Onyx (A Lux Novel)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “She’s lying,” Smoker spat.

  Any hope that had sparked in me died in a fiery crash. Smoker came closer, keeping the gun trained on me. With one hand, he reached out and placed his palm against my cheek. His hand smelled of cigarettes and disinfectant.

  “See,” the shorter one said, starting to put his gun back into the holster attached to his thigh. “She’s just lost. You’re getting paranoid. Go ahead, honey, get out of here.”

  Smoker grunted and grasped my other cheek, ignoring his partner. Something warm and sharp was in his palm. Fear spiked my heart rate. Was it a knife?

  “I’m lost. I swear—”

  Red-hot, needle-sharp pain streaked across my cheek, slicing down my neck and over my shoulder. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

  The pain rushed at me in waves. Blackness inched across my vision, and I doubled over, breaking contact with whatever he held in his hand.

  “Christ,” the shorter one said. “You’re right. She’s one of them.”

  I dropped to my knees as the pain ebbed, leaving a dull ache throbbing deep in my skin. Gulping in air, I placed my hand against my cheek, expecting to find my skin split open, but it was only warm.

  “Told you.” Smoker grasped my arm, yanking me forward. When I lifted my head, he had a gun pressed between my eyes. “What’s in this barrel will do far worse. So you better think carefully before you answer the next question. Who are you?”

  Speechless, fear held me paralyzed.

  He shook me. “Answer me.”

  “I…I…”

  “What’s going on out here?” a new voice asked, coming up from behind the two men.

  Smoker stepped to the side, and my heart dropped. It was Vaughn.

  “We found her sneaking around back here,” Smoker said, sounding like he’d just caught the biggest catfish to date. “She’s one of them.”

  Vaughn frowned as he moved closer, his bushy mustache blowing as he breathed heavily. “Good job. I’ll take this one.”

  I couldn’t breathe. Vaughn had been inside, where Daemon was. Had he caught Daemon, done something to him? If so, it was entirely my fault. I’d started this by telling him I’d seen Bethany. I may not have controlled where the rock went, but I’d pushed it down the hill.

  “Are you sure?” asked the shorter officer.

  Vaughn nodded, reaching down and grasping my other arm, hauling me to my feet. “I’ve had my eye on this one for a while.”

  “The cages should be prepped,” Smoker said, letting go of my other arm reluctantly. “It took a while for it to work on her. You might want to double it up.”

  Cages? My mouth dried up.

  The shorter officer looked me over, eyes narrowing. “Since we caught this one, shouldn’t we get a reward?”

  “Reward?” asked Vaughn, voice low.

  Smoker laughed. “Yeah, like with the other one. That was one hell of a reward. Husher won’t know any different as long as we don’t mess her up.”

  Before my brain could come to terms with what he meant, Vaughn pushed me to the side hard enough I lost my balance and hit the ground. He threw up his hand. Lightning crackled around his arm, flaring red-white as it enveloped his body until he was nothing more than light.

  I gasped, realizing Vaughn was…Daemon.

  “Dammit!” yelled Smoker, reaching for his gun. “It’s a trick!”

  Pulsing with light and power, he released the energy. It struck Smoker first, sending him several feet back. The light arched, smacking into the shorter officer. He too went flying into the side of the building. There was a sickening crunch, and he fell to the ground, skin and clothing smoking. The man shuddered once, and then his face turned to…ash.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered.

  A slight breeze moved down the building, stirring the fallen man. Pieces of him flicked up into the air, floating away until nothing remained. It was the same where Smoker had fallen. There was nothing left of them.

  Daemon’s light dimmed, and when I looked at him, he was in his human form. I expected him to flip out about my not staying in the car, but all he did was reach down and take my hand, gently pulling me to my feet. The baseball cap hid his eyes, but his lips were pressed in that hard, unyielding line.

  “We need to get out of here,” he said.

  I agreed.

