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 organisms."
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."
Mr. Garrison shook his head. "After Labor Day weekend, you told me that something occurred but you took care of it."
"What happened?" Ash asked, obvious this was the first she'd heard of anything. "You're talking about the first time she was glowing?" I was like a glowworm, apparently.
"What happened?" asked Adam, sounding curious.
"I walked out in front of a truck." I waited for the inevitable "duh" look, which I got.
Ash stared at Daemon, her blue eyes growing to the size of saucers. "You stopped the truck?"
He nodded.
A crestfallen look appeared on her face as she looked away. "Obviously that couldn't be explained away. She's known since then?" I figured this wasn't the time to mention that I had my suspicions before then.
"She didn't freak out," Dee said. She listened to us, understood why it's important, and that's it. Until last night, what we are hasn't even been an issue."
"But you lied to me - both of you." Mr.
Garrison leaned against the wall, in a space between their TV and an overstocked bookcase.
"How am I to trust you now?"
A dull, stabbing pain flared behind my eyes.
"Look, I understand the risk. More than any of you in the room," Daemon said, rubbing his chest where the Arum had shoved his shadowy hand. "But what is done is done. We need to move forward."
"As in contacting the DOD?" Andrew asked. "I'm sure they'd know what to do with her."
"I'd like to see you try that, Andrew. Really I would, because even after last night, and I'm not yet fully charged, I could still kick your ass." Mr. Garrison cleared his throat. "Daemon, threats aren't necessary."
"Aren't they?" Daemon asked.
A heavy silence fell in the room. I think Adam was