Oblivion

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  Lane’s stare was dry as his plate of food arrived. He cut into the meat loaf with an expression of bliss on his face. “What happened to the one who got out of control?”

  Good question. I wasn’t sure what the Elders had told them, but with that kind of display of power, someone died. The Elders would’ve known that. “No longer a problem.”

  He paused, a huge chunk of meat loaf dangling from his fork. “You know that’s forbidden.”

  I took another drink. “And what would you have had me do? Let him expose us? Expose that the government is well aware of—”

  “I get it,” he interrupted, chewing thoughtfully. “Your colony reported the same thing. Officer Husher didn’t seem to have a problem with it, just so you know. Talking with you today is just procedural.”

  A little bit of relief set in. “Why did Husher come along? This seems too pedestrian for her.”

  He snickered. “Officer Husher likes to do ride-alongs every once in a while. Today was just your lucky day.”

  Now it was my turn to snort. My dislike of Husher was no big secret. I glanced out the window. Night had begun to fall. I wished I could trust Lane. I liked him, but I knew that I was just a job to him. One he tolerated. I turned my attention back to him. He looked up, only a small piece of meat loaf remaining on his plate.

  “What?” he asked.

  I picked up my glass. “Nothing.”

  Lane finished off his meat loaf, leaving the mashed potatoes untouched, like always. He placed his fork on the plate and leaned back. “Off the record?”

  Yeah, right. I waited.

  “You’re being smart, right?”

  My fingers stilled on the glass. “About what?”

  “The girl. Katy.”

  “You sound like a father, Lane.” My tone was nonchalant, but that wasn’t what I was feeling.

  Lane’s grin was small. “Sometimes I feel like that. I’m not asking what is going on with you two. You’re both young and the differences don’t matter in the…heat of the moment. She’s a pretty girl. Be smart, Daemon.”

  I wasn’t being smart when it came to Kat, and I had all but given up on that.

  Pulling into the driveway, I parked my car and opened the door. There wasn’t a light on at Kat’s house, but as I neared my porch, I felt the warm tingle along the back of my neck. I almost hit my knees. She was here. She was okay. I climbed the steps.

  The front door swung open, and Kat was a blur as she raced out. I barely had time to prepare myself. She threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing tight. My heart was racing, just like hers, and the greeting stunned me, so much so that I froze for a second.

  Then I wrapped my arms around her waist, sealing her to me. I was aware of Dee stepping outside. “Whoa there, Kitten, what’s going on?”

  Face-planting in my chest, she didn’t respond for a moment. “I thought the DOD carted you off to some lab to keep you in a cage.”

  “Cage?” I laughed a bit unsteadily. “No. No cages. They just wanted to talk. It took longer than I thought. Everything’s okay.”

  Dee cleared her throat. “Ahem.”

  Kat stiffened in my embrace and seemed to realize what she was doing. She wiggled free, backing up a step. “I…I was just excited.”

  “Yeah, I’d say you were,” Dee said.

  I stared at Kat, my lips slowly curving up. “I kind of like this level of excitement. Makes me think of—”

  “Daemon!” both of them shouted.

  “What?” I stepped toward my sister, tousling her hair in the way I knew annoyed the crap out of her. “I was only suggesting—”

  “We know what you were suggesting.” Dee dodged my hand. “And I really want to keep my food down tonight.” She smiled at Kat. “See. I told you. Daemon is fine.”

  Kat had obviously been very, very worried about me. Awesome. Right now, she looked pretty embarrassed. “They didn’t suspect anything?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing out of the norm, but they’re always paranoid.” I figured there was no point going into details right now. “Really, you don’t need to worry. You’re safe.”

  She stared at me and then shook her head, like I wasn’t getting something. “All right, I need to go home.”

  “Kat…”

  “No.” She waved me off, starting down the steps. “I really need to go home. Blake called, and I need to call him back.”

  “Boris can wait,” I said as Dee slipped back inside.

  “Blake,” she said, stopping on the sidewalk. A shaky hand rose and smoothed back the wayward strands around her face. “They asked me a lot of questions—especially the lady.”

  “Nancy Husher.” I frowned as I went down the steps. “She’s apparently a big deal within the DOD. They wanted to know what happened Homecoming weekend. I gave them the Daemon-edited version.”

