear pinched my st omach. W hat if someone is in t here? I w ant t o go w it h you. I can t ake care of myself. Y ou need t o st ay in her e, w here it s safe. But No, Kat , st ay here. T ext me if anyone comes in. He reache for t he door. Please. Given no ot her choice, I did not hing as Daemon slid out of t he car. Tw ist ing in my seat , I w at ched him disappear around t he side of t he building. I let out a breat h I didnt know Id been holding and faced t he front , keeping my eyes t rained on t he main road. W hat if Bet hany w as in t here? Hell, w hat if Daw son w as in t here? I couldnt even w rap my brain around t hat and w hat it w ould mean. Everyt hing w ould change. Rubbing my hands t o get her, I leaned forw ard and w at ched t he road. My t hought s kept going bac k t o W ill. If he w as t he implant , t hen I w as so screw ed. Hed most likely seen me use my abilit ies, but if he w as t he implant , t hen w hy hadnt he cont act ed t he DOD immediat ely? Somet hing didnt add up w it h t hat t heory. My b reat h st art ed t o make lit t le puffs of clouds in t he rapidly cooling int e rior. Only t en minut es had passed, but it felt like forever. W hat w as Daemon doing in t here? Sight seeing? I shift ed, t rying t o keep w arm. Off in t he dist ance, I saw t w o headlight s piercing t he dark. My breat h held. Please g o by. Please go by. T he vehicle slow ed as it neared t he ent rance t o t he in dust rial park. My heart raced as I realized it w as a black Expedit ion. Crap. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent Daemon a quick t ext . Company. W hen he didnt respond and I didnt see him heading out of t he w arehouse, I st art ed t o get anxious. T he Expedit ion had disappeared from view , most likely parking in t he front . I t urned in t he seat , gripping t he leat her unt ill my fing ers ached. No Daemon.

I w asnt about t o let fear or his misguided at t empt t o keep me safe st op me from helping Daemon. Dragging in a cold breat h of air, I opened t he door and q uiet ly shut it behind me. Keeping t o t he shadow s, I crept t o t he corner of t he building, passing padlocked bay doors. T here w ere no w indow s, just a s t eell door I had no hope of get t ing open aft er I t ried t he lock. Above t h e door, t here w as somet hing embedded in t he brick, round and glossy in t he moonlight , but t oo dark t o make out t he color. Glancing back at t he bay doo rs, w hich w ere perfect for unloading cargo, it also had a round object embedde d over t he doors. I crouched at t he edge of t he building, craning my neck t o see around t he side. T he pat h w as clear. Not quit e relieved, I cont inued around t he corner, keeping close t o t he side. Up ahead, I saw anot her door. W as t hat w here Daemon had gone? Bit ing my lip, I crept closer t o t he ent r ance. Out of t he corner of my eye, I saw movement . Holding my breat h, I flat t ened myself against t he building as t w o men dressed in all black came aroun d t he front , t alking soft ly. T he orange glow of a cigaret t e flared and t hen it flickered t hrough t he air, fading out w hen it hit t he ground. I w as t rapped. St ark t error forced t he air out of my lungs so quickly it left me d izzy. My muscles locked as I t urned my head t o t he side. T he t aller mant he smoker looked up. I knew t he second he saw me. Hey! Smoker yelled. St op right t he re! Like hell. Pushing off t he w all, I sprint ed aw ay. I made it a couple of f eet before he yelled out again. St op! Or Ill shoot ! I st opped, t hrow ing my han ds up. Each breat h I t ook saw ed painfully in and out of my lungs. Crap. Crap. Crap. Keep your hands up and t urn around, Smoker ordered. Now . Doing as inst ruct ed, I pivot ed in place. T hey w ere a few st eps aw ay, sleek black guns draw n and point ed direct ly at me. T hey w ere dressed like paramilit ary or somet hing, in full combat gear. Jesus, w hat had Daemon st umbled upon? Just st ay rig ht t here, t he short er one said, approaching me caut iously. W hat are you doing here? I clamped my mout h shut and felt t he heady rush of Source pooling in my veins, provoked by fear. St at ic built under my clot hing, raising t he t iny h airs on my body. It demanded t o be called upon, used. But t apping int o it w o uld seriously expose w hat I w as. W hat are you doing here? t he short er one dem anded again, now just a foot aw ay. Imlost . I w as looking for t he int erst at e.

Smoker glanced at t he short er officer. bullshit . My heart w as pounding so hard I felt like it w as going t o jump out of my chest , but I kept t he Source loc ked inside. Im serious. I w as hoping t his w as, like, a visit ors cent er or some t hing. I got off at t he w rong exit . T he closest one low ered t he gun by a f ract ion of an inch. T he highw ay is several miles from here. You must ve t aken t he w rong exit by a long shot . I nodded eagerly. Im not from around here. And al l t he roads and signs look t he same. Like t he t ow ns all sound t he same, I r ambled on, playing t he dumb girl. Im t rying t o get t o Moorefield. Shes lying, Smok er spat . Any hope t hat had sparked in me died in a fiery crash. Smoker came cl oser, keeping t he gun t rained on me. W it h one hand, he reached out and place d his palm against my cheek. His hand smelled of cigaret t es and disinfect ant . See, t he short er one said, st art ing t o put his gun back int o t he holst er at t ached t o his t high. Shes just lost . Youre get t ing paranoid. Go ahead, ho ney, get out of here. Smoker grunt ed and grasped my ot her cheek, ignoring his p art ner. Somet hing w arm and sharp w as in his palm. Fear spiked my heart rat e . Was it a knife? Im lost . I sw ear Red-hot , needle-sharp pain st reaked across my cheek, slicing dow n my neck and over my shoulder. I opened my mout h t o screa m, but no sound came out . T he pain rushed at me in w aves. Blackness inched ac ross my vision, and I doubled over, breaking cont act w it h w hat ever he held in his hand. Christ , t he short er one said. Y oure right . Shes one of t hem. I drop ped t o my knees as t he pain ebbed, leaving a dull ache t hrobbing deep in my s kin. Gulping in air, I placed my hand against my cheek, expect ing t o find my s kin split open, but it w as only w arm. Told you. Smoker grasped my arm, yanking m e forw ard. W hen I lift ed my head, he had a gun pressed bet w een my eyes. W ha t s in t his barrel w ill do far w orse. So you bet t er t hink carefully before you answ er t he next quest ion. W ho are you? Speechless, fear held me paralyzed . He shook me. Answ er me.

II W hat s going on out here? a new voice asked, coming up from behind t he t w o men. Smoker st epped t o t he side, and my heart dropped. It w as Vaughn. W e found he r sneaking around back here, Smoker said, sounding like hed just caught t he bigge st cat fish t o dat e. Shes one of t hem. Vaughn frow ned as he moved closer, his b ushy must ache blow ing as he breat hed heavily. Good job. Ill t ake t his one. I c ouldnt breat he. Vaughn had been inside, w here Daemon w as. Had he caught Daemon , done somet hing t o him? If so, it w as ent irely my fault . Id st art ed t his by t elling him Id seen Bet hany. I may not have cont rolled w here t he rock w ent , but Id pushed it dow n t he hill. Are you sure? asked t he short er officer. Vaughn nodded, reaching dow n and grasping my ot her arm, hauling me t o my feet . Ive had my eye on t his one for a w hile. T he cages should be prepped, Smoker sai d, let t ing go of my ot her arm reluct ant ly. It t ook a w hile for it t o w or k on her. You might w ant t o double it up. Cages? My mout h dried up. T he short er officer looked me over, eyes narrow ing. Since w e caught t his one, shouldnt w e get a rew ard? Rew ard? asked Vaughn, voice low . Smoker laughed. Y eah, like w it h t he ot her one. T hat w as one hell of a rew ard. Husher w ont know any dif ferent as long as w e dont mess her up. Before my brain could come t o t erms w it h w hat he meant , Vaughn pushed me t o t he side hard enough I lost my balance and hit t he ground. He t hrew up his hand. Light ning crackled around his arm, flaring red-w hit e as it enveloped his body unt ill he w as not hing more t ha n light . I gasped, realizing Vaughn w asDaemon. Dammit ! yelled Smoker, reaching f or his gun. It s a t rick! Pulsing w it h light and pow er, he released t he energy . It st ruck Smoker first , sending him several feet back. T he light arched, sm acking int o t he short er officer. He t oo w ent flying int o t he side of t he building. T here w as a sickening crunch, and he fell t o t he ground, skin and clot hing smoking. T he man shuddered once, and t hen his face t urned t oash. Oh my God, I w hispered.

A slight breeze moved dow n t he building, st irring t he fall en man. Pieces of him flicked up int o t he air, float ing aw ay unt ill not hing remained. It w as t he same w here Smoker had fall en. T here w as not hing left of t hem. Daem ons light dimmed, and w hen I looked at him, he w as in his human form. I expect ed him t o flip out about my not st aying in t he car, but all he did w as reach dow n and t ake my hand, gent ly pulling me t o my feet . T he baseball cap hid his eyes, but his lips w ere pressed in t hat hard, unyielding line. W e need t o get out of here, he said. I agreed. Chapter 28 Back at my house, w e sat on t he couch, facing each ot her w it h our legs cros sed. I held a st eaming cup of hot cocoa t hat hed placed bet w een my hands, but I couldnt get w arm enough. I kept running dow n everyt hing t hat had happened, ending w it h t he men t urning int o ash. It reminded me of t he videos of t h e at omic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. T he blast of heat had been so int en se it had t urned people t o ash and permanent ly implant ed t heir shadow s int o buildings. Wed driven t heir car int o t he w oods, and Daemon had t hen fried it , burning it unt ill t here w asnt much of anyt hing left . Any evidence of u s being t here had been removed, but event ually people w ould miss t he t w o m en and quest ions w ould st art get t ing t ossed around, especially from t heir families. Because t hey had families T he baseball cap had been t ossed ont o t he coffee t able, but I couldnt read anyt hing in Daemons eyes. Hed been quiet t he w hole w ay back. I squeezed t he w arm mug. Daemonare you okay? He nodded. Y eah. T aking a sip, I w at ched him from under my lashes. W hat w as inside t he buildi ng? He rubbed t he back of his neck as he closed his eyes briefly. T here w asnt an yt hing in t he first couple of rooms. Just empt y office space, but it s obvious t he place is used a lot . T here w ere empt y coffee cups, filled asht rays ev eryw here. T he fart her I got in, t here w erecages. About t en of t hem; one lo oked like it w as used recent ly. Nausea rolled inside me. Do you really t hink t hey w ere keeping people in t here?

Luxen? Yes. And maybe ot hers like you. He dropped his hands on his legs. One of t he cages had dried blood in it . All of t hem had chains and manacles encased in t his dark red st one Ive never seen before. I saw somet hing out side t he buildi ng, above t he doors. It w as shiny, looked black t o me because it w as dark. I set my cup aside. And he put somet hing against my cheek, and God, t hat hurt lik e hell. I w onder if it w as t he same t hing you saw . His poet ic lips t ipped dow n at t he corners. How are you feeling now ? Perfect ly fine. I w aved it off. Di d you see anyt hing else? I didnt have t ime t o go upst airs, but I had t his feel ing t hat somet hingsomet hing w as up t here. He st ood w it h fluid grace, clasp ing his arms behind his head. I need t o get back in t here. My eyes follow ed him . Daemon, it s t oo dangerous. People are going t o realize t hat t he officers ar e missing. Y ou cant go back t here. He w hirled around, facing me. My brot her cou ld be in t here or somet hing t hat w ill t ell me w here my brot her is. I cant just w alk aw ay because it s t oo dangerous. I underst and t hat . I st ood, clench ing my hands. But w hat good are you t o Daw sonor t o Deeif you get caught ? Daemon st ared at me for several long moment s. I have t o do somet hing. I know , but it needs t o be more t hought out t han any of your plans have been so far. I ignor ed t he flash of t emper in his bright gaze. Because you couldve been capt ured t onight . Im not w orried about myself, Kat . T hen t hat s a problem! His eyes narrow d. I w ouldnt have involved you in t his if I knew you w ere going t o w imp out . W imp out ? T he event s of t he night height ened everyt hing I w as feeling and I w as on overload, seconds from breaking dow n, sit t ing in t he corner somew here. Maybe rocking in t hat corner, t oo. Im t he one w ho involved you. I saw Be t hany. And I agreed t o let you come w it h me t he first t ime. He ran his hand t hrough his messy hair, exhaling roughly. If youd st ayed in t hat car, I couldve h ad t ime t o check t he floors above. My mout h dropped open. You w ouldve been cau ght inside. I got out of t he car because you didnt respond t o my t ext ! If I s t ayed in t here, w ed bot h be in t hose cages.

T he t ips of his cheeks flushed as he looked aw ay. Okay. Bot h of us are aggrav at ed right now . We should just let it drop for t onight . Get some rest . W ha t ever. I didnt w ant t o let it drop, but he had a point . I crossed my arms. Fine . W it h one last look, he grabbed his cap from t he t able and t urned t o leave , st opping at t he end of t he couch. His shoulders shuddered and his voice cam e out a w hisper. Ive never killed a human before. Suddenly, his aggravat ion made more sense. It w asnt just t he helpless feeling of not being able t o do anyt hi ng. T he need t o comfort him, t o t ouch him, t urned physical. I reached out , placing my hand on his arm. It s okay. Daemon shrugged off my hand, scow ling. It s not okay, Kat y. I killed t w o humans. And dont just dont do anyt hing. I flinched, more from t he use of my real name t han his act ion. Daemon blinked out , and t he front door slammed shut . Running bot h my hands over my head, I bit dow n on my lip hard enough for a met all ic t ast e t o spring int o my mout h. Daemo n w ouldnt go back t o t hat w arehouse. Never in a million years. Even I couldnt convince myself of t hat . Sleep didnt come easily that night, and I spent the be tter part of the next day strung tight as a bow puled too hard. I kept checking the driveway next door, making sure Daemons car w as t here. He could just zip hi s w ay back t o t he w arehouse w it hout his SUV, but seeing t he car gave me s ome relief. T he next couple days of w int er break crept by. Most of t he t ime I expect ed SW AT t o bust up in my house, demanding t o know w hat happened t o t he officers. But not hing happened. T he day before New Y ears Eve, Dee st op ped by. Like my new boot s? She st uck out one slender leg. Black leat her boot s ended just below her knees. T he heel w as killer. Daemon got t hem for me. T heyre aw esome. W hat size are you? She giggled, t hen popped a loll ipop back in her m out h. Okay, before you t ell me no, I already cleared it w it h Ash. I frow ned. C leared w hat ? Ash is t hrow ing a lit t le New Y ears Eve part y at her house. It s just going t o be a few of us. Daemon is going.

Uh, I doubt Ash is okay w it h me going t o her part y. No, she is. Dee pinged aroun d t he living room like a capt ured but t erfly. She promised shed be cool w it h it . I t hink youre grow ing on her. Like mold, I mut t ered. W at ching Dee made me dizzy. I dont know . Oh, come on, Kat y. Y ou can even invit e Blake if you w ant t o. I made a face. Im not invit ing him. She came t o a sudden halt , t he loll ipop dangling from her fingers. Are you guys having problems? she asked hopefully. Y ou know , if I w ere act ually dat ing him, Id have a problem w it h how happy you sounded t here, but since Im not dat ing him, Im okay. Her eyes narrow ed suspiciou sly. W hat s going on w it h you t w o, t hen? Not hing. I sighed. She sucked on her loll ipop for a few moment s as she w at ched me. And not hing is going on w it h my brot her. Right ? Hes just slinking around t he house for no reason. My lips p ursed. Dee Hes my brot her, Kat y. I love him. And youre my best friend, even t hough you havent really act ed like it recent ly. She flashed a quick grin before cont i nuing. So I feel like Im st uck in t he middle of you t w o. And I know neit her o f you is put t ing me t here, but I w ant bot h of you happy. W ondering how w e e nded up on t his conversat ion, I sat dow n w it h a sigh. Dee, it s really compli cat ed. It cant be t hat complicat ed, she replied, sounding like Lesa. You guys like each ot her, and I know Daemon w ould be risking a lot by pursuing a relat ions hip w it h you, but t hat s his risk t o t ake. Dee sat beside me, her body hummin g w it h energy. Anyw ay, I t hink you guys need t o t alk orI dont know . Cave t o your passions. I bust ed out laughing. Oh my God, are you serious? She grinned. So are you going t o go w it h us t omorrow night ? As much as I w ant ed t o see t he T hompsons house, because I bet it w as super posh and cool, I w as st ill und ecided. Ill t hink about it . Y ou promise? She nudged me w it h her elbow . It w ould make me really happy if you did. Part ying w it h t hem did sound bet t er t han w hat I had planned, w hich w as not hing. Dee st ayed for a lit t le w hile, b orrow ing a couple of books, and t hen left . T hen, around suppert ime,

W ill show ed up w it h Chinese t akeout . I didnt t urn t he food dow n, but I w asnt much for conversat ion. Mom pract ically float ed around t he kit chen, buz zing on a good-boyfriend high. W hen t hey left , I spent t he rest of t he even ing reading, finishing a book for a blog t our, and st art ing a new one I w asnt scheduled t o read. Having t ime t o read w as nice and relaxing. I could feel a lit t le bit of my old self creeping back. Not t he t imid Kat y, but t he one w ho did w hat she w ant ed because she enjoyed it . W hen it got close t o t e n, I put t he book dow n and considered checking in w it h Daemon. Was he going back t o t hat w arehouse w it hout me? T here w as a good chance he w as. Tryin g t o dist ract myself, I logged int o one of t he local new s w ebsit es and se arched for any ment ion of t he t w o officers going missing. Id checked each nig ht w it h no result s. But t onight w as different . T he headline on t he Charl est on Gazet t e read: t w o depart ment of defense officers missing aft er last seen near pet ersburg. My breath caught as I scanned the article. Officer Rober t McConnel and Officer James Richardson were last seen near Petersburg on Decemb er 26th and have not been heard from since. Authorities are not saying the natur e of their dealings in Grant County but are asking anyone w ho may have seen the officers or may know anything to please contact their tip line. Below t he art icle w ere t w o pict ures. I recognized t hem immediat ely. Clicking off t he w ebpage, I immediat ely brought up a new w eb search screen. First , I Googled N ancy Husher and came up w it h not hing. Smoker had ment ioned her by last name, saying she w ouldnt be mad if I w asnt messed up. I shuddered. Id t hought t hered a t least be somet hing in relat ion t o t he DOD, but it w asnt like t he w oman e xist ed on t he Int ernet . My next search vict im w as my moms boyfriend. T here w ere quit e a few sit es linking t o numerous aw ards w on in t he medical com munit y, but not hing show ing a connect ion t o Bet hany. But t here w as somet hing t hat left a bad t ast e in my mout h about him. One art icles headline rea d: local doct or overcomes leukemia, backs funding for new cancer t reat ment ce nt er in grant count y.

My eyes scanned the article. It was Wil. There was a picture of him, most likely taken during rounds of treatment, because I recognized that bone-haggard look. I couldnt believe it . Did Mom know t his? I mean, cancer w asnt a reason not t o dat e someone, but aft er everyt hing she w ent t hrough w it h Dad? Could she g o t hrough somet hing like t hat again if t he cancer came back? And if I act ua lly grew t o like t he dude, if he w asnt an implant , could I deal w it h t hat again? I w ent back t o t he search page, unable t o w rap my brain around t his new fact . St opping t o grab a cup of cocoa, I ret urned t o my amat eurish in vest igat ion. My fingers hovered over t he keyboard w hile a sense of guilt flu shed my cheeks. T hen, w it h a cringe, I Googled Blake Saunders, t elling mysel f I only w ant ed t o see his old blog, since he never did t ell me it s name. T he first searches linked t o some college at hlet e, but dow n t ow ard t he bo t t om of t he first page, I saw a new s report about his parent s murders. Click ing on t he link, I read t he sad, sad w rit e-up on t he deat hs of his parent s and sist er. It w as called a brut all break-in. T here w ere a couple more ar t icles st at ing t he same, and t hen I found t he obit uary for his parent s, w hich t ook me t o a funeral home sit e in Sant a Monica. Sunny Acres. W ho in t he hell named a funeral home Sunny Acres? Shaking my head, I t ook a sip of my cocoa and clicked t he pict ures t he w ebsit e had of t he family. T he younge r Blake w as cut e, and so w as his sist er. My gut clenched w hen I looked at t he pict ures of him and his lit t le sist er playing on a sw ing set . T he kid w as w ay t oo young, and her deat h w as probably horrific. I blinked back hot t ears, moved by someone Id never even met . It just w asnt fair or right . Deat h usually w as never t hose t w o t hings but t hist his w as w rong. I kept goin g t hrough t he pict ures, st opping on an older one of Blakes fat her. I could s ee t he resemblance in t he easy smile and hazel eyes. T he man next t o his fat her looked oddly familiar. He shared some of t he same feat ures as Blakes dad, but his face w as rounder. Some of t he pict ures had capt ions below , but t hi s one didnt . I w ent t hrough t he next couple of pict ures greedily, and t hen I st opped on one t hat looked like a family reunion t aken around t he holidays . Leaning closer, I set t he cup dow n before I dropped it . A sharp pang sliced my breat h as I got a real good look at t he guy w hod been in t he pict ure w i t h Blakes fat her. T he man had his hand clamped on t he younger Blakes shoulder and w as smiling at t he camera from beneat h a w iry, light brow n must ache. T he capt ion below list ed him as Brian Vaughn.

T hought s w arred in my head as I quickly clicked on t he obit uary again, skim ming for surviving family members. Brian Vaughn w as list ed as a st epbrot her of t he deceasedof Blakes dad. My surprised laugh came out st rangled, and I st oo d, looking around t he room expect ant ly, alt hough I w asnt sure w hat I w as l ooking for. Shock beat at me, st ruggling t o keep t he rising t ide of anger at bay. Blake w as relat ed t o a DOD officer. How coincident al. I st art ed t o p ace t he lengt h of t he living room, my breat h coming out harsh and fast . T h e illogical part of my brain w as t rying t o convince myself t hat it w as just a coincidence, t hat it w as anot her Brian Vaughn w ho looked like t he DOD of ficer. But t he harsh realit y of being fooledof allow ing myself t o be played r ight int o t he DODs hands beat at me. His relat ion t o t he DOD explained how B lake knew so much about t he Luxen and mut at ed humans. W hy hed asked so many t imes about w ho had healed me. How reckless and dangerous hed grow n in his t ra ining sessions. I didnt even know w here Blake lived. But I knew w here Vaughn li ved. I st opped myself before I reached for my car keys. T here w as no w ay I w as going t o Vaughns house. W hat w ould I do? Bust up in t here? T hat w as w o rse t han Daemons t ypical plans. Torn bet w een w ant ing t o t alk t o Daemon a nd let t ing t he issue drop unt ill I knew w hat I w as dealing w it h, I sat b ack and pulled my knees t o my chest . Could I have been fooled t his badly? T h is ent ire t ime w orking w it h someone w ho w as t ied t o t he DOD? Anger and fear kept alt ernat ing, gripping me for several minut es, t hen let t ing go a nd allow ing t he ot her emot ion t o t ake hold. My eyes found my car keys. Vau ghn hadnt been home, and Blake claimed hed be out of t ow n unt ill school picked up, visit ing family w it h hisuncle. And t his w ould be t he perfect opport uni t y t o see if I could find any undisput able evidence t hat w ould point t o Bl ake w orking w it h t he DOD. Dammit ! I exploded, jumping t o my feet . Fury beca me a living, breat hing ent it y inside me, coloring everyt hing in a reddish-w hit e light . Some of it w as direct ed at me, but most of it had a t arget . Bl ake had been in my house, t alked t o my mom, earned my t rust , and kissed me. T hat kind of bet rayal ran so deep it left a permanent mark on my soul.

Daemon w as t he last person I needed t o go t o right now . If Blake w as w ork ing for t he DOD, I needed t o keep Daemon far aw ay from t his. At least unt il l I knew he w ouldnt fly off and do somet hing even dumber t han w hat I w as abo ut t o do. Done t hinking, I snat ched my hoodie and t ugged it on over my head. Grabbing my keys and my cell phone, I left t he house. Id done an incredible amo unt of st upid t hings in my life. Pet t ing t he baby opossum w as one of t hem , w alking out in front of t he MAC t ruck w as anot her. Id even got t en pissy once about t he pirat ing of books and had post ed t his manifest o on my blog t hat hardly made any sense. T his, t hough, probably t opped t he list . But as I hit t he highw ay, hands clenching t he st eering w heel, I w as a much differ ent person now . I could kick major ass if need be, and I w ouldnt let Blake get aw ay w it h t his. I parked my car t w o roads dow n from w here Vaughn lived a nd st epped out int o t he frigid air t hat smelled of snow . Tugging t he hood up over my head, I shoved my hands int o t he middle pocket and hoofed it back t ow ard Vaughns house. T he irony of bit ching out Daemon due t o his lack of pla ns didnt pass me by, but now I underst ood t hat somet imes cert ain sit uat ions called for w ell-t hought -out st upidit y. T his w as one of t hem. Vaughns hou se looked empt y as I approached from t he rear. Luckily, t he t w o houses clos est t o his w ere spaced out . One had a foreclosure sign, and t he ot her w as just as dark. Lit t le flakes of snow st art ed t o fall as I crept around t o t he front . My breat h came out in puffs, hanging in t he air like clouds. T he drivew ay w as empt y. Know ing t hat didnt mean t he house w as complet ely devo id of people, I debat ed w hat t o do. I didnt come all t he w ay here t o st are at t he out side of t he house. I w ant ed in t here. I w ant ed t o find evide nce linking Blake t o Vaughn, and I w ant ed t o see if t here w as anyt hing on t he locat ion of Daw son and Bet hany. I w ent t o t he back of t he house and t ried t he door. It w as locked as expect ed, but I remembered bot h Daemon an d Blake ment ioning how easy locks w ere t o manipulat e. It should be a piece o f cake. An alarm syst em w ould be a w hole different st ory. Pressing against t he door, I closed my eyes and pict ured t he lock. T he rush of st at ic crept dow n my arms, jumping from t he t ips of my fingers t hrough t he w ood. T he c lick of t he lock t urning sounded like a nuclear bomb going off in my head.

