his trip, but it was hard to pay attention. I closed my eyes. Every cell in my body was aware of him, like that day in my living room but on a different level.
"Katy? Are you even here, right now?"
"I think so." I forced a smile for Dee's sake.
"Have you guys been driving her crazy?" Daemon asked, sighing. "Bombarding her with a million questions?"
"Never!" cried Dee. Then she laughed.
"Okay. Maybe."
"Figured," Daemon muttered, stretching out his long legs.
Unable to stop myself, I turned toward him.
Our eyes locked. The air between us seemed to stretch with heat and electricity. The last time I'd seen him, we'd been kissing. And I had no idea where that left us.
Dee shifted next to me, clearing her throat.
"I'm still hungry, Adam."
He laughed. "You're worse than I am."
"True." Dee hopped to her feet. "Let's go to Smoke Hole. I think they are having homemade meatloaf." She edged around me, leaned down, and gave Daemon a peck on the cheek. "Glad you're back. I've missed you." Daemon smiled up at his sister. "Missed you, too." When the door shut behind Dee and Adam, I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Is everything really okay?" I asked.
"For the most part." He reached out with one hand, running his fingers over my cheek.
Daemon sucked in a sharp breath. "Hell."
"What?"
He sat up and scooted closer, his leg pressing against mine. "I have something for you."
Not what I was expecting. "Is it going to blow up in my face?"
Leaning back, he chuckled and reached into the front pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to me.
Curious, I pulled on the little string and carefully emptied the pouch into my palm. I glanced up, and when he smiled, I felt my heart turn over. It was a piece of obsidian about three inches long, polished and shaped into a pendant.
The glass was shiny black. It seemed to hum against my skin, cool to the touch. The silver chain it hung from was delicate, spiraling over the top of the pendent. The other edge was sharpened into a fine point.
"Believe it or not," Daemon said, "even something as small as that can actually pierce Arum skin and kill them. When it gets really hot you'll know an Arum is nearby even if you don't see one." He carefully picked up the chain, holding the clasps. "It took me forever to find a piece like this since the blade turned to crap. I don't want you to take this off, okay? At least when...well, for the most part." Shocked, I pulled my hair out of the way and twisted around, letting him hook the necklace around my neck. Once it was clasped, I faced him.
"Thank you. I mean it, for everything."
"It's not a big deal. Has anyone asked you about your trace?"
I shook my head. "I think they're expecting to see one because of all the fighting." Daemon nodded. "Hell, you're bright as a comet right now. The sucker has got to fade or we'll be back to square one."
A slow heat built inside me. Not the good kind. "And what is square one, exactly?"
"You know, us being...stuck together until the damn trace fades." His gaze flickered away.
Stuck together? My fingers dug into my denim-clad knees. "After everything I've done, us being around each other is being stuck together?"
Daemon shrugged.
"You know what? Screw you, buddy.
Because of me, Baruck didn't find your sister.
Because of what I did, I almost died. You healed me. That's why I have a trace. None of this is my fault."
"And it's mine? Should I have left you to die?" His eyes burned now, like emerald pools.
"Is that what you wanted?"
"That's a stupid question! I don't regret that you healed me, but I'm not dealing with this hot and cold shit from you anymore."
"I do believe you protest too much with the whole liking me part." A wry grin twisted his lips. "Someone sounds like they are trying to convince themselves."
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As much as it bothered me to say this, because there was a part of me that wanted him, I did. "I think it would be best if you'd stay away from me."
"No can do."
"Any of the other Luxen can watch over me or whatever," I protested. "It doesn't have to be you."
His eyes met mine. "You're my
responsibility."
"I am nothing to you."
"You're definitely something." My palms itched to have a close encounter of the