  “Did they believe you?”

  I nodded. “Hook, line, and sinker.”

  She shivered. “But it wasn’t you, Daemon. It was me. Or it was all of us.”

  “I know, but they don’t know that.” I lowered my voice as I cupped her cool cheek in my hand. “They won’t ever know that.”

  Her eyes closed as she turned her cheek into my hand. “It’s not me I’m worried about. If they think you blew a satellite out of orbit, they could see you as a threat.”

  “Or they could just think I’m that awesome.”

  “It’s not funny,” she whispered.

  “I know.” I moved closer and, drawing in a deep breath, I drew her back into my arms. “Don’t worry about me or Dee. We can handle the DOD. Trust me.”

  Kat placed her hands on my sides and stayed there for a handful of precious moments, and during that time, the world quieted a little. Then she slipped free. “I didn’t tell that lady anything. And the damn phone rang as I was getting out of the car. She knew we were lying about why we were there.”

  Shit. Talk about bad timing with the phone. “They’re not going to care about us lying over the phone. They probably think we were out there getting it on or something. You don’t need to worry, Kat.”

  She lifted her eyes, meeting mine. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I smiled. “I know.”

  Chapter 16

  “All the kids were basically like X-Men in that book you told me to read. I still really liked it, though,” Dee said, placing her hand over a cup of butter. “But if I could pick a superpower, it would be the ability to read minds.”

  Kat stared at her as my sister melted the cup of butter with her hands. Slowly, Kat looked over to where I was leaned against the counter. She raised her brows at me and then said, “Dee, you are basically already a mutant. I mean, you just melted butter with your hands.”

  “Can’t read minds though, now can I?” Dee poured the butter over the chopped potatoes. “Or see through walls.”

  “Or control objects,” I mused, and then grinned when they both looked at me. “Oh, wait, we can do that.”

  “It’s not the same,” Dee reasoned, waving her hand. The tray of potatoes lifted and slid into the open oven door. The door closed without her touching it.

  Kat shook her head. “This is so weird.”

  Spinning around, Dee hopped up on the counter and crossed her ankles. “God, I wish we had more than the week off for Thanksgiving.”

  “I’m pretty sure we’re getting more time off than most,” Kat said, sitting in the kitchen chair. She had come over just before Dee decided she wanted to do a test run on Thanksgiving potatoes. “At my old high school, we only got a half day on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday off.”

  “I think we should get two weeks off.” Dee shrugged. “It’s only Tuesday, and I already feel like it’s almost over.”

  I raised a brow as I pushed away from the counter. “Probably because you slept half of Monday and Tuesday away.”

  “Whatever,” she said, grinning. “I’m preparing for the Wednesday grocery shopping trip from hell. Can’t wait.”


  Kat’s eyes widened. “You actually want to go out there the day before Thanksgiving?”

  My sister, who was crazy, nodded. “I love it. People are insane, running around and grabbing stuff. I love the excitement.”

  “I bet you love Black Friday shopping, too.”

  “Uh, yes. I can move lightning-fast. I get those deals.” Dee popped off the counter. “I’m gonna hop in the shower. You’re not leaving soon, right?”

  Kat glanced over at me. “You haven’t showered yet? It’s like five in the evening.”

  A sheepish look crossed her face. “I sort of slept in today, like Daemon said.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Dee shot me a look that warned behave as she darted out of the kitchen. I grabbed a Coke for Kat and then joined her at the table.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking the can and popping the lid. She glanced up at me and then quickly turned her gaze to her red can. Kat had holed herself up in her house since Saturday night. She sat back, glancing at the kitchen door. “Sometimes the only logical explanation for why your sister enjoys the things she does is because she’s an alien.”

  I laughed as I stretched out my legs. “I don’t even think she’s from my planet.”

  Kat smiled at that. “Are you going shopping with her?”

  My brows flew up. “Hell no. I would not subject myself to that kind of torture. Adam’s going with her.”

  “I bet he’s happy about that.” She took a sip and then reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair back from her face. “Nice of him to do that.”

  “Yeah.” I toyed with the can. “Have you been displaying any mutant abilities?”

  She stared at her can and shook her head. “Nope.”

