“As awesome as that is, the DOD is very curious. The Elders believe they will be here a while, monitoring things. That they’ve been here.” Matthew paused and glanced at his wristwatch. “It’s imperative that everyone is on their best behavior.”

“What do the other Luxen have to say about this?” Dee asked.

“They aren’t too concerned at this point. And they have no reason to be,” Matthew said.

“Because it was Daemon who caused such a disruptive burst of energy and not them,” Ash said, and then she gasped. “Does the DOD suspect we have more abilities?”

“I think they want to know how it’s possible that he was able to do something like that.” Matthew studied me. “The Elders told them there was a fight among our kind. No one implicated you, Daemon, but they already know you’re strong. You can be expecting a visit from them soon.”

I shrugged, sort of welcoming their visit, because their being absent was more worrisome than their being all up in my shit.

“Katy, it’s very important that you’re careful when hanging around the Blacks,” Matthew continued. “We don’t want the DOD suspecting that you know anything you shouldn’t.”

“Speak for yourself,” Andrew muttered.

I faced him. “Andrew, I’m going to knock the—”

“What?” Andrew exclaimed. “I’m just telling the truth. I don’t have to like her because you’re infatuated with the stupid human. None—”

Shooting across the room, I shifted into my true form as I snatched up and slammed Andrew into the wall. Pictures rattled. Plaster probably cracked, but I was so done with the shit he kept saying about Kat, so fucking over it.

“Daemon!” Kat shrieked.

Ash jumped out of her chair. “What are you doing?”

I thought I heard my sister say, “Here we go. Popcorn?”

And then from Adam, “Honestly, Andrew needs his ass kicked. The DOD’s being here isn’t Katy’s fault. She has just as much to lose as we do.”

Ash spun. “So you’re taking her side now? A human’s?”

“This isn’t about sides,” Kat argued.

Matthew shifted and placed his hand on my shoulder. When he spoke it wasn’t out loud. You need to let him go, Daemon. Now.

He needs to stop talking shit.

Andrew wasn’t saying a word now. I think he got the point.

Daemon, please. Fighting among ourselves isn’t going to make this situation easier.

I pressed into Andrew. Knock this shit off with Kat. I’m being serious, man. I love you like a brother, I really do, but I’m not going to tolerate this. No more.

“None of this would be happening if you hadn’t shown up here. You would’ve never gotten the original trace on you!” Ash shouted, drawing my attention. “The Arum would’ve never seen you, and this whole messed-up chain of events would’ve never happened!”

“Oh, shut up, Ash,” Dee shot back. “Seriously. Katy risked her life to make sure the Arum didn’t know where we lived.”

“That’s great and dandy,” Ash snapped back. “But Daemon wouldn’t have gone all Rambo on the Arum if his precious human weren’t in danger every five seconds. This is her fault.”

“I’m not his precious human!” she shouted, and Andrew flickered back into his human form. Matthew was still talking, but I wasn’t listening to him anymore. “I’m just his…his friend,” Kat said. “And that’s what friends do. They protect each other. Well, it’s what human friends do, at least.”

“And it’s what the Luxen do,” Adam said. “Some just forget that.”

Ash wasn’t having it. “I’ll wait outside.”

In a few seconds, Andrew sidestepped me. I watched him closely. “Dude,” he said. “That was just wrong. Knock me around all you want, but I’m not going to be okay with her.”

“Andrew,” Matthew warned.

“What?” Andrew threw up his hands. “Do you really think she can hold her own against the DOD if they question her? Because of how close she is to Dee and you, they will ask her questions. And you, Daemon, are you planning to do a repeat of your brother? Wanna die for her, too?”

My light flared brighter, and I was seconds from putting Andrew through a wall when I felt Kat’s hand wrap around my wrist. The touch in my true form jolted me. Calmed me.

“That was a low blow,” Kat said, her voice shaking. “He doesn’t even deserve your ass-kicking, Daemon.”

“She’s right,” Adam said. He moved to stand next to me. “But if you want to put him out of commission for the next week after that comment, I’ll help.”

“Gee, thanks, brother.” Andrew scowled.

Yeah, I wanted to knock him into next week, but what did that solve? Nothing. I shifted into my human form, looking down at where Kat’s hand was still wrapped around my wrist. A charge passed between us, a crackling shock. She let go.

“This is the kind of display we cannot afford.” Matthew ran his hand over his head. “I think that’s enough for this evening. Both of you need to cool down and keep in mind that they are here. We need to be careful.”

Everyone, including Dee, left the house. My sister wanted to make sure Adam didn’t murder his brother. Understandable. Kat and I were left alone.

Thirsty and needing something to distract myself with, I walked to the kitchen. Kat followed, her voice soft. “I’m sorry about what Andrew said. That was wrong.”

“It is what it is,” I said, grabbing two cans of Coke. I handed her one.

“Still not right.”

I searched her face intently for some sign of fear. “Are you worried about the DOD being here?”

There was a pause. “Yeah, I am.”

“Don’t be,” I said, even though she should be.

“Easier said than done.” She played with the tab on the can. “It’s not me I’m worried about. They think you’re responsible for what happened—the crazy energy thing. What if they think you’re…a danger?”

How could I answer that? “It’s not just me, Kitten. Even if I had done that, it’s never been about me. It’s about all the Luxen.” I looked away, wetting my lips. “You know what Matthew believes?”

“No.”

A cynical grin pulled at my lips. “He believes that one day, probably not in our generation, but someday, my kind and the Arum will nearly outnumber yours.”

“Really? That’s kind of…”

“Scary?”

She tucked her hair back. “I don’t know if it’s scary. I mean, the Arum thing is, but your kind—the Luxen—freaky powers aside…you’re not very different from us.”

“What about the fact that we’re made of light?”

She smiled a little. “Well, besides that.”

“It got me thinking,” I said, going back to my point about what Matthew believed. “That if some of our kind believe this, how come the DOD isn’t worried?”

“What happens if they think you are a threat? And don’t beat around the bush about it.”

Part of me didn’t want to tell her this, but keeping her in the dark wasn’t going to help her. “When I was at the compound before, there were Luxen who didn’t assimilate. Mostly they didn’t want to be kept under the thumb of the DOD. Others I guessed were viewed as a threat because they asked too many questions. Who really knows?”

She swallowed thickly. “What happened to them?”

Several moments passed before I answered. “They killed them.”

Chapter 13

Horror filled Kat’s gaze as she stared at me. I sensed the burst of energy a second before it rolled through the room. I twisted to the side as Kat dropped her unopened can of soda. It hit the floor as the kitchen chair flew out from underneath the table. I reached for the chair, but it changed course and slammed into Kat’s leg.

Shooting forward, I caught Kat before she fell. “Whoa there, Kitten.”