  Chapter 28

  Back at my house, we sat on the couch, facing each other with our legs crossed. I held a steaming cup of hot cocoa that he’d placed between my hands, but I couldn’t get warm enough. I kept running down everything that had happened, ending with the men turning into ash. It reminded me of the videos of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. The blast of heat had been so intense it had turned people to ash and permanently implanted their shadows into buildings.

  We’d driven their car into the woods, and Daemon had then fried it, burning it until there wasn’t much of anything left. Any evidence of us being there had been removed, but eventually people would miss the two men and questions would start getting tossed around, especially from their families. Because they had families…

  The baseball cap had been tossed onto the coffee table, but I couldn’t read anything in Daemon’s eyes. He’d been quiet the whole way back.

  I squeezed the warm mug. “Daemon…are you okay?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  Taking a sip, I watched him from under my lashes. “What was inside the building?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck as he closed his eyes briefly. “There wasn’t anything in the first couple of rooms. Just empty office space, but it’s obvious the place is used a lot. There were empty coffee cups, filled ashtrays everywhere. The farther I got in, there were…cages. About ten of them; one looked like it was used recently.”

  Nausea rolled inside me. “Do you really think they were keeping people in there?”

  “Luxen? Yes. And maybe others like you.” He dropped his hands on his legs. “One of the cages had dried blood in it. All of them had chains and manacles encased in this dark red stone I’ve never seen before.”

  “I saw something outside the building, above the doors. It was shiny, looked black to me because it was dark.” I set my cup aside. “And he put something against my cheek, and God, that hurt like hell. I wonder if it was the same thing you saw.”

  His poetic lips tipped down at the corners. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Perfectly fine.” I waved it off. “Did you see anything else?”

  “I didn’t have time to go upstairs, but I had this feeling that something…something was up there.” He stood with fluid grace, clasping his arms behind his head. “I need to get back in there.”

  My eyes followed him. “Daemon, it’s too dangerous. People are going to realize that the officers are missing. You can’t go back there.”

  He whirled around, facing me. “My brother could be in there or something that will tell me where my brother is. I can’t just walk away because it’s too dangerous.”

  “I understand that.” I stood, clenching my hands. “But what good are you to Dawson—or to Dee—if you get caught?”

  Daemon stared at me for several long moments. “I have to do something.”

  “I know, but it needs to be more thought out than any of your plans have been so far.” I ignored the flash of temper in his bright gaze. “Because you could’ve been captured tonight.”

  “I’m not worried about myself, Kat.”

  “Then that’s a problem!”

  His eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t have involved you in this if I knew you were going to wimp out.”

  “Wimp out?” The events of the night heightened everything I was feeling and I was on overload, seconds from breaking down, sitting in the corner somewhere. Maybe rocking in that corner, too. “I’m the one who involved you. I saw Bethany.”

  “And I agreed to let you come with me the first time.” He ran his hand through his messy hair, exhaling roughly. “If you’d stayed in that car,
I could’ve had time to check the floors above.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You would’ve been caught inside. I got out of the car because you didn’t respond to my text! If I stayed in there, we’d both be in those cages.”

  The tips of his cheeks flushed as he looked away. “Okay. Both of us are aggravated right now. We should just let it drop for tonight. Get some rest. Whatever.”

  I didn’t want to let it drop, but he had a point. I crossed my arms. “Fine.”

  With one last look, he grabbed his cap from the table and turned to leave, stopping at the end of the couch. His shoulders shuddered and his voice came out a whisper. “I’ve never killed a human before.”

  Suddenly, his aggravation made more sense. It wasn’t just the helpless feeling of not being able to do anything. The need to comfort him, to touch him, turned physical. I reached out, placing my hand on his arm. “It’s okay.”

  Daemon shrugged off my hand, scowling. “It’s not okay, Katy. I killed two humans. And don’t—just don’t do anything.”

  I flinched, more from the use of my real name than his action. Daemon blinked out, and the front door slammed shut. Running both my hands over my head, I bit down on my lip hard enough for a metallic taste to spring into my mouth.