  I eyed her closely, unsure if I believed her or not, but why would she lie? Knowing her, she probably didn’t want me to worry. “Nothing at all.”

  “No.” Those thick lashes lifted. “Has the DOD come around since Saturday?”

  “That would be a no.” I took a drink and then placed the can down. I leaned forward, resting an arm on the table. “So you’re going to join us for Thanksgiving?”

  Her lips curved up at the corners. “Dee’s invited me, but I’m not sure yet.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s just…I don’t know. I don’t want to creep all up in your family time.”

  Extending my arm, I tapped my fingers on hers. She peered up at me through her lashes. “You know you’re seriously welcome, right? It’s not just Dee and me having dinner.”

  “I know,” she said. “The Thompsons and Mr. Garrison are coming over, but they’re your family. I’m not.”

  I met her stare. “You’re just as important to us.”

  Her gaze rested on where my fingers touched her hand. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Promise?”

  She glanced up and grinned. “Of course.”

  I pulled my arm back. “So how’s Beethoven been? Seen him lately?”

  “Beethoven?” She laughed with a shake of her head. “You mean Blake.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You’re such an ass,” she said, smiling slightly. “How can you not remember his name?”

  I smirked. “He’s just not that memorable.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “So? You’ve seen him?”

  “No,” she said. “He’s visiting his family during Thanksgiving break.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll stay there,” I suggested.

  Her eyes rolled. “You’d like that.”

  “Undoubtedly.”

  Kat cocked her head to the side. “There’re the adverbs again.”

  “Oh, I have more for you. How about undeniably? Unequivocally?”

  She eyed me over her can of soda. “Aren’t you so proud of yourself.”

  “Unashamedly.”

  A giggle snuck out of her as she lowered her can. “That sums up you in one word.”

  “It’s a good word.” I watched her toy with the tab on her can. She peeked up at me, and when our eyes met this time, she didn’t look away. A long, tense silence stretched out between us, and I thought about how relieved she’d been when I’d come home Saturday night.

  Kat didn’t get it when it came to the whole Thanksgiving thing. She didn’t think she belonged or was a part of us. She had no idea that she was beginning to mean more to me than…

  Well, than anyone else that was going to be here on Thanksgiving. And that was dangerous. Potentially stupid. Risky. Also exhilarating.

  Thrilling.

  I ignored the look Dee sent in my direction as I gathered up the last of the Christmas decorations that I figured she wouldn’t murder me in my sleep for taking. She was smiling knowingly. Of course she was. And that was why I was pretending she didn’t exist.

  Making a quick pass into the kitchen, I grabbed the covered plates and then went back to the box by the door.

  “Very sweet of you,” Dee said.

  “Shut it.”

  She giggled as I willed the door open and stepped outside. I used the Source to get the box. It floated behind me like a puppy. As I crossed the lawn and stepped onto the front porch, I knew I was taking a risk, because I never knew what version of Kat I was going to get these days, but I couldn’t stand the idea of her spending Thanksgiving alone.

  Like it or not, she would be continuing her traditions.

  As I knocked on the door, I felt the familiar tingle along the back of my neck and grinned. A few seconds later the door opened.

  Kat’s lips parted, and hell, that made me want to kiss her. But I always wanted to kiss her, so that was no different from any other day.

  “Hey.” I lifted the stack of covered plates. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  She blinked. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “You going to invite me in?” I wiggled the plates. “I come bearing gifts in the form of food.”

  For a moment, she didn’t move, and then she stepped aside. I walked in, motioning at the box behind me. It landed inside the foyer with a jingle, and Kat just stood there, staring at me like I had walked into the house butt-ass-naked.

  “I brought a little of everything.” Off to the kitchen I went. “There’s turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, some kind of apple crisp thing and pumpkin—Kitten? Are you coming?”

  Silent, she followed me in as I got two candleholders and candles that looked like they’ve never been used. With a wave of my hand, the wicks caught fire. She was still quiet as I went about setting up dinner, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  “And after dinner, I have another surprise for you,” I warned her.

  “You do?” she whispered.

  I nodded. “But you’ve got to join me for dinner first.”

  She slowly made her way to the table and sat, clearing her throat. “Daemon, I…I don’t know what to say, but thank you.”