and Adam was currently on pause from asking another question about what happened that night with Baruck.
As far as everyone knew, Daemon had killed Baruck and I hadn't been injured as badly as Dee had thought. Somehow Daemon had convinced her that I was just stunned. I peeked at them.
But it had been me - I'd killed someone.
Again.
Surprisingly, the thought didn't fill me with the same amount of dread and sickness as it initially did. Over the last couple of days, I'd come to a certain understanding with my actions. It was a level of shaky acceptance that made it easier to swallow even if I would never forget.
It was either him or me and my friends.
The alien asshat had to go.
Everyone was still staring. Lovely.
Dee sat down next to me and took a sip of her soda. Convinced or not, Dee knew something was up when I returned with Daemon that morning...and something was.
She nudged my leg with hers, gaining my attention. "Are you feeling okay?" If I had a dollar for every time she asked that question, I'd have a new laptop already. It wasn't like I didn't know I was lucky to be alive, and I should be suffering from post-traumatic stress, but I did feel fine. I never felt physically better, to be honest. I felt like I could go out and run a marathon or climb a mountain. I didn't want to look into the reason for that too closely.
Enough things had already successfully freaked me out.
Someone cleared his throat, jarring me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Dee and Adam staring at me expectantly. I couldn't remember what they wanted. "What?" Dee smiled a little too brightly. "We were wondering how you were handling things? If you are worried about there being more Arum."
"Oh, do you think there will be?" I immediately responded.
"No," Adam reassured me. Ever since the battle with Baruck, he actually started talking to me. It was a nice change in things. Ash and Andrew were a different story. "We don't think so."
I shifted uncomfortably and my skin itched.
I wasn't sure how long I could sit here with them staring at me at me like I was an experiment gone wrong.
"I thought you said Daemon would be back soon?" Adam settled in the recliner.
Dee's eyes shifted from Adam to me.
"Daemon should be here any minute." I hadn't seen Daemon since that morning.
I'd asked Dee several times where he had gone, but she never answered me. Eventually, I gave up pestering her.
The two of them started talking, making plans for Thanksgiving break coming in a few weeks. I zoned out, like I'd been doing for the last three days. It was strange. I couldn't concentrate. I felt off, like I was missing a part of me.
Warmth slipped over my skin, like a warm breeze. It came out of nowhere. I looked up, seeing if anyone else noticed what I'd felt. They were still talking. I shifted on the couch as the feeling increased.
Dee's front door opened, and my breath caught in my throat.
Within seconds, Daemon entered the room.
His hair was a tousled mess and there were shadows under his eyes. Without saying a word, he dropped onto the couch, his heavy lashes hiding his eyes, but I could feel his stare.
"Where have you been?" I asked in a voice that sounded shrill to my own ears.
Silence fell while two more sets of beautifully odd eyes settled on me. I felt my cheeks turn hot and I leaned back, feeling like an idiot. I folded my hands and kept my eyes pinned to them. What a way to draw attention to myself.
"Well hello, honey, I've been out boozing and whoring. I know, my priorities are pretty off."
My lips thinned at his sarcastic response.
"Dick," I muttered.
Dee groaned. "Daemon, don't be a jerk."
"Yes, Mommy. I've been with another group, searching the whole damn state to make sure there aren't any Arum that we're not aware of," Daemon said, his deep voice soothing a weird ache within me at the same time I wanted to thump him upside the head.
Adam leaned forward. "There aren't any, right? Because we told Katy she didn't have anything to worry about."
His eyes left me briefly. "We haven't seen a single one."
Dee hooted happily and clapped her hands.
She turned to me, her smile genuine this time.
"See, nothing to worry about. Everything is over."
I smiled back at her. "That is a relief." I heard Adam talking to Daemon about