No more than five minutes later, a car door shut outside. Blake stood fluidly, stalking toward me. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and then his phone beeped. I shuddered, knowing what waited beyond the door.
But what I wasn’t expecting was the flare of heat that radiated off my obsidian. I lifted my head. “Arum…”
His fingers dug in. “Just sit still.”
Oh, God… I glanced down at Dee. She was vulnerable, easy pickings. My front door opened. Heavy feet filled the hallway, and the obsidian scalded my skin. I reached up, hands trembling, and dug the rock out.
Vaughn was the first to enter. His eyebrows rose as his gaze landed beside me. “Blake, what happened here?”
I felt Blake stiffen, but I kept my eyes on the two Arum behind Brian. One was Residon and the other male looked a lot like him. Their greedy eyes were bare and went straight to Dee. I turned, feeling the hair on the back of my neck raise.
“They surprised me. I had to fight back or they would’ve taken me out. I didn’t have a choice.” Blake cleared his throat, sounding confused when he spoke again. “Where’s Nancy?”
“This has nothing to do with Nancy.” Vaughn rubbed a long finger over his brow. “And you say that a lot, Blake. There are always choices. However, you’re not really good at making them.” He turned to the Arum. “Take the dead one. See if you can get anything off him.”
“The dead one?” Residon scuffed. “We want the one who is still alive.”
“No.” My voice came out harsh and ragged. “No! They can’t have either of them. They can’t touch them.”
Residon laughed.
Vaughn knelt down in front of me, and as close as we were, I could see the resemblance now. “This can go one of two ways. You come with us of your own free will or I will hand over both of them to these guys. Do you understand?”
My eyes darted to the Arum. “I want them gone first.”
“You’re negotiating?” Vaughn laughed as he glanced up at his nephew. “See, that’s what you do when you’re presented with the unexpected.”
Blake looked away, jaw clenching. “What do you mean this isn’t about Nancy?”
“Just what it sounds like.”
A shudder racked Blake’s taut body. “If we don’t turn her over, they’ll kill—”
“Do I look like I care? Really?” Vaughn laughed, standing as he turned his attention to me. He pushed back his jacket, flashing his gun. “Residon, take the dead one. Dispose of him.”
Take his body, so Ash and Andrew would face what Dee and Daemon had? No body. No closure. My brain clicked off. What rose in me, replacing the sorrow and helplessness, was primal and ancient. Not just alien in origin, but a combination of both foreign and organic. I sucked in air, but there was something…more. Particles all around us—tiny atoms, but powerful, too small to see with the naked eye—lit up as they danced in the air and then froze. Like a thousand twinkling stars, they gleamed a dazzling white.
I sucked in and they came toward me, rushing, falling like shooting stars. They built and swirled, surrounding my body and those on the floor. I stood as they pieced together, settling on my skin, soaking through until they bonded with my cells. My entire body warmed, mixing with the roaring tide of emotions gathering in me.
I was no longer just Katy. Something—someone else—moved inside me. Another part of me that had been split months ago, on Halloween, had returned.
The Arum sensed it first. They shifted into their true forms, tall, imposing shadows thick and muddled like midnight oil. They would die.
“Don’t kill her,” Vaughn yelled, pulling out his gun, leveling it at me. “Now, little girl, you don’t want to do anything rash. Think this through.”
He would die, too.
Backing up, Blake glanced between his uncle and me. “Christ…”
In the back of my mind, I knew there was something else fueling this power—someone else from the outside. It was like the night in the clearing. What was in me was fully joining with my other half. I lifted into the air, no longer seeing them in color, but only in white, tinged with red.
“Shit,” Vaughn muttered. His finger twitched. “Don’t make me do this, Katy. You’re worth a lot of money.”
Money? What did this have to do with money? But I was beyond caring. I welcomed the feeling encroaching upon me. My vision shifted, blurred, and tingled. My head cocked to the side. Static filled the air, devouring oxygen. Blake gagged, dropping to his knees.
The Arum rose up, spinning around and rushing the door. Their black tendrils reached out, knocking off furniture and sending picture frames to the floor. They drew up short.