  Daemon wouldn’t go back to that warehouse. Never in a million years.

  Even I couldn’t convince myself of that.

  …

  Sleep didn’t come easily that night, and I spent the better part of the next day strung tight as a bow pulled too hard. I kept checking the driveway next door, making sure Daemon’s car was there. He could just zip his way back to the warehouse without his SUV, but seeing the car gave me some relief.

  The next couple days of winter break crept by. Most of the time I expected SWAT to bust up in my house, demanding to know what happened to the officers. But nothing happened. The day before New Year’s Eve, Dee stopped by.

  “Like my new boots?” She stuck out one slender leg. Black leather boots ended just below her knees. The heel was killer. “Daemon got them for me.”

  “They’re awesome. What size are you?”

  She giggled, then popped a lollipop back in her mouth. “Okay, before you tell me no, I already cleared it with Ash.”

  I frowned. “Cleared what?”

  “Ash is throwing a little New Year’s Eve party at her house. It’s just going to be a few of us. Daemon is going.”

  “Uh, I doubt Ash is okay with me going to her party.”

  “No, she is.” Dee pinged around the living room like a captured butterfly. “She promised she’d be cool with it. I think you’re growing on her.”

  “Like mold,” I muttered. Watching Dee made me dizzy. “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, come on, Katy. You can even invite Blake if you want to.”

  I made a face. “I’m not inviting him.”

  She came to a sudden halt, the lollipop dangling from her fingers. “Are you guys having problems?” she asked hopefully.

  “You know, if I were actually dating him, I’d have a problem with how happy you sounded there, but since I’m not dating him, I’m okay.”

  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What’s going on with you two, then?”

  “Nothing.” I sighed.

  She sucked on her lollipop for a few moments as she watched me. “And nothing is going on with my brother. Right? He’s just slinking around the house for no reason.”

  My lips pursed. “Dee…”

  “He’s my brother, Katy. I love him. And you’re my best friend, even though you haven’t really acted like it recently.” She flashed a quick grin before continuing. “So I feel like I’m stuck in the middle of you two. And I know neither of you is putting me there, but I want…both of you happy.”

  Wondering how we ended up on this conversation, I sat down with a sigh. “Dee, it’s really complicated.”

  “It can’t be that complicated,” she replied, sounding like Lesa. “You guys like each other, and I know Daemon would be risking a lot by pursuing a relationship with you, but that’s his risk to take.” Dee sat beside me, her body humming with energy. “Anyway, I think you guys need to talk or…I don’t know. Cave to your passions.”

  I busted out laughing. “Oh my God, are you serious?”

  She grinned. “So are you going to go with us tomorrow night?”

  As much as I wanted to see the Thompsons’ house, because I bet it was super posh and cool, I was still undecided. “I’ll think about it.”

  “You promise?” She nudged me with her elbow. “It would make me really happy if you did.”

  Partying with them did sound better than what I had planned, which was nothing. Dee stayed for a little while, borrowing a couple of books, and then left. Then, around suppertime, Will showed up with Chinese takeout. I didn’t turn the food down, but I wasn’t much for conversation. Mom practically floated around the kitchen, buzzing on a good-boyfriend high.

  When they left, I spent the rest of the evening reading, finishing a book for a blog tour, and starting a new one I wasn’t scheduled to read. Having time to read was nice and relaxing. I could feel a little bit of my old self creeping back. Not the timid Katy, but the one who did what she wanted because she enjoyed it.

  When it got close to ten, I put the book down and considered checking in with Daemon. Was he going back to that warehouse without me? There was a good chance he was. Trying to distract myself, I logged into one of the local news websites and searched for any mention of the two officers going missing. I’d checked each night with no results.

  But tonight was different.

  The headline on the Charleston Gazette read:

  two department of defense officers missing after last seen near petersburg.

  My breath caught as I scanned the article. Officer Robert McConnell and Officer James Richardson were last seen near Petersburg on December 26th and have not been heard from since. Authorities are not saying the nature of their dealings in Grant County but are