OALN

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “Kat, are you okay? Seriously?” he asked after he hung up, concerned.

  I nodded. I was alive. He was alive. We were okay. But I couldn’t stop shaking, couldn’t forget the sound of Daemon’s scream.

  …

  Daemon wanted me to stay the night at his place. His reasoning was the bare truth. There was another one out there, and until they knew where the Arum was, it was safer being with him. For the second time that night, I didn’t argue. I didn’t kid myself his invitation was out of concern for me. It was more from necessity.

  After I called my mom and told her I was staying the night with Dee, which she protested but eventually relented to, Daemon took me up to the guest room I’d woken up in the morning after finding out about them. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Daemon had been quiet since we arrived at his house, his thoughts a million miles away. He left me in the guest room with a pair of worn flannel pajama bottoms and a shirt that looked like it belonged to Dee. In the guest bathroom, I quickly stripped off the ruined dress, rolling it up and tossing it into their wastebasket. I never wanted to see it again.

  The hot water couldn’t soothe the ache in me. I’d never felt the way I did now. Every muscle screamed, and my mind was weary with exhaustion. I stepped out of the shower, my legs shaking, and even in the heat of the steamy bathroom I felt cold.

  I slowly wiped the steam off the mirror, shocked by the reflection that peered back at me. My eyes were wide. My cheeks were ghastly pale and drawn tight over my cheekbones. I looked more like an alien than my friends did.

  I laughed and then immediately cringed. It sounded choked and ugly, shocking in the quiet room.

  Baruck would come back. Wasn’t that why Daemon had been quiet? Knowing that the Arum would seek revenge against his family, there was nothing he could do. Or I could even hope to do.

  “Are you okay in there?” Daemon called through the closed door.

  “Yeah.” I quickly ran my fingers through my damp hair, pushing thick sections off my face. “Yeah,” I whispered again. I changed into the clothes he’d brought me, and they felt warm, smelling faintly of laundry detergent and crisp leaves.

  He was sitting on the edge of the bed when I came back, looking tired and young. He’d already changed into a pair of sweats and a shirt.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Whenever we use our powers, it’s like…losing a part of ourselves. It takes a bit to recharge. Once the sun comes up, I’ll be fine.” He paused, meeting my eyes. “I’m sorry you had to go through any of this.” I stopped in front of him. Sorry wasn’t something that was in his vocab often. Neither were his next words, I suspected.

  “I didn’t say thank you,” he said, staring up at me. “You should’ve run, Kat. They would’ve…killed you without thinking twice. But you saved my life. Thank you.”

  Words stalled on my breath. I stared at him. “Will you stay with me tonight?” I rubbed my arms. “I’m not coming on to you. You don’t have to, but—”

  “I know.” He stood, his brow wrinkling. “Just let me check the house again, and I’ll be right back.”

  I climbed into the bed, tugging the covers up to my chin while I stared at the ceiling. Closing my eyes, I counted silently until I heard Daemon’s footsteps. When I opened my eyes, he was standing in the doorway, watching me.

  I’d scooted to the far edge of the bed, leaving him plenty of room. A strange thought ran through my brain as I watched him watching me. Had he ever been in a bed with a human girl? Seemed like such a stupid thing to even think about. Relationships with humans weren’t prohibited. They just make little sense. And after everything that had happened, why would I be thinking about that?

  Daemon locked the door, checked the large bay windows, and then wordlessly settled into the bed, his arms crossed over his chest, much like mine. We lay there, staring up at the ceiling. And my heart was racing. It could’ve been everything that had happened or the fact that Daemon was here, so close and alive, but I was hyper-aware of everything. Of his slow, steady breaths. The heat radiating off of his body. And my own need to be enveloped in that warmth.

  A strained silence descended as I ran my fingers over the edge of the blanket. Then, against my will, I looked at him. Daemon stared back, a lopsided grin on his face.

  A laugh bubbled out of me. “This…this is so awkward.”

