Oblivion

  pretty amazing considering the bond between us.

  “Kitten, what are you doing?”

  She jumped a little and then twisted around. “I was making a snowman.”

  I glanced at it. “I see. It’s missing some stuff.”

  “Yeah,” she said morosely.

  The small smile faded. “That doesn’t tell me why you’re sitting in the snow. Your jeans have to be soaked.” I thought about that for a moment, and then I grinned. “Wait. That means I’d probably get a better look at your butt then.”

  Kat laughed.

  Loving the sound of it, I dropped down into the snow beside her, crossing my legs. A few moments of silence passed between us and then I leaned over, knocking my shoulder against hers. “What are you really doing out here?”

  “What’s going on with Dawson? Has he run off yet?”

  Her avoiding my questions was as subtle as a dump truck at six in the morning, but I let it go. For now. “Not yet, because I followed him around today like a babysitter. I’m thinking about putting a bell on him.”

  She laughed softly. “I doubt he’ll appreciate that.”

  “I don’t care.” A little bit of anger seeped into my tone. “Running off after Beth isn’t going to end well. We all know that.”

  “Daemon, do you…”

  I waited. “What?”

  “Why haven’t they come after Dawson? They have to know he’s here. It would be the first place he’d come back to if he had escaped. And they’ve obviously been watching.” She gestured back at my house. “Why haven’t they come for him? For us?”

  I stared at the lopsided, incomplete snowman. “I don’t know. Well, I have my suspicions.”

  “What are they?”

  “You really want to hear them?

  Kat nodded.

  “I think they were aware of Will’s plans, knew he was going to arrange for Dawson to be released.” I paused, giving voice to my thoughts. “And they let it happen.”

  She drew in a shallow breath as she picked up a handful of snow. “That’s what I think.”

  I looked over at her. “But the big question is why.”

  “It can’t be good.” She let the snow sift through her gloved fingers. “It’s a trap. Has to be.”

  “We’ll be ready,” I said, because there couldn’t be any other option. “Don’t worry, Kat.”

  “I’m not worried,” she replied, and we both knew that wasn’t true. “We need to stay ahead of them somehow.”

  “True.” I stretched out my legs, ignoring the cold, wet bite of snow. “You know how we stay under the humans’ radar?”

  “By pissing them off and alienating yourselves?” She gave me a cheeky grin.

  “Ha. Ha. No. We pretend. We constantly pretend like we’re not different, that nothing’s happening.”

  “I’m not following.”

  I lay down in the snow. “If we pretend like we’ve gotten away with Dawson being released, that we don’t think anything’s suspicious or that we know they’re aware of our abilities, then it may buy us time to figure out what they’re doing.”

  She watched me throw my arms out with a tiny grin. “You think they’ll slip up then?”

  “Don’t know. I wouldn’t put money on it, but it kind of gives us the edge. It’s the best we have right now.”

  Our eyes met, and I grinned as I started sliding my arms through the snow, along with my legs. Kat’s laugh was choked off.

  “You should try it,” I coaxed, closing my eyes. “It gives you perspective.”

  There was a pause, and then I felt her lie down beside me. “So I Googled Daedalus.”

  “Yeah?” I continued making the sexiest snow angel known to man. “What did you find out?”

  “Well, there was no ‘Welcome to Daedalus: Secret Government Organization’ website to be found.”

  “No shit?”

  She smacked me with her hand. “Did you know Daedalus is tied to Greek mythology? He was the guy who created the labyrinth the Minotaur lived in and he was the father of Icarus. You know, the kid who flew too close to the sun on wings—wings fashioned by Daedalus.”

  “Huh.”

  “See, the legend says that when Icarus got too happy from flying, it was a form of passive punishment by the gods, and they caused him to lose his wings, which made him fall from the sky and drown, because, you know, that’s how the Greek gods rolled. They didn’t like that Daedalus had created something that gave mortals godlike abilities like flying.”

  “I can basically fly,” I told her, and then grinned when she snorted. “What? I’m so fast that my feet don’t even touch the ground.”

  “And your arrogance is so vast, it brings me to my next point,” she retorted, and I smirked. “See, Daedalus created things that bettered man. He did so at all costs, just like the government—just like Daedalus we know today. They named themselves after a Greek myth about a man who could give others godlike abilities. Just like this Daedalus. You know they did that on purpose.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me—the ego behind that.”

  “You’d know,” she said.

