Origin

The soldier cleared his throat. “Blake isn’t an issue anymore.”

I faced him, breathing raggedly. “Care to tell me why?”

He pressed his lips together. “Blake’s dead.”

“What?”

“He’s dead,” the guy repeated. “Katy killed him two days ago.”

The floor felt like it dropped out from underneath me. My first response was to deny it, because I didn’t want to believe that Kat would have had to do something like that—that she had to go through it.

The monitor was turned off, and Nancy watched me. “The reason I’m showing you this isn’t to upset you or to make you mad. You need to see with your own eyes that Katy has proven to be dangerous.”

“I have no doubt in my mind that if Kat really did do that, she had a reason.” My heart thudded in my chest. I needed to see her. If she had done this… I couldn’t bear to think about what she had to be going through. “And I would’ve done it, too, if I were in her shoes.”

Nancy tsked softly, and I added her to my Going to Die Painfully list. “I hate to think of you as being unstable, too,” she said.

“Kat isn’t unstable. All these videos show is her defending herself, or that she was scared.”

Nancy made a sound of disagreement. “Hybrids can be so unpredictable.”

I met her gaze and held it. “So can Luxen.” 

Chapter 10

Daemon

They let me clean up in an empty communal area. At first I didn’t want to waste the time. I needed to get to Kat, but they weren’t giving me much of a choice, which turned out to be a good thing because I looked like something straight out of the mountains. The growth on my face was out of control. After a shave and a quick shower, I put on the black sweats and white shirt that had been left behind. Same standard uniform they had used years ago. Nothing like dressing everyone the same to make them feel like a nameless face in a crowd of nameless faces.

It was all about control and keeping everyone in line when I’d been here before. To me it looked like Daedalus was no different.

I almost laughed when realization kicked in. It probably had always been Daedalus running the show, even when I’d been assimilated here so many years ago.

When the guard returned, it was the tool from earlier, and the first thing he did was check the plastic razor for the blade.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “I’m not that stupid.”

“Good to know,” was the reply. “Ready?”

“Been.”

He stepped aside, allowing me back into the hallway. As we headed to another elevator, he was glued to my hip. “As close as you’re riding me, man, I feel like I need to take you out to dinner or something. At least I should get your name.”

He punched in a floor. “People call me Archer.”

My eyes narrowed. There was something about him that reminded me of Luc, and hell if that boded well. “Is that your name?”

“That’s what I was born with.”

The dude was as charming as…well, as me on a bad day. Flipping my gaze to the red number on the elevator, I watched it steadily go down. My gut twisted. If Nancy was screwing with me and Kat wasn’t here, I was about to find out.

I didn’t know what I’d do if she wasn’t. Probably go insane.

I couldn’t stop what came out of my mouth next. “Have you seen her—Kat?”

A muscle flexed in Archer’s jaw, and my imagination ran wild until he answered. “Yes. I’ve been assigned to her. I’m sure that pleases you to no end.”

“Is she okay?” I asked, ignoring the jab.

He turned to me, and surprise crossed his features. Trading insults and barbs wasn’t on my to-do list right now. “She can…she can be as expected.”

I didn’t like the way that sounded. Taking a deep breath, I ran a hand through my damp hair. The image of Beth freaking out popped into my head. A tremor ran down the muscles in my arm. There was no doubt in my mind that no matter what condition Kat was in, I could handle it. I would help her get better. Nothing in this world could stop that, but I didn’t want her to have experienced anything that would’ve damaged her.

Like killing Blake surely would have.

“She was asleep the last time I checked in,” he said as the elevator came to a stop. “She hasn’t been sleeping well since they brought her in, but she seems to be making up for it today.”

I nodded slowly and followed him out into the hallway. It struck me then how brave they were in only giving me one guard, but then again, they knew what I wanted, and I knew what was at risk if I acted a fool.

My heart was tripping out, my hands opening and closing sporadically at my sides. Anxious energy rolled through me, and as we neared the middle of the wide hall, I felt something I hadn’t felt in way too long.

A warm tingle shimmied along the back of my neck.

“She’s here.” My voice sounded hoarse.

He glanced back at me. “Yes. She’s here.”

I didn’t need to tell him that I’d had my doubts, that a part of me had held on to the cold possibility that they’d played to my weakness. It must’ve been written all over my face, and I didn’t care to even hide it.

Kat was here.

Archer stopped before a door and punched in a code after doing the eye-reading bit. There was a soft sound of locks clicking out of place. He glanced at me, hand on the doorknob. “I’m not sure how long they’ll give you.”

Then he opened the door.

Like walking through quicksand or in a dream, I moved forward without feeling the floor beneath me. The air seemed to thicken, slowing my progress, but in reality I was rushing that damn door and still not moving quickly enough.

Senses on high alert, I stepped into the cell, vaguely aware of the door closing behind me. My gaze shot right to the bed pressed up against the wall.

My heart stopped. My entire world came to a halt.

I walked forward, and my step faltered. Only at the last possible second, I caught myself from hitting the floor on my knees. The back of my throat and eyes burned.

Kat was curled on her side, facing the door, appearing terribly small on the bed. The chocolate-colored length of her hair fell across her cheek, covering the sleeve of her exposed arm. She was asleep, but her features pinched as if even in rest she wasn’t wholly comfortable. Her small hands were tucked under her rounded chin, lips slightly parted.

Her beauty struck me hard, like a bolt of lightning right in the chest. I froze there, for how long I don’t know, unable to take my eyes off her, and then I took two long strides that brought me to the edge of the bed.

Peering down at her, I opened my mouth to say something, but there were no words. I was struck speechless, and I swear Kat was the only one who could do this to me.

I sat beside her, my heart pounding as she stirred but didn’t wake. Part of me hated the idea of waking her. Up close, I could see the dark shadows blooming under her thick lashes like faint ink smudges. And honestly, I was happy—no, thrilled—to just be in her presence, even if it meant that I wasted the entire time soaking her up.

But I couldn’t stop myself from touching her.

Slowly, I reached out and carefully brushed the silky strands of hair back from her cheek, fanning the long length over the stark white pillow. Now I could see the faint bruises across her cheekbone, a faded shade of