Opal

I had no idea what to do for her. The best I could was spend the evenings with her on her days off, after I finished with the onyx stuff. Keeping her company and distracted seemed to help.

As weeks passed and there was no sign of Carissa or anyone else that had held the little town captive, the inevitable happened. People didn’t forget, but the reporters went away and then other things occupied the nightly news. By mid-April, everyone for the most part was back to doing their own thing.

I’d asked Daemon one evening as we walked back from the lake, enjoying the warmer temperatures, how could people forget so easily? A bitter sensation had taken up residence in my tummy. Would that happen to me one day if we didn’t come back from Mount Weather? People would just get over it?

Daemon had squeezed my hand and said, “It’s the human condition, Kitten. The unknown isn’t something that sits well. They’d rather push it away-not completely, but just enough that it’s not always shadowing their every thought and action.”

“And that’s okay?”

“Not saying that it is.” He’d stopped, placing his hands on my upper arms. “But not having the answers to something can be scary. People can’t focus on that forever. Just like you couldn’t focus on why it was your dad who had to get sick and pass away. That’s the big unknown. You had to let it go eventually.”

I’d stared up at him, his striking features highlighted in the waning light. “I can’t believe you can sound so wise.”

Daemon had chuckled, ru

And I did. Daemon was ridiculously supportive most of the time. He still hated that I was taking part in the onyx training, but he wasn’t pushing it and I appreciated that.

I threw myself into training with the onyx, which left little time for anything other than going to school. Onyx stripped away energy and after every session, all of us were quick to pass out. And we were so wrapped up in building our tolerance, watching out for officers and implants that we hadn’t even celebrated Valentine’s Day besides the flowers he’d bought me and the card I’d given him.

We kept pla

I really began to think his sporadic late-night visits really were a product of my overactive imagination, because at the end of the night, he was just as whipped as I was. Every morning it seemed like a vivid dream and since Daemon never mentioned it, I let it go while looking forward to it. Dream Daemon was better than no Daemon, I guessed.

But by the begi

Halfway through today’s practice, we gained an audience that included Ash and Dee. Those two were becoming real bosom buddies of late, while I was basically friendless with the exception of Lesa on good days.

Bad days were when she missed Carissa and no one could replace that lost friendship.

Watching Ash teeter around on her ridiculous heels, I had to wonder how Ash and Dee were even getting along. Besides their obsession with fashion, they had little in common.

Then I realized what probably had bonded them together: their grief. And here I was, begrudging them of that. I could be such a tool.

Matthew was in the process of picking himself off the ground as Ash tottered over to the onyx, frowning. “It can’t be that bad. I have to try it.”

I bit back a mad grin. I was so not going to stop her.

“Uh, Ash, I really wouldn’t suggest doing that,” Daemon began.

Party pooper , I thought, but Ash was a determined little alien. So I sat down, stretched out my legs, and waited for the show to begin.

I didn’t have to wait long.

Bending over gracefully, she picked up one of the shiny blackish-red jewels while I held my breath. Not even a second later, she shrieked, dropped the onyx as if it were a snake, and stumbled backward, falling flat on her butt.

“Yep, not bad at all,” Dawson commented drily.

Ash’s eyes were wide, mouth gulping like a fish’s. “What

what was that?”

“Onyx,” I responded, lying on my back. Bright blue skies and a touch of sun warmed the air. I’d already had three rounds with it today. I couldn’t feel my fingers. “It sucks.”

“It felt

It felt like my skin was ripping apart,” she said. Shock roughened her voice. “Why would you guys put yourselves through this for months?”

Dawson cleared his throat. “You know why, Ash.”

“But she’s

”

Oh, no.

“She’s what?” Dawson was on his feet. “She’s my girlfriend.”

“I didn’t mean anything.” Ash looked around for help, but she was alone on this one. Standing carefully, she took an unsteady step toward Dawson. “I’m sorry. It’s just

that hurt.”

Dawson said nothing as he brushed past Daemon, disappearing into the thicket. Daemon’s eyes met mine, then he sighed and trotted off after his brother.

“Ash, you need to learn a tad bit more sensitivity,” Matthew said, brushing loose dirt off his jeans.

Her face fell and then crumbled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

I couldn’t believe it. A rarity was to see Ash show any emotion other than bitchiness. Dee went to her side and the two walked off, Matthew following after them, looking like he needed a vacation or a bottle of whiskey.

Which left me alone with Blake.

Groaning, I closed my eyes and lay back down. My body felt heavy, like I could sink through the ground. In a couple of weeks, I’d sprout flowers.

“Are you feeling okay?” Blake asked.

Several snarky responses lined up on my tongue like little soldiers, but all I said was, “I’m just tired.”

There was a pregnant pause, and then I heard his footsteps move closer. Blake sat down beside me. “Onyx is killer, isn’t it? I never really thought about it, but when I was first inducted into Daedalus, I was always tired.”

I didn’t know what to say so I kept quiet and for a while, so did he. Blake was probably the hardest person to be around. Because deep down, he wasn’t a horrible person, maybe not even a monster. He was a desperate person and desperation can make people do crazy things.

He brought forth conflicted feelings. Over the last couple of months, I had grown, like the others, to tolerate him but not trust him, because I remembered Luc’s parting words-You really shouldn’t trust a soul in this game. Not when everyone has something to gain or lose . I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d meant Blake. I didn’t want to go easy on him because of what he did to Adam, and I didn’t want to feel sorry for him, but I did at times. He was a product of his environment. Wasn’t a justification of any sorts, but Blake didn’t do what he did all by himself. There had been several factors. The strangest thing of all had been at lunch, seeing him sitting at the same table with the siblings of the boy he’d killed.

I honestly didn’t think anyone knew how to handle Blake.

Finally, he said, “I know what you’re thinking.”

“I thought you couldn’t read other hybrids’ minds.”

He laughed. “I can’t, but it’s obvious. You’re uncomfortable with my being here with you, but you’re too tired and it’s too nice to get up.”

Blake was right on all accounts. “And yet you’re still here.”

“Yeah, about that

I don’t think sleeping out here is the safest thing to do. Besides the bears and coyotes, the DOD or Daedalus could always come around.”