  The skin around his eyes crinkled as his grin spread. “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” I gasped for breath, giggling. It seemed wrong to laugh after everything that had happened, but I couldn’t help it. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I’d faced down a possible date rapist and an alien horde hellbent on sucking up Daemon’s essence. Crazy sauce.

  His laughter joined mine until tiny tears tracked down my cheeks. The sound of his laughter faded as he reached over, chasing the drops with his finger. I stilled, staring at him. His fingers left my cheek, but his gaze remained locked on me.

  “What you did back there? It was sort of amazing,” he murmured.

  A sweet thrill jolted me. “Right back atcha. Are you sure you’re not injured?”

  Damon’s crooked grin returned. “No. I’m fine, thanks to you.” He shifted, turning off the lamp beside the bed before settling again.

  I searched for something to say in the darkness. “Am I glowing?”

  “Like a Christmas tree.”

  “Not just the star?”

  The bed moved a little, and I felt his hand brush my arm. “No. You’re super bright. It’s kind of like looking at the sun.”

  Now that was odd. I held up my hand, faintly able to see the outline of it in the darkness. “It’s going to be hard for you to sleep then.”

  “Actually, it’s kind of comforting. It reminds me of my own people.”

  I turned my head, and he was lying on his side, watching me. A flutter formed in my chest. “The whole obsidian thing? You never told me about that.”

  “I didn’t think it would be necessary. Or at least I’d hoped it wouldn’t be.”

  “Can it hurt you?”

  “No. And before you ask what can, we don’t make a habit of telling humans what can kill us,” he replied evenly. “Not even the DOD knows what’s deadly to us. But the obsidian negates the Arum’s strengths. Just like the beta quartz in the Rocks throws off a lot of the energy we put off, but with obsidian, all it takes is a piercing and…well, you know. It’s the whole light thing, the way obsidian fractures it.”

  “Are all crystals harmful to the Arum?”

  “No, just this type. I guess it has something to do with the heating and cooling. Matthew explained it to me once. Honestly, I wasn’t paying attention. I know it can kill them. We carry it on ourselves whenever we go out, usually hidden. Dee carries one in her purse.” I shuddered. “I can’t believe I killed someone.”

  “You didn’t kill someone. You killed an alien—an evil that would’ve killed you without thinking twice. That was going to kill me,” he added as an afterthought, absently rubbing his chest. “You saved my life, Kitten.” Still, knowing that the guy had been evil didn’t change how it settled in my stomach.

  “You were like Snowbird,” Daemon said finally.

  His eyes were closed, face relaxed. It was possibly the first time I’d seen him so…open. “How do you figure?”

  A small smile played across his lips. “You could’ve left me there and ran, like I said. But instead you came back and you helped me. You didn’t have to.”

  “I…I couldn’t leave you there.” I averted my gaze. “It wouldn’t have been right. And I would’ve never been able to forgive myself.”

  “I know. Get some sleep, Kitten.”

  I was tired, exhausted, but it felt like the bogeyman was waiting outside the door. “But what if the last one comes back?” I paused, realizing a new fear. “Dee’s with Mr. Garrison. He knows I was with you when they attacked. What if he turns me in? What if the DOD—”

  “Shh,” Daemon mur
mured, his hand finding mine. His fingers brushed over the top of mine. Such a simple touch, but I felt it all the way to my toes. “He won’t come back, not yet. And I won’t let Matthew turn you over.”

  “But—”

  “Kat, I won’t let him. Okay? I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  The fluttering was there again, but now it felt like a dozen butterflies had taken flight at once. I tried to stamp down the feeling. Alien business aside, Daemon and I…well, we were like magnets that repelled one another. Feeling anything other than annoyance toward him wasn’t possible, but that damn fluttering was there.

  I won’t let anything happen to you.

  My chest swelled. His touch seared me. Those words filled me with a longing that was overwhelming, unexpected. And it felt good being next to him. My body relaxed. Seconds, maybe minutes later, I drifted off to sleep beside the one boy I couldn’t stand.

  Just before sleep claimed me, my last thought was whether I would wake up in the morning beside this Daemon or the jerk Daemon.