I t ook a moment t o prepare myself for w hat could be w ait ing on t he ot her side of t he door. If someone w ere in t here, Id have t o defend myself. T he id ea of hurt ing someone, possibly killing him or her, sickened me, but I knew w h oever it w as w ouldnt st op t w ice from locking me up in a cage. Telling myself I could do t his, I opened t he door and slow ly st epped int o t he kit chen. A light w as on above t he st ove, cast ing t he room in soft light . I shut t h e door behind me and drew in a deep breat h. T his is insane. I crept forw ard, grat eful for t he t hin soles on my boot s. T imid Kat y no moreId moved ont o go od old B&E. Balling my hands up under t he sleeves of my hoodie, I moved dow n t he hall w ay. T he dining room w as empt y w it h t he except ion of a rolled-u p sleeping bag on t he floor. Tw o couches w ere pressed against t he w all in t he living room. T here w asnt a T V. It reminded me of a model home w here every t hing w as fake. It gave me t he creeps. Holding a breat h, I w ent upst airs s low ly. Not hing about t his house seemed real. It had no homey smells like left over food or perfume. It smelled vacant . At t he t op of t he st airs, t here w as a bat hroom t hat had clearly been in use. T here w ere hair product s on t he sinkgell and t w o t oot hbrushes. My st omach t ight ened as I left t he bat hroom. All t he bedroom doors w ere open. Each of t hem just had a bed and a dr esser. All w ere empt y. T he last room at t he end of t he hall w as an office of sort s. A large desk sat in t he middle of t he ot herw ise empt y room. T he re w as a monit or on t he t op, but no hard drive. Moving around t he desk, I p ulled out t he cent er draw er. Not hing. I checked t he side draw ers, becoming frust rat ed w hen t hey w ere all empt y. I yanked open t he last one. Jackpot , I w hispered. I pulled out a file folder t hat w as t hick and heavy at t he bo t t om. Lift ing t he file out carefully, I laid it on t he desk and flipped it opened. T here w ere pict ures, hundreds of pict ures. My hands shook as I w ent t hrough t hem. A buzzing filled my ears as I t urned over pict ure aft er pict ure. One of me w alking from my car t o t he front of school in short sleeves. T here w ere several from out side t he Smoke Hole Diner, and I could just make out Dee and me sit t ing in front of t he w indow , t hen one of us w alking out t he door, my arm in a splint and Dee laughing. Several

more phot os show ed us t oget her, at school, on my front porch, and in her car . T here w as one of us hugging in front of t he FOOLAND, t he first day Id met h er. T hen t here w ere pict ures of Daemon, eyes narrow ed and face draw n t igh t as he w as snapped w alking around his SUV, keys clenched in his hand. Anot he r w as him st anding on his porch, shirt less and in jeans, w it h me on his st eps, glaring at him. I picked up one, holding it in t he light t hat came t hrou gh t he w indow . I w as in my red t w opiece bat hing suit , st anding on t he bank of t he lake. Id been looking off t o t he side, and Daemon had been w at ch ing me, smilingreally smilingunbeknow nst t o me. I hadnt know n he ever smiled aro und me at t hat t ime. I dropped t he pict ure as if it burned my skin. And it d id on a surreal level. T here w ere more. Phot os chronicling from t he t ime I arrived in t his place up unt ill a few days ago. T here w ere pict ures of my m om heading t o w ork, some w it h her and W ill. T here w ere no pict ures of Bl ake and me t oget her. But t he w orst pict ure, t he one t hat almost dropped m e t o my knees w as one of Daemon carrying me back from t he lake t he night Id b een sick. T he phot o w as dark and grainy, but I could make out t he w hit e sl eep shirt , t he w ay my arm hung limp, t he look of pure concent rat ion on Dae mons face as he had one foot on t he porch st ep. Hell, could t hey be w at ching me now ? I couldnt let myself t hink about it . T he sense of violat ion sliced t hrough skin and bone. T heyd been w at ching us from t he beginning. I w ant ed t o t ake all t hese pict ures. I w ant ed t o burn t hem. W here t here shouldv e been fear, t here w as only anger. W ho gave t hem t he right t o do t his? W it h an anger so pot ent I could t ast e it , I gat hered up t he phot os and pl aced t hem back in t he file. I knew I couldnt t ake t hem. Shoving t hem back in t o t he draw er, I st ood w it h hands t rembling. T he bot t om of t he draw e r poked up at t he corner. Shoving t he file back, I reached dow n and felt arou nd unt ill I got a grip on t he edge. Peeling t he cont act paper back, I saw se veral sheet s of paper. Most of t hem w ere receipt s, w hich seemed odd t o hid e, considering everyt hing. T here w ere bank slips, t oo, show ing money t rans fers. My eyes bugged at t he amount s. Anot her slip of paper had an address w i t h t he let t ers DB w rit t en under it . Daw son Black? Dee Black? Daemon Bla ck? Shoving t he slip of paper int o my pocket , I pressed t he cont act paper b ack dow n and put t he file aw ay. I closed t he door, feeling numb as I st art ed t o st and.

W hat are you doing in here? a voice demanded. Chapter 29 My heart leaped in my t hroat at t he quest ion. I jerked up, let t ing t he rus h of energy move along my skin, but t he moment I locked eyes w it h t he person st anding in t he doorw ay, I gasped. Moonlight coming in from t he w indow w a shed over Bet hanys pale face as she st epped int o t he room. Jeans and a T-shir t hung off her slender body. Her dirt y hair fell in clumps. W hat are you doing in here? Bet hany? I croaked. She cocked her head t o t he side. Kat y? Her voice mim icked mine. T aken aback by t he fact she knew my name, I st ared at her. How do you know w ho I am? An eerie, faint smile t ugged at her lips. Everyone know s w h o you are, she said in a singsong voice t hat reminded me of a child. And so do I. I sw allow ed. Y ou mean t he DOD? I mean w hoever is w at ching know s. T hey alw ays know . T hey alw ays hope, t oo. W henever w e get close. She paused, closing her eyes, sighing. T hey hope w e get close. Oh, boy, t his chick w as cracked li ke Humpt y Dumpt y. Bet h, is t he DOD keeping you? Keeping me? She giggled. I can no longer be kept . He know s t hat . He keeps cat ching me, t hough. It s almost l ike a game. A never-ending game w here no one really w ins. I come heremy family. My family is no longer here. She sighed. Y ou really shouldnt be here. T hey w ill see you. T hey w ill t ake you. I know . I w iped my sw eat y palms on my jeans. Be t h, w e can Dont t rust him, she w hispered, glancing around t he room. I did. I t ru st ed him w it h my life, and look w hat happened. W ho? Blake? Not like she needed t o t ell me t hat . Look, you can come w it h me. W e can keep you safe. She st raight ened, shaking her head. Y ou cant do anyt hing for me now .

But w e can. I t ook a st ep forw ard, reaching out t o her. W e can help you, prot ect you. W e can get Daw son back. Daw son? she said, eyes going w ide. I nodded, hoping Id found t he key t o make her list en t o me. Y es, Daw son! W e know hes a live Bet hany t hrew up her hand, and a burst of hurricane-st rengt h w inds slamm ed int o my chest , lift ing me off my feet . I hit t he w all w it h enough for ce I sw ore I heard plast er crack. And I st ayed t here, pinned several feet of f t he ground, my hands and legs plant ed against t he w all. Apparent ly bringi ng up Daw sons name w as not t he right t hing t o do. She moved so fast I didnt s ee her unt ill she w as st anding below me. Long, st ringy st rands of hair lift ed off her shoulders, spreading out around her like a modern-day Medusa. Her fe et came off t he ground as t he out line of her body blurred, sw at hed in a blu ish light . W it hin seconds, she w as eye level w it h me. Holy crapId never seen Blake do anyt hing like t hat . T here is no hope for me, she said, dropping t he kid voice. Im not even sure t here is any hope for you. So you should leave here, t ake your chances w it h t he Arum, or youll end up like me. Icy fear t rickled dow n my spine. Bet hany List en t o me and list en closely. She w as now above me, l ooking dow n as her head nearly t ouched t he vault ed ceilings. Everyone is a l iar. T he DOD? She laughed, a high-pit ched giggle. T hey dont even know w hat t he y plan. T hey are coming. W hat are you t alking about ? I t ried t o peel my head off t he w all, but she w ouldnt let me budge. Bet h, w ho is coming! T he blue lig ht enveloped her complet ely. Y ou need t o go NOW ! I suddenly dropped from t he w all, hit t ing t he floor in front of t he door w it h a loud grunt . Scrambli ng t o my feet , I w hipped around. Bet hany looked just like a Luxen, except he r light w as blue and less int ense. She float ed over t he ceiling, her voice p icking up in my head. Go. Go before its too late. GO! A pulse of energy nudged me out t he door and dow n t he hall. She w asnt giving me much of a choice. At t h e t op of t he st airs, I spun around and t ried one more t ime. Bet hany, w e ca n She slid dow n t he w all and lift ed bot h hands. Before I could scream, I t ip ped over t he t op st ep and fell backw ard dow n t he st eep st airs. I st oppe d a foot above t he landing, bouncing in air as if I w ere hooked t o a bungee c ord.

My feet sw ung dow n ont o t he landing, and I w as suddenly st anding. Go, her voice urged. Get far aw ay from here. I w ent . My hands were cold and shaking b y the time I turned the ignition in my sedan. Snow was faling steadily, coating the streets. I needed to get home before I got st uck. I had bad t ires, no mat ch for more t han an inch of snow . And I really didnt w ant t o break dow n out here. T hese w ere t he t hings I w as busy t hinking about . I had t o keep eve ryt hing else at bay unt ill I could get home and successfully freak out . Now I just needed t o get t here w it hout running off t he road and smacking int o a t ree. Halfw ay t o my house, t w o approaching headlight s sped up in t he ot her lane, going in t he direct ion Id just come from. As t he car neared me, t he back of my neck t ingled. T he SUVs t ires squealed as it spun around, rushing u p behind me. Dammit , I w hispered, glancing at t he dashboard. It w as close t o midnight . Daemon t ailed me t he w hole w ay home, repeat edly calling me. I ig nored t he calls, focusing on t he ever-increasing lack of visibilit y due t o t he snow . T he moment I parked in my drivew ay, he w as at t he side of my car, t hrow ing open t he door. W here in t he hell w ere you coming back from? he dem anded. I climbed out of t he car. W here w ere you going? He glared dow n at me. I have a feeling it w as t he same place you w ere coming back from, but Im t ellin g myself t hat you cant be t hat st upid. My look mat ched his as I st omped up my st eps. W ell, since t hat s w here you w ere going, I guess t hat means youre st upid, t oo. You seriously w ent t here, didnt you? He sounded incredulous as he foll ow ed me inside. Please t ell me t hat s not w here you w ere. T hat you w ere jus t out for a midnight drive. I shot him a bland look over my shoulder. I w ent t o Vaughns. Several moment s w ent by as he st ared at me. Flakes of snow melt ed, da mpening t he locks of hair clinging t o his cheeks. Y oure insane. I t ugged off my w et hoodie and t ossed it aside. W it h only a t ank t op underneat h, t iny b umps spread over my skin. So are you. His full lips t w ist ed int o a grimace. I c an t ake care of myself, Kit t en. And I can, t oo. I t ugged my hair back. Im not he lpless, Daemon.

He st ood st ill for a moment , and t hen a shudder rolled t hrough his body. Ne xt second he w as in front of me, grasping my chilled cheeks. I know you arent hel pless, but t here are t hings I w ould do t hat you w ont . T hings I know you co uld never live w it h, but I can. W hat w ould you have done if someone saw you? W hat w ould I have done if you w ere capt ured or Daemon didnt finish, but I knew w hat he w as get t ing at . I couldve been capt ured t onight or w orse, and he w asnt w orried about how t he connect ion w ould have caused his ow n deat h. H e w as w orried about me. I dont know w hy I did w hat I did next . Maybe it w as everyt hing t hat had happened t onight . Or maybe it w as t he t one of his vo icet he fear behind his w ords. T oo many emot ions w ere building in me. I felt slippery inside, t ipping in one direct ion and t hen t he next . I clasped his cheeks. T hey w ere w arm, like alw aysa t ouch of sunlight . His skin w as smoot h and hummed under my hands. I leaned in, and he didnt moveor breat he. Like, at all. Know ing t hat I could do t hat t o him filled me w it h a heady rush of po w er. Closing my eyes, I brushed my lips over his. Kit t en, he grow led roughly. I kissed him soft ly, sliding my hands int o his silky locks, let t ing t he pie ces slide t hrough my fingers. I t ast ed in him my ow n rising desire, my ow n need and heart ache. T hrilling. Fright ening. I pulled back. Kit t en, he said ag ain, voice st rained. Y ou dont get t o do t hat and t hen st op. T hat s not how i t w orks. I st ared at him, my breat h st alling in my lungs. Not w hen youre mine. Daemon backed us up and slid dow n t he w all, pulling me ont o his lap so I w a s st raddling him. And youre mine. I placed my hands on his shoulders as he brought my mout h t o his. T his kiss w as lazy, explorat oryand sensual. For once, I w asnt fight ing t he dept h of my response. I w elcomed it , t hrived in t he w ar mt h rippling t hrough me. I deepened t he kiss. He made a sound in t he back of his t hroat , and his arms w rapped around me, pinning me t o him. My fingers f ound t he st rands of hair curling at t he back of his neck and dug in. I couldnt get enough of himnever could. I couldnt remember feeling t his w ay about anyone else. I couldnt remember being kissed like t his by anyone else. Im not sure how l ong w e kissed, but it seemed like forever, and at t he same t ime, it w asnt lon g enough. W ait . W ait , I breat hed, pulling back slight ly. I closed my eyes, d ragging in a deep breat h. Import ant st uff. His hands dropped on my hips, pullin g me dow n and against him. T his is import ant . I know . I gasped as his hands sli d under t he hem of my t ank t op, t easing t he edges of my rib cage. But t his is really import ant . I found somet hing in Vaughns house.

Daemon st illed, opening his eyes. T hey w ere luminous. Beaut iful. Mine. Y ou w ent inside Vaughns house? I nodded. Y eah, I w ent int o his house. Are you a career criminal? he asked quiet ly. W hen I shook my head, his lips t urned dow n at t he corners. Im curious how you got int o his house, Kit t en. Bit ing my lip, I pre pared myself. I unlocked t he door. W it h w hat ? T he same w ay you w ould. A muscle popped in his jaw . Y ou shouldnt be doing t hings like t hat . Grow ing uncomfort able, I w iggled around. His hold t ight ened. If w e st art ed arguing about w hat I w as and w asnt supposed t o be doing, w ed never get t hrough t his. I found st uff. And I also met someone. I t ried t o get up, but his arms clamped around me. Are you going t o let me go? He gave me a t ight smile. Nope. I sighed, folding my hands primly in t he small space bet w een us. T heyve been w at ching us, Dae mon. From t he moment I moved here. T he w ay his eyes flared, I could t ell all of t his w as going t o go over real w ell. I t old him about t he pict ures, t he receipt s, and t he money t ransfers. But t hat s not all. Bet hany show ed up. W hat ? Suddenly w e bot h w ere st anding. He backed off, needing space. Did she t alk t o you about Daw son? Ah, see, shes not w ell, she didnt respond w ell t o his name. He gave me a cool, measured look. Explain. She kind of w ent alien ninja on my but t . Feeling t oo w arm, I grabbed a hair t ie and t w ist ed my hair up. She t hrew me against t he w all. His eyebrow s shot up in int erest . I rolled my ey es. Not in t hat w ay, you perv. Shes like a suped-up freakin mut ant . She even di d t he w hole glow w orm t hing, t oo. Daemon rubbed his chin. Did she t ell you a nyt hing useful? I t old him w hat shed said, elaborat ing on t he fact t hat most of it didnt make sense. I t hink shes cracked. And she flipped out w hen I ment io ned Daw son. She didnt give me much of a choice t o push t he quest ioning. She r emoved me from t he house. Dammit , he said under his breat h, t urning aw ay. Besid es get t ing ahold of one of t he DOD officers, she w as my last hope t o find o ut w here Daw son could be.

I did find somet hing else. I dug int o my pocket , pulling out t he scrap of pape r. I found t his. Daemon t ook it , his eyes w idening. Do you t hink DB st ands fo r Daw son Black? It could. He clenched t he paper t ight . Can I use your lapt op? I w ant t o see w here t his address goes. Sure. I moved over t o t he coffee t able , opening up t he comput er and quickly shut t ing dow n t he w ebsit e Id been l ooking at . I didnt w ant t o t ell him about Blakes pot ent iall involvement in a ll of t his. Not w hen Daemon w as looking incredibly scary and I had no idea ho w deep Blake w as involved. Daemon sat beside me and quickly t yped t he address in Google Maps. Modern t echnology w as fright ening. Not only did it give us d irect ions right t o t he doorst ep, but he w as able t o pull it up on t he sat ell it e and see t hat it w as an office building in Moorefield. I chew ed on m y fingernail as he scribbled dow n t he direct ions. Are you going? I w ant t o, ri ght now , but I need t o scope out t he place first . Tomorrow Ill check it out , t hen go back lat er. He shoved t he piece of not ebook paper in his pocket and faced me. Hope sparked in his eyes. T hank you, Kat . I kind of ow ed you somet hin g, right ? I rubbed my arms, shivering. Y ouve saved my but t a lot . And w hat a lov ely but t it is, but you risked t oo much by doing t his. He reached behind me, t ugging t he quilt off, draping it over my shoulders. He held t he edges t oget her, searching my face int ent ly. W hy did you do t his? I low ered my eyes. I jus t w as t hinking about everyt hing, and I w ant ed t o see w hat w as in t here. I t w as crazy dangerous, Kit t en. Y ou cant do anyt hing like t hat again. Promis e me. Okay. He caught t he edge of my chin, t ilt ing my face up t o him. Promise me . My shoulders slumped. I w ont . Okay. I promise. But youve got t o promise me t he same t hing. I know you cant drop t his. I underst and t hat , but you have t o be careful, and you cant sneak off w it hout me, eit her. Daemon scow led. T his sh ouldnt involve you. But it does, I insist ed. And Im not a fragile human, Daemon. W er in t his t oget her.

T oget her? He mulled over t he w ord, t hen a slow smile played on his lips. Okay. I gave him a t ent at ive smile. So, t hat means I go w hen you check out t he ad dress. He nodded w it h a resigned smile. We t alked about t he phot os, and how much t he DOD had t o know . He w as t aking t he violat ion of privacy a lot be t t er t han I had, but I discovered he w as accust omed t o t hem being all up in his business. W hat do you t hink Bet hany meant by T hey are coming? I asked. H e w as spraw led against t he back of t he couch, t he pict ure of ease and lazy arrogance, but I knew he w as coiled t ight . I dont know . I guess it might not me an anyt hing. I mean, she w as kind of w hacked out . Daemon nodded, st aring st raight ahead. Many seconds passed before he spoke again. I cant help but w onder w hat my brot her is like right now . Is he like t hat ? W hacked out ? I dont t h ink I coulddeal w it h t hat . My chest ached from t he desperat ion in his voice. Tomorrow could bring anyt hing, and t hings w ere really up in t he air bet w e en us, but hehe needed me. I inched t ow ard him. My confidence w avered w it h t he near-feral look he shot my w ay. Pushing forw ard, I craw led up against him , w iggling dow n so t hat my head w as against his shoulder. He inhaled sharply , and I squeezed my eyes shut . Even if he isw hacked out , you can deal w it h it . You can deal w it h anyt hing. I dont doubt t hat at all. Y ou dont ? No. Very slow ly, he draped his arm around my shoulders. I felt his chin rest on t op of my he ad. W hat are w e going t o do, Kit t en? My t oes curled at t he deep oct ave of his voice. I dont know . I have a few ideas. I cracked a grin. Im sure you do. W ann r about t hem? Alt hough, Im much bet t er at t he show part rat her t han t he t ell. Somehow , I believe you. If you didnt , I could alw ays give you a t easer. He p aused, and I could hear t he smile in his voice. Y ou bookish people love t easer s, dont you? I laughed. Y ouve been doing your research on my blog. Maybe, he replied. ike I said, Ive got t o keep an eye on you, Kit t en.

Chapter 30 Daemon and I checked out t he office building in Moorefield t he follow ing morn ing. Wed t hought it w ould be empt y, considering it w as sort of a holiday, but t he w hole plaza of offices w as packed w it h cars. Pulling t he cap over his face, he jumped from t he car and checked out t he office on t he st reet . W h en he ret urned, he grinned at me and quickly pulled out of t he plaza. It appear s t o be a law yers office. Has at least t w o floors above t he main one. T heyre closed for New Years and obviously on Sunday. Bad new s is t hey are out fit t e d w it h an alarm syst em. Crap. Know a w ay around t hat ? Fry t heir syst ems. If I do it quickly enough, I shouldnt t rigger an alarm. But t hat s not all. Above t he ent rances and w indow s is t hat same damn blackish-red gemst one. His lips t ipped up higher. T his is good, t hough. W hat ever t hose st ones are, t hey h ave t o mean somet hing. It did. Daw son could be in t here right now . W hat if i t s guarded? He didnt answ er. I knew w hat t hat meant . Hed do anyt hing t o get h is brot her. Some people might t hink t hat s w rong, but I underst ood. If t hat w ere my mom or somet hing, no one w ould be safe. W hen are you going back? Agai n, he w as silent . And I knew t hat meant he didnt w ant t o t ell me because he w as planning t o do t his on his ow n. I pushed t he issue t he ent ire w ay h ome, but he didnt cave. So are you going t o Ashs part y? he asked, changing t he su bject event ually. I dont know . I fiddled w it h t he but t on on my sw eat er. I c ant imagine her w ant ing me t here, but back t o I w ant you t here. I glanced at hi m, my chest sw elling t o t he point of burst ing. W ay t o knock me off t rack in such a deliciously t ender w ay. Daemons eyes slid t ow ard me. Kit t en? Okay. Il l go. At least Id be able t o keep an eye on him t here, because I knew he w ouldnt w ait past t onight t o check out t he offices. Or at least t hat s w hat I w as t elling myself. T he fact he w ant ed me t here didnt out w eigh t he import an ce of my keeping an eye on him. T he part y w asnt st art ing unt ill nine, and h e w as heading over early t o help Adam w it h a few t hings. I w as supposed t o drive over w it h Dee, and w it h a sly w ink, he said he w as t aking me home .

W hen I got back, I chat t ed w it h Mom before she left for w ork. She appeared happy t o hear t hat I w as spending New Years Eve w it h Dee. Of course, I left t he part out about Daemon t aking me home. Grabbing a book off t he count er, I headed upst airs t o unw ind. Surprisingly, I passed out about t w ent y-five pages int o t he urban fant asy novel. Some t ime lat er, t he sound of my bedro om door closing w oke me up. I rolled ont o my side, frow ning as my eyes drift ed from my door, t hen across my dresser, past t he closet door, and over t he s ilent , st iff form of Blake. Blake? I jerked up, but in a burst of alarming spe ed, he shot forw ard and clamped his hand over my arm. Fear dug in w it h razorsharp barbs. Rearing up, I knocked his hand aw ay and t w ist ed, scrambling acr oss t he bed. W hoa! W hoa, calm dow n, Kat y. Blake dart ed around t he bed, hand s raised in a harmless gest ure. I didnt mean t o scare you. My pulse w as all over t he place as I backed up against my desk, heart pounding. Seeing him in my bed room w as unexpect ed, t errifying. How how did you get in here? He w inced as he r an a hand t hrough his spiky hair. I knocked for a couple of minut es, but you di dnt answ er. Isort of let myself in. T he same w ay Id let myself int o Vaughns house . My eyes dart ed t o t he door behind him, and all I could t hink about w as w ho his uncle w as, how deeply involved he must be w it h t he DODand how dangerou s he could be. Kat y, Im sorry. I didnt mean t o scare you. He crept closer, and I f elt t he rush of st at ic moving up my arms in response t o t he perceived t hre at . Somehow , he sensed it and blanched. Okay. W hat is your deal? Im not going t o hurt you. Y ou already have, I said, sw allow ing. He looked w ounded as he low ered his hands. T hat s w hy I came here as soon as I got back int o t ow n. Ive ha d t his w hole w eek t o t hink about w hat happened w it h t he Arum, and Im sor ry. I underst and w hy youre upset . He paused, looking cont rit e. T hat s w hy Im h ere. I just w ant ed t o t alk t hings out w it h you. W as he t elling t he t ru t h? My hands opened and closed at my sides. I felt like a caged animal w it h n o w ay out . Obviously coming int o your house like t his w asnt a good idea. Blake smiled. I just w ant ed t o t alk t o you. I forced myself t o calm dow n. Okay. U m, can you give me a few seconds?

