Opal

A thrill of pride sparked inside me until I remembered how important tonight would be. I couldn’t be the weakest link. “You guys go ahead and head back. I’m going to do some more runs.”

“You sure?”

“Yep. I want to run circles around you.”

“Never going to happen, Kitten.” He swaggered up to me and kissed my cheek. “You might as well give it up.”

I pushed at his chest playfully. “One of these days you’re going to eat crow.”

“I doubt any of us will be around to see that.” Dawson gri

My heart stopped when I saw the two of them joking, and I forced my expression to remain the same, although I saw Daemon falter a little. Unaware of the importance of the exchange, Dawson knocked his hair back again and started toward the house.

“Race you, brother,” Dawson called.

Go , I mouthed at Daemon.

He sent me a quick smile and then trotted up to his brother. “You know you’re going to lose.”

“Probably, but hey, it’s good for your ego, right?”

Like he needed help with that, but I smiled and felt all warm and fuzzy as they joked and then took off. I waited a few minutes, cleared my thoughts, and then jogged back toward the house. At normal speed, it took about five minutes if I was adding correctly. Once at the tree line, I spun around and got ready. Feeling the Source snap loose, I launched forward.

Two minutes.

I did it again and timed it.

A minute and thirty seconds the second trip back. I did it again and again, until my muscles burned along with my lungs and the five-minute jog took me fifty seconds. I didn’t think I could get any better than that.

And the fu

Stretching, I watched the sun filter through the trees and bounce off the partially frozen creek. Spring wasn’t too far away. I pushed at my hair, tucked it over one shoulder. That was, if we all made it out of Mount Weather tonight.

“I was wrong. You really don’t need practice.”

I whirled at the sound of Blake’s voice. Standing several feet away, he leaned against a thick tree, hands in his pockets. Unease and discord balled in my stomach.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, keeping my voice even.

Blake shrugged. “Watching.”

“Yeah, that’s not creepy or anything.”

He smiled tightly. “I probably should have thought of a better way of phrasing that. I was watching you all run. You guys are good-you’re great. Daedalus would love to have you on board.”

The ball in my stomach grew. “Is that a threat?”

“No.” He blinked, cheeks flushing. “God, no, I just meant that you’re that good. You’re what they want in a hybrid.”

“Like you?”

His gaze dropped to the ground. “Yeah, like me.”

This was awkward and breathing the same air as Blake irritated me. Normally, I didn’t hold grudges, but I made an exception with him. I started heading back to the house.

“Are you worried about tonight?”

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

He was beside me quickly. “Why not?”

Why not? Seriously? Why not? That question enraged me. Without thinking, I snapped around and slammed my fist into his solar plexus. Air expelled from him in a rush and giddy satisfaction planted a smile on my face.

“God!” he grunted, doubling over. “What is up with you chicks hitting me?”

“You deserve much worse than that.” I pivoted around before I hit him again and restarted my trek back. “Why don’t I want to talk to you? Why don’t we ask Adam?”

“Okay.” He caught up with me, rubbing his stomach. “You’re right. But I’ve said I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t fix things like this.” I took a breath, squinting at the harsh glare of the sun cutting through the branches. I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation.

“I’m trying to make up for it.”

I laughed at the ridiculous notion that he could make up for all that he had done. Ever since the night Adam died, a part of me understood capital punishment and why it was created. Maybe not a life for a life, but I got the whole life-in-prison thing.

I stopped. “Why are you really here right now? You know Daemon is probably going to be ticked off, and he hits harder than Dee or me.”

“I wanted to talk to you.” His gaze tipped upward. “And there was a time that you used to like talking to me.”

Yeah, before he turned out to be the devil incarnate, he was a pretty cool guy. “I hate you,” I said, and I meant it. The level of animosity that I felt for this boy was a chart topper.

Blake flinched but didn’t look away. Wind roared through the trees, whipping my hair around my face and causing his to stand straight up. “I never wanted you to hate me.”

I barked out a short laugh and started walking again. “You suck at the whole not-making-me-hate-you part.”

“I know.” He fell in step beside me. “And I know I can’t change that. I’m not even sure I would if I had a chance to do it again.”

I cut him a hateful glare. “At least you’re honest, right? Whatever.”

He shoved his hands into his jeans. “You would do the same if you were in my shoes-if that was Daemon you needed to protect.”

A shiver tiptoed down my spine as my jaw locked into place.

“You would,” he insisted quietly. “You would do just as I did. And that’s what bothers you more than anything. We’re more alike than you want to admit.”

“We’re nothing alike!” My stomach seized up, though, because deep down, like I’d told Daemon before, I was a lot like Blake. Knowing that didn’t mean I was going to give him the pleasure of admitting it, especially since what he’d done had changed me.

My hands curled into fists as I stomped over branches and shrubs. “You’re a monster, Blake. A real live, breathing monster-I don’t want to be that.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. “You’re not a monster.”

My jaw ached from how hard I was grinding my teeth.

“You’re like me, Katy, you really are, but you’re better than me.” There was a pause and then he said, “I’ve liked you from the moment we met. Even though I knew it was stupid to like you, I do.”

Dumbstruck, I stopped and looked at him. “What?”

The tips of his cheeks burned red. “I like you, Katy. A lot. And I know you hate me, and you love Daemon. I get that, but I just wanted to get that out there in case the shit hits the fan tonight. Not that it will, but you know

Whatever.”

I couldn’t even process what he was saying. There was no way. I turned and started back to the house that was now in sight, shaking my head. He liked me. A lot. That’s why he betrayed my friends and me. Killed Adam and then returned to blackmail us. A hysterical laugh formed in my throat and once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop.

“Thanks,” he muttered. “I put it out there, and you laugh at me.”

“You should be glad I’m laughing. Because the other option is hitting you again, which is still up-”

Blake slammed into my back, throwing me to the ground. Air flew from my lungs in a rush and his weight immediately primed my body for a fight.

“Don’t,” he whispered in my ear, his hands wrapping around my upper arms. “We have company-and not the good kind.”

Armentrout, Je

Opal ( A Lux Novel)

Chapter 21

My heart leaped into my throat. As I managed to lift my head, I expected to see a fleet of DOD officers converging on us.

I saw nothing.

“What are you talking about?” I asked in a hushed voice. “I don’t see-”

“Quiet.”

I bristled but remained quiet. After a few seconds, though, I was convinced he was just getting a cheap thrill or something. “If you don’t get off me, I’m going to really hurt-”

And then I saw what he was talking about. Creeping along the side of my house was a man in a black suit. Something about his appearance looked familiar, and then I remembered where I’d seen him before.