Oblivion

“Ready to beg?” the Arum in front of me taunted, taking human form. “Please do. It would mean a lot to hear the word ‘please’ leaking from your lips as I take everything from you.”

Light crackled all around me as I lifted my head. Still in my true form, I called on the Source one last time.

“Silence to the end, eh? So be it.” The Arum stepped forward, lifting his head. “Baruck, it is time.”

Baruck forced me to stand. “Do it now, Sarefeth!”

There was no way I was going down like this. No way in hell. Dee was at that party with Adam. They’d find her. And Kat was out there, somewhere and too close. Hell no. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t going to happen to my sister. This wasn’t going to happen to Kat. Energy built and expanded just as the one in front of me—Sarefeth—shifted into his true form, nothing more than smoke. I drew on the power as he slammed his hand against my chest, into my chest. My back bowed as I ground down. Pain exploded in every cell, startling me. Never had I felt anything like that. It seized every part of me, forcing a scream out of me as I briefly shifted into my human form.

Without any warning, the Arum in front of me, the one named Sarefeth, jerked his hand free from me and spun away. Pain still rippled throughout me, causing me to shift back and forth between forms, but I…I had to be hallucinating, because I saw her.

Kat was standing a few feet behind Sarefeth, like some kind of warrior princess, hair wild and red dress torn, the obsidian blade glowing red in her hand. Then Sarefeth exploded, breaking into pieces and floating up to the sky.

Baruck released me as I shifted back into my true form. I tried to push past the pain of the feeding as Baruck started toward Kat, but the Arum changed course, shifting into nothing more than a shadow, pulling the darkness into him, fleeing toward the other side of the road like a coiled snake and disappearing into the night.

Then Kat was at my side, on her knees. “Daemon—Daemon, please say something.”

My light flared, throwing off heat that had to be too intense for Kat. I slowly became aware of my hands pressing into the cracked and burned pavement. I thought I heard Kat cry, and that—that forced me to pull it together. I shifted into my human form and reached out, grabbing her arm as she started to scuttle away.

“Daemon, oh God, are you okay?” She was back at my side, her palm pressed to my cheek. The feeling of her hand… God. “Please tell me you’re okay? Please!”

Slowly, I lifted my head and placed my other hand over hers, the one against my cheek. “Remind me to never piss you off again. Christ, are you secretly a ninja?”

Kat laughed and sobbed in the same breath, and then she threw herself at me. I caught her and barely stopped myself from tumbling over backward. My hand delved deep into the mass of hair that had fallen free, and I held her just as tightly as she clung to me. She pressed herself to me like she was trying to become one with me, and even though my skin felt raw, the pain was nothing compared to the feeling of her right in that moment.

I pressed my forehead against her shoulder. “You didn’t listen to me.”

“I never listen to you.” She squeezed me hard before pulling back. Her gaze roamed over my face. “Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?”

“You’ve already done enough, Kitten.” Gathering my strength, I pushed to my feet, bringing her along with me. I took in the destruction around us. “We need to get out of here before anyone comes.”

Stepping back, I summoned the Source one last time and lifted my hand. Trees lifted off the road and rolled to the sides, clearing a path, and then we made our way back to the car. It roared to life as soon as I turned the key. I glanced over at Kat. She was shaking in the seat. “Are you okay? Hurt in any way?”

“I’m okay. It’s just…a lot, you know?”

A lot? I coughed out a laugh, but there was no humor to it. I hit the steering, frustrated. “I should’ve known there would be more coming.” I should’ve been more prepared. “They travel in fours. Dammit!”

“There were only three of them,” she said.

“Yeah, ’cuz I killed the first one.” Leaning back, I pulled out my cell. I needed to call Dee. The others needed to be warned that there was still one more out there, and since three of his brothers had just been killed, he was going to be seeking some nasty revenge.

Kat concerned me.

What she had just witnessed would bring a grown man to his knees in terror and shock. But she was quiet as I called Dee and then Matthew, and remained so on the trip home. Whenever I glanced over at her, I’d see a tremor make its way through her, but she wasn’t freaking out.

Kat blew me away.

This human girl was strong, with a core made out of steel. She was holding it together. Not only that, she had most definitely saved my life. I was man enough to admit that. If she hadn’t intervened when she did, I don’t know if I would’ve broken Baruck’s hold. I owed her my life. I could’ve died out on that road, and there would be two Arum and not one gu

Because she was lit up like the moon again.

The houses were dark when I pulled into the driveway. Turning off the engine, I looked over at Kat as I opened the car door. The overhead light was triggered, casting a soft light against her pale cheeks. She didn’t move. “Kat?”

Blinking slowly, she turned her cheek toward me. “Yes?”

Asking if she was okay seemed stupid. My gaze dropped to her hand. She was still holding the obsidian blade. I reached over, gently easing it out of her grasp. Her eyes rose to mine. “I want you to stay the night at our place,” I said. “You’re traced again, and even though I doubt the Arum will find his way here, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Her lips parted. “But if I’m traced, isn’t it more of a risk that I’m in the house with you—with Dee.”

My jaw tightened. “If an Arum tracks you to your house, we’re right next door. It’s virtually the same. Plus Dee is with Matthew and Adam right now. Andrew is there, too.”

“But it’s not,” she reasoned quietly. “If he—if it—comes after me, then at least you—”

“I want you in my house,” I cut in, ignoring her logic. “Okay?”

Kat stared at me for a long moment and then nodded. She climbed out, and I followed her into her house. Once the foyer light flipped on, I realized she was missing a shoe and her knees were a scratched, dirty mess. All of her was. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but she limped ahead, pulling herself upstairs.

My eyes drifted shut as my hand tightened around the leather binding on the obsidian. My shoulders sagged with fatigue.

When I had talked to Matthew, he asked if Kat had seen what had gone down. There was no way I could lie or hide the truth. I’d answered with a yes.

“We’re going to have to talk about this later,” he’d replied.

And I knew later was going to come real quick.

Opening my eyes, I saw Kat appear at the top of the steps, carrying a tote. She was still dressed in her ruined gown, my jacket swallowing her. Exhaustion clung to her every step, and she walked as if she was ready to sit down and take a nap.

Kat had saved my life.

No matter what Matthew or the Thompsons ended up thinking or saying, I was going to have her back. She had mine.

I met her halfway, taking the tote from her, and then after she locked up, we headed over to my house.

“I told my mom I was staying with Dee,” she said, clearing her throat. “I called when I was upstairs.”

“Cool.” I opened the front door, and a rush of cold air greeted us. Kat shivered. “Sorry. We keep it pretty cold at night.”

“I remembered,” she murmured, glancing at the stairs leading to the second floor. The skin across her cheekbones was drawn and pale. “It’s okay.”