Blake nodded as he backed out of t he room, and I slumped against my desk, dizzy w it h adrenaline. He didnt know t hat Id discovered his relat ionship w it h Vau ghn, and t hat meant I had t he upper hand. And if he really w as w orking w it h t he DOD, I needed t o calm t he hell dow n. He w asnt nearly as dangerous beli eving I didnt have a clue about anyt hing t han if he did know . I quickly change d int o a pair of skinny jeans and a t urt leneck. T he w hole w ay dow nst airs , I t ook deep, even breat hs. Blake w ait ed in t he living room, sit t ing on t he couch. I gave him a smile I didnt feel. Sorry. You just caught me off guard. I dont like w hen peoplejust show up in my bedroom like t hat . Underst andable. He r ose slow ly, and I not iced t hen a pall or clung t o his skin, height ening t h e shadow s under his eyes. I w ont do it again. My eyes w ent t o my lapt op, and I suddenly w ished Id cleared t he search hist ory. I moved int o t he room, feeli ng like I w as st epping int o quicksand. I didnt know how t o t alk t o him, t o even look at him. He w as a st ranger t o me now . Someone t hat , no mat t er how harmless he looked right t his second, I couldnt t rust . Part of me w ant ed t o rage at him and t he ot her w ant ed t o run. W e need t o t alk, he said aw kw ardly. Maybe it w ould be bet t er if w e w ent t o get somet hing t o eat ? My dist rust spiked. He laughed grimly. I w as t hinking t he Smoke Hole Diner. I he sit at ed, not w ant ing t o go anyw here w it h him, but I also didnt w ant t o be in t he house alone w it h him, and being out in public had t o be a bet t er choice. I glanced at t he clock on t he w all. It w as near seven. I have t o be back here in an hour. Doable. He grinned. I slid on my boot s and snat ched my pho ne. It w as st ill snow ing, so w e opt ed for his t ruck. I glanced next door a s I climbed in. Daemons SUV w as gone and so w as Dees car. Shed ment ioned somet h ing about get t ing part y favors. Did you have a good Christ mas? he asked, slidi ng t he key int o t he ignit ion. Y eah, you? My seat belt w as st uck, as usual, and I t ugged on it . Do anyt hing excit ing? Like go on a covert mission for t he DOD? I spent some t ime w it h my uncle. Really boring. I froze at t he ment ion of Vaughn, and t he st rap slipped aw ay from my fingers, snapping back int o t he holder. Are you okay, Kat y?

Yeah, I said, t aking a deep breat h. T his damn seat belt is st uck. I dont know w hy I have so many problems w it h seat belt s, but t hey are alw ays giving me c rap. I t ugged on it , cursing under my breat h. Finally I got it unst uck and t w ist ed around. My gaze drift ed over t he dashboard and dipped t o t he floor. Somet hing gleamed under t he ext erior light , peeking out from t he corner of t he mat . I let go of t he st rap and bent , grabbing t he cool met all off t he floor w hile he fiddled w it h t he w ipers, brushing a t hin coat ing of sno w from t he w indshield. I st ared dow n at t he st rip of goldish blue met al, st ruck by t he familiarit y of it . Id seen it before on someone. Turning it ove r, I saw t he engraved shape of t he st at e. A flakey reddish subst ance, kind of like rust , covered half of t he st at e and t he let t ering. I smoot hed my finger over it , revealing t he name engraved on t he band. Comprehension crept in slow ly, mainly out of disbelief, because I knew w ho half t his w at ch bel onged t o. SimonSimon Cutters Id seen him w ear t his before. Andand t he st uff on t he band w asnt rust . My st omach t ilt ed and a violent shudder rolled t hroug h me. It w as blood. Simons blood, most likely. My heart leaped int o my t hroat , and I squeezed my hand over t he band, hoping Blake hadnt seen me pick it up. M y breat h halt ed in my chest as I glanced at him. Blake w as st aring back at m e. His gaze dropped t o my hand and t hen flicked up, meet ing my eyes again. Ou r gazes locked. Pure, raw fear dug at me. Shit , I w hispered. A small, w eak smil e craw led across his lips. Dammit , Kat y I spun around in my seat , reaching for t he door handle w it h my free hand. I t hrew it open and got half of my body o ut of t he t ruck before his hand clamped dow n on my arm. Kat y! W ait ! I can e xplain. T here w as not hing t o explain. T he bloodied w at ch belonged t o Simo nSimon w hod been missing. Add t hat ont o everyt hing else, and I w as so out of t here. I t hrew my w eight forw ard, breaking his hold. Scrambling t o my feet , I dart ed around t he front of t he t ruck. Blake w as fast , on me before I e ven reached t he first st ep of t he porch. He grabbed my shoulders and w hirled me around. I w ent , sw inging at him. He dodged t he blow s, cat ching my arms , pinning t hem t o my sides in a brut all bear hug.

Let me go! I screamed, know ing t here w as no one w ho w ould hear me. I only had myself t o get out of t his mess. Let me go, Blake! I can explain. He grunt ed as I managed t o jab an elbow int o his st omach, but he held on. I didnt kill Simon! I st ruggled, t hrow ing my w eight from one side t o t he next . Of course hed li e. Let go! Y ou dont underst and. St at ic rushed over my skin in response t o t he t hreat . Red-w hit e light clouded t he corners of my vision. Blakes eyes w idene d slight ly. Dont do it , Kat y. Let me go, I grow led, feeling t he explosion of hea t ed light ning zinging t hrough my veins. I dont w ant t o hurt you, but I w ill, he w arned. So w ill I. And I w ouldI could. Blake let go, pushing me back. My boot s slipped over t he ice and snow , and my arms flailed w ildly. T hen he charge d me. A flash of int ense blue light blinded me. Pain reverberat ed off my skull , t earing t hrough me, splint ering my grasp on t he Source. I screamed out , f eeling my legs go out from underneat h me. He sw ooped in, cat ching me before I fell, half dragging me up t he st airs. I t old you not t o do it . Y ou didnt li st en t o me. Somet hing w as w rong w it h my mot or funct ion skills. I opened my mout h, but not hing came out except soft moans. My legs w ouldnt w ork. I cou ldnt feel my feet . A met all ic t ast e w as in t he back of my mout h; blood le aked out of my nose and, I t hink, my ears, t oo. T he door sw ung open in front of us, and he dragged me in. It slammed shut , shaking t he pict ures on t he w alls. I kept t rying t o t alk, but only garbled w ords came out . W hat did he do t o me? It ll w ear off, he said, as if reading my mind. Hurt s, doesnt it ? One of t he first t hings t hey t each us is t o cont roll a concent rat ed blast of Source so it s like get t ing hit w it h a super-charged T aser. W e all have t o t ake a hit , just t o know how bad it feels. He dropped me on t he couch, and my head lolled t o t he side as I blinked slow ly. His face blurred in and out , and t hen st eadied. He looked grim as he leaned over me, brushing t he st rand s of hair off my face. I t ried t o knock his hand aw ay, but my arm w ouldnt coo perat e. I know you can hear me. Just give it a couple more minut es, and it w il l w ear off. He sat back, one hand moving up my leg t hat w as off t he couch. He posit ioned it beside t he ot her. My heart pounded, and I w himpered.

Shaking his head, he slipped his hand int o my front pocket and slid out my cell phone. Holding it up bet w een us, t he Source flared in his hand, oblit erat i ng t he fragile piece of elect ronics. He t ossed t he remains t o t he floor. No w , list en t o me, Kat y. I squeezed my eyes shut against t he rush of t ears. T hat quickly, he had subdued me. And Id been planning on t raining and fight ing Arumplus t he DOD? I w as so foolish. I didnt kill Simon. I dont know w hat happened t o him, but youyou left me no ot her choice, he said, voice grave. I had t o clea n up aft er you, make sure you didnt expose yourself before t hey knew w hat t o do w it h you. If you hadnt bust ed t hose w indow s in front of him, hed st ill b e hanging around here and dreaming about college. Y ou didnt leave me a choice. No, I croaked out , horrified at w hat he w as saying. Y es! He w ouldve t old t he w orld. Y oureyoure insane. Y oudidnt need t o kill him. List en t o me! he yelled, d his fingers t hrough his hair, eyes bugging. Aft er I left t he part y, I st aye d and I saw him leave once you broke t he w indow s. I follow ed him home, and h e w as so drunk he pulled over on t he side of t he road. He w as going crazy ab out it and I had t o t urn him over. I dont know w hat t hey did w it h him. T heret here w as blood on his w at ch. Simon fought back, but he w as alive w hen I last saw him. But t hose w ho discovered t he t rut h about t he Luxen disappeared. S imonSimon w asnt coming back. And t here w asnt enough air in t he house. My chest w as rising and falling, but I felt like I couldnt breat he. T ears built in my e yes as I st ared up at him. List en t o me, Kat y. T his is bigger t han you t hi nk. He grasped my cheeks, forcing me t o look at him. You have no idea w ho t his involves, t he lies, and w hat people w ill do for pow er. I didnt have a choice. I could feel my st rengt h sliding back int o me. A few more moment s Y ouve lied t o me. Not everyt hing is a lie! His grip dug in painfully, bruising my skin unt il l a st rangled cry escaped. He drew in a ragged breat h. You know , t his w asnt h ow it w as supposed t o go dow n. I w as supposed t o get you ready, t o make su re you are a viable subject . And t hen I t urn you in. If I dont , t heyll kill C hris. I cant I w ont let t hat happen. Chris? Brain cells must ve been damaged becaus e it t ook a few seconds t o remember w ho Chris w as. Y our friendt he one w ho h ealed you? Blake closed his eyes, nodding. T hey have Chris. And if I dont perform, t heyll hurt him. T heyll kill him. And I cant let t hat

happen. Not because of w hat it means for me, because I know I know if t hey kill him I die, but t here are t hings t hey do T hey knew One couldnt survive w it hou t t he ot her. Oh my God, t hey knew . T he kind of pow er t hat know ledge w ie lded w as horrific. I know you underst and how st rong t hat bond is. Blake opened his eyes. You w ont t ell me w ho healed you, but youd do anyt hing t o prot ect t hat Luxen, w ouldnt you? Anyt hing. Chris Hes t he only real family I have left . And I dont care about w hat t hey do t o me, but him? As I st ared int o Blakes eye s, a t hin t endril of sympat hy w iggled free. If t he DOD w as holding Chris, using him t o force Blake t o do t hings for t hem, t hen he w as t rapped. T he re w as a moment of st ark clarit y. W ere Daw son and Bet hany in t he same pos it ion? But t here w as somet hing else. Blake and I did have somet hing in comm on. Hed do anyt hing for Chris. And Id do anyt hing for Daemon. W it h a burst of energy, I buckled under him, t rying t o t hrow him off. He capt ured my hands a nd yanked me off t he couch. I hit t he floor on my side, knocking t he air out of me. Rolling me over, he st raddled my hips, lift ing my joined w rist s so t hey w ere above my head. He pressed his w eight dow n. I didnt w ant t o do t his. I never w ant ed anyt hing t o do w it h t his. I clung t o t he anger boiling i nside me, know ing if I caved t o t he fearor w orse yet , t he compassionId be use less. Do w hat , exact ly? Lie t o me? W ork for t he DODfor your uncle? Blake blin ked. Y ou know about Brian? Since w hen? I didnt give him t he benefit of my answ e r. His grip on my w rist s t ight ened unt ill I could feel t he bones rubbing t oget her. T ell me! I saw t he obit uary for your parent s! I put t w o and t w o t oget her. W hen? He shook me, snapping my head back. How long have you know n? W h o have you t old? No one! I screamed, dizzy and faint . I havent t old anyone. For sev eral seconds, he st ared at me, and t hen his grip loosened. I hope so, for t hei r sake. T hings are bigger t han you realize. Not everyt hing I t old you is a l ie. T he DOD does w ant humans like us. T hat s t heir ult imat e plan. He eased u p a lit t le, but I st ill felt like I w as being smot hered by his w eight . I k now w hat youre doing, Kat y. Dont call upon t he Source. Im st ronger t han you. N ext t ime you w ont recover so quickly. I w ill hurt you. I already know t hat , I s pat .

I like you. I really do. And I w ish t hings w ere different . You have no idea h ow badly I w ish t hings w ere different , Kat y. He closed his eyes briefly, and w hen he opened t hem, t hey glist ened w it h t ears. Everyt hing I t old you a bout my friend w as t rue, but I grew up know ing about t he Luxen. My dad w ork ed as liaison t o t he DOD, on genet ic engineering. And, w ell, you know w ho m y uncle is. Im not even sure if t he w hole accident t hat changed me w asnt st ag ed. He laughed grimly. T hey knew how close Chris and I w ere, so maybe t hey expe ct ed him t o heal me. And t he Arum did find my family. None of t hat is a lie. B ut aft er t hat ? Everyt hing else is a lie. My family w as gone, Kat y. All I had w as my uncle. T hey t rained me and since Im young, t hey sent me t o areas w h ere t hey suspect ed a human around my age had been mut at ed. Oh my God I felt sick , and I w ant ed him off me. I w ant ed him t o be gone. So t his is w hat you do ? Go around, pret ending t o be someones friend? Set t ing up ot hers? My job is t o discover if t hey are salvageable. Salvageable? I w hispered, know ing w hat he m eant . And if t heyre not , t hey get put dow n. He nodded. Or w orse, Kat y T here a re w orse t hings t han deat h. I shuddered. It made sense, his obsession w it h me being able t o cont roll t he Source, his escalat ing recklessness. I came her e t o see if you could cont roll t he Source. If you w ould be an asset t o t he DOD or a w ast e, but t hey already checked you out before I arrived, w at chin g you, follow ing how close you are w it h t he Blacks. I heard t hey even engin eered t he Arum at t acks on you, hoping one of t he Blacks w ould st ep in and save you, heal you. I gasped. Everyt hing t hat happened t o me had been some sor t of experiment ? W hat if Id died? W hat if no one had survived t he Arum at t ac k t o heal me? Blake laughed. W hat s one more dead Luxen t o t hese people? But w hen t hey suspect ed t hat youd been healed, t hey made t he necessary calls, and I w as brought in. He low ered his head, voice dropping. T hey also w ant t o kno w w hich one healed you. No guesses. No assumpt ions. Youre going t o have t o t ell t hem. My heart t umbled over. Ill never t ell. A sad smile appeared on his lips . Oh, you w ill. T hey have w ays of making you t alk. T hey already have t heir suspicions. My guess is Daemon. It s so obvious, but t hey w ant proof. And if yo u dont play t heir games, t heyll find w ays t o make you play. T he smile faded fr om his lips, eyes grow ing dark and haunt ed. Just like t hey found a w ay t o ma ke me play. I sw allow ed, unnerved by t he pain in his eyes. Like w it h Bet hany and Daw son?

Blakes lashes low ered, and he nodded. T here are more, Kat y. Youyou have no ideabu t it doesnt mat t er. Youll probably be seeing him soon enough. All I need t o do is make one call, and Uncle Brian and Nancy w ill come. Nancy w ill be ecst at i c. He grunt ed out an ugly laugh. Uncle Brian has kept her out of t he loop. She h as no idea how w ell youre doing. And t heyre going t o t ake you aw ay. T hey t a ke care of youas long as you behave. Y ou just have t o behave. For a moment , my brain empt ied and panic replaced any calm Id gained. I st ruggled w ildly under him, but he held me dow n easily. Im sorry, he w hispered hoarsely, and God, I beli eved t hat he w as. But if I dont do t his, t hey w ill hurt Chris and I cant He sw allow ed t hickly. My fear knew no limit s at t hat point . Blake really had no choice. It w as his life and his friends or mine. No. No, t hat w asnt right . He did have a choice, because I w ould never give up someone else for my survival. But w ould I for Daemon? My heart t urned over heavily, and I knew t he answ er t o t hat . Shades of grayone big, giant gray area I couldnt t hink about right no w . No. Y ou do have a choice, I insist ed. Y ou can go against t hem. Escape! W e can find a w ay t o free We? He laughed again. W ho is w e, Kat y? Daemon? Dee? You a nd me? Hell, every one of us could t ry t o go against t he DOD and w ed fail. An d t he Blacks are going t o w ant t o help me? Know ing t hat I w ork for t he p eople w ho t ook t heir brot her? My st omach t w ist ed. Y ou st ill have a choic e. Y ou dont have t o do t his. Please, Blake, you dont have t o do t his. He looke d aw ay, jaw clenching. But I do. And one day, youll be in t he same posit ion as I am. Y oull underst and t hen. No. I shook my head. Id never do t his t o someone. Id find a w ay out . His eyes met mine. T hey w ere empt y, vast . Y oull see. Blake A kn ck on t he front door cut off my w ords. My heart t ripled in beat , and Blake f roze above me, eyes narrow ed, breat hing heavy. He pressed his hand over my mou t h. Kat y? Dee called out . It s t ime t o par-t ay. Hurry up! Adam is w ait ing fo r us in t he car. W hat is she doing here? he asked in a hushed voice.

I t rembled, st aring up at him w it h w ide eyes. How w as I supposed t o answ er w it h his hand over my mout h? Dee banged on t he front door again. Kat y, I know youre in t here. Answ er t he door. Tell her youve changed your mind. His hand p ressed harder against my mout h. Tell her or I sw ear t o God, Ill blow her int o t he Milky Way. I dont w ant t o do it , but I w ill. I nodded and very slow ly, B lake lift ed his fingers and hauled me t o my feet . He pushed me out of t he li ving room and t ow ard t he door. Come on, Dee w hined. Youre not even answ ering yo ur phone. Tell Blake youve got t o go. I know hes in t here. His t rucks out front . She giggled t hen. So, yeah, hi, Blake! I squeezed my eyes against t he t ears. Ive changed my mind. W hat? Ive changed my mind, I repeat ed t hrough t he door. I dont nt t o go out t onight . I just w ant t o st ay home. Please, I begged silently. Please just go. I dont w ant to drag you into this. Please. T here w as a heavy p ause, and t hen Dee banged on t he door harder. Dont be a douche, Kat y; youre comi ng t onight . So open t his goddamn door! Blake glared at me, and I knew shed come t hrough t hat door. I t ook a deep breat h and I choked on a dry, hoarse sob. I dont w ant t o go w it h you! I dont w ant t o even hang out w it h you, Dee. Go and leave me t he hell alone. Damn, w hispered Blake. Kat y? Dee said, voice rough. W at s going on? T hist his doesnt sound like you. I pressed my forehead against t he door. Tears rolled dow n my cheeks. It is me. It s w hy I havent been hanging out w it h you. Okay? I dont w ant t o be friends w it h you anymore. So please leave me alone. Go bot her someone else. I dont have t ime for t his. T he only sound w as her heels rapping off t he porch. Blake moved t o t he w indow , w at ching t hem climb int o Adams SUV. W hen he heard t he sound of t ires peeling, he march ed over and gripped my arm. He pulled me back int o t he living room, forcing me t o sit on t he couch. Shell get over it , he said, pulling his cell out of his po cket . No, I w hispered, w at ching him t ype aw ay on his phone. She w ont . Since B lake w as dist ract ed by his phone, I saw my only chance. As I t apped int o t he Source, t here w asnt a single part of me t hat doubt ed my next act ions, not even for a second. Rage

clouded my sense of moral code. Everyt hing w as t w ist ed now . T here w as no right , no w rong. A fierce w ind how led t hroughout t he house. Pict ures fro m t he hall w ay shook and fell t o t he floor, shat t ering. T he cupboards rat t led, doors sw ung open, and books t oppled over. Blake w hirled on me, low er ing t he phone, eyes filled w it h aw e. Y ou really are sort of amazing. St rands of hair w hipped around me, my fingers ached w it h energy t hat crackled all t hrough me. I felt t he t ips of my feet leave t he floor. He snapped t he phone shut and t hrew out his hand. T he w ind I w as st irring kicked back on me, se nding me int o t he w all. St unned, I fought t he force holding me back, but li ke w it h Bet h, I couldnt break it . Y ou havent been fully t rained. Blake advance d on me, smiling w ryly. T heres a lot of pot ent ial, dont get me w rong, but you cant fight me. Screw you, I spat . I w ouldve been game for t hat . He brought his han back t ow ard him, and it w as like an invisible st ring had been at t ached t o me. Against my w ill, my body w ent right t o him, and I w as suspended t here , kicking and t hrashing at not hing but air. T ire yourself out . It doesnt mat t er. Im going t o kill you, I promised, w elcoming t he rising t ide of fury buildin g in me. Y ou dont have it in you. He paused, cocking his head t o t he side. Not ye t , at least . His phone dinged, and he flipped it open, smiling. Uncle Brians on h is w ay. It s almost over. I screamed, feeling t he energy pulse around me. My vis ion clouded once again, and I felt each one of my cells w arming. Anger fueled t he alien part of me, giving it st rengt h. I zeroed in on Blake. He backed up, brow s raised. Give it your best shot . Ill just t hrow it back on you. A w indow s hat t ered upst airs, t he sound explosive and jarring. I lift ed my head as Bla ke spun around. Tw o st reaks of light shot dow n t he st airs, breaking apart a nd heading st raight for Blake. One smaller and less pow erful form drew up shor t . T he light flickered out , and Dee t ook shape, her mout h hanging open as s he st ared at me. Y oureyoure glow ing. T he ot her light crashed int o Blake, sendin g him several feet back. I t urned, feeling myself low er t o t he floor. Blake roared as he pushed t he light off him, and he, t oo, st art ed t o glow , much like Bet hany had. An int ense blue light surrounded him as he reared back and r eleased a pulse of light . Dee shot forw ard, flickering out as she grabbed for Adam. T he pulse hit t hem and t hey froze. Bot h t ook on t heir human forms fo r a brief second.

An iridescent st ream of light leaked from Dees nose and spilled from her mout h. I st aggered forw ard, screaming her name. Blake grabbed me from behind, t hrus t ing me dow n ont o t he floor. She w as t he first t o collapse. Blinking in a nd out , she crumpled, eyes closed. I st ruggled under Blake, managing t o rise up on my elbow s. I screamed again, but it didnt even sound like me. AdamAdam w as much w orse. A river of light came from his mout h, his eyes, and his ears. His human body shuddered. Liquid radiance dripped ont o t he floor. He w as sw at h ed in light , but it flickered errat ically. He t ook a st ep forw ard, raising his hand. No! I screamed. Blake reared off me, hit t ing Adam w it h anot her blas t . Adam w ent dow n. Pushing on t he back of my head, he forced my face int o t he w ooden floor, pressing his knee int o t he cent er of my back. Dammit , he sa id hoarsely. Dammit ! I couldnt breat he. I didnt I didnt w ant t hat t o happen, he id, bending over me. His head pressed int o my shoulder and his body shuddered. O h God, I didnt w ant t o hurt anyone. He t rembled, lift ing his head. He croaked out a broken laugh. Well, at least I know it w asnt eit her of t hem w ho healed y ou. Im pret t y sure t heyre bot h dead. Chapter 31 T he last t ime Id cried t his hard w as w hen t he hospice w orker forced me aw ay from my dads bed during his final moment s. T hey w erent pret t y as he st rug gled t o t ake his last breat h. Shes not dead, Blake said, sounding relieved. Shes s t ill alive. Blood and t ears mixed on my face. Sobs clogged my t hroat , renderi ng me speechless. Dee w as alive. Barely. Her light cont inued t o flicker soft ly, but Adam Oh, God. Adams light had dulled, no st ronger t han a w eak and faded light bulb. I could see t he shape of his hands and legs. His face w asnt shapel ess, and neit her w as t he rest of his body. It w as like a pale, t

ranslucent shell of a human. A net w ork of silvery veins exist ed under t he se mi-t ransparent shell. It reminded me of a jell yfish. Adam w as dead. Quiet sob s raked my t hroat unt ill it w as so hoarse and raw I could hardly breat he. T his w as my fault . Id t rust ed Blake w hen Daemon pract ically begged me not t o. Id befriended Dee, and shed know n somet hing w as w rong because she knew me. I hadnt killed Adam, but Id led him right int o t his. Hed died t rying t o prot ec t me. Shh, Blake crooned, lift ing me off t he floor, t urning me over. Youve got t o calm dow n. He w iped a hand along my cheek. Youre going t o make yourself sick. Do nt t ouch me, I croaked, scrambling aw ay from him. Dont come. Near. Me. He crouched, w at ching as I craw led t o Dees side. I w ant ed t o help her, but I didnt know how . My gaze flickered over t o Adam, and I choked on my breat h. Not know ing w hat else t o do, I blocked Adam from her view . It w as all I could do. No mor e t han five minut es lat er, a car door shut out side. Blake st ood fluidly, st alking t ow ard me. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and t hen his phone beep ed. I shuddered, know ing w hat w ait ed beyond t he door. But w hat I w asnt exp ect ing w as t he flare of heat t hat radiat ed off my obsidian. I lift ed my he ad. Arum His fingers dug in. Just sit st ill. Oh, God I glanced dow n at Dee. She w as vulnerable, easy pickings. My front door opened. Heavy feet filled t he hall w ay, and t he obsidian scalded my skin. I reached up, hands t rembling, and dug t he rock out . Vaughn w as t he first t o ent er. His eyebrow s rose as his gaze landed beside me. Blake, w hat happened here? I felt Blake st iffen, but I kept m y eyes on t he t w o Arum behind Brian. One w as Residon and t he ot her male lo oked a lot like him. T heir greedy eyes w ere bare and w ent st raight t o Dee. I t urned, feeling t he hair on t he back of my neck raise. T hey surprised me. I had t o fight back or t hey w ouldve t aken me out . I didnt have a choice. Blake cleared his t hroat , sounding confused w hen he spoke again. W heres Nancy? T his h as not hing t o do w it h Nancy. Vaughn rubbed a long finger over his brow . And y ou say t hat a lot , Blake. T here are alw ays choices. How ever, youre not reall y good at making t hem. He t urned t o t he Arum. T ake t he dead one. See if you can get anyt hing off him. T he dead one? Residon scuffed. W e w ant t he one w ho i s st ill alive.