“Leaving so soon?” a deep, furious voice said from the doorway. “I’m offended.”
Daemon shifted into his true form and took out the first Arum with one blast followed by another…and then another. Pieces of it broke away and floated up and up, disappearing into thin wisps before they reached the ceiling.
I drew Residon, the one who’d wanted Dee, back to me. He was caught between Daemon and me, like a ping-pong ball. My light pulsed. Daemon’s flared.
Residon roared.
Tell me what has happened, Daemon’s voice whispered among my thoughts.
I told him everything about Blake and Vaughn while we worked on Residon, tearing him down. But movement caught my attention. Vaughn was trying to work the window open. When he got nowhere with that, he grabbed the floor lamp and swung it toward the glass.
I froze the lamp and then whipped it out of his hands. Vaughn spun around, dashing behind Daemon. In the chaos, Blake had made it outside somehow. So had Daemon and Residon. Three forms streaked into my house. I heard a wailing sound, and it drove deep inside me, darkening a part of me. There was a crack and one of the large oaks came down, landing near the driveway.
Ash was in her human form, tugging on her brother’s lifeless body, pulling him into her lap. Her head was tipped back, her mouth open as she keened and wept. Dee was moving beside her, growing stronger and stronger. And I knew her wail would soon join Ash’s.
Vaughn? Blake? They wouldn’t escape this. I glided out of the living room, my feet on the ground, but I didn’t feel the steps. I passed Matthew as he rushed into the living room; the startled cry he let out splintered my heart.
Daemon burned brighter than I’d ever seen. A pure, concentrated white light tinged in red as he darted down the driveway toward the mass of shadows gathering. His light flared intensely, and I threw up my arm, shielding my eyes. I thought of the DOD officers he’d turned to ash…and again I thought of an atomic bomb.
The light had turned that bright.
A bolt of lightning shot from Daemon and slammed into Residon, spinning him into the air. Suspended, the Arum flickered from shadows to human form and then froze, his upper body human and his lower body nothing more than smoke.
And he broke into a thousand shards with a loud crack that sounded like thunder.
The snow fell heavier.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vaughn leaping from behind my car—the spot he had been cowering in. Gun in hand, he rushed toward his Expedition at the same moment Blake spun toward the woods.
Before I could even move, Daemon threw out a light-encased arm and the Expedition lurched into the air, flipping over Vaughn, exposing him. The roof gave with a crunch. Glass exploded in every which direction as metal snapped.
In awe of such power, I froze.
Daemon whipped toward Blake, catching him by the throat. A heartbeat later, he had the boy against the hood of my car, and in his human form, he was no less frightening or powerful.
“You have no idea how painful I’m going to make this for you,” Daemon said, eyes like orbs of white light. “For every bruise you gave Kat, I’m going to return to you tenfold.” He lifted Blake off my hood. The boy’s feet dangled in the air. “And I’m going to seriously enjoy this.”
Vaughn made his move then. Rushing forward, he raised the gun.
“
Daemon!” I shot toward them.
Vaughn pulled the trigger. Once. Twice. Three times.
Daemon’s head jerked around and he smiled—he actually smiled. And the bullets…they stopped inches from Daemon’s face. They just hovered there, as if someone had pressed pause.
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Daemon growled.
Comprehension showed in Vaughn’s pale face. “No—no!”
The bullets flipped over and returned to the sender with an alarming speed. They hit Vaughn in the chest and that was that. There was no chance for any more reactions. The man’s legs crumpled and he was nothing but a lifeless heap beside the twisted metal of the Expedition.
Red spread across the snow in a stream of scarlet.
Blake tore free, hitting the side of my bumper, and then he was up, running toward the woods. He was fast.
Not as fast as Daemon, and not as fast as me. Wind and snow blew back at me as I gave chase. Blood didn’t pump. Light did.
I caught up to Blake by a pine tree. He spun around, sending a blast of light at me. It struck my chest, knocking me back a few steps. Pain shimmied down my body, but I straightened…and I tracked forward.