  Chapter 25

  When I awoke the following morning, the sun had crested the mountains surrounding the valley. I really wasn’t on my side of the bed anymore. Hell, I wasn’t on the bed. Half of my body was sprawled across Daemon’s chest. Our legs were tangled together under the comforter. One of his arms was around my waist like a band of steel. My hand was on his stomach. I could feel his heart beating under my cheek, steady and strong.

  I lay there, my breath in my throat.

  There was something intimate about being wrapped around one another in a bed. Like lovers.

  A sweet, hot fire washed over my skin, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Every inch of me was hyper-aware of him. Of how my body fit against his, the way his thighs were pressed against mine, the hardness of his stomach under my hand.

  My hormones kicked in with the power of a dropkick to the stomach. Heated lightning zipped through my veins. For a moment, I pretended. Not that we weren’t two different species, because I didn’t see him that way, but that we actually liked one another.

  And then he shifted and rolled. I was on my back, and he was still on the move. His face burrowed into the space between my neck and shoulder, nuzzling. Sweet baby Jesus…Warm breath danced over my skin, sending shivers down my body. His arm was heavy against my stomach, his leg between mine, pushing up and up. Scorched air fled my lungs.

  Daemon murmured in a language I couldn’t understand. Whatever it was, it sounded beautiful and soft. Magical. Unearthly.

  I could’ve woken him up but for some reason I didn’t. The thrill of him touching me was far stronger than anything else.

  His hand was on the edge of the borrowed shirt, his long fingers on the strip of exposed flesh between the hem of the shirt and the band of the worn pajama bottoms. And his hand inched up under the shirt, across my stomach, where it dipped slightly. My pulse went into cardiac territory. The tips of his fingers brushed my ribs. His body moved, his knee pressed against me.

  I gasped.

  Daemon stilled. No one moved. The clock on the wall ticked.

  And I cringed.

  He lifted his head. Eyes like pools of liquid grass stared at me in confusion. They quickly cleared, though, turning sharp and hard within seconds.

  “Good morning?” I squeaked.

  Using his powerful arms, he lifted himself up. His eyes never left mine. Daemon seemed to drag in a deep breath. I wasn’t sure if he let it out. Something passed between us, unspoken and heavy. His eyes narrowed. I had the funny feeling that he was sizing up the situation and somehow I was to blame for his sleepy—albeit really, really nice—fondling.

  Like any of this was my fault.

  Without saying a word, he disappeared above me. The door opened and slammed shut behind him without my even catching a glimpse of him.

  I stayed there, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding. Cheeks flushed, my body way, way too hot. Not sure of how much time passed, but the door opened again, at normal human speed.

  Dee popped her head in, her eyes wide. “Did you two…?”

  Funny that out of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, that was the first question she asked.

  “No,” I said, barely recognizing my own voice. I cleared my throat. “I mean, we slept together, but not slept, slept together.”

  I rolled over, burying my face into a pillow. It smelled like him—crisp and warm. Like autumn leaves. I groaned.

  …

  I was sure that if someone had told me I’d find myself sitting in a room with half a dozen aliens on a Saturday afternoon, I would’ve told them to get off the drugs. Yet, here I was, sitting in a recliner in the Black household, legs tucked under me but ready to run for the door if necessary.

  Daemon was perched on the arm of the recliner, arms folded over his chest. The very chest I’d woken up on. A flush crept up my throat. We hadn’t spoken. Not a single word, which was okay by me.

  But his current position had been duly noted by everyone. Dee looked oddly smug. A deep, unforgiving scowl had settled on Ash’s and Andrew’s faces, but the fact I was here overshadowed any reason why Daemon could be playing guard dog.

  Mr. Garrison had come up short. “What is she doing here?”

  “She’s lit up like a freaking disco ball,” Ash said accusingly. “I could probably see her from Virginia.”

  Somehow, she made the whole glowing thing sound like I was covered in boils instead of light. I glared at her openly.

  “She was with me last night when the Arum attacked,” Daemon responded calmly. “You know that. Things got a little…explosive. There was no way I could cover what happened.”