No. My voice came out harsh and ragged. No! T hey cant have eit her of t hem. T hey cant t ouch t hem. Residon laughed. Vaughn knelt dow n in front of me, and as clos e as w e w ere, I could see t he resemblance now . T his can go one of t w o w ay s. You come w it h us of your ow n free w ill or I w ill hand over bot h of t he m t o t hese guys. Do you underst and? My eyes dart ed t o t he Arum. I w ant t he m gone first . Y oure negot iat ing? Vaughn laughed as he glanced up at his nephew . See, t hat s w hat you do w hen youre present ed w it h t he unexpect ed. Blake loo ked aw ay, jaw clenching. W hat do you mean t his isnt about Nancy? Just w hat it so unds like. A shudder racked Blakes t aut body. If w e dont t urn her over, t heyll ki ll Do I look like I care? Really? Vaughn laughed, st anding as he t urned his at t ent ion t o me. He pushed back his jacket , flashing his gun. Residon, t ake t he dead one. Dispose of him. Take his body, so Ash and Andrew w ould face w hat Dee and Daemon had? No body. No closure. My brain clicked off. W hat rose in me, re placing t he sorrow and helplessness, w as primal and ancient . Not just alien i n origin, but a combinat ion of bot h foreign and organic. I sucked in air, but t here w as somet hingmore. Part icles all around ust iny at oms, but pow erful, t oo small t o see w it h t he naked eyelit up as t hey danced in t he air and t h en froze. Like a t housand t w inkling st ars, t hey gleamed a dazzling w hit e. I sucked in and t hey came t ow ard me, rushing, falling like shoot ing st ars. T hey built and sw irled, surrounding my body and t hose on t he floor. I st oo d as t hey pieced t oget her, set t ling on my skin, soaking t hrough unt ill t hey bonded w it h my cells. My ent ire body w armed, mixing w it h t he roaring t ide of emot ions gat hering in me. I w as no longer just Kat y. Somet hingsomeo ne elsemoved inside me. Anot her part of me t hat had been split mont hs ago, on Hall ow een, had ret urned. T he Arum sensed it first . T hey shift ed int o t h eir t rue forms, t all, imposing shadow s t hick and muddled like midnight oil. T hey w ould die. Dont kill her, Vaughn yelled, pulling out his gun, leveling it at me. Now , lit t le girl, you dont w ant t o do anyt hing rash. T hink t his t hro ugh. He w ould die, t oo. Backing up, Blake glanced bet w een his uncle and me. Ch rist In t he back of my mind, I knew t here w as somet hing else fueling t his po w ersomeone else from t he out side. It w as like t he night in t he clearing.

W hat w as in me w as fully joining w it h my ot her half. I lift ed int o t he air, no longer seeing t hem in color, but only in w hit e, t inged w it h red. Sh it , Vaughn mut t ered. His finger t w it ched. Dont make me do t his, Kat y. Y oure w ort h a lot of money. Money? W hat did t his have t o do w it h money? But I w as beyond caring. I w elcomed t he feeling encroaching upon me. My vision shift ed, blurred, and t ingled. My head cocked t o t he side. St at ic filled t he a ir, devouring oxygen. Blake gagged, dropping t o his knees. T he Arum rose up, s pinning around and rushing t he door. T heir black t endrils reached out , knock ing off furnit ure and sending pict ure frames t o t he floor. T hey drew up sho rt . Leaving so soon? a deep, furious voice said from t he doorw ay. Im offended. Dae mon shift ed int o his t rue form and t ook out t he first Arum w it h one blast follow ed by anot herand t hen anot her. Pieces of it broke aw ay and float ed u p and up, disappearing int o t hin w isps before t hey reached t he ceiling. I d rew Residon, t he one w hod w ant ed Dee, back t o me. He w as caught bet w een D aemon and me, like a ping-pong ball. My light pulsed. Daemons flared. Residon roa red. T ell me w hat has happened, Daemons voice w hispered among my thoughts. I t old him everyt hing about Blake and Vaughn w hile w e w orked on Residon, t ear ing him dow n. But movement caught my at t ent ion. Vaughn w as t rying t o w or k t he w indow open. W hen he got now here w it h t hat , he grabbed t he floor lamp and sw ung it t ow ard t he glass. I froze t he lamp and t hen w hipped it out of his hands. Vaughn spun around, dashing behind Daemon. In t he chaos, Blak e had made it out side somehow . So had Daemon and Residon. T hree forms st reak ed int o my house. I heard a w ailing sound, and it drove deep inside me, darken ing a part of me. T here w as a crack and one of t he large oaks came dow n, lan ding near t he drivew ay. Ash w as in her human form, t ugging on her brot hers l ifeless body, pulling him int o her lap. Her head w as t ipped back, her mout h open as she keened and w ept . Dee w as moving beside her, grow ing st ronger an d st ronger. And I knew her w aill w ould soon join Ashs. Vaughn? Blake? T hey w ouldnt escape this. I glided out of the living room, my feet on the ground, but I didnt feel the steps. I passed Matthew as he rushed int o t he living room; t he st art led cry he let out splint ered my heart . Daemon burned bright er t han Id ever seen. A pure, concent rat ed w hit e light t inged in red as he dart ed d ow n t he drivew ay t ow ard t he mass of shadow s gat hering. His light flared int

ensely, and I t hrew up my arm, shielding my eyes. I t hought of t he DOD office rs hed t urned t o ashand again I t hought of an at omic bomb. T he light had t ur ned t hat bright . A bolt of light ning shot from Daemon and slammed int o Resid on, spinning him int o t he air. Suspended, t he Arum flickered from shadow s t o human form and t hen froze, his upper body human and his low er body not hing more t han smoke. And he broke int o a t housand shards w it h a loud crack t ha t sounded like t hunder. T he snow fell heavier. Out of t he corner of my eye, I saw Vaughn leaping from behind my cart he spot he had been cow ering in. Gun in hand, he rushed t ow ard his Expedit ion at t he same moment Blake spun t ow ard t he w oods. Before I could even move, Daemon t hrew out a light -encased arm a nd t he Expedit ion lurched int o t he air, flipping over Vaughn, exposing him. T he roof gave w it h a crunch. Glass exploded in every w hich direct ion as met all snapped. In aw e of such pow er, I froze. Daemon w hipped t ow ard Blake, c at ching him by t he t hroat . A heart beat lat er, he had t he boy against t he hood of my car, and in his human form, he w as no less fright ening or pow erfu l. You have no idea how painful Im going t o make t his for you, Daemon said, eyes like orbs of w hit e light . For every bruise you gave Kat , Im going t o ret urn t o you t enfold. He lift ed Blake off my hood. T he boys feet dangled in t he air . And Im going t o seriously enjoy t his. Vaughn made his move t hen. Rushing forw ard, he raised t he gun. Daemon! I shot t ow ard t hem. Vaughn pulled t he t rigge r. Once. T w ice. T hree t imes. Daemons head jerked around and he smiledhe act ua lly smiled. And t he bullet st hey st opped inches from Daemons face. T hey just h overed t here, as if someone had pressed pause. Y ou really shouldnt have done t h at , Daemon grow led. Comprehension show ed in Vaughns pale face. Nono! T he bullet s flipped over and ret urned t o t he sender w it h an alarming speed. T hey hit Vaughn in t he chest and t hat w as t hat . T here w as no chance for any more r eact ions. T he

mans legs crumpled and he w as not hing but a lifeless heap beside t he t w ist e d met all of t he Expedit ion. Red spread across t he snow in a st ream of scarl et . Blake t ore free, hit t ing t he side of my bumper, and t hen he w as up, r unning t ow ard t he w oods. He w as fast . Not as fast as Daemon, and not as fa st as me. W ind and snow blew back at me as I gave chase. Blood didnt pump. Light did. I caught up t o Blake by a pine t ree. He spun around, sending a blast of light at me. It st ruck my chest , knocking me back a few st eps. Pain shimmied dow n my body, but I st raight enedand I t racked forw ard. He t hrew anot her pu lse of light . It ricochet ed off my shoulder. Liquid w armt h cascaded dow n my arm, but I pressed on, st alking him, t aunt ing him. Anot her t ook my leg out from underneat h me, but I picked myself back up. His hands w ere shaking. Im sor ry he said. Kat y, Im sorry. I didnt have a choice. T here w ere alw ays choices. Id m de a st ring of bad ones myself. At least I could admit t hat . Part of me felt bad for him. He w as a product of his family, but he had choices. He just made t he w rong ones. Like me. Like me? Beaut iful light approached from behind, movin g out t o my right . He had gone back t o his t rue form. W hat do you w ant t o do w it h him? Daemon asked calmly. Hehe killed Adam. My pow er flickered w ith that, and I could see skin beneath my hands. T hey w ere covered in red. A sw it ch had been throw n inside me. Everyt hing left me, and I sw ayed on t he ground , my boot s sinking t hrough snow . I couldnt do t his anymore. He killed him. And hurt Dee. Daemons form burned as bright as t he sun, and for a moment , I t hough t t hat it w as for Blake, but he dimmed out , t aking human shape. Mut at ed or not , Daemon w ould have a problem w it h killing anot her human, especially af t er Vaughn. I knew t his. T he w ound left over from t he t w o officers hed t a ken out st ill fest ered. Add Blake t o t he list , and he might never heal. T h e w ound w ould gape forever. T aking a breat h, I said, So many have died t onig ht .

Blakes eyes dart ed t o me. Im sorry Im so sorry. I never w ant ed any of t his happe n. I only w ant ed t o prot ect Chris. He drew in a ragged breat h, w iping at t he blood under his nose. Im Shut up, Daemon grow led. Go. Go now before I dont give y a choice. Shock rippled over Blakes face. Y oure let t ing me go? Daemon glanced at m e, and I low ered my head, exhaust ed and shamed. If Id only list ened t o Daemon in t he beginning, t rust ed t hat his inst inct regarding Blake had not been o ff. But I hadnt . Go and never, ever come back here, Daemon said, his w ords carryi ng on t he w ind. If I ever see you again, I w ill kill you. Blake hesit at ed for only a moment , and t hen he spun and ran. I doubt ed he w ould make it very fa r, because once Nancyw hoever she really w as and t he DOD realized hed failed, t h eyd kill Chris like Blake feared. And t hat w ould be t he end of Blake. Maybe t hat w as w hy Daemon w as let t ing him go. Blake w as as good as dead anyw ay. Or neit her of us could kill anymore. I w as done. Daemon w as done. Too many ha d died t onight . My legs folded under me, and I knelt in t he snow . Using t he Source had w eakened me and fight ing Blake, t he injuries inflict ed, caused m y t hought s t o run t oget her in an endless st ream of confusion and regret . I doubt ed Id ever feel st rong enough again. Slipping in and out of consciousnes s, I w as vaguely aw are of someone holding me. T here w as t his incredible w a rmt h cascading t hrough my veins. W hen I opened my eyes again, I w as bat hed in light . Daemon? T here w as a buzzing t hrough t he connect ion and t hen I t old you w e couldnt t rust him. T he pain I felt couldnt be healed by his t ouch, couldnt be erased in his light . I squeezed my eyes shut , but t he t ears leaked out . Im sorry. I thoughtI thought if I learned how to fight, I could keep you sa fe, all of you safe. His light pulled back and t hen it w as Daemon st aring dow n at me, eyes a brilliant shade of w hit e. His body shook w it h t he force of his anger, w hich w as so at odds compared t o t he gent leness of his embrace. Daemon, I

Dont apologize. Just dont apologize. Daemon lift ed me out of his lap and sat me on t he cold ground. Climbing t o his feet , he drew in a ragged breat h. Did you kn ow he w as w orking w it h t he DOD t his ent ire t ime? No. I climbed t o my feet , sw aying t o t he side as my legs got used t o w orking again. He reached out , cupping my elbow unt ill I st opped moving, t hen he let go. I didnt know unt il l a few night s ago. And even t hen I w asnt sure. Dammit , he spat , t aking a st e p back. W as t hat t he night you w ent t o Vaughns on your ow n? Yes, but I w asnt s ure. I lift ed my hands, surprised t o see t hem covered in blood. Mine? Someone elses? I shouldve t old you t hen, but I didnt know for sure, and I didnt w ant t o a dd anyt hing for you t o w orry about . My voice cracked. I didnt know . He looked a w ay, jaw clenching. Adam is dead. My sist er almost lost her life. I sucked in a painful breat h. Im so Dont ! Dont you dare apologize! he yelled, eyes glow ing t hro t he darkness, t hrough me. Adams deat h w ill dest roy my sist er. I t old you w e couldnt t rust Blake, t hat if you w ant ed t o learn how t o fight , I w ouldv e show n you! But you didnt list en. And youve brought t he DOD int o your life, K at ! W ho know s w hat t hey know now . I didnt t ell him anyt hing! My chest w as r ising rapidly. My breat h came out short . I never t old him you healed me. Daemons eyes narrow ed. Do you t hink he didnt guess? I w inced, at a loss w hat t o say. Im sorry, I w hispered. He flinched. And t hose t imes you w ere covered in bruises? T hat w as him, w asnt it ? He w as hurt ing you during t raining, w asnt he? And never once did you t hink t here may be somet hing w rong w it h him? God dammi t , Kat ! Y ouve lied t o me. Y ou didnt t rust me! I do t rust bullshit ! Daemon w in my face. Dont say you t rust me w hen it s apparent you never did! T here w as no t hing I could say. A burst of energy left him, slamming int o an ancient oak. I t cracked w it h a loud snapping sound and t hen folded int o a t ree beside it . I jumped, gasping for air. All of t his couldve been prevent ed. W hy couldnt you t rust me? His voice cracked, and t he sound reverberat ed t hrough me like a ba rb-t ailed w hip. I w ished I had. My t rust shouldve been placed in t he one per son Id alw ays t rust ed. Id been fooled. Worse yet , Id let myself be fooled. Tear s st reamed dow n my cheeks, a never-ending river of remorse.

Daemon drew in p short . I w gone. And I w akesmy guilt

anot her harsh breat h as he st art ed t ow ard me, but he came u ouldve kept you safe. T hen in a flash of red-w hit e light , he w as as alone in t he freezing night , left w it h my choices, my mist .

Chapter 32 W hen I ret urned t o my house, everyone w as gone except Mat t hew , w ho st ay ed t o helpclean up aft er everyt hing. Someone had removed Vaughns body, plus his car and Blakes t ruck. T here w ere broken pict ure frames everyw here. T he cof fee t able w as scrat ched all t o hell. I had no idea how I w as going t o expl ain t he broken w indow in t he hall w ay upst airs. But t he spot w here Adam h ad fall en w as w orse. Glist ening liquid pooled in t w o spot s. Mat t hew w a s t rying t o clean it up, but his hands w ere shaking, his jaw w orking. I grab bed some t ow els from t he linen closet and knelt beside him. I have t his, I w h ispered. Mat t hew sat back, lift ing his head and closing his eyes. He let out a st aggered breat h. T his shouldve never happened. T ears built in my eyes as I s opped up w hat w as left of Adam. I know . T hey are all like my children. Now Ive l ost anot her, and for w hat ? It doesnt make sense. His shoulders shook. It never m akes sense. Im sorry. W et ness gat hered on my cheeks, and I w iped at my face w it h my shoulder. T his is my fault . He w as t rying t o prot ect me. Mat t hew did nt say anyt hing for several minut es. I w orked at t he spot , drenching t w o t ow els before he placed his hand on mine. It s not just your fault , Kat y. T his w as a w orld you st umbled int o, one filled w it h t reachery and greed. Y ou w erent prepared for it . Neit her are any of t hem. I lift ed my head, blinking back t ears. I t rust ed Blake w hen I shouldve t rust ed Daemon. I let t his happ en. Mat t hew t w ist ed t ow ard me, grasping my cheeks. You cannot t ake on t he full responsibilit y for t his. You didnt make t he choices Blake did. You didnt force his hand. I choked on a broken sob as grief t ore t hrough me. His w ords d idnt ease t he guilt , and he knew it . T hen t he st rangest t hing happened. He pulled me int o his arms, and I broke. Sobs racked my ent ire body. I pressed m y head against his shoulder, my body shaking his, or maybe he w as crying for hi s loss, t oo. T ime passed, and it became a New Year. I w elcomed it w it h t ea rs st reaming dow n my face and a heart ripped apart . W hen my t ears dried, my eyes w ere nearly sw oll en shut .

He pulled back, pushing my hair aside. T his isnt t he end of anyt hing for youfor Daemon. T his is just t he beginning, and now you know w hat youre t ruly up agai nst . Dont end up like Daw son and Bet hany. Bot h of you are st ronger t han t h at . I spent the rest of the night trying to hide what had gone down from my mom. Eventualy, I needed to tell her. No doubt the satelites had picked up on w hat had happened t he night before. And t here w as t he issue t hat some of w hat V aughn had said hadnt made sense, a lingering feeling t hat t he w orst had yet t o pass. I figured in t he coming days or w eeks, it w ould. T hered also be quest ions about Adam. But she didnt need t o know right now . I convinced her t hat t he w ind had t hrow n a branch int o t he w indow upst airs. Believable, since Daemon had knocked dow n several out side. T he pict ures w ere harder t o expla in. T hen I slept t hrough New Years Day, w aking t he follow ing Sunday morning only t o eat sugary Pop-Tart s, and t hen I w ent back t o sleep t o avoid t he sw amping darkness w ait ing for me. Guilt at e aw ay at me, even in my sleep. I dreamed of Blake and Adam, even Vaughn. T hey surrounded me w hile I sw am in t he lake, slipping under and pulling me below t he surface. So it w as st range t hat w hen I did w ake t hat evening, I t ook a show er, piled on some clot hes , and left t o go t o t he place haunt ing my dreams. Mom w as already gone, and I had a vague recol ect ion of hearing W ill in t he house earlier. Snow cont i nued t o fall, but w it h t he moon out , reflect ing off t he prist ine surface , I found my w ay t o t he lake easily. I st ood by t he frozen, flaw less w at er, huddled dow n in my sw eat er and t he scarf my mom had bought me for Christ mas. Id even donned t he mat ching gloves. T hings w ere clearer here. Not less int ense, but manageable. Adam w as dead, and event ually t he DOD w ould come l ooking for Vaughn. And w hen t hey did, it w ould come back t o meand t o Daemon. And Id killed. Not by my ow n hand, but I had led everyone dow n t his road. Peo ple have diedinnocent and t hose not so innocent . Daemon had been right a life w as a life. Enemy or not , t here w as blood on my hands I couldnt w ash aw ay, so aking t hrough my skin and leaving a dark st ain. And every t ime I closed my ey es, I saw Adams body. T here w as a t ight ness in my chest t hat w ould probably never go aw ay. I w asnt sure about going t o school t omorrow . It seemed point less aft er everyt hing. I st ill had no clue w ho had bet rayed Daw son and Be t hany, and t here w ere more implant s out t here, w at ching mew at ching all o f us. An invisible clock had appeared, t icking aw ay t o my very ow n personal doomsday, and I had no one t o blame but myself.

About a minut e lat er, I felt a w arm t ingle dancing across my neck. My breat h st alled in my chest , and I couldnt w ill my body t o t urn around. W hy w as he here? He had t o hat e me. So did Dee. T he snow crunched under his foot st e ps, w hich I found st range. He could move so quiet ly w hen he w ant ed. His bo dy heat blanket ed me as he st opped direct ly behind me. I couldnt ignore him fo rever, and I also knew hed st and t here forever if he chose t o. Surprised and w ary, I faced him. I knew youd be here. He looked aw ay, a muscle popping in his ja w . It s w here I come w hen I need t o t hink. I said t he first t hing t hat came t o mind. How s Dee? Shell survive, he said, eyes shadow ed. We need t o t alk. Daem leaned forw ard before I could respond. Are you busy right now ? Not sure if Im in t errupt ing. St aring at t he lake can t ake a lot of concent rat ion. I couldnt figure out anyt hing from his w ords or expression. Im not busy. His ult ra-bright gaze set t led on me. T hen come back w it h me? Anxious energy built inside me. W as he going t o kill me and st ash my body? Drast ic but probable aft er everyt hing Id caused. My t hroat dried as w e st art ed back t o his house in silence. I follow ed him inside, hands clammy and t rembling. Hungry? he asked. I havent eat en all day. Y eah, a lit t le. He moved int o t he kit chen and pulled out a packag e of lunch meat . I sat at t he t able w hile he made t w o ham and cheese sandw iches. He doubled up on t he must ard on mine, know ing t hat w as how I liked it , and I almost st art ed baw ling again right t hen. W e at e in st rained si lence. Finally, aft er hed cleaned up, I st ood. Daemon, I Not yet , he said. Drying h is hands, he t hen w alked out of t he kit chen w it hout answ ering me. Draw in g in a deep breat h, I t railed aft er him. W hen he st art ed up t he st eps, m y pulse skyrocket ed. W hy are w e going upst airs? Daemon glanced over his should er, hand on t he mahogany-colored rail. W hy not ? I dont know . It s just seems He w nt up t he st airs, leaving me no ot her choice. We passed Dees empt y bedroom. I t looked like Pept o-Bismol t hrew up in t here. T here w as anot her bedroom w it h t he door

closed. I figured it had been Daw sons, probably unt ouched since hed disappeared. Mont hs had passed before Mom and I had moved any of Dads st uff. W heres Dee? I as ked. Shes w it h Ash and Andrew . I t hink being w it h t hem is helping her I nodde d. More t han anyt hing, I w ant ed t o go back in t ime, t o ask more quest ion s, t o not be so damn st upid. Daemon opened a door, and my heart flip-flopped. St epping aside, he let me brush past him. Y our room? Y ep. T he best spot in t he w hole house. His room w as large, surprisingly clean and organized. A few band post ers hung on t he w alls, w hich w ere paint ed a deep blue. All t he blinds w ere dow n, curt ains draw n. W it h a w ave of his hand, a bedside lamp click ed on. T here w ere a lot of expensive elect ronics: a flat -screen T V, a Mac t hat sent a dose of envy t hrough me, a st ereo syst em, and even a deskt op. My gaze w ent t o his bed. It w as big. And t he blue dow n comfort er looked comf y and invit ing. Lot s of room t o roll aroundor just t o sleep. Not hing like my lit t le-girl bed. I forced my gaze aw ay from his bed and w alked over t o his Mac. Nice comput er. It is. Daemon kicked off his shoes. I could barely breat he. Da emon T he bed springs creaked under his w eight as I ran my fingers over t he lid of t he Mac. I am so sorry about everyt hing. I shouldnt have t rust ed himI shouldv e list ened t o you. I didnt w ant anyone t o get hurt . Adam didnt get hurt . He di ed, Kat . A lump formed in my t hroat as I t urned t o him. His eyes glit t ered. I If I could go back, Id change everyt hing. Daemon shook his head as his gaze drop ped t o his open hands. He curled t hem int o fist s. I know w e dont alw ays get along, and I know t he w hole connect ion t hing freaked you out , but you knew you could alw ays t rust me. T he moment you suspect ed Blake w as w it h t he D OD, you shouldve come t o me. Helplessness cracked his voice. I couldve prevent ed t his. I do t rust you. W it h my life, I said, inching closer. But once I t hought h e could possibly be involved w it h t hem, I didnt w ant you involved. Blake knew and suspect ed t oo much already.