He threw another pulse of light.
It ricocheted off my shoulder. Liquid warmth cascaded down my arm, but I pressed on, stalking him, taunting him. Another took my leg out from underneath me, but I picked myself back up.
His hands were shaking. “I’m sorry…” he said. “Katy, I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice.”
There were always choices. I’d made a string of bad ones myself. At least I could admit that. Part of me felt bad for him. He was a product of his family, but he had choices. He just made the wrong ones.
Like me.
Like me…?
Beautiful light approached from behind, moving out to my right. He had gone back to his true form. What do you want to do with him? Daemon asked calmly.
He…he killed Adam. My power flickered with that, and I could see skin beneath my hands. They were covered in red. A switch had been thrown inside me. Everything left me, and I swayed on the ground, my boots sinking through snow. I couldn’t do this anymore. “He killed him. And hurt Dee.”
Daemon’s form burned as bright as the sun, and for a moment, I thought that it was for Blake, but he dimmed out, taking human shape. Mutated or not, Daemon would have a problem with killing another human, especially after Vaughn. I knew this. The wound left over from the two officers he’d taken out still festered. Add Blake to the list, and he might never heal. The wound would gape forever.
Taking a breath, I said, “So many have died tonight.”
Blake’s eyes darted to me. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I never wanted any of this happen. I only wanted to protect Chris.” He drew in a ragged breath, wiping at the blood under his nose. “I’m—”
“Shut up,” Daemon growled. “Go. Go now before I don’t give you a choice.”
Shock rippled over Blake’s face. “You’re letting me go?”
Daemon glanced at me, and I lowered my head, exhausted and shamed. If I’d only listened to Daemon in the beginning, trusted that his instinct regarding Blake had not been off. But I hadn’t.
“Go and never, ever come back here,” Daemon said, his words carrying on the wind. “If I ever see you again, I will kill you.”
Blake hesitated for only a moment, and then he spun and ran. I doubted he would make it very far, because once Nancy—whoever she really was—and the DOD realized he’d failed, they’d kill Chris like Blake feared. And that would be the end of Blake. Maybe that was why Daemon was letting him go. Blake was as good as dead anyway.
Or neither of us could kill anymore. I was done. Daemon was done. Too many had died tonight. My legs folded under me, and I knelt in the snow. Using the Source had weakened me and fighting Blake, the injuries inflicted, caused my thoughts to run together in an endless stream of confusion and regret. I doubted I’d ever feel strong enough again.
Slipping in and out of consciousness, I was vaguely aware of someone holding me. There was this incredible warmth cascading through my veins. When I opened my eyes again, I was bathed in light.
Daemon?
There was a buzzing through the connection and then… I told you we couldn’t trust him.
The pain I felt couldn’t be healed by his touch, couldn’t be erased in his light. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears leaked out. I’m sorry. I thought…I thought if I learned how to fight, I could keep you safe, all of you safe.
His light pulled back and then it was Daemon staring down at me, eyes a brilliant shade of white. His body shook with the force of his anger, which was so at odds compared to the gentleness of his embrace.
“Daemon, I—”
“Don’t apologize. Just don’t apologize.” Daemon lifted me out of his lap and sat me on the cold ground. Climbing to his feet, he drew in a ragged breath. “Did you know he was working with the DOD this entire time?”
“No.” I climbed to my feet, swaying to the side as my legs got used to working again. He reached out, cupping my elbow until I stopped moving, then he let go. “I didn’t know until a few nights ago. And even then I wasn’t sure.”
“Dammit,” he spat, taking a step back. “Was that the night you went to Vaughn’s on your own?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t sure.” I lifted my hands, surprised to see them covered in blood. Mine? Someone else’s? “I should’ve told you then, but I didn’t know for sure, and I didn’t want to add anything for you to worry about.” My voice cracked. “I didn’t know.”
He looked away, jaw clenching. “Adam is dead. My sister almost lost her life.”