  “Hardy har-har.”

  Kat grinned as she made another swipe of her arms and legs. “How is this giving me perspective by the way?”

  I chuckled. “Wait for a couple more seconds.” When I stopped, I reached over and grasped her hand, pulling her up when I stood. I brushed the snow off her back and my hands lingered a bit on her rear, because of reasons.

  Once I was finished, we stared down at our snow angels. Hers was tiny compared to mine, and interestingly top heavy. Kat folded her arms around her waist. “Waiting for the epiphany to happen.”

  “There isn’t one.” I curled my arm around her shoulder and leaned down, pressing a kiss against her cool cheek. “But it was fun, wasn’t it? Now…” I steered her back to the snowman. “Let’s finish with your snowman. It can’t be incomplete. Not with me here.”

  Chapter 3

  Matthew had gotten a glass repairman out to Kat’s house the moment the plows made it to our road. The bedroom window was repaired mere minutes before her mom came home from Winchester on Friday.

  Since she hadn’t seen her daughter in days, I slipped out the back door and gave them time to themselves. Her mom’s timing worked out, because keeping track of Dawson and making sure he didn’t get himself captured was pretty damn time-consuming.

  Dawson had left the house on foot Friday morning, and of course, I followed him. Using the woods to travel into town, he tried to lose me a couple of times. He roamed the town and the county for hours.

  Hours.

  He had a purpose, though. Patrolling. Except he wasn’t searching for Arum. Oh no, he was looking for signs of Beth. Maybe even the DOD. He got close to the office he’d been kept at, but backed off. I had a feeling if I hadn’t been right behind him, he would have raided the place.

  The sun was setting behind Seneca when Dawson finally stopped moving for longer than a minute. We were deep in the forest a few miles from the colony. A fallen tree separated us, just a couple of feet, but it felt like there were miles between us, a damn continent.

  Dawson’s posture was stiff. “I’m not going to stop looking for her.”

  Shock clenched my chest. Yesterday had been the first time he’d really spoken to me. I wasn’t expecting him to actually talk. Hell, it robbed me of my ability to put syllables together.

  “If it were Katy, you’d do the same thing. I know you would.” Dawson tipped his head back and his shaggy hair brushed the collar of his sweater. “And yet you expect me to just forget about Beth and do what? Move on?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t expect you to forget about her.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.” Slowly, he faced me with a haunted look on his gaunt face. Several moments passed. “Katy was in a cage, wasn’t she?”

  My hands curled into fists. “Yes.”

  “For a few hours, basically. Yet, her voice…it’s changed, and y
ou know why.”

  I did. I would never forget why she sounded raspy or why her voice cracked. The damage had been done from her screaming out in pain. My jaw locked down so hard I swore my teeth would crack.

  “I wasn’t…” He swallowed. “Weeks. Maybe even months. That’s how long I was kept in a cage with onyx wrapped around my wrists and ankles.”

  “Jesus,” I gritted out, wanting to rip every DOD officer apart.

  The pupils of Dawson’s eyes glowed white. “They did the same to Beth. To others. They could be doing that to her now.”

  The thought of it made me sick. “I’m not asking you to forget about her or what they could be doing to her. I’m asking you to be smart about it.”

  “Would you be smart about it if it were Katy?” he volleyed back.

  Anger flashed hot in me. “Stop bringing her into this, Dawson. I get what you’re saying loud and clear without it.”

  He laughed drily.

  I tamped down on the wrath building. “What…what did they do to you in there, Dawson?”

  His eyes met mine. “What didn’t they do?”

  Dawson wasn’t saying anything else after he dropped that horrifying bomb. What didn’t they do? A steady stream of horrid images kept me company on the way back to the house.

  Once inside, Dawson didn’t speak to Dee or Andrew. He went straight to his bedroom. Dee was immediately at my side, worrying her lower lip. “What did he do today?”

  “Nothing really,” I answered, walking into the kitchen. “Just out looking for Bethany. He didn’t try anything.” “Yet” hung in the air between us. The slim black cell phone sat on the counter, next to the plate I’d used this morning. Picking it up, I tapped on the screen. There was a missed text from Kat. Slipping it into my pocket, I pivoted around. “Can you make sure he eats something tonight?”

  Dee nodded. “I can try.”

  I passed a silent Andrew on the way out. The little Prius was in the driveway, behind Kat’s Camry. Her mom was still home. That didn’t deter me as I zipped up the porch steps and knocked.