He shook his head, as if he didnt hear me. I shouldve done more. W hen he t hrew t hat damn knife at you, I shouldve st epped in t hen and not backed dow n, but I w as just so damn angry. Tears built in my eyes. How could I st ill cry or t hink it w ould make any of t his bet t er? Some papers on his desk st irred rest less ly behind me. I w as t rying t o prot ect you. He lift ed his eyes, and t hey pier ced st raight t hrough me. Y ou w ant ed t o keep me safe? Yes. I sw allow ed past t he lump in my t hroat . Not t hat it t urned out t hat w ay in t he end, but w h en I found out Blake and Vaughn w ere relat ed, all I could t hink w as t hat he played meI let myself be played. And he knew how close w e w ere. T heyd do t o y ou w hat t hey did t o Daw son. T here is no w ay I could have lived w it h t ha t . Closing his eyes, he t urned his head. W hen did you know definit ely t hat Bl ake w as w orking w it h t he DOD? It w as t he second t ime hed ever said his nam e. T hat s how serious t hings w ere. On New Years EveFriday. Blake show ed up w hil e I w as sleeping, and I saw Simons w at ch in his car. He says Simons st ill aliv e, t hat t he DOD t ook him, but t heret here w as blood on his w at ch. Daemon cu rsed and t hen asked, W hile you w ere sleeping? Did he do t his oft en? I shook m y head. Not t hat I know of. You shouldve never been w orried about me get t ing hur t . He st ood, running bot h hands t hrough his hair. You know I can t ake care of myself. Y ou know I can handle my ow n. I know , I said. But I w asnt going t o know ingly put you at risk. Y ou mean t oo much t o me. His head sw ung t ow ard me, eyes suddenly sharp. And w hat does t hat mean, exact ly? I I shook my head. It doesnt mat t er now . T he hell it doesnt ! he said. You nearly dest royed my family, Kat . You almost got bot h of us killed, and none of t his is over. W ho know s how mu ch t ime any of us have before t he DOD comes? I let t hat dickhead go. Hes st il l out t here, and as t errible as t his sounds, I hope he get s w hat s coming t o him before he can report back t o anyone. Daemon sw ore. Y ou lied t o me! Are y ou t elling me all of t his is because I mean somet hing t o you? Heat ed blood c rept across my face. W hy w as he making me do t his? How I felt didnt mat t er n ow . Daemon Answ er me! Fine! I t hrew my hands up in t he air. Yes, you mean somet h t o me. W hat you did for me on T hanksgivingt hat made me My voice cracked. T hat made me happy. Y ou made me happy. And I st ill care about you. Okay? You mean s omet hing t o mesomet hing I cant

really even put int o w ords because everyt hing seems t oo lame in comparison. Ive alw ays w ant ed you, even w hen I hat ed you. I w ant you even t hough you d rive me freaking insane. And I know I screw ed everyt hing up. Not just for you and me, but for Dee. My breat h caught on a sob. T he w ords rushed from me, one aft er anot her. And I never felt t his w ay w it h anyone else. Like Im falling e very t ime Im around you, like I cant cat ch my breat h, and I feel alivenot just s t anding around and let t ing my life w alk past me. T heres been not hing like t hat w it h anyone else. Tears pricked my eyes as I st epped back. My chest w as sw elling so fast it hurt . But none of t his mat t ers, because I know you reall y hat e me now . I underst and t hat . I just w ish I could go back and change e veryt hing! I Daemon w as suddenly in front of me, clasping my cheeks in his w arm hands. I never hat ed you. I blinked back t he w et ness gat hering in my eyes. Bu t I dont hat e you now , Kat . He st ared int ent ly int o my eyes. Im mad at youat elf. Im so angry, I can t ast e it . I w ant t o find Blake and rearrange part s of his body. But do you know w hat I t hought about all day yest erday? All nigh t ? T he one single t hought I couldnt escape, no mat t er how pissed off I am at you? No, I w hispered. T hat Im lucky, because t he person I cant get out of my head, t he person w ho means more t o me t han I can st and, is st ill alive. Shes st ill t here. And t hat s you. A t ear t railed dow n my cheek. Hope spread t hrough me so fast it left me dizzy and breat hless. T he feeling w as like t aking a s t ep off t he edge of a cliff w it hout seeing how far t he fall w ould be. Dang erous. Exhilarat ing. W hat w hat does t hat mean? I really dont know . His t humb cha sed aft er a t ear on my cheek as he smiled slight ly. I dont know w hat t omorrow is going t o bring, w hat a year from now is going t o be like. Hell, w e may e nd up killing each ot her over somet hing st upid next w eek. It s a possibilit y . But all I do know is w hat I feel for you isnt going anyw here. Hearing t hat on ly made me cry harder. He bent his head, kissing t he t ears aw ay unt ill he ca ught each of t hem w it h his breat h. T hen his lips found mine and t he room f ell aw ay. T he w hole w orld disappeared for t hose precious moment s. I w ant ed t o t hrow myself int o t he kiss, but I couldnt . I pulled aw ay, dragging in air. How can you st ill w ant me? I said. Daemon pressed his forehead against min e. Oh, I st ill w ant t o st rangle you. But Im insane. Youre crazy. Maybe t hat s w hy. We just make crazy t oget her. T hat makes no sense.

It kind of does, t o me at least . He kissed me again. It might have t o do w it h t he fact you finally admit t ed youre deeply and irrevocably in love w it h me. I let out a w eak, shaky laugh. I so did not admit t hat . Not in so many w ords, bu t w e bot h know it s t rue. And Im okay w it h it . Y ou are? I closed my eyes, brea t hing in w hat felt like t he first real breat h in mont hs. Maybe years. It s t he same for you? His answ er w as t o kiss meand t o kiss me again. W hen he final ly lift ed his head, w e w ere on his bed and I w as in his arms. I had no recol ect ion of moving. T hat w as how good his kisses w ere. I had t o w ait unt il l my heart slow ed dow n. T his doesnt change anyt hing Ive done. All of t his is s t ill my fault . Daemon w as on his side beside me, his hand on t he mat erial co vering my st omach. It s not all your fault . It s all of ours. And w ere in t his t oget her. W ell face w hat ever is w ait ing for us t oget her. My heart did a w ild dance at t hose w ords. Us? He nodded, w orking on t he but t ons of my sw eat er, laughing soft ly w hen he came t o w here t hey w ere but t oned incorrect ly. If t here is anyt hing, t here is us. I lift ed my shoulders, and he helped me shrug out of t he sw eat er. And w hat does us really mean? Y ou and me. Daemon moved dow n, t ugging off my boot s. No one else. Blood pounded as I yanked off my sock s and lay back dow n. II kind of like t he sound of t hat . Kind of? His hand w as on my st omach, slipping dow n, moving under t he hem of my shirt . Kind of isnt goo d enough. Okay. I jerked w hen his fingers splayed across my skin. I do like t hat . S o do I. He low ered his head, kissing me soft ly. I bet you love t hat . My lips cu rved int o a smile against his. I do. Making a deep sound in t he back of his t hr oat , Daemon t railed kisses over my st ill-damp cheek t hat scalded my skin and lit a fire. We w hispered t o each ot her, t he w ords slow ly st it ching t og et her t he aching hole in my chest . I t hink t hey w ere doing t he same for h im. I t old him everyt hing Blake had said and done. He t old me how angry hed be en just seeing me around Blake, confused and even hurt . T he t rut hs he admit t ed, I kept t hem close t o my heart .

T he fear hed felt w hen he saw t he Arum and Blake t his w eekend w as in every slight , delicat e t ouch of his fingers. T hose precious w ords may not have be en spoken up unt ill t hen, but love w as in every t ouch, every soft moan. I di dnt need him t o say it , because I w as surrounded in his love for me. T ime st opped for us. T he w orld and everyt hing Id been part of only exist ed out side t he closed bedroom door, but in here, it w as only us. And for t he first t ime , t here w as not hing bet w een us. We w ere open, vulnerable t o each ot her. Pieces of our clot hing disappeared. His shirt . Mine. A but t on came undone on his jeansand on mine, t oo. You have no idea how badly I w ant t his. His voice w as rough against my cheek. Raw . I t hink Ive act ually dreamed about it . T he t i ps of his fingers drift ed over my chest , dow n my st omach. Crazy, huh? Everyt h ing felt crazy. Being in his arms like t his w hen Id t ruly believed hed never fo rgive me. I lift ed my hand, running my fingers dow n his cheek. He t urned t o t he t ouch, pressing his lips against t he palm of my hand. And w hen his head low ered t o mine again, I sparked alive under him, only for him. As our kisses deepened and our explorat ions grew , w e got lost in how our bodies moved again st each ot her, how w e couldnt get close enough. T he clot hes t hat w e st ill w ore w ere a hindrance I w ant ed t o be rid of, because I w as ready t o t ake t hat next st ep and I could feel t hat Daemon w as, t oo. Tomorrow or next w e ek w asnt guarant eed. Not t hat it ever w as, but for us, t hings really w erent looking in our favor. T here really w as only now , and I w ant ed t o seize t h e moment and live in it . I w ant ed t o share t he moment w it h Daemont o share everyt hing w it h him. His handshis kisses w ere complet ely undoing me. And w hen his hand moved dow n my st omach, slipping even fart her dow n, I opened my eyes, his name barely a w hisper. A faint w hit ish-red glow out lined his body, t hrow ing shadow s along t he w alls of his bedroom. T here w as somet hing so ul-burningly beaut iful about being on t he brink of losing cont rol, t umbling over int o t he unknow n, and I w ant ed t o fall and never resurface. But Daemo n st opped. I st ared up at him, running my hands over t he hard planes of his s t omach. W hat ? Y ouyoure not going t o believe me. He pressed anot her sw eet and t ender kiss against my lips. But I w ant t o do t his right . I st art ed t o smile . I doubt you could do t his w rong. Daemons lips st ret ched int o a smug half gri n. Yeah, Im not t alking about t hat . T hat I w ill do perfect ly, but I w ant t o I w ant us t o have w hat normal couples have.

St upid, damnable t ears rushed t o my eyes, and I blinked t hem back. Oh dear G od, I w as going t o baw ll like a baby. Cupping my cheek, he let out a st rangl ed sound. And t he last t hing I w ant t o do is st op, but I w ant t o t ake you out go on a dat e or somet hing. I dont w ant w hat w ere about t o do t o be over shadow ed by everyt hing else. W it h w hat looked like a great amount of effort , Daemon lift ed off me and eased dow n on his side. He w rapped an arm around m y w aist and pulled me back against him. His lips grazed my t emple. Okay? T ippin g my head back, I looked int o his bot t le-green eyes. T hist his w as more t ha n okay. And it t ook me several t ries t o speak, because my t hroat w as burnin g w it h emot ion. I t hink I might love you. Daemons arm t ight ened around me as he kissed my flushed cheek. T old you. Not w hat I expect ed as a response. He chu ckled, rolling ont o his sideont o me, really. My bet I w on. I t old you t hat youd t ell me you loved me on New Y ears Day. Looping my arms around his neck, I shook my head. No. Y ou lost . Daemon frow ned. How do you figure? Look at t he t ime. I t ipped my chin t ow ard t he clock. It s past midnight . It s January second. Y ou l ost . For several moment s he st ared at t he clock like it w as an Arum he w as about t o blast int o t he next count y, and t hen his eyes found mine. Daemon s miled. No. I didnt lose. I st ill w on. Chapter 33 I crept back int o my house right before six in t he morning, feeling airy andhap py. I needed t o show er and get ready for school. T here w as a part of me t ha t felt w rong for t he smile on my face. Should I be cont ent aft er everyt hing ? I w asnt sure. It didnt seem fair. And I needed t o see Dee. Aft er I st epped o ut of t he st eamy bat hroom w rapped in my robe, I w asnt st art led w hen I saw Daemon lounging on my bed, freshly show ered and changed. At some point , Id fel t him. I made my w ay over t o t he bed. W hat are you doing?

He pat t ed t he spot beside him, and I craw led ont o my knees. We need t o st i ck close t oget her over t he next couple of w eeks. I w ouldnt be surprised if t he DOD show s. W ere safer t oget her. Is t hat t he only reason? A lazy, indulgent grin played across his lips as he t ugged on t he belt of my robe. Not t he only reason. Probably t he smart est , but definit ely not t he most pressing. T hing s had changed bet w een us in a mat t er of hours. We t alked more last night and kissed some more before falling asleep in each ot hers arms. Now , t here w as a n openness, a part nership in t hings. He w as st ill a t ot all smart ass. And yeah, t hat smug grin st ill irked me. But I loved him. And t he jerk loved me, t oo. Daemon sat up and pulled me int o his lap. He kissed my forehead. W hat are you t hinking? I burrow ed my head int o t he space bet w een his shoulder and n eck. A lot of t hings. Dodo you t hink it s w rong t o be happy right now ? His arms t ight ened. W ell, I w ouldnt send out a mass t ext message or anyt hing. I rolle d my eyes. And Im not ent irely happy. I dont t hink Ive really come t o t erms w it h everyt hing. Adam w as He t railed off, his t hroat w orking. I liked him, I w hi spered. I dont expect Dee t o ever forgive me, but I w ant t o see her. I need t o make sure shes okay. Shell forgive you. She needs t ime. His lips moved against my t emple, and my heart squeezed. Dee knew you t ried t o w arn her off. She called me w hen you t old her t o leave, and I t old her and Adam t o st ay out of t he re, but t hey parked t he car dow n t he st reet and came back. T hey made t hat choice, and I know shed do it again. My t hroat t ight ened. T here are so many t hings I w ouldnt do again. I know . He placed t w o fingers under my chin, t ipping my head back. W e cant focus on t hat now . It s not going t o do any good. I st ret ched up, kissing his lips. I w ant t o see Dee aft er school. W hat are you doing for lunch? Ot her t han eat ing? Not hing. Good. W ere skipping.

Going t o see Dee, right ? His smile t urned w icked. Y eah, but first , t here are t hings I w ant t o do, and w e dont have nearly enough t ime for t hat now . I a rched a brow . Are you going t o t ry t o squeeze in dinner and a movie t hen? Kit t en, your mind is a t errible and dirt y place. I w as t hinking w e could go f or a st roll or somet hing. T ease, I murmured and st art ed t o st and, but he hel d me t here. Say it . Say w hat ? I asked. T ell me w hat you t old me earlier. My hea rt leaped int o my t hroat . Id t old him a lot of t hings, but I knew w hat he w ant ed t o hear. I love you. His eyes darkened a second before he kissed me unt i ll I w as ready t o say screw t he w hole doing-right -by-me t hing. T hat s all I ever need t o hear. T hose t hree w ords? Alw ays t hose t hree w ords. News of Adam passing hadnt hit the school yet, and I wasnt teling anyone other than Lesa and C arissa. The story was he had died in a car accident. Police w ould back it up if quest ions w ere asked. My friends t ook it like expect ed. T here w ere a lot of t ears, and again I w as surprised t hat my eyes could st ill fill w it h t h em. Daemon poked me once in class t o remind me of our lunch plans, and t hen on e more t ime because he felt like it . Layers of guilt follow ed me t hrough mos t of morning classes, alt ernat ing w it h brief moment s of exhilarat ion. I kn ew t hat even if Dee forgave me, it w ouldnt change anyt hing. I needed t o come t o t erms w it h t he role Id played. But I also knew I couldnt st op living. W h en I ent ered bio, I met Mat t hew s eyes. T here w as a t w it ch t o his lips b efore he opened up his grade book. Lesa w as abnormally subdued due t o w hat Id t old her. Halfw ay t hrough class, t he int ercom kicked on. T he school secret arys voice rang out . Kat y Sw art z is needed in t he principals office, Mr. Garr ison. A jolt of unease pierced my st omach as I grabbed my bag. Shrugging at Lesas look,

I passed Mat t hew a near-panicked one as I headed out . I sent Daemon a quick t ext from my moms cell t hat shed given me t hat morning, let t ing him know I w a s being called t o t he office. I didnt expect him t o respond back. I w asnt even sure he had his cell w it h him. T he gray-haired secret ary w as rocking a Bri git t e Bardot hairst yle and a bright pink sw eat er. I leaned against t he cou nt er, w ait ing for her t o look up. W hen she did, she squint ed t hrough her spect acles. Can I help you? Im Kat y. I w as called t o t he office? Oh! Oh, yes, com e on, dear. T here w as compassion in her t one as she st ood. She hobbled t ow a rd Principal Plummers office. Right t his w ay. I couldnt see t hrough t he glass w indow s, so I had no idea w hat w as w ait ing for me w hen she t hrew all her w eight behind opening t he door. I marked off any job in t he school syst em in my fut ure if she hadnt been able t o ret ire at her age. Principal Plummer sat b ehind his desk, smiling at w hoever w as seat ed on t he ot her side. My gaze fo llow ed his, and I w as shocked t o see W ill. W hat s going on? I asked, t w ist i ng my backpacks st rap against my shoulder. W ill came t o his feet quickly and r ushed t o my side. He clasped my free hand. Kell ies been in an accident . No, I t hi nk I gasped. Alarm pounded at my sides as I st ared at him. W hat do you mean? Is she okay? His expression w as pained and haggard as he avoided meet ing my eyes. She left w ork t his morning, and t hey t hink she hit a pat ch of ice. How bad is it ? My voice w obbled. All I could see w as DadDad in a hospit all bed, pale and frail, t he smell of deat h t hat clung t o t he w alls and t he hushed voices of t he nursesand t hen t he mannequin in t he coffin t hat sort of resembled Dad but couldnt have been him. Now all t hose memories w ere replaced w it h Mom. T his cant be happening. W ill curved a hand over my shoulders, gent ly t urning me around. We w ere w alking out of t he office, but I w asnt conscious of any of i t . Shes in t he ER. T hat s all I know . Y ou have t o know more t han t hat . I didn recognize my ow n voice. Is she aw ake? T alking? Does she need t o have surgery ? He shook his head, opening t he door. Out side t he snow had st opped, and plow s w ere clearing t he parking lot . T he air w as frigid, but I didnt feel it . I w as numb. W ill led me t o a t an Yukon I didnt recognize. Unease t rickled in , and a horrible t hought st ruck me. I halt ed a few feet from t he passenger s ide. Did you get a new car? I asked.

He frow ned as he opened t he car door. No. I use t his during t he w int er. Per fect for snow y roads. I t ried t o t ell your mot her t o get somet hing like t his ot her t han t hat damn mat chbox she drives. Feeling st upid and paranoid, I nodded. It made sense. A lot of people had t heir w int er vehicle around here. And w it h everyt hing t hat had happened, Id forgot t en about w hat Id discovere d about W ill his sickness. I climbed in, clut ching my bag t o my chest aft er I buckled my seat belt . T hen I remembered Daemon. I checked t he phone and saw t here w asnt a reply yet . I sent him anot her quick t ext , t elling him t hat Mom w as in an accident . Id call him and leave a more det ailed message once I k new how how bad t hings w ere. I choked on a breat h w hen I t hought about losi ng her. W ill rubbed his hands t oget her before he t urned t he key. T he radio came on immediat ely. It w as a w eat her broadcast . T he mans voice coming fro m t he speakers w as cheery. I hat ed him. Met eorologist s w ere w at ching a N oreast er forming in t he Sout h, slat ed t o slam int o West Virginia early next w eek. W hat hospit all is she at ? I asked. W inchest er, he said, t w ist ing aro und as he reached for somet hing in t he backseat . I st ared st raight ahead, t rying t o keep t he panic at bay. Shes going t o be okay. She has t o be. Shell b e okay. My lips t rembled. W hy w erent w e already on t he damn road? Kat y? I fac ed him. W hat ? Im really sorry about t his, he said, his face expressionless. Shes go ng t o be okay, right ? My breat h caught again. Maybe he w asnt t elling me t he w orse of it . Maybe she w as Y our mom is going t o be fine. T here w asnt t ime fo r me t o feel relief or t o quest ion w hat he said. He leaned forw ard, and I s aw a long, scary-looking needle. I jerked back in t he seat , but I w asnt fast e nough. W ill pushed t he needle int o t he side of my neck. T here w as a pinch, and t hen coolness rushed t hrough my veins, follow ed by a faint burning sensa t ion.

I knocked his hand aw ay, or I t hought I did. Eit her w ay, t he needle w as go ne from his hand, and he w as w at ching me curiously. My hand flut t ered t o m y neck. I couldnt feel my pulse, but it beat t hrough me w ildly. W hat w hat did y ou do? Hands on t he st eering w heel, he pulled out of t he school parking lot w it hout answ ering. I asked him again. At least I t hink I did, but I w asnt sur e. T he road up ahead blurred in a kaleidoscope of w hit e and gray. My fingers slipped over t he door handle. I couldnt w ill t hem t o w ork, and t hen I could nt keep my eyes open. Calling upon t he Source w as out of t he quest ion. Darkne ss crept int o t he corners of my eyes, and I fought it w it h every ounce of t he st rengt h I had left . If I lost consciousness I knew it w as all over, but I couldnt keep my head from list ing t o t he side. My last t hought w as, Implan t s are everyw here. Chapter 34 W hen I came t o, it felt like a drummer had t aken up residency in my head and my mout h w as dry. Id felt like t his once before, w hen a friend and I had drun k an ent ire bot t le of cheap w ine during a sleepover. Except t hen Id been hot and sw eat y, and now I w as freezing. I lift ed my head off t he coarse blanke t my cheek rest ed on, prying my eyes open. Shapes w ere blurry and indist ingui shable for several minut es. Flat t ening out my hands, I pushed up, and a w ave of dizziness assault ed me. My arms and feet w ere bare. Someone had t aken off my sw eat er, shoes, and socks, leaving me in my t ank t op and jeans. Goose bu mps pimpled my skin in response t o t he near-freezing t emperat ure of w hereve r I w as. I knew I w as inside somew here. T he st eady hum of light s and dist ant voices t old me t hat much. Event ually my eyes cleared, and I almost w ishe d t heyd st ayed out of focus. I w as in a cage t hat resembled a large kennel us ed for dogs. T he t hick black met all w as spaced enough t hat I could fit a ha nd t hrough it . Maybe. I looked up, realizing t here w as no w ay I could st an d or even lie dow n complet ely st raight w it hout t ouching t he bars. Manacle s and chains hung from t he t op. T w o of t hem w ere hooked t o my numb, chill ed ankles. Panic claw ed t hrough me, forcing my breat h in and out as my gaze d art ed around at a frant ic pace. Cages surrounded me. A gleaming reddish-black subst ance coat ed t he insides of t he bars closest t o me and on t op of t he manacles around my ankles.

I kept t elling myself t o keep it t oget her, but it w asnt w orking. I scoot ed ont o my backside, sit t ing up as far as I could and reaching dow n, w ant ing t o pull t he t hings off my ankles. T he moment my fingers t ouched t he t op of t he met al, red-hot pain sw ept up my arms, st raight t o my head. I yelped, jerking my hands back. Terror consumed me, sw allow ing me like a rising t ide. I reached for t he bars, and t he same barbed pain sliced t hrough me, t hrow i ng me back. A scream t ore from my t hroat as I shuddered, bringing my hands clo se t o my chest . I recognized t he pain now . It w as w hat Id felt w hen Smoker had placed t hat object against my cheek. I t ried t o call on t he pow er t ha t w as in me. I could blow t hese cages apart w it hout t ouching t hem. But t h ere w as not hing inside me. It w as like I w as empt y or det ached from t he S ource. Helpless. T rapped. A lump of mat erial st irred in t he cage nearest t o me, rising up. It w asnt a lump, but a persona girl. My heart pounded against my ribs as she sat up, pushing greasy st rands of long blond hair off her pale face . She t urned t o me. T he girl w as my age, give or t ake a year. A w icked red -blue bruise spread out from her hairline, across her left cheek. She w ouldve be en pret t y if she w erent so t hin and unkempt . She sighed, low ering her face. I w as really pret t y once. Had she read my t hought s? I Yes, I read your t hought s. Her voice w as hoarse, t hick. She glanced aw ay, scanning t he empt y cages a nd t hen set t ling on t he double doors. Youre like me, I guessow ned by t he Daed alus. Know any aliens? She laughed t hen, low ering her point y chin t o her bent knees. You have no idea w hy youre here. Daedalus? W hat t he hell w as t hat ? No. I dont even know w here I am. She st art ed t o rock a lit t le. Youre in a w areho use. It s like a t ransport at ion pod. I dont know w hat st at e. I w as out of i t w hen t hey brought me in. She gest ured at t he bruise w it h a flick of t iny fingers. I w asnt assimilat ing. I sw allow ed. Y oure human, right ? Anot her choked , grim laugh sounded. Im not really sure anymore. T he DOD is involved in t his? I as ked. Keep t alking. I w ouldnt flip out complet ely if I could keep t alking. She nodded. Yes and no. T he Daedalus is, but t hey are a part of t he DOD. And t he y are involved in me, but you Her eyes narrow ed. T hey w ere a dark brow n, almos t black. I

could only pick up fragment ed t hought s from t he guys w hen t hey brought you in. Youre here for a different purpose. T hat w as reassuring. W hat s your name? Mo, she croaked, t ouching her dry lips. Everyone calls me Moor used t o. Y ours? Kat y. I craw led closer t o her, careful not t o t ouch t he cage. W hat w ere you not assimilat ing t o? I w asnt cooperat ing. Mo low ered her head, hiding her face behi nd st ringy hair. I dont even t hink t hey believe w hat t heyre doing is w rong. I t s like one big gray area w it h t hem. She lift ed her chin. T hey had anot her o ne here. A boy, but hes not like us. T hey moved him out right aft er t hey broug ht you in. W hat did he look like? I asked, t hinking of Daw son. Before she could answ er, a door shut somew here out side of t he large, cold room. Mo scrambled back, w rapping her t hin arms around her bent knees. Pret end t o be asleep w he n t hey come up here. T he one w ho brought you in isnt as bad as t he rest . Y o u dont w ant t o provoke t hem. I t hought of Smoker and his part ner. My st omach roiled. W h Shh, she hissed. T heyre coming. Pret end t o be asleep! Not know ing w else t o do, I moved t o t he back of t he pen and laid dow n, t hrow ing my ar m over my face so I could peek under it w it hout being seen. T he door opened a nd I saw t w o set s of legs encased in black pant s ent er t he room. T hey w e re silent as t hey moved t ow ard our t w o cages. My heart w as racing again, i ncreasing t he ache in my head. T hey st opped in front of Mos cage. Are you going t o behave t oday? one of t he men asked. T here w as laught er in his voice. Or are w e going t o have t o make t his hard? W hat do you t hink? Mo spat back. T he man laughed and bent dow n. Black handcuffs dangled from his hands. W e dont w an t t o mess up t he ot her side of your face, sw eet ie. Speak for yourself, t he se cond man groused. Bit ch nearly ended any chances of me having kids. T ouch me agai n, Mo said, and you w ont . He opened t he cage, and she immediat ely w ent aft er t hem. But she w as no mat ch for t hem. T hey grabbed her legs, pulling her out of t he cage unt ill she w as lying on t he cold cement

floor. T he one w ho called her a name rolled her over roughly, slamming her fac e int o t he floor. She grunt ed as he put his knee int o her back, pulling her arms behind her. She let out anot her soft cry as he w renched her arms. I could nt sit st ill and w at ch t his. I pushed up, ignoring t he nausea. St op it ! Y o ure hurt ing her! T he one on her back looked over, frow ning as he saw me. Look at t his, Ramirez. T his ones aw ake. And t hat one needs t o be left alone, Ramirez r eplied. W ere get t ing paid enough money t o pret end she aint here, W ill iams. G et t he st uff on her, and let s get out of here. W ill iams climbed off Mo and ap proached my cage, kneeling dow n so he w as eye-level w it h me. He w asnt very o ldmaybe mid-t w ent ies. T he look in his dissipat ed blue eyes scared me more t han t he cages. Put w hat on me? Shes a pret t y one. I scoot ed back, w ant ing t o cross my hands over t he t hin mat erial of my t ank t op. W hy am I here? My vo ice w avered even t hough I met his gaze. W ill iams laughed as he glanced over his shoulder. List en t o t his one, asking quest ions. Leave her alone. Ramirez hau led t he silent girl t o her feet . Her head hung low , face shielded by hair. Wev e got t o get t his one back t o t he cent er. Come on. W e could alw ays W index her brain. Have a lit t le fun. I shrank back from t he suggest ion. Could t hey do t hat ? W ipe aw ay my memories? All I had w ere my memories. My eyes dart ed bet w een t he t w o men. Ramirez sw ore under his breat h. Just do it , W ill i ams. W hen W ill iams st art ed t o st and, I scrambled backw ard. W ait . W ait ! W hy am I here? W ill iams opened t he cage door w it h a small key and grabbed t he chains. He yanked hard, and I fell backw ard. I really dont know w hat he w a nt s w it h you, and I really dont care. He pulled on t he chain again. Now be a go od girl. Show ing how much I appreciat ed his suggest ion, I kicked. If I could j ust get past him My foot caught him under t he chin, snapping his head back. W il l iams ret aliat ed w it h a punch in my st omach, doubling me in half. I w heez ed as he grabbed my w rist s w hile he ret rieved t he handcuffs from t he t op of t he cage, pulling so t he chain at t ached t o t hem reached t he floor. No! s creamed Mo. No! T he fear in her voice increased my ow n, and my st ruggles renew ed. It w as no use. W ill iams clamped t he handcuffs around my w rist s, and t he w orld exploded in pain. I st art ed screaming.