  Mr. Garrison ran a hand through his brown hair. “Daemon, of all people, I expected you to know better, to be more careful.”

  “What the hell was I supposed to do exactly? Knock her out before the Arum attacked?”

  Ash arched a brow. The look on her face said it wasn’t such a bad idea.

  “Katy has known about us since the beginning of school,” Daemon said. “And trust me when I say I did everything possible to keep her from knowing.”

  One of the Thompson boys sucked in a sharp breath. “She’s known this entire time? How could you allow this, Daemon? All of our lives have been in the hands of some human?”

  Dee rolled her eyes. “Obviously she hasn’t said a word, Andrew. Chill out.”

  “Chill out?” Andrew’s scowl matched Ash’s perfectly. And now I knew which one was Andrew, I could tell them apart. Andrew had an earring in the left ear. Adam, who was quiet, did not. “She’s a stupid—”

  “Be careful with what you say next.” Daemon’s voice was low but carried. “Because what you don’t know and what you can’t possibly understand will get a bolt of light in your face.”

  My eyes widened, as did pretty much everyone’s in the room. Ash swallowed thickly and turned her cheek, letting her blonde hair cover her face.

  “Daemon,” Mr. Garrison said, stepping forward. “Threatening one of your own for her? I didn’t expect this from you.”

  His shoulders stiffened. “It’s not like that.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’m not going to tell anyone about you guys. I know the risks to you and to me if I did. You all don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “And who are you for us to trust?” Mr. Garrison asked, his eyes narrowed on me. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure you’re a great girl. You’re smart and you seem to have your head on straight, but this is life or death for us. Our freedom. Trusting a human is not something we can afford.”

  “She saved my life last night,” Daemon said.

  Andrew laughed. “Oh, come on, Daemon. The Arum must’ve knocked you around. There is no way a human could’ve saved any of our lives.”

  “What is it with you?” I snapped, unable to stop myself. “You act like we’re incapable of doing anything. Sure, you guys are whatever, but that doesn’t mean we’re single-celled o
rganisms.”

  A choked laugh came from Adam.

  “She did save my life.” Daemon stood, drawing everyone’s attention. “There were three Arum that attacked, the brethren of one I killed. I was able to destroy one, but the two overpowered me. They had me down and had already begun reaching for my powers. I was a goner.”

  “Daemon,” Dee said, paling. “You didn’t tell us any of this.”

  Mr. Garrison still looked doubtful. “I don’t see how she could’ve helped. She’s a human. The Arum are powerful, amoral, and vicious. How can one girl stand against them?”

  “I’d given her the obsidian blade I carry and told her to run.”

  “You gave her the blade when you could’ve used it?” Ash sounded stunned. “Why?” Her eyes darted to me. “You don’t even like her.”

  “That may be the case, but I wasn’t going to let her die because I don’t like her.”

  I flinched. Dayum. An ache started in my chest, like a burning coal, even though I didn’t care.

  “But you could’ve been hurt,” Ash protested. Fear thickened her voice. “You could’ve been killed because you gave your best defense to her.”

  Daemon sighed, sitting back down on the arm of the recliner. “I have other ways to defend myself. She did not. She didn’t run like I told her. Instead she came back and she killed the Arum who was about to end me.” Reluctant pride shone in my bio teacher’s eyes. “That is…admirable.”

  I rolled my eyes, starting to get a headache.

  “It was a hell of a lot more than admirable,” Dee interjected, staring at me. “She didn’t have to do that. That has to account for more than being admirable.”

  “It’s courageous,” Adam said quietly, staring at the throw rug. “It is what any of us would’ve done.”

  “But that doesn’t change the fact that she knows about us,” Andrew shot back, casting his twin a scornful look. “And we are forbidden from telling any human.”

  “We didn’t tell her,” Dee said, stirring restlessly. “It kind of happened.”

  “Oh, like it happened last time.” Andrew rolled his eyes as he turned to Mr. Garrison. “This is unbelievable.”