I sucked in a painful breath. “I’m so—”
“Don’t! Don’t you dare apologize!” he yelled, eyes glowing through the darkness, through me. “Adam’s death will destroy my sister. I told you we couldn’t trust Blake, that if you wanted to learn how to fight, I would’ve shown you! But you didn’t listen. And you’ve brought the DOD into your life, Kat! Who knows what they know now.”
“I didn’t tell him anything!” My chest was rising rapidly. My breath came out short. “I never told him you healed me.”
Daemon’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think he didn’t guess?”
I winced, at a loss what to say. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He flinched. “And those times you were covered in bruises? That was him, wasn’t it? He was hurting you during training, wasn’t he? And never once did you think there may be something wrong with him? God dammit, Kat! You’ve lied to me. You didn’t trust me!”
“I do trust—”
“Bullshit!” Daemon was in my face. “Don’t say you trust me when it’s apparent you never did!”
There was nothing I could say.
A burst of energy left him, slamming into an ancient oak. It cracked with a loud snapping sound and then folded into a tree beside it. I jumped, gasping for air.
“All of this could’ve been prevented. Why couldn’t you trust me?” His voice cracked, and the sound reverberated through me like a barb-tailed whip.
I wished I had. My trust should’ve been placed in the one person I’d always trusted. I’d been fooled. Worse yet, I’d let myself be fooled. Tears streamed down my cheeks, a never-ending river of remorse.
Daemon drew in another harsh breath as he started toward me, but he came up short. “I would’ve kept you safe.”
Then in a flash of red-white light, he was gone. And I was alone in the freezing night, left with my choices, my mistakes…my guilt.
Chapter 32
When I returned to my house, everyone was gone except Matthew, who stayed to help…clean up after everything. Someone had removed Vaughn’s body, plus his car and Blake’s truck. There were broken picture frames everywhere. The coffee table was scratched all to hell. I had no idea how I was going to explain the broken window in the hallway upstairs.
But the spot where Adam had fallen was worse.
Glistening liquid pooled in two spots. Matthew was trying to clean it up, but his hands were shaking, his jaw working. I grabbed some towels from the linen closet and knelt beside him.
“I have this,” I whispered.
Matthew sat back, lifting his head and closing his eyes. He let out a staggered breath. “This should’ve never happened.”
Tears built in my eyes as I sopped up what was left of Adam. “I know.”
“They are all like my children. Now I’ve lost another, and for what? It doesn’t make sense.” His shoulders shook. “It never makes sense.”
“I’m sorry.” Wetness gathered on my cheeks, and I wiped at my face with my shoulder. “This is my fault. He was trying to protect me.”
Matthew didn’t say anything for several minutes. I worked at the spot, drenching two towels before he placed his hand on mine. “It’s not just your fault, Katy. This was a world you stumbled into, one filled with treachery and greed. You weren’t prepared for it. Neither are any of them.”
I lifted my head, blinking back tears. “I trusted Blake when I should’ve trusted Daemon. I let this happen.”
Matthew twisted toward me, grasping my cheeks. “You cannot take on the full responsibility for this. You didn’t make the choices Blake did. You didn’t force his hand.”
I choked on a broken sob as grief tore through me. His words didn’t ease the guilt, and he knew it. Then the strangest thing happened. He pulled me into his arms, and I broke. Sobs racked my entire body. I pressed my head against his shoulder, my body shaking his, or maybe he was crying for his loss, too. Time passed, and it became a New Year. I welcomed it with tears streaming down my face and a heart ripped apart. When my tears dried, my eyes were nearly swollen shut.
He pulled back, pushing my hair aside. “This isn’t the end of anything for you…for Daemon. This is just the beginning, and now you know what you’re truly up against. Don’t end up like Dawson and Bethany. Both of you are stronger than that.”
…
I spent the rest of the night trying to hide what had gone down from my mom. Eventually, I needed to tell her. No doubt the satellites had picked up on what had happened the night before. And there was the issue that some of what Vaughn had said hadn’t made sense, a lingering feeling that the worst had yet to pass. I figured in the coming days or weeks, it would. There’d also be questions about Adam.
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