And I didnt st op. My screams only died off when I could no longer make anything louder than a raspy whisper. My throat felt scraped raw. Only uncontrolable whim pers or moans escaped me now . It had been hours since t he men left w it h Mo. Hours of not hing but scalding, blist ering pain t hat shot dow n my arms, bounc ed off my skull. It felt like my skin w as cont inuously being flayed, t orn apa rt t o get t o somet hing underneat h. I faded in and out . T hose moment s of n ot hing w ere pure bliss, a short reprieve t hat ended t oo soon. Id w ake, t hru st int o a w orld w here pain t hreat ened t o fray my sanit y. Many t imes over I t hought Id die from it . T hat t here had t o be an end somew here in sight , but t he w aves of hurt just kept coming, rolling over me, suffocat ing me. My t ears had also ended w hen my screams st opped. I t ried t o not move or jerk w hen t he pain spiked. It only made it w orse. I w as no longer cold. Maybe it w as because I couldnt feel anyt hing ot her t han t he hurt ing t hat w as inflic t ed by w hat ever w as encased on t hose handcuffs. But t hrough it all, I didnt w ant t o die. I w ant ed t o live t hrough t his. At some point , t he doors o pened. Too exhaust ed t o lift my head, I st ared blindly at t he met all beams t hrough t he bars. Would t hey t ake t he handcuffs off? I w asnt holding my bre at h. Kat y My gaze low ered, t aking in t he salt and pepper hair, t he handsome f ace, and t he smile t hat had charmed his w ay int o my life and right int o my moms bed. My moms boyfriendt he first man shed even paid at t ent ion t o aft er my dads deat h. I t hink she loved him. T hat w as w hat made all of t his so much w orse. I didnt care about w hat it meant for me. I had my suspicions before, and t here w as t he general dislike of t he fact he had been t aking Dads place, but Mom T his w ould kill her. How you hanging in t here? he asked, as if he t ruly ca red. I hear it s painfult he coat ing t o t hose like you and t he Luxen. It s pret t y much t he only t hing t hat can complet ely incapacit at e bot h t he Luxen a nd t hose t hey mut at e. Onyx mixed w it h a few ot her st ones, like rubies, i nflect s such a st range react ion. It s like t w o phot ons bouncing off each ot her, looking for a w ay out . T hat s w hat it s doing t o your mut at ed cells. H e adjust ed his t ie, loosening it around his neck. Im w hat t he DOD calls an imp lant , but Im sure youve figured t hat out by now . Youre a smart cookie, but youre probably w ondering how I knew ? T he night you w ere brought int o t he ER aft er you w ere at t acked, you w ere recovering w ay t oo fast . And t he DOD w as already keeping an eye on you because of your proximit y t o t he Blacks. And be ing a doct orw ow , hed know right off t he bat if someone healed abnormally

fast . Disgust seeped t hrough me like a disease. It t ook me several t ries t o get t he next raspy w ords out . You st art edt o dat e mymom, just t o keepan eye on me? W hen he w inked, I w ant ed t o vomit . Y ou sonof a bit ch. W ell, dat ing y our mom did have it s benefit s. Dont get me w rong. I do care about her. Shes a l ovely w oman, but I w ant ed t o hurt him. Badly. Y out old t hem about Daw son and Bet hany? He flashed a smile, show ing off perfect w hit e t eet h. T he DOD w as already monit oring t hem. Any t ime a Luxen get s close t o a human, t hey do, hoping t he Luxen w ill mut at e t he human. I w as st aying w it h her parent s w hen she ret urned from hiking. I had my suspicions, and I w as right . Y ouyou w ere sick. Somet hing dark flashed in his eyes. Hmm, havent you been doing your res earch? W hen I said not hing, he smirked. And I w ont ever be sick again. I blinked. Hed sold out his only family. I brought t hem in first and, w ell, w e know w hat happened from t here. He knelt dow n, head t ilt ed t o t he side. But youre differ ent . Your fever ran higher, you responded t o t he serum miraculously, and youre st ronger t han Bet hany. Serum? Yes. It s called Daedalus, named aft er t he divisi on w it hin t he DOD t hat oversees mut at ed humans. T heyve been w orking on it for yearsa mixt ure of human and alien DNA. I inject ed you w it h it w hen you first became ill. W ill laughed. Come on, did you t hink youd survive a mut at ion of t hat kind of magnit ude w it hout help? Oh my God You see, not all mut at ed hu mans survive t he change or t he boost er shot developed t o enhance your abilit ies. T hat s w hat t he Daedalus is t rying t o find out . W hy only some some li ke you, Bet hany, and Blakereact approvingly t o t he mut at ion and ot hers do n ot . And you, you I hear are quit e amazing in t hat depart ment . Hed shot me up w it h somet hing? I felt violat ed on a w hole new level. Anger cont inued t o build inside me, overshadow ing t he pain. W hy? I croaked.

W ill looked pleased. Excit ed. It s rat her simple. Daemon has somet hing I w ant , and you w ill ensure he behaves long enough so t his meet ing ends beneficial ly for all part ies involved. And I do have somet hing, besides you, t hat he w ill do anyt hing for. Hell kill you, I rasped, w incing. Doubt ful. And you really sho uldnt t alk, he said conversat ionally. I t hink youve done some permanent damage t o your vocal chords. Ive been dow nst airs for a w hile, w ait ing for you t o st op screaming. Dow nst airs? I realized t hen t hat w e w ere most likely in t he w arehouse t hat Daemon had at t empt ed t o invest igat e t he night w e ran i nt o t he officers. Moving rest lessly, I moaned as he brought t he handcuffs mo re int o cont act w it h my skin. I mayve faded out for a few seconds, because w hen I opened my eyes, W ill w as leaning closer. Did you know t he Luxen healing pow er is at it s st rongest w hen a person is w ounded and t he effect s w eake n t he longer t he gap is bet w een t he injury and t he healing? So Im t hinking he w ont be able t o fix t he voice t hing. I drew in a ragged, painful breat h t hat scorched my t hroat . Fuckyou. W ill laughed. Dont be angry, Kat y. I dont mean h im any harm. You, eit her. I just need you compliant w hile Daemon and I negot i at e. And if he plays along, bot h of you w ill w alk out of t his building aliv e. An unexpect ed jolt of pain rocked me, and my body w ent st iff as I gasped. I t felt like my cells really w ere bouncing off one anot her, t rying t o escape. He st ood, hands clenching at his sides. I almost t hought I lost it all t his w eekend. You can imagine how pissed I w as w hen I learned t hat Vaughn w as dea d. He w as supposed t o bring you t o me t hen. T hat poor boy had no idea t hat his ow n uncle w as w orking t o undermine w hat Nancy had him doing. He laughed , t railing his fingers over t he bars. Kind of messed up, if you t hink about it . Vaughn knew t hat Nancy w ould be pissed, most likely w ould t ake it out on Blakes lit t le alien friend. Alt hough I shouldnt t alk, since I t urned over Bet hany and Daw son. I shouldve t ried it w it h t hem, but I w asnt t hinking. Daw son is very much like his brot her. Hed have done anyt hing for Bet hany. Anger br oke t hrough t he pain, burning just as bright . Y ou He st opped at t he front of t he cage. As far as I know , it hasnt w orked yet . I really had no idea w hat he w as t alking about , but pieces clicked t oget her. W ill had bet rayed his ow n niece. T he bank t ransfer slips made sense. W ill had been paying Vaughn off, but for w hat ? I didnt know . W hat ever it w as, it w as enough for Vaughn t o go against t he DOD, and it also explained w hy hed st opped Blake from t elling Nancy any of my progress.

Dont w orry. Daemon is a smart one. W ill t urned my old cell over, smiling. He resp onded event ually. And let s just say my response w ill lead him t o us. I focused t hrough t he pain, concent rat ing on w hat he w as saying. W hat do you...w an t from him? W ill t ossed t he phone aside and grasped t he t ort urous bars. His eyes met mine, and t here w as t hat excit ement again, t he childlike aw e. I w ant him t o mut at e me.

Chapter 35 Id been expect ing a lot of t hings. Like maybe he w ant ed Daemon t o annihilat e an ent ire t ow n or rob a bank for him, but t o mut at e him? If pain w erent racking my body, I w ouldve laughed at t he absurdit y. W ill must ve sensed my t hought s, because he scow led. Y ou have no idea w hat youre t ruly capable of. W hat is money and prest ige w hen you have t he kind of pow er t o force people t o your w ill? W hen you never get sick? W hen no human and no alien life-form c an st op you? His knuckles bleached. You dont underst and, lit t le girl. Sure, you w at ched your fat her succumb t o cancer, and Im sure t hat w as t errible for you, but you st ill have no idea w hat it s like w hen your body t urns against y ou, w hen every day is a bat t le t o just survive. He pushed off t he bars. Being sick and close t o deat h changes a person, Kat y. I w ill do anyt hing t o nev er be t hat w eak, t hat helpless again. And I t hink your fat her, if hed been g iven t he chance, w ould have felt t he same w ay. I shuddered. My fat her w ould neverhurt anot her person W ill smiled. Y our naivet is endearing. It w asnt naivet knew my dad, w hat hed do. Anot her w ave of raw hurt forced my eyes closed. As it ebbed off, a different sensat ion appeared. Daemon w as here. My eyes dart ed t o t he doorw ay, and W ill t urned expect ant ly, even t hough t here hadnt be en a sound. Hes here, isnt he? You can sense him. Relief colored his t one. All of us suspect ed him, but w e couldve been w rong. It w asnt unt ill Blake t ook out Ad am and nearly Dee t hat w e could confirm it w as Daemon. He glanced back at me. B e grat eful t hat t he chain of evidence ends w it h me. W hen t his is done, w e all w alk aw ay from t his okay. If Nancy knew w hat w e did, neit her of you w ould be leaving here t onight . He glanced over his shoulder. T heres an address you need t o

remember. 1452 St reet of Hopes in Moorefield. T here, hell find w hat hes looking for. He has unt ill midnight , t hen hes lost his w indow of t ime. I remembered t he address from t he slip of paper Id found, but it w as a moot point . I w as sure t hat Daemon w as going t o blast W ill int o his next life. Just t hen, t he double doors opened, slamming off t he w hit e cement w alls. Daemon came t h rough t he ent rance, head low ered and eyes like glow ing orbs. Even in my st a t e, I could feel t he pow er radiat ing off him. Not a Luxen pow er, but a huma n oneone born of desperat ion and pain. He looked at W ill and quickly dismissed him. His gaze found me and st ayed. A mult it ude of emot ions flickered across his face. I w ant ed t o say somet hing, but my body had w ant ed t o move close r t o him. It w as an unconscious movement , and it caused t he onyx on t he han dcuffs t o come int o more cont act w it h my skin. W it hering on t he floor of t he pen, my mout h opened in a silent scream. Daemon shot forw ard. Not as fas t as he normally w ould. He gripped t he bars and t hen jerked back w it h a his s. W hat is t his? His gaze dropped t o his hands and t hen back t o me. Pain frac t ured t he light in his eyes. Onyx mixed w it h ruby and hemat it e, W ill answ e red. A nice combinat ion t hat doesnt sit w ell w it h t he Luxen or hybrids. Daemo n looked at W ill. I w ill kill you. No, I dont t hink you w ill. W ill had moved bac k, t hough, show ing t hat he w asnt ent irely confident in his plans. Onyx covers every ent rance t o t his building, so I know you cant pull in any pow er or use t he light . I also have t he keys t o t hat cage and t hose handcuffs. And onl y I can t ouch any part of t hat . Daemon grow led low in his t hroat . Maybe not now , but I w ill. Y ou can believe t hat . And you can believe t hat Ill be ready for t hat day. W ill glanced at me, cocking an eyebrow . Shes been in t here for a w hile. I t hink you underst and w hat t hat means. Shal w e move t his along? Ig noring him, Daemon approached t he ot her side of t he pen and knelt . I t urned my head t ow ard him, and his eyes searched every inch of me int ensely. Im going t o get you out of t here, Kit t en. I sw ear t o you. As sw eet as your declarat ion is, t he only w ay youll get her out of t here is t o do as I say, and w e o nly have He checked his Rolex. About t hirt y minut es before t he next round of of ficers arrive, and w hile I have every int ent ion of let t ing you bot h go, t hey w ont . Daemon lift ed his head, jaw w orking. W hat do you w ant ? I w ant you t o mut at e me. He st ared at W ill a moment , t hen laughed grimly. Are you insan e?

W ill s eyes narrow ed. I dont need t o explain everyt hing t o you. She know s. Sh e can fill you in. I w ant you t o change me. He reached over t he cage, w rappin g his fingers around t he bundle of chains. I w ant t o become w hat she is. I cant just t w it ch my nose and make it happen. I know how it w orks. He sneered. I have t o be w ounded. Y ou have t o heal me, and t he rest I can t ake care of. Daemon shook his head. W hat is t he rest ? Once again, W ill looked at me and smiled. Ka t y can fill you in on t hat . Y oull fill me in right now , he snarled. Or not . W il l yanked on t he chains, and I buckled. My scream w as just a w himper, but Daem on shot up. St op it ! he roared. Let t he chains go. But you havent even heard w hat Im offering. He held t he damn chains up, and I sw am in pain. I faded out for sev eral seconds, ret urning t o see Daemon at t he front of t he cage, his eyes w i de and frant ic. Let t he chains go, he said. Please. My heart cracked. Daemon never begged. W ill released t he chains, and I slumped against t he pen. T he pain w as st ill t here, but it w as not hing like it had been seconds ago. T hat s much bet t er. W ill st epped closer t o t he cage Mo had been in. T his is my deal. M ut at e me, and Ill give you t he key t o t he cage, but Im not st upid, Daemon. Y o ure not ? Daemon snickered. T he older mans lip t w it ched. I need t o make sure yo u dont come aft er me as soon as I leave here, w hich I know you w ill once shes r emoved from t hat cage. Am I t hat predict able? He smiled smugly, and his st ance changed, t aking on t he arrogant sw agger he w as famous for, but I knew he w a s coiled t ight . I may have t o change up my game. W ill let out an exasperat ed breat h. W hen I leave here, you w ill not follow me. We have less t han t w ent y minut es t o do t his, and t hen youll have only t hirt y minut es, give or t a ke a few , t o go t o t he address Ive given t o Kat y. Daemon glanced at me quick ly. Is t his a scavenger hunt ? I so do love t hem.

Alw ays a smartass, I thought, even in the w orst situations. I think I kind of loved him just for that. Possibly. W ill slow ly approached him, pulling out a gun from his back. Daemon just arched a brow w hile my heart t umbled over. Youll hav e a choice t o make aft er you let her out of t he cage. Y ou can come aft er me or you can get t he one t hing youve alw ays w ant ed. W hat ? A t at t oo of your face on my ass? W ill s cheeks flushed w it h anger. Y our brot her. All of Daemons arrogance vanished. He t ook a st ep back. W hat ? Ive paid a lot of money t o get h im in a posit ion w here he couldve escaped. Besides, I doubt t heyll really be sear ching for him. W ill smiled coldly. Hes proven t o be quit e useless. But youyou, on t he ot her hand, are st ronger. Y oull succeed w here hes failed t ime and t ime again. I w et my dry lips. Failedat w hat ? Daemons head jerked t ow ard me, his eye s narrow ing at t he sound of my voice, but W ill spoke up. T heyve been forcing h im t o mut at e humans for years. It hasnt been w orking. Hes not as st rong as yo u, Daemon. Y ou are different . Daemon drew in a breat h. W ill w as offering Dae mon everyt hing hed w ant edhis brot her. T here w as no w ay hed t urn t hat dow n . And he w as fight ing not t o show any emot ion. To W ill, he w as expressionl ess, but I recognized t he minut e t icking in his jaw , t he w ay his eyes flic kered, and t he t ight line of his mout h. He w as caught bet w een excit ement and t he know ledge t hat he w as creat ing someone w ho could ult imat ely dest roy t he ones he loved. And someone w ho w ould be t ied t o him irrevocablyand t o me. If Daemon healed W ill, t heir lives w ould be joined. Id prefer t o hunt you dow n and break every bone in your body for w hat youve done, Daemon said fina lly. Rip your flesh off your body slow ly and t hen feed it t o you for hurt ing Kat . But my brot her means more t han vengeance. Visibly shaken by his w ords, W ill paled. I w as hoping t hat w ould be your decision. Y ou know , you have t o b e hurt for t his t o w ork. W ill nodded, aiming t he gun at his leg. I know . Daem on looked disappoint ed. I w as so hoping I w as going t o get t o inflict t he d amage. Y eah, I dont t hink so. W hat happened next w as t ruly macabre. Part of me w ant ed t o look aw ay or cave t o t he pain, but I didnt . I w at ched W ill co ck his arm back and t hen aft er a minut e, he shot himself in t he leg. T he ma n didnt make a sound. Somet hing didnt seem right about t hat ot her t han t he ob vious, but t hen Daemon placed his hand on W ill s arm. T he onyx didnt block his

healing pow ers. Daemon couldve let him bleed out , but he w ould never get passe d t he onyx t o get me out . I blacked out again, unable t o really fight t hrou gh t he pain anymore. Coming t o, I saw W ill unlat ching t he cage door. He mov ed over me, healt hy and w hole, unlocking t he chains above me. T he manacles s lipped off my w rist s, and I almost cried just for t hat . W ill s eyes met mine . I suggest you dont t ell your mot her about t his. Aft er all, it w ould kill he r. He smiled, having got t en w hat he w ant ed. Behave, Kat y. T hen he w as out o f t he cage, and out of t he room. I didnt know how much t ime w e had left . Cou ldnt be more t han t en minut es. I t ried t o sit up, but my arms gave out . Daem on Im here. And he w as. Carefully ent ering t he cage and helping me out . Ive got yo , Kit t en. It s over. T he healing w armt h w as in his hands, fueling w hat st r engt h I had left . By t he t ime he placed me on my feet out side of t he cage, I could st and alone, and I gent ly brushed his hands off me. Aft er healing W ill, I knew he w asnt at full st rengt h. And t here w ere officers on t heir w a y, limit ed t ime t o reach Daw son. Im all right , I w hispered in a t hroat y voi ce. Making a deep sound in t he back of his t hroat , he clut ched my cheeks and placed his lips on mine. I closed my eyes, sinking int o his t ouch. W hen he p ulled aw ay, bot h of us w ere gasping for air. W hat did you do? I asked, w incin g at t he sound of my voice. Daemon pressed his forehead against mine, and I fel t his half grin against my lips. For t he mut at ion t o w ork, bot h part ies ha ve t o be w illing, Kit t en. Remember w hat Mat t hew said? I w asnt ent irely i nt o it , if you get my drift . And not t o ment ion, he needed t o be dying or close t o it . T he mut at ion probably w ont w ork. At least not t o t he ext en t he t hinks. I laughed in spit e of everyt hing, t he sound rasping. Evil genius. Y ou bet cha, he replied, his eyes moving over me, his fingers t hreading t hrough mine. Y ou sure youre okay? Y our voice Y eah, I w hispered. Ill be okay. He kissed gain, soft and deep, and he t ook aw ay most of t he hours spent t here, even t hough I w as sure t heyd linger for some t ime, creeping up like most dark t hing s do. But for a moment , w e w erent in such a t errible place, t here w asnt t hi s giant clock t icking over our

heads, and I w as safe o halves of t he same ronger. Daemon sighed a real smile. Now let

in his arms. T reasured. Loved. W e w ere t oget her. T w at om brought back t o make one t hat w as infinit ely st against my mout h, and t hen I felt his lips curve int o s go get my brot her.

Chapter 36 My boot s and sw eat er w ere MIA, so Daemon t ugged his sw eat er on over my he ad, leaving him in a t hin cot t on shirt and jeans. T here w as not hing w e co uld do about t he shoes. Id survive, t hough. Chilled feet w ere act ually pleasa nt in comparison t o w hat Id just experienced. W it h no t ime t o w ast e, Daem on scooped me up and rushed from t he w arehouse. Once out side and no longer af fect ed by t he onyx, I felt t he bit ing w ind st ing my cheeks as he picked up speed. Seconds lat er, he w as buckling me int o his passenger seat . I can do i t , I mumbled, w illing my fingers around t he met al. He hesit at ed as he saw m y hands t remble and t hen nodded. In a heart beat , he w as behind t he st eeri ng w heel, t urning t he key. Ready? W hen t he belt clicked int o place, I leaned back against t he seat , out of breat h. T he onyx had done more t han block t he Source. I felt like Id climbed Mount Everest w hile carrying a hundred-pound w eight st rapped t o my back. I couldnt imagine how Daemon w as st ill going full t hrot t le, especially aft er t he admit t edly half-assed healing job on W il l. Y ou could leave me, I realized t hen. Y oud be fast erw it hout me. Daemons brow s shot up as he eased t he SUV around t he Dumpst ers. Im not leaving you. I knew how badly he needed t o get t o t he office buildingt o Daw son. Ill be fine. I can st ay in t he car andyou can just do your zippy speed st uff. He shook his head. Not going t o happen. W e have t ime. But Not going t o happen, Kat . He gunned it out of t he parking lot . Im not leaving you alone. Not for a freaking second, okay? We have t ime. He brushed t he dark w aves off his forehead w it h one hand, his jaw clenching t ight ly. W hen I got your message about your mom and w hen you didnt respond back t o me, I t hought maybe you w ere already at t he hospit all in W inchest er, so I called and w hen t hey t old me your mom hadnt been admit t ed

Relief coursed t hrough me. Mom w as okay. Daemon shook his head. I t hought t he w orst I t hought t heyd got t en you. And I w as ready t o t ear t his w hole da mn t ow n apart . And t hen I got t he t ext from W ill so, yeah, Im not let t ing you out of my sight . My chest ached. W hile Id been panicking in t hat cage, I h adnt had a chance t o really consider Daemon w as aw are of w hat w as happening, but now I knew t hose hours must ve been pure hell for him, a flashback t o t he days aft er Daw sons supposed deat h. My heart w ept for him. Im okay, I w hispered . He glanced at me sidew ays as w e sped ont o t he highw ay heading east . If w e didnt get pulled over for speeding, it w ould be a miracle. Are you really okay , t hough? I nodded inst ead of speaking because I had a feeling hearing my damag ed voice w ould probably get t o him. Onyx, he said, gripping t he st eering w hee l. It s been years since I saw it . Did you know it w ould do t hat ? Keeping my voic e low t ook aw ay most of t he raspy sound. Back w hen w e w ere being assimilat ed, Id seen it used on t hose w ho w ere causing problems, but I w as young. I sh ouldve recognized it , t hough, w hen I first saw it . I just never saw it in t h at capacit yon bars and chains. And I didnt know it w ould affect you t he same w ay. It I t railed off, t aking a deep breat h. It had been t he w orst pain Id ever experienced. I imagined it w as like childbirt h plus surgery w it hout anest he sia. Like t he mut at ed cells under my skin w ere t rying t o break free, bounc ing off one anot her. Like being ripped apart from t he insideat least t hat w as how it felt . And t he t hought of anyone else suffering like t hat caused my s t omach t o t w ist . T hey cont rolled Luxen like t hat , t he ones w ho caused problems? It w as inhumane and t ort urous. No leap of t he imaginat ion t o t hink t hat w as how t heyd be cont rolling Daw sonand Blakes friend. And t heyd had Daw son for over a year and Chris for how many? HoursI only had hours in t hat ca ge w it h t he onyx. Hours t hat w ould linger w it h me unt ill I t ook my last breat h, but it w as only hours, w hile ot hers had years, most likely. In t ho se hours, part s of my soul had darkenedhardened. T hered been moment s w hen I w ouldve done anyt hing t o make it st op. Know ing t hat , I couldnt even fat hom w hat it had done t o ot herst o Daw son. Anxiet y t hrummed t hrough me. I couldnt bear Daemon being in somet hing like t hat . Caged and in pain w it h no end in sight t he hopelessness t hat w ould event ually creep int o him, t he pain t ha t w ould shape him int o a different person. I couldnt live w it h t hat .