  A second later, the door flew open and Kat flung herself at me in a blur of arms and legs. Stumbling back a step as I caught her, I laughed deeply at her exuberant greeting. She clung to me, arms tight around my shoulders.

  “Kitten,” I murmured. “You know how much I like it when you say hi this way.”

  Her head was buried in the space between my neck and shoulder, and when she responded, I couldn’t make out a damn thing she said.

  I lifted her clear off her feet. “You’ve been worried, haven’t you?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Kat jerked back and wriggled free. She smacked my chest hard.

  “Ouch!” I grinned as I rubbed my chest. “What’s that for?”

  She folded her arms, keeping her voice low as she spoke. “Have you heard of a cell phone?”

  I arched my brow. “Why, yes, it’s this small thing that has all these cool apps on it—”

  “Then why didn’t you have it on you today?” she interrupted.

  Lowering my head to hers, my lips brushed her cheek as I spoke. “Going in and out of my true form all day kind of kills the electronics.”

  A moment passed. “You should’ve checked in, though. I thought…”

  “You thought what?”

  Drawing back, she gave me a look. I knew why she was concerned, and I hated that she’d spent even a minute worrying about me. Clasping her cheeks, I kissed her softly. “Kitten, nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m the last person you need to worry about.”

  Her eyes closed. “See, that’s possibly the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.”

  “For real?” I kissed the corner of her lips. “I say a lot of stupid things.”

  “I know. So that’s saying something.” Her hands slid to my chest. “I’m not trying to act like one of those obsessive girlfriends, but things…things are different with us.”

  She had a point. A very good one. “You’re right.”

  Her eyes widened. “Come again?”

  “You’re right. I should’ve checked in at some point. I’m sorry.”

  Shock splashed over her pretty face. Jaw dropped over and everything. Damn, she was adorable.

  “You’re speechless.” I chuckled. “I like that. And I also like you all feisty. Want to hit me again?”

  She laughed. “You’re a—”

  The door opened behind her and her mom appeared, clearing her throat. “I don’t know what it is with you two and porches, but come in, it’s freezing out there.”

  Kat flushed fire-engine red, so I let her go and made my way into the house. “Did you get a new haircut, Ms. Swartz?”

  Her mom lightly touched her hair. “I did. About a week ago.”

  “Looks great,” I said, smiling as Kat frowned. “Shows off those wonderful earrings.”

  Kat’s mom flushed, just like her daughter. “Thank you.”

  I continued to chat up her mom while Kat rolled her eyes about a million and three times before grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the steps. “Okay, well, this has been nice…”

  Ms. Swartz folded her arms. “Katy, what did I tell you about the bedroom?”

  Dipping my chin to hide my smile, I watched her face burn even brighter. “Mom…” She tugged on my arm again.

  Her mom raised her brows.

  Kat sighed. “Mom, it’s not like we’re going to have sex with you home.”

  “Well, honey, it’s good to know that you only have sex when I’m not home.”

  I coughed as I fought a smile. “We can stay—” The look Kat sent me warned that I’d probably never have sex with her, ever, if I continued. I wisely kept quiet.

  “Mo-om.”

  “Keep the door open,” her mom warned.

  Kat beamed brightly. “Thanks!” Then she all but dragged me up the stairs. Pushing me inside the bedroom, she shook her head at me. “You’re terrible.”

  “And you’re naughty.” I backed up, grinning. “Thought she said leave the door open.”

  “It is.” She gestured behind her. “It’s cracked. That’s open.”

  “Technicalities,” I said, sitting down on the bed. I curled my fingers at her. “Come on…come closer.”

  She didn’t budge. “I didn’t get you up here to indulge in wild monkey lust.”

  “Crap.” I dropped my hand to my lap.

  Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she moved closer to the bed. “We need to talk. Will’s been talking to my mom.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Details.”

  She sat beside me, tucking her legs against her chest. “He said he’s at a conference and would be home in a week or so. He also told Mom that we were seeing each other. The fact that he even brought us up…” She trailed off, rubbing her temples. “He can’t come back. If the mutation didn’t hold, he knows you’d kill him. And if it did…”

  “He has the upper hand,” I admitted.

  She threw herself onto her back. “God, this is a mess—a freaking mess of epic proportions. If he comes back, I can’t let him near my mom. I have to tell her the truth.”