Opal

Daemon took my hand as we strolled up to the school. The air was warm with just a hint of coolness. The nights were still pretty cold here in May, but I didn’t need a shawl or anything, not with Daemon beside me. He always blew off an incredible amount of heat.

At homecoming, the gymnasium had been transformed by all the fall festive decorations, but for prom, white lights had been strung along the ceiling and down the closed bleachers, forming a dazzling waterfall effect. Large, leafy potted plants had been brought in, surrounding the white-linen-covered tables sitting at the edge of the matted dance floor.

Music was loud, and I could barely hear what Daemon was saying to me as he tugged me forward. Lesa appeared out of nowhere, taking my hand and pulling me toward the floor. She looked awesome in a deep blue trumpet dress that flattered her hourglass curves. Out on the floor other girls surrounded us. Laughter mingled with the beat and I thought of the club in Martinsburg and the cages.

Totally different worlds.

Daemon reappeared, stealing me away from the girls. It was a slow dance and his arm fit perfectly around my waist. I rested my cheek on his shoulder, glad that he and Dee had convinced me into doing the prom thing. Getting out and doing this felt great, like a seven-ton weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Daemon hummed along with the song, his chin brushing my cheek every so often. I liked the way his chest thrummed against mine, reminding me of the natural way his body felt.

Toward the end of the song, I opened my eyes and they locked with Blake’s.

I sucked in a sharp breath. Hadn’t expected him to be here, so seeing Blake caused quite a bit of shock to shoot through me. Was he with someone? No girl was near him, but that didn’t mean anything. Something about the way he stood there watching us was above the acceptable creep factor for my taste.

A couple moved in, laughing as the boy pawed at her hips. When they passed on, Blake was gone, but a weird, icky feeling had popped up in my stomach. The feeling I got whenever I saw Blake, which meant I tried not to think about him at all.

Seeing him made me think of someone else, though. I lifted my head. “Dawson didn’t come?”

Daemon shook his head. “Nah, I think he’d feel like he was betraying Beth if he did.”

“Wow,” I whispered, unsure of what to think of that. His dedication to Beth was more than admirable-it was sort of awe-inspiring. Maybe it was the alien DNA.

Daemon’s arm tightened and the tux pulled taut across his shoulders.

Yes, definitely the alien DNA at work on many, many aspects.

After the slow dance, Andrew and Dee joined us. She looked as divine as I thought she would in her dress and fresh, clean look. I noted that Dee and Andrew kept a discreet distance between each other. To me, it was clear they were just friends-more only because they shared something they lost.

When Daemon left to find something to drink, I was blindsided by Ash and her human date

and her little black dress.

Ash gri

I ignored her and offered a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

David was handsome-very handsome-and could easily hold his own with the Luxen. He had curly brown hair and his warm whiskey-colored eyes were friendly, too.

He gave a good handshake. “My pleasure.”

And polite. What was he doing with Ash?

“I have certain talents,” she whispered in my ear, as if she read my thoughts, and I frowned at her. “Ask Daemon. He can tell you all about them.” Straightening, she laughed.

Instead of hitting her, which was something I really wanted to do-and I could feel the Source begging me to be used-I smiled sweetly as I brushed past her and placed my hand on the exposed length of her slender back. A high-charged electric surge passed from my hand to her skin.

Letting out a low shriek, Ash jumped and spun around. “You

”

Beside her, David looked confused, but behind him, Dee busted out laughing. I kept smiling, giving Ash a little wink before turning around. Daemon stood there with two cups, one eyebrow arched.

“Bad little Kitten,” he murmured.

Gri

Leaving the group behind, we danced again, so closely that I kept waiting for a teacher to come around and break us apart. Several times I danced with Lesa and even Dee joined in once. We all looked ridiculous, flailing around and having fun.

By the time I was back in Daemon’s arms, we’d been at the prom for about two hours. Some of the kids were already leaving, heading out to the notorious field parties held on farms.

“You ready to leave yet?” he said.

“Do you have something pla

“I do.” He smiled mischievously. “I have a surprise.”

And my mind went far, far south at that point. Daemon and the word surprise in the same sentence usually was an entertaining adventure.

“All right,” I said, hoping I sounded adult and cool while my heart was doing the stupid happy-girl dance.

Finding Lesa, I told her we were leaving and gave her a hug. “Did you guys get a hotel room?” she asked, eyes glittering in the white lights.

I slapped her arm. “No. God. Well

I don’t think so. He says he has a surprise for me.”

“Totally the hotel room,” she yelled. “Oh my God, you guys are going to have, you know, the three-letter word.”

I smiled.

Lesa’s eyes narrowed and then flew open. “Wait. Did you guys-”

“I’ve got to go.” I started to pull away, but she followed.

“You have to tell me! I need to know.” Behind her, Chad watched on curiously.

Getting away, I shook my head. “I really need to go. I’ll talk to you later. Have fun.”

“Oh, we’d better talk later. I demand it.”

Promising to call her, I then looked for Dee but all I found was Ash, and after I zapped her earlier, she was looking like she wanted payback. I veered in the other direction, sca

I gave up when I saw Daemon again. “Have you seen Dee?”

He nodded. “I think she left with Andrew. They decided to go to the diner or something and eat.”

I stared.

Daemon shrugged.

Now I was unsure about my earlier conviction when it came to their relationship. Adam and Dee were notorious for doing things like that. Then again, Luxen liked to eat

all the time. “You don’t think they’re

?”

“I don’t even want to know.”

Me neither, I decided. Taking his offered hand, we headed back out of the steamy gymnasium and down the streamer-laden hallway. The temps had dropped outside, but the cold air felt good against my flushed skin.

“Are you going to tell me about the surprise?”

“If I did, then it won’t be a surprise,” he replied.

I pouted. “But it’s a surprise now.”

“Nice try.” He laughed, opening the door for me. “Get in and behave yourself.”

“Whatever.” But I climbed in, primly crossing my legs. Daemon laughed again as he loped around the front of his car and got in.

Casting me a glance, he shook his head. “You’re dying to know, aren’t you?”

“Yes. You should tell me.”

He said nothing and remained quiet the whole way home, much to my surprise. Nervous excitement built inside me. There’d only been a few minutes here and there of being alone together since that fateful Saturday night.

Strange how something so terrible and so beautiful could happen in one night-the best and the worst day of my life, I realized.

I didn’t want to think of Will.

Daemon parked the car in his driveway. The living room light was on in his house. “Stay in the car, okay?”