Kat ? Concern clouded his t one. T hose hours, t he know ledge Id gained from t hem , had changed me. No. I had been changing before t hengoing from someone w ho hat ed confront at ion t o someone w ho w ant ed t o t rain and gain t he pow er t o fight and t o kill. Lying t o t hose I cared about had become second nat ure w hen Id been a pret t y honest person before. Sure, it w as t o prot ect t hem, bu t lying w as lying. I w as bolder now , braver. Part s of me had changed for t h e bet t er, t oo. And I knew w it hout a doubt Id kill t o prot ect Daemon and t hose I loved w it hout a moment of hesit at ion. Old Kat y couldnt fat hom t hat . Now I w as not hing but a shade of graymy moral compass ambiguous. T here w as somet hing I needed him t o know . Blake and I arent very different . W hat ? Daemon looked at me sharply. Y oure not hing like t hat son No. I am. I t w ist ed t ow ard h im. He did everyt hing t o prot ect Chris. He bet rayed people. He lied. He kille d. And I get t hat now . Doesnt make anyt hing he did okay, but I get t hat now . II w ould do anyt hing t o prot ect you. He st ared at me as w hat I didnt say hun g in t he air bet w een us and t hen sunk in. I w asnt sure if w hat Id become w a s a bet t er version of me or not . And I also w asnt sure if t hat w as going t o change how Daemon looked at me, but he had t o know . Daemon reached over w it h one hand, t hreading his fingers t hrough mine. He remained focused on t he d ark road as he pressed our hands t o his t high, keeping t hem t here. Youre st il l not hing like him, because in t he end, you w ouldnt hurt someone w ho w as inn ocent . Youd make t he right call. I w asnt so sure about t hat , but his fait h in me brought t ears t o my w eary eyes. I blinked t hem back and squeezed his han d. Daemon didnt say it , but I knew he w ouldnt make t he right call if someone he loved w as in danger. He hadnt made t he right call w hen t he t w o DOD officers caught us at t he w arehouse. About W ill? W hat w hat do you t hink w ill happen w it h him? Daemon grow led. God, I do w ant t o hunt him dow n, but heres t he dea l. Worst -case scenario, hes pissed w hen t he mut at ion fades, and he comes bac k aft er us. If so, Ill t ake care of him. My brow s arched. Worst -case scenario t o me w as if he came back in any formnormal, mut at ed, or w hat everand got any w here near my mom again. And you t hink t here w as no w ay t he mut at ion st u ck? Not if Mat t hew is right . I mean, I w ant ed t o do it t o get you out of t here, but it w asnt t his t rue and deep w ant . He nicked an art ery, but he w a snt dying. He cast me a look. I know w

hat youre t hinking. T hat if it did, w ere connect ed t o him. Healing W ill w it hout really know ing w hat t he out come w ould be w as a huge risk and sacrific e for Daemon. Y eah, I admit t ed. T heres not hing w e can do about t hat now but w ait and see. T hank you. I cleared my t hroat , but it didnt help. T hank you for ge t t ing me out of t here. Daemon didnt respond, but his fingers t ight ening aroun d mine grounded me in realit y. I t old him about t he Daedalus, but as expect e d, he hadnt heard of t hem. T he lit t le t alking w e did on t he w ay t o t he office building w eakened my voice furt her, and each t ime my w ords ended on a raspy not e, Daemon flinched. I pressed my head against t he backseat , forcing my eyes t o st ay open. Are you okay? Daemon asked as w e neared St reet of Hopes . My smile felt w obbly. Y eah, Im okay. Dont w orry about me right now . Everyt hi ng Everyt hing is about t o change. He pulled along t he back of t he plaza, hit t i ng t he brakes. Pulling his hand free, he cut t he engine. He t ook a deep breat h as he glanced at t he clock in t he dashboard. W e had five minut es. Five mi nut es t o get Daw son out of t here if w hat W ill had said w as t rue. Five mi nut es w asnt nearly enough t ime t o prepare for t his. I t ook off t he seat be lt , ignoring t he w eariness sinking int o my bones. Let s do t his. Daemon blinke d. Y ou dont have t o come in w it h me. I know youre t ired. No w ay in hell w as I let t ing Daemon face t his alone. Neit her of us had any clue w hat w ait ed in side, w hat kind of condit ion Daw son w as in. I opened t he door, w incing as pins and needles shot across my feet . Daemon w as beside me in a second, t akin g my hand as he looked dow n, meet ing my eyes. T hank you. I smiled even t hough my insides w ere t w ist ing and t urning. As w e w alked up t o t he front door s, I st art ed a mini prayer in my head for w hoever w as list ening. Please dont let t his end badly. Please dont let t his end badly. Because in realit y, t his could go w rong on so many different levels it w as fright ening. Daemon reache d for t he handle on t he double glass doors and surprise, surprise, t he door w as unlocked. Suspicion blossomed. Too easy, but w ed come t his far. Looking up, I saw a circular piece of onyx embedded in t he brick. Once inside, w ed be pow erless, w it h t he except ion of healing. If t his w ere a t rap, w e w ere so screw ed. We w ent inside. To t he right , t he alarm syst em shone green, meani ng it w asnt set . How much money did W ill invest in t his? T he guards at t he w arehouse, Vaughn, and all t he people he had t o pay off t o just leave t he o ffice buildingunlocked?

Money w ouldve been of no real hindrance t o him. Hell, hed t urned over his ow n niece. T he lobby looked like any office-building lobby. Half-circle desk, fake plant s, and cheap t ile floors. T here w as a door leading t o a st airw ell t hat had been convenient ly left open. Glancing at Daemon, I squeezed his hand. Id never see him so pale, his face so hard it couldve been made of marble. His dest iny w ait ed upst airs, in a w ay. His fut ure. Squaring his shoulders, he st a rt ed t ow ard t he door and w e w ent , climbing t he st airs as fast as w e co uld. W hen w e reached t he t op, my legs w ere shaking from exhaust ion, but fe ar and excit ement spiked my blood w it h adrenaline. At t he t op landing, t he re w as a closed door. Above it , t here w as more onyxa sure sign. Daemon let go of my hand and w rapped his fingers around t he handle, a slight t remor runnin g up his arm. My breat h caught in my t hroat as he opened t he door. Images of t he impending reunion flit t ed t hrough my t hought s. Would t here be t ears and shout s of joy? W ould Daw son be in any shape t o recognize his brot her? O r w as t here a t rap w ait ing t o be sprung on us? T he room w as dark, lit on ly by t he moonlight st reaming in t hrough one w indow . T here w ere a couple of folding chairs propped against t he w all, a T V in t he corner, and a large kennellike cage in t he middle of t he room, out fit t ed w it h t he same kind of manacles t hat had hung from mine. Daemon st epped int o t he room slow ly, h is hands falling t o his sides. Heat blast ed off his body as his spine st iffen ed. T he caget he cage w as empt y. Part of me didnt w ant t o process w hat t hat meant , couldnt let t he t hought sink in and t ake root . My st omach cramped, and t ears burned t he back of my sore t hroat . Daemon, I croaked. He st alked t o t he cage, st ood t here a moment , and t hen knelt , pressing his forehead ag ainst his hand. A shudder racked his body. I hurried t o his side and placed my hand on his rigid back. Muscles bunched under my t ouch. Hehe lied t o me, Daemon s aid, voice ragged. He lied t o us. To come t his close, t o come seconds from seei ng his brot her again, w as heart breaking. T he kind of shat t ering t here w a s no coming back from.

T here w as not hing I could say. No w ords could make t his bet t er. T he empt iness t earing open inside me w as not hing compared w it h w hat I knew Daemon w as feeling. Choking back a sob, I knelt behind him and rest ed my cheek on hi s back. Had Daw son ever been here? T here w as a good chance hed been at t he w arehouse because of w hat Mo had said, but if hed been here, he w as gone now . G one again. Daemon jerked up. Caught off guard, I st art ed t o t ip over, but he w hipped around, cat ching me before I hit t he floor and pulling me t o my fee t . My heart st ut t ered and t hen accelerat ed. Daemon Sorry. His voice w as rough. W ew e need t o get out of here. I nodded, st epping back. IIm so sorry. He pressed h s lips int o a t hin line. It s not your fault . Y ou had not hing t o do w it h t his. He t ricked us. He lied. I honest ly w ant ed t o sit dow n and cry. T his w as so w rong. Daemon t ook my hand, and w e headed back t o t he car. I climbe d in, buckling t he seat belt w it h numb fingers and a heavy heart . We pulled out of t he plaza, hit t ing t he road in silence. Several miles lat er t w o Fo rd Expedit ions sped past us. I t w ist ed in my seat , expect ing t he vehicles t o do a one-eight y in t he middle of t he road, but t hey kept going. Turning around, I glanced at Daemon. His jaw w as carved out of ice right now . His eye s glow ing like diamonds from t he moment w e st epped out of t he office buildi ng. I w ant ed t o say somet hing, but t here really w erent w ords t hat could d o t he loss any just ice. Daemon had lost Daw son all over again. T he injust ic e of it at e aw ay at me. I reached bet w een us, placing my hand on his arm. He glanced at me briefly but said not hing. Set t ling back against t he seat , I w at ched t he scenery blur by in a mesh of shadow s. I kept my hand on his arm, t hough, hoping it brought him comfort like hed given me earlier. By t he t ime w e reached t he main rout e leading t o our road, I could barely keep my eyes o pen. It w as lat e, past midnight , and t he only good t hing I had going w as m y mom w as in fact at w ork and not w ondering w here in t he hell Id been all da y. T here had probably been t ext s from her, and she w asnt going t o be happy w hen I responded w it h some lame excuse. Mom and I w ere going t o have t o t a lk. Not now , but soon. We pulled int o Daemons drivew ay and t he SUV idled t o a st op. Dees Jet t a w as in t he drivew ay, along w it h Mat t hew s car. Did you call t hem, t ell t hem w hat happened t ome?

He t ook a breat h and I realized he hadnt been breat hing t his w hole t ime. T h ey w ant ed t o help find you, but I had t hem st ay here in case In case t hings had gone badly. A very smart move. At least Dee hadnt experienced t he piercing h ope t hat t urned int o bot t omless despair like Daemon had. If t he mut at ion doesnt hold, I w ill find W ill, he said, and Im going t o kill him. I w as probably going t o help, but before I could respond, Daemon leaned over t he cent er cons ole and kissed me. T he t ender t ouch w as so at odds w it h w hat hed just said . Deadly and sw eet t hat w as w hat Daemon w as; t w o very different kinds of s ouls rest ed in him, fused t oget her. Daemon pulled back w it h a shudder. I cant I cant face Dee right now . But w ont she w orry? Ill t ext her as soon as youre se ed. Okay. Y ou can st ay w it h me. Alw ays, I w ant ed t o add. A w ry grin appear ed on his lips. Ill get out before your mom comes home. Sw ear. T hat w ould be a g ood idea. He asked me t o w ait w hile he got out and came around t he front of t he SUV, slow er t han he normally moved. Tonight had t aken it s t oll. He ope ned t he door and reached in for me. W hat are you doing? He arched a brow . Y ou h avent had shoes on t his ent ire t ime, so no more w alking. I w ant ed t o t ell him t hat I could w alk, but some inherent inst inct t old me not t o push it . Daemon needed t his, needed t o t ake care of someone right now . I relent ed an d scoot ed t o t he edge of t he seat . T he front door t o his house sw ung ope n, slamming against t he clapboard like a gunshot . I froze, but Daemon spun aro und, his hands closing int o fist s, preparing t o face anyt hing and expect ing t he w orst . Dee rushed out . St rands of dark curly hair st reamed behind her . Even from w here I w as, I could see t he t ears glist ening on her pale cheek s, under her sw oll en eyes. But she w as laughing. She w as smiling, babbling n onsense, but she w as smiling. I slipped out of t he seat , w incing as coldness bit deep int o my flesh. Daemon t ook a st ep forw ard as t he front door st ar t ed t o sw ing shut but st opped. A t all and t hin form filled t he doorw ay, sw aying like a reed. As t he form drift ed forw ard, Daemon st umbled. Oh God, Daemon never st umbled.

T he w hy sunk in slow ly, and I blinkedt oo scared t o believe w hat I w as seei ng. It all seemed surreal. Like maybe Id fall en asleep on t he w ay back, and I w as dreaming somet hing t oo perfect . Because under t he glow of t he porch li ght w as a boy w it h dark w avy hair curling around broad cheekbones, lips t ha t w ere w ide and expressive, and eyes t hat w ere dull but st ill such a st rik ing shade of green. An exact replica of Daemon st ood on t he porch. Gaunt and p ale, but it w as like seeing Daemon in t w o spot s. Daw son, Daemon croaked out. T hen he broke int o a dead run, feet pounding over frozen ground and up t he st eps. Wet ness gat hered in my eyes, spilling dow n my cheeks as Daemon t hrew h is arms out , his broader body blocking his brot hers. Somehow , somew ay, Daw so n w as home. Daemon pulled his brot her t o him, but Daw son He w as just st andi ng t here, arms limp against his sides, his face as beaut iful as his brot hers b ut painfully empt y. Daw son? Uncert aint y carried in Daemons voice as he pulled ba ck, t w ist ing my insides int o raw , nervous lit t le knot s t hat t raveled u p my t hroat , get t ing st uck and st ealing my breat h. As t he t w o brot her s st ared at each ot her, w it h t he w ind blow ing loose flakes of snow on t h e ground, sending t hem sw irling int o t he night sky, I remembered w hat Daemo n had said earlier. He had been right . In t hat moment , everyt hing did changef or t he bet t er and for t he w orse. Acknowledgments W rit ing acknow ledgment s is probably t he hardest part of t he book-making business. Every t ime, I fee l like I forgot someone t erribly import ant , and like Kat y w ould say, t hat w ould make me a douche canoe. I w ant t o t hank my family and friends for not hat ing me w hen I ignore t hem for days t o finish a book. A huge shout -out an d a big t hank-you t o t he book lovers and bloggers out t here. Y our love for t he Lux seriesand Daemon aw es me. A big t hank-you t o Liz Pell et ier, t he ed it or behind t he Lux Series and t he one w ho demanded t hat I put more Daemon int o Onyx. Yeah, t hank her. T hank you t o my aw esome publicist , Misa, and t he rest of t he crew at Ent angled. And, of course, I cant forget my aw esome ag ent , Kevan Lyon, and foreign right s agent , Rebecca Mancini, and all t he hard w ork t hey do.

Also, t hank you W endy Higgins! T hanks t o Cindy, Carissa, Lesa, and Angela fo r act ually reading t his before t he red pen got a hold of it . Bonus Material Read one of your favorite ONYX scenes from Daemons point of view, and then catch a sneak peek of one of Entangled Teens hottest new YA releases... Do This the Rig ht Way Daemon T he ent ire w orld w as crashing dow n on us. T hat son of a bit ch BlakeI shouldve killed him t he moment I first saw him. I shouldve killed him no w . Kat had lied t o me. Adam w as dead. Dee w as dest royed. T he DOD w ould be knocking on our doors any damn second, I st ill had no idea w here Daw son w as , and t he only t hing I could t hink about cared about w as w hat Kat w as t elli ng me. T hat she had never felt t his w ay about anyone before. T hat she couldnt cat ch her breat h and t hat she felt alive. And she w as t alking about how sh e felt about me. But none of t his mat t ers, she cont inued, because I know you re ally hat e me now . I underst and t hat . I just w ish I could go back and chang e everyt hing! I I moved t oo fast for her t o t rack and clasped her cheeks. I nev er hat ed you. She blinked, and God, I couldnt st and it if she cried. But I dont hat e you now , Kat . My gaze locked w it h her w at ery one. Im mad at youat myself. Im so angry, I can t ast e it . I w ant t o find Blake and rearrange part s of his body. But do you know w hat I t hought about all day yest erday? All night ? T h e one single t hought I couldnt escape, no mat t er how pissed off I am at you? No, she w hispered. My chest const rict ed. T hat Im lucky, because t he person I cant get out of my head, t he person w ho means more t o me t han I can st and, is st ill alive. Shes st ill t here. And t hat s you. A t ear t railed dow n her cheek. W hat w hat does t hat mean? I really dont know . I chased aft er t he t ear w it h my t humb. I dont know w hat t omorrow is going t o bring, w hat a year from now is going t o be like. Hell, w e may end up killing each

ot her over somet hing st upid next w eek. It s a possibilit y. But all I do know is w hat I feel for you isnt going anyw here. She st art ed t o cry harder, and i t made me w eak in t he knees. I bent my head, kissing t he t ears aw ay unt ill t hat w asnt enough and I needed a t ast e of her. I kissed her, grow ling at t he w ay her lips felt against mine. But Kat pulled back. How can you st ill w ant me? I pressed my forehead against hers. Oh, I st ill w ant t o st rangle you. But Im insane. Youre crazy. Maybe t hat s w hy. Maybe w ere meant t o be t oget her. T ha t makes no sense. It kind of does, t o me at least . I kissed her again. I had t o. It might have t o do w it h t he fact you finally admit t ed youre deeply and irr evocably in love w it h me. She let out a w eak, shaky laugh. I so did not admit t hat . Not in so many w ords, but w e bot h know it s t rue. And Im okay w it h it . Y ou are? She closed t hose beaut iful, heat her-gray eyes, and all I could t hink w as how grat eful I w as she w as st ill breat hing. Man, I w as t urning int o a pansy. But I didnt care. Not w hen it came t o her. It s t he same for you? she asked. My answ er w as t o bring our mout hs t oget her againand again. T he t ou ch w as like t apping int o t he Source, sending light ning st raight t o t he s oul. T he kiss deepened unt ill t here w as no me, no her. It w as just us, and it w asnt enoughcould never be enough. I w as moving w it hout realizing it , and t he next t hing I knew w e w ere on t he bed and she w as right w here I w ant ed herin my lap. And t hen she w as beside me on t he bed, and my heart w as doin g crazy crap in my chest . Such a human t hing, but it w as happening. Kat breat hed heavily. T his doesnt change anyt hing Ive done. All of t his is st ill my fau lt . Placing my hand on her st omach, I moved so close I w as pract ically at t a ched t o her. And I w ant ed t o be in so many different w ays. It s not all your fault . It s all of ours. And w ere in t his t oget her. W ell face w hat ever is w ait ing for us t oget her. Us?

I nodded, w orking on t he but t ons of her sw eat er. Some of t hem w ere but t oned incorrect ly, and I laughed. Only Kat could have t rouble put t ing clot h es on correct ly and somehow make it sexy. If t here is anyt hing, t here is us. K at lift ed her shoulders, and helped me get her out of t he damn t hing. Good. S he w as on board w it h w here t his w as heading. And w hat does us really mean? Y o u and me. I moved dow n, t ugging off her boot s. No one else. Her cheeks flushed a s she pulled off her socks and lay back dow n. Jesus, she st ill had on w ay t o o many clot hes. II kind of like t he sound of t hat . Kind of ? Bull. Shit . I slipp ed my hand dow n her st omach, t o t he hem of her shirt and underneat h. I bit dow n on t he inside of my cheek. T he minor burn of pain did not hing. I loved t he w ay her skin felt like sat in. Kind of isnt good enough. Okay. I do like t hat . So do I. I low ered my head, kissing her slow ly. I bet you love t hat . Her lips curved int o a smile against mine. I do. T here w as t hat damn const rict ion aga in, like Id been punched in t he chest , but in a good w ay. How you could be pun ched in a chest in a good w ay w as beyond me, but damn, I sort of loved t hat f eeling. T he sound t hat came from deep in my t hroat w as more animal t han Lux en or human. I kissed her st ill damp cheeks as she t old me everyt hing Blake h ad said and done, and I w ant ed t o kill him all over again, but right now , I w as w it h her and Kat w as t he only t hing t hat mat t ered. In bet w een t h e kisses t hat unraveled me and t hen pieced me back t oget her, I spoke t hings I never t old anyone. How crazy I had felt aft er hearing Daw son w as dead, an d t he hope I felt learning he had t o be alive. I t old her how badly I w ished my parent s w ere here, how somet imes I hat ed being t he one w ho had t o t a ke care of t hings, and I admit t ed how jealous I had been w hen I saw her arou nd Blake. Everyt hing I felt w as in every t ouch and even w hat I didnt see w as in t he w ay my fingers brushed over t he fragile bones of her ribcage. And w i t h every breat hy, soft moan t hat escaped her lips, I w as snared in her w eb a lit t le more. My hands shook as t hey moved up, and I hoped she didnt not ice. I w as blow n aw ay, shat t ered by w hat she allow ed me t o do. Pieces of our clot hing disappeared. My shirt . Hers. Kat s hand drift ed dow n my st omach, a nd I clenched my jaw so hard I w as sure I w as going t o be paying a visit t o a dent ist soon.

W hen her fingers found t he but t on on my jeans, I w as complet ely lost t o h er, but in a w ay I never, ever expect ed. You have no idea how badly I w ant t h is, I t old her, bringing t he t ips of my fingers dow n her chest and over her s t omach. So beaut iful. I t hink Ive act ually dreamed about it . Crazy, huh? She l ift ed a small hand, running t he pads of her fingers dow n my cheek. I t urned int o t he t ouch, pressing a kiss against t he palm of her hand, and t hen I fo und her mout h again. T his kiss w as different , more int ense, and Kat aw , GodK at came alive. Hips rocking t oget her, our bodies fit t ed so t ight ly t here w as a good chance I w ould slip int o my t rue form and knock out t he pow er i n t he ent ire st at e. Our explorat ions grew . Her hands w ere everyw here, an d I urged her w it h w ords and t ouches t o go furt her. Her leg curled around my hipssw eet , baby JesusI w as nearly undone. W it h my name on her lips and w i t h barely anyt hing separat ing us, I felt t he last of my cont roll slipping. W hit ish-red light radiat ed off of me, bat hing Kat in t he w arm glow . T her e w as now here t hat my hands didnt explore, and t he w ay her body arched int o t he slight est t ouch, I w as aw ed and consumed. Kissing her and draw ing her deep inside me, I never w ant ed t his t o end. She w as perfect t o me. She w as mine, and I w ant ed her more t han I w ant ed anyt hing in my life. But I st opped. Everyt hing t hat had happened flipped t hrough my head like a phot o al bum I w ant ed t o burn. Bot h our emot ions w ere all over t he place. T here h ad been deat h, discovery, and so much more. And w e w ere rushing headfirst int o not t urning back. I didnt w ant our first t ime t o be like t hist o be becaus e of w hat happened. My God, I w as a mushy pansy ass, but I st opped. Kat st ar ed up at me, running her hands over my st omach and making it really hard t o sl am on t he brakes. W hat ? she asked. Y ouyoure not going t o believe me. Hell, I didn believe it . In a couple of seconds, I w as really going t o regret t his. But I w ant t o do t his right . She st art ed t o smile. I doubt you could do t his w rong. Ha. Yeah, Im not t alking about t hat . T hat I w ill do perfect ly, but I w ant t o Break out t he subscript ion t o t he Hall mark Channel and Lifet ime Movi e Net w ork. I w ant us t o have w hat normal couples have. Kat looked like she w as going t o cry again. Id probably be crying soon, but for a t ot ally different reason.

I cupped her cheek, exhaling roughly. And t he last t hing I w ant t o do is st o p, but I w ant t o t ake you out go on a dat e or somet hing. I sounded like an id iot . I dont w ant w hat w ere about t o do t o be overshadow ed by everyt hing els e. I t hink I might have blushed. Damn me. Calling on every ounce of self-cont ro ll I had, I did t he unt hinkable and lift ed off her, easing dow n on my side. I w rapped an arm around her w aist and t ugged her close. I brushed my lips acr oss her t emple. Okay? Kat t ipped her head back, meet ing my st are. Her t hroat w orked on her next w ords. I t hink I might love you. Air punched out of my lungs . I held her t ight , and I knew right t hen I w ould burn dow n t he w hole uni verse for her if I had t o. I w ould do anyt hing t o keep her safe. Kill. Heal. Die. Anyt hing. Because she w as my everyt hing. And I w ant ed t o t ell her s o, but I didnt w ant t o t empt t he universe. Bad t hings happened t o t he peop le I loved. I kissed her cheek. T old you. Kat st ared at me. I chuckled, and alt hough it didnt seem possible, I moved closer. My bet I w on. I t old you t hat youd t ell me you love me on New Y ears Day. Looping her arms around my neck, she shook my head. No. Y ou lost . I frow ned. How do you figure? Look at t he t ime. She t ipp ed her chin t ow ard t he clock on t he w all. It s past midnight . It s January se cond. Y ou lost . For several moment s I st ared at t he clock, w ishing it int o a black hole, but t hen my gaze found hers and I smiledreally smiled. No. I didnt lose. I st ill w on. Keep reading for a sneak peek of Tara Fullers Inbetween A capt ivating whirlwind of death, revenge, and true love. I want a reaper of my own!! Jena from Shortie Says Since the car crash that took her fathers life two years ago, Emmas life has been a freakyand unendinglesson in caution. Surviving accidents h as taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her day s taking pictures of life instead of living it. Faling in love with a boy was ne ver part of the plan. Faling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love w it h a girl fat e has put on his list not once, but t w ice. Finns fell ow reapers give him hell about spending t ime w it h Emma, but Finn couldnt let her die before, and hes not abou t t o let her die now . He w ill prot ect t he girl he loves from t he evil he a ccident ally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing t he only t hing he has lef t . His soul. Prologue Finn Two Years Earlier Tell me again. How did you miss t he mark? I shoved my hands in my pocket s and pressed my lips t oget her t o keep from grinning. I sw ear, Anay a, t his is t he last t ime I follow one of you Heaven reapers anyw here. Anaya a nd I w alked dow n a t w o-lane st rip of asphalt t hat glist ened w it h puddle s of left over rain. Somew here in t he dist ance, a second round of clouds let out a hungry rumble. Anaya silent ly kept pace beside me, t he gold band around her biceps glint ing w it h each feat her-soft foot st ep. She t urned her nose up int o t he air. I never miss a mark. T hen w ould you mind explaining w hy Im w a lking up a mount ain t o get t o our reap? W e couldve just flashed t here. She sq uint ed at her surroundings, hesit at ing. I knew w e w ere close, but it w as w ay t oo fun messing w it h her t o let t his one go. It s okay t o admit youre los ing your t ouch, I said. Id be happy t o t ake t he lead on t his one. Anaya held up her hand, ignoring me. Do you hear t hat ? I st opped, list ening t o t he mangle d w aill of a horn in t he dist ance. As if pulled in by t he sound, a black blu r, like a cloud of ink, w hipped past us before disappearing around t he bend. S hadow s. Scavengers from t he out skirt s of Hell. Souls t hat w erent chosen t o st art again, had escaped t heir reaper, or hadnt earned t heir w ay int o Heave n, so t heyd been left t o decay and rot . T hey w ere soul ess beings t hat crav ed t he scent of deat h. T he t ast e of a soul. I hat ed t hem. But I hat ed t he memories t hey brought back even more. Every shadow t hat blurred across my v ision w as a cold reminder of All ison, t he love of my aft erlife. W hat Id done t o her. W hat Id almost let her become. Her name t umbling around in my skull m ade my chest ache.

But I couldnt change it . Id never be able t o change it . Id pushed her int o a w orld w here w ed never be t oget her again and nearly got t en myself banished t o Hell in t he process. T he shadow s w ould never let me forget it . Aft er fif t een years of penance, Balt hazar w asnt likely t o let me forget it eit her. A sick feeling st art ed t o brew in my gut , so I shook it off and w at ched anot her black blur zip past us. At least t hey alw ays led us t o our t arget s. See . Anaya smiled and skipped ahead. W ere here. Sure enough, around t he last bend, a candy-apple-red Camaro lay upside dow n, crumpled like a discarded Coke can at t he t ree line. T he horn blared, t he sound careering off t he rock w all and s lamming back int o t he cliffside forest w here it splint ered int o a t housand echoes bet w een t he branches. If I had t o guess, t he car had t aken a simil ar journey. A ringlet of w hit e smoke seeped from under t he ruined hood and t w irled up int o t he air. Looks like w e have a w inner. Anaya pulled her pearl-h andled scyt he from t he leat her belt she w ore around her w hit e dress, and t w irled it in her hand. T he t w elve-inch blade, w it h it s efficient , palmsized handle, gleamed like it had never been used. I glanced dow n at my sad exc use for a scyt he w it h it s plain iron handle and dingy blade. Heavens reapers got all t he perks. I may have been a slave t o t he Inbet w een, but I w as st ill a reaper, for Gods sake. We w ere supposed t o be t he st uff of night mare a nd legend. Youd t hink t heyd at least give me a decent scyt he. Hey, w hat do you t hink t he chances are of me scoring one of t hose? Keep dreaming, Finn. I st oppe d, leaving a few feet of dist ance bet w een t he car and me. W hoever w as in t here w asnt ready for me. Not yet . A slow w armt h, an ache, spread t hrough my chest , and drove sparks t hrough my veins. Not t he impat ient icy burn I w ou ld have expect ed from a reap at all. T hat w as different . Anaya st rolled past me, t he shimmery brow n plait s t hat hung dow n t o her w aist sw aying behin d her. Look at t he bright side, she said. At least t hey did aw ay w it h t hose a w full cloaks. She gripped t he scyt he and looked t o t he heavens. Her lips mov ed around t he w ords t o a prayer, one shed never let me hear. T hen, w it h a g raceful sw eeping mot ion, t he blade of her scyt he sliced t hrough t he car. S he t ugged once, t w ice, and yanked her glit t ery prize from t he w reckage. A naya shoved her scyt he back int o t he leat her belt at her hip and pulled t he man t o his feet . T he shadow s w ere on him in an inst ant , hissing and sw i rling like smoke around his legs and w aist , just w ait ing for us t o make a m ist ake. T hey w ere desperat e. Hungry. Of course, t heir react ion w asnt reall y a surprise. Balt hazar had loaded t he t errit ories w it h reapers, cut t ing off t heir food supplysouls rarely slipped t hrough t he cracks anymore.

Anaya t urned around, t ucking t he soul behind her, and sw ung out her scyt he. T he shadow s shrank back before dissolving int o an oily spot on t he pavement . She scow led and shoved her scyt he back in it s holst er. Vermin. Vermin. Id al most doomed All ison to be vermin. I couldnt look aw ay from the dark spot on the pavement. Emma? T he soul babbled, rubbing his head. His eyes sw am dizzily in hi s skull as he t ried t o regain his bearings. Emma. You have t o help Emma. Have you called an ambulance? I closed my eyes, t rying t o block him out . I didnt w a nt t o know her name. It s going t o be fine, sir. Shes going t o a verynice place. Dont w orry. Anaya looked up at me, her odd golden eyes begging me t o back up her lie. I couldnt give him w hat he needed. W hat he needed w as t o hear t hat his daught er w as going t o live a long, happy life. All I offered w as deat h. I w ouldnt lie t o him. T he fact t hat I w as about t o t ake his lit t le girl t o t he Inbet w een w as bad enough. If she ever decided she w as ready, t hat is . I glanced back at t he car, w ait ing for t he icy pull t o kick in. Somet hin g st ill didnt feel right about t his. Dad! a girls broken voice cried from t he ins ide t he crumpled car. Help her! t he man cried, t rying t o scrabble t ow ard t h e car. Anaya easily held his shimmering form back. For t he love of God, shes only fift een years old. Y ou should have helped her first . Now t he pull kicked in. Except , t his pull w as dizzying and familiar in an unfamiliar w ay. And get t ing st ronger by t he second. My head spun w it h t he force of it . Somet hing w as w rong here. Not hing about t his felt like a st andard reap. But Id sw ear I felt t his before. Once Memories pulsed t hrough my mind in blinding flashes a s I inched t ow ard t he vehicle. Soft -assat in lips, w arm w hispers against m y neck, smiles like t he sun T he pull int ensified, like a pounding in my chest , and my knees buckled. I knelt dow n t o t he broken w indow . Somet hing like hope surged t hrough me, follow ed by a cold rush of fear. I could only t hink o f one ot her t ime t hat it had felt like t his. Back w hen Id peeled t he soul f rom a frail, bloody body, packed in snow . T he day t hat had changed me forever . No. It couldnt be her. Not again, and not like t his. Blond hair lay mat t ed w it h blood against t he girls cheek. I reached t hrough t he w indow and t raced t he pat h of a t ear t hat had fall en from her closed eyelids, my fingers sca t t ering like mist . Her skin w as pet al-soft , deadly cold. A w arm spot pool ed in my hand w here w e t ouched, t hen t raveled up my arm, dow n my neck

w here t he heat exploded in my chest . Connect ion t hrobbed beneat h my ribs. Cert aint y pounded in my t emples. All ison I jerked my hand back and scrambled aw ay from t he car. It w as her. Aft er all t hese yearsit w as her. W hat s w ron g w it h you? Anaya sounded annoyed. Dad? t he girl w himpered again, w eaker t his t ime. Or maybe t hat w as t he gray, gauzy feeling t hat w as suffocat ing me. Fift een years. Fift een years of w ondering if Id done t he right t hing, and t his is w hat I find? A girl halfw ay t o deat h, clut ching a bloody backpack? No. No. No! I shut my eyes and focused, t ouching my scyt he t o be cert ain. It w asnt t here. No burning pull. No claw ing need t o t ake her soul. She could s t ill be okay. Unless Finn? Anaya crouched dow n in front of me. I dont know w hat is going on w it h you, but if you are incapable of handling t his, I w ill. I blin ked unt ill Anayas blurry face slow ly came int o focus. I bolt ed upright . Is sh e yours? Are you here for bot h of t hem? Because it s not me. A cold, t hrobbing panic t ook up residency in my chest . W hen she just st ared at me, confused, I snapped. Answ er t he damn quest ion, Anaya! Realizat ion slow ly replaced t he c onfusion in her eyes. Anaya shook her head and st ared up t hrough t he spiky t reet ops w here a crow sw am across t he t urbulent lavender sky. It s her. It w as nt even a quest ion. I couldnt hide t his. Couldnt shove t he secret int o t he dar k safet y of my pocket and w alk aw ay. Anaya knew . She glanced back at t he ca r, and t hen her gaze set t led on me. Walk aw ay, she said, her voice just a w hi sper of breat h. If you have any sense left in you, youll w alk aw ay from t his a nd forget it happened, Finn. Dont screw t his up. Y ouve w orked t oo hard t o go back now . I st ill had some sense. I must have, because part of me knew she w as right . T hat I should w alk aw ay right now before t his w ent any furt her. I blinked at t he car, t rying so hard t o ignore t he pull t ugging me t o her, w arm and urgent like t he need t o breat he. T he pull t elling me I w as here for a reason, even if t hat reason w asnt t o t ake her soul. I didnt admit t hat t o Anaya, t hough. Inst ead, I nodded, not t rust ing t he w ords t umbling aro und in my mout h. Anaya w rapped her fingers around her charges hand and smiled a t him. T he air behind her rippled like a silk curt ain, t hen erupt ed w it h l ight . His eyes w ent w ide as he glanced at Anaya, t hen t o me. ImIm He st opped w h en Anaya pat t ed t he back of his hand, t he w ord dead hanging among us. Y es, s he said.

And my daught er? His shimmer dimmed as he w at ched t he car t eet er inept ly on t he cliffs sharp drop-off. Ill t ake care of her, I said. I sw ear. I sw allow ed, r ealizing I meant it . W hat w ere t he odds t hat Id find her again like t his? W hat w ere t he odds t hat out of all of t he places in t he w orld she could ha ve been reborn, shed end up in California? Id reaped t his t errit ory for years, and shed been right under my nose. T here had t o be a reason. Anaya shot me a sh arp look, but didnt get a chance t o follow t hrough w it h her usual rant . Glit t ery t endrils of light reached out and w rapped around her and t he soul in t ow . A gust of balmy air exploded from t he port hole, blow ing Anayas braids in every direct ion. It fluffed her w hit e skirt unt ill she looked like she w as float ing on a cot t on mushroom t op, t hen spun t hem around unt ill t hey w ere just a sw irll of blinding color. W hen t hey w ere gone, t he w ind died, a nd t he light dimmed and dissolved int o t he murky blue t w ilight . Somet hing cracked. T he t ree t hat held t he w reckage in place sw ayed. I looked up. A brilliant flash of red bounced on a branch, as if begging it t o snap. Maeve. T he soul w hose second chance Id st olen fift een years ago w hen I pushed All iso n t hrough t he port all in her place. And all at once, I realized w hat fat e w ant ed me t o do. Dont ! I scrambled for t he car. It w obbled on t he one t ire t hat hadnt gone flat , t hreat ening t o go over any second and t ake t he girl i nside w it h it . I knew follow ing you around w ould event ually pay off. Her voi ce echoed t hrough t he t reet ops, follow ed by a mocking laugh. I realize t his is bit t ersw eet , so Ill let you say a quick good-bye before I kill her and ru in your sad excuse for an exist ence. I w riggled t hrough t he w indow , closed my eyes, and gave int o gravit y. Cells connect ed. T he air sizzled. I flexed m y fingers, only a breat h aw ay from being fully corporeal. No. I st opped mysel f, fight ing t he urge t o slip my arms around All isons limp frame, and pict ure d Balt hazar, t he second in command t o t he Almight y, ruler of reapers. Hed fe el me go corporeal and w ould know Id found her again. I punched t he ceiling and let my skin scat t er like sparks against t he gray felt .

I couldnt afford t hat kind of hell right now . She groaned and somet hing like r elief flooded me. Yes, definit ely st ill alive. But not for long. T he t ree sw ayed again, t his t ime allow ing a lit t le of t he car t o slip t hrough it s hold. I glanced out t he w indow and w at ched a few rocks spring loose from t he cliff and roll t o t he bot t om. Finn, come out of t here, Maeve sang. She bou nced again, rocking t he car. Just give in t o t his and w ell call it a day. She w as going t o die anyw ay. Y oud just be doing your job. She w as not going t o d ie. I w ouldnt let her. Come on, All ison. I leaned in close and w at ched her eyel ids t w it ch, t hen crack open one at a t ime. T hank God. I know youre scared, b ut I need you t o t rust me. Her eyes dart ed back and fort h, w ide and afraid, before set t ling on me. W ho are you? W heres my dad? W hen she leaned up t o t ry t o see in t he front seat I moved in front of her t o block her view . Hes fine. Dont w orry about him right now , I said, soft ly. I need you t o get up. See t ha t w indow ? I point ed t o t he upside-dow n broken w indow and she nodded. T he car lurched again. Y ou need t o craw ll t hrough t here. And you need t o do it fast . She t ried t o sit up, t hen w inced and fell back. I cant . It hurt s. I pla st ered a smile on my face and had t o force myself not t o t ouch her, t o brus h t he hair out of her face, t o grab her arm and pull her t he hell out of t he re. Y es, you can. Y oure t ough. I can t ell. She shook her head. No, Im not . Reall y. I didnt even make it t hrough one w eek of soft ball before I sprained my ankl e. I laughed in spit e of myself. I have a feeling youre a lot t ougher t han you g ive yourself credit for. Now come on. T he car rocked and I t ensed. Get out of t he car. She looked int o my eyes for a long moment , t hen pushed herself up and inched t ow ard t he w indow . I craw led out first , coaxing her t o follow . T he car shift ed. Groaned. I heard more rocks break loose from t he cliff t o t umble over t he edge. Youre making t his unbearably complicat ed, Finn. Really, w hy not just pull her out of t he car and get it over w it h? Maeve t aunt ed, a s mile behind her w ords. Y oure already deadw hat else could Balt hazar possibly do? Ohw ell I guess t here is Hell. But ot her t han t hat ?

Pushing Maeves laught er out of my head, I focused on All ison. Come on, pret t y girl, I said, fear t hrumming in my chest . You can do t his. You have to do this. T he gash bleeding t hrough her blue jeans snagged on t he broken w indow and sh e sobbed. Dont st op. I know it hurt s. But you cant st op. We w ere so close. Anot her few feet and shed be free. I kept my eyes on her, t rying t o figure out a w ay t o dist ract her from t he pain. Y ou know , one t ime I broke my leg, I blurt ed out . She sniffled and looked up at me. Id climbed t his big t ree on my dads f arm. I didnt t ell anyone w here I w as going, so w hen t he branch broke, I knew I w as in t rouble. I had t o w alk all t he w ay home on t hat leg just t o ge t t here before it got dark. W hy didnt you w ait for somebody t o look for you? Coyo t es. All I could t hink about w as how I used t o hear t hem how ling at night . Our neighbor used t o find his cat t le t orn t o shreds. She scoot ed a lit t le fart her out . Didnt it hurt ? T he car groaned and t ilt ed underneat h us. All ison gripped t he seat , her eyes w ide. It hurt like hell, but it w as a lot be t t er t han ending up like t he cat t le. She squeezed her eyes shut and w iggle d t he rest of t he w ay t hrough t he w indow , int o t he pine needles and dir t on t he side of t he road. She craw led forw ard a few more feet and collapsed . Her cheek pressed against t he w et pavement as she fought t o cat ch her brea t h. A loud crack split t he silence, and t he car lurched forw ard, it s w eigh t breaking t he t all bone of a t ree. W it hin seconds, it rolled off t he side and int o t he chasm below , a chew ed-up red spot sw allow ed by t he dark. Ma eves scream ripped t hrough t he mist t hat had st art ed t o fall, and in it , I heard her cry for revenge. Id w orry about t hat lat er. For now , I looked dow n at All ison. I w at ched her breat hs make foggy shapes as t hey puffed errat ically int o t he night . Her lashes blinked aw ay t he t ears t hat w ere runni ng across her cheeks. No. T his w asnt All ison anymore. Emma, I w hispered as a be am of headlight s curled around t he bend in t he road. You need t o flag dow n t he car t hat s coming around t he corner. Y oure going t o have t o get up.

My leg She looked up, t ears in her eyes. W hy cant you do it ? W hy arent you helping me? Guilt t ied my insides int o knot s, making it hard t o look at t he girl re aching up for my help. I couldnt give it t o her no mat t er how badly I w ant ed t o. Balt hazar and his damned rules! I cant . Im so sorry. I t ook a few st eps ba ck unt ill she low ered her hand. But you can do t his. Y oure t ough. Remember? He r gaze sw ung t o t he light s glist ening on t he pavement and she pushed herse lf t o her knees. I t ook my chance. I let myself fade. Dissolve int o t he mist around me t hat w as calling me home. I w at ched Emma w ave her arms at t he s low ing car. She w as safe. Alive. I closed my eyes, laughing w it h relief. Id d one it . Id saved her. Except I looked up at t he broken t ree w here Maeve had b alanced only minut es ago. T here w as no w ay I could w alk aw ay now . Not w h en Id led Maeve t o her. Damn it . T his w as bad on so many levels. I w at ched Emma collapse against t he man from t he car as he w rapped a jacket around her shivering shoulders. W armt h spread t hrough my chest . Y eahbad w asnt a st rong enough w ord. Disast er w as more like it . And I didnt care. She w as w ort h i t . Ill keep you safe. I sw ear it . I repeat ed t he promise Id made t o her fat he r, t hen closed my eyes and let t he w ind cat ch me and t oss me int o t he nig ht . Chapter 1 Finn Somet imes Emma made me feel so alive, I almost forgot I w as dead. Almost . I s at on t he floor across from her bed list ening t o her slow , st eady breat hs. I should have been more alert . I w as supposed t o be on w at ch. But it w as so hard t o concent rat e on anyt hing but her w hen I knew she w as remembering . Emma rolled over, pressing her face int o t he pillow . Finn I shut my eyes, t ry ing t o hold on t o it . I w asnt st upid enough t o t hink shed remember t his w hen she w oke up, but damn it if hearing my name slip t hrough her lips didnt sw eep t hrough

me like w ildfire. Scorching t he places w here blood used t o run. Melt ing t h e hollow space w here my heart used t o beat . I t ook a deep, unneeded breat h and let t he back of my head t hump against her overst uffed bookcase. T his w a s never going t o get easier. Tw o years of w at ching her t hrough t he invisib le barrier of Balt hazars rules w as really st art ing t o suck. Especially w hen every t ime I blinked, anot her piece of All ison w as breaking t hrough t he s urface. In t he pale light of her lamp, I could see t he neat row of cookbooks, nest led t oget her like a family, holding all of t he secret s Emma creat ed in t he kit chen. T hey smelled like flour and sugar and home. T he next orderly r ow w as packed w it h t he w orn-out novels she loved, and a new phot ography bo ok her mom bought her last year. T he last shelf belonged t o t he books her fat her had w rit t en, held in place by gold-framed pict ures of him smiling and a live. Emma had so many w ords inside her. I w as surprised t hey didnt fall out w hile she w as sleeping. T housands of w ords about myst eries and romance and l ife. T hings I didnt know anyt hing about . T hings t hat All ison had know n eve ryt hing about . She w himpered from under t he covers and I looked up. W hat w as she remembering t his t ime? W hat piece of t he Inbet w een and her t ime w it h me w as she fight ing? T here w as so much I didnt w ant her t o remember. S o much I needed her t o remember. But t hat didnt mat t er. I w as here t o prot ect her. T hat s w here it had t o end. I closed my eyes, t rying t o sw allow my ow n crap lie. She mumbled somet hing in her sleep and began t o t hrash under t he sheet s. I groaned and pushed myself up from my safe spot on t he carpet , unable t o sit t here list ening t o her suffer anymore. I st opped a foot from t he bed and knelt dow n. Shh I t ouched t he edge of t he mat t ress, forcing myse lf not t o go any closer. It s going t o be okay. She w as only a few inches aw ay, but it felt like miles. Miles t hat left me w ant ing in so many w ays t hat I ached. Hopefully my presence w ould be enough. T here w ere t imes I sw ore she could feel me. W hat do you t hink youre doing? a gravelly voice chided. I looked u p from t he edge of Emmas bed just as East on melt ed up from t he polished hardw ood floor beneat h t he w indow . Like an oill slick coming t o life, he unfold ed his long, shadow y legs unt ill he w as just an inkblot in front of t he spla sh of lamplight on her w all. His violet eyes pinned me like a kid caught w it h his hand in t he cookie jar. W hich I kind of w as. Not hing, I lied.

Y eah, looked like not hing. He st rolled across t he room accompanied by a w ave of sulfur and smoke, t he black serpent t at t oo on his neck glint ing. Jesus, E ast on. I scrunched up my nose and climbed t o my feet . Dont t hey have a show er somew here bet w een here and t he aft erlife? Screw you. You didnt just have t o t ow somebodys grandpa t o Hell. He brushed somet hing chalky and gray off his long coat , and a shudder w orked it s w ay dow n my spine. God only know s w hat or w hoit had belonged t o. Besides, I w asnt t he one about t o feel up a sleeping hu man. I w asnt Save it . He w aved his hand dismissively. W e have w ork t o do. I do ave t ime for your useless obsession w it h t he human t oday. W ill you please st op calling her t hat ? W hat ? East on glanced up from Emmas vanit y, w here hed bee n inspect ing t he various lot ions, t ubes, and bot t les like he w as on some alien planet . T hen again, East on had been dead for somet hing like four hundr ed years and spent most of his life in Hell, so her st uff probably w as sort of alien t o him. T he human. You make her sound like a freak. It s not like w ere a d ifferent species, for Gods sake. We w ere humans t oo, or dont you remember t hat far back? W ere, he said, scow ling at me over his shoulder. Past t ense. East ons clu msy fingers knocked over t he bobblehead zombie on t he vanit y t op and w e bot h froze. Emma shot up from beneat h t he covers, gasping. Mom? She shoved t he t angled blond hair out of her face, her eyes t rained on her rumpled reflect ion in t he vanit y mirror. W as t hat you? Not Mom. Just one of Hell s reapers, at your service. East on leaned against t he bookcase and grinned. Y oure right , Finn. T his is fun. Are you freaking insane? I hissed. He rolled his eyes. Oh calm dow n, dr ama queen. It s not like she can hear us. Y ou scared her. Are you kidding? Shes scare d of her ow n reflect ion. And t hat has not hing t o do w it h me. No. But t he fact t hat Emmas life had been a horror movie w ait ing t o happen t hese last t w o

years had everyt hing t o do w it h me. Id led a soul t hat hat ed my gut s and w as hell-bent on revenge right t o her doorst ep. I t urned my at t ent ion back t o Emma. Aft er she collect ed herself, she t w ist ed her hair up int o a mes sy ponyt aill and dug in her night st and draw er for her journal. Dear diary East on nodded at t he journal. W hat do you t hink shes going t o w rit e? I folded my arms across my chest . Not my business. He w alked over t o her bed and plopped do w n beside her. T he mat t ress didnt creak or groan under his w eight . T he bla nket s didnt shift . He peeked over her shoulder at t he book. A long t endril of honey-colored hair came loose from Emmas ponyt aill and fell across her eye. She t ucked it behind her ear, but East on blew on it so t hat it fell right back d ow n. She sw ept it out of her face, looking frust rat ed, and East on chuckled. W ill you st op? I said, feeling uncomfort able w it h how close he w as t o her. T his is so screw ed up it s not even funny. He raised a dark brow . Oh? And w hat youre doing isnt ? We could have gone back and fort h like t hat for hours, but t h e call came. It alw ays did. It st art ed in my bonesa cold so cut t ing t hat it sliced t hrough me like a machet e. East ons jaw clenched, his muscles t aut and ready. He slow ly closed his hand around t he handle of his scyt he, w hich bur ned black and soft ly smoked at his side. I flexed my fingers as t he icy ribbon s of deat h w orked t heir w ay t hrough each one of my limbs. Can you t ake t hi s one for me? I asked. Y oure already going t o be t here, and I just got back No, Eas on said. Hell no. I have my ow n job t o do. I cant keep covering for your sorry ass. Besides, do you have any idea how close you are t o being caught ? Dont push your luck, Finn. Just keep your nose dow n, collect your souls, and t hank t he Almight y t hat you dont have my job. Im t aking a risk every t ime I leave her. Y ou know t hat . For t he love of God. Shell be fine, Finn. It s just one reap. How do you know shell be fine? He shrugged. I dont . But t hat s t he difference bet w een y ou and me. I dont care. W it h t hat , he vanished, consumed in a flash by t he ke ening w ails of t he damned. T he screams beckoned. Claw ed at me from t he insi de out . Rule One as a reaper: Deat h doesnt w ait for anyone. And it sure as hel l w asnt w ait ing for me now .

Like what youve read so far? Pick up inbetween online and in stores everywhere Au gust 2012! Ot her books by Jennifer ll. Arment rout : The Lux Series: Obsidian: A Lux Novel, Book One Onyx: A Lux Novel, Book Two Opal: A Lux Novel, Book Three The Covenant Series: Daimon Half-Blood Pure Deit y Apollyon Single Tit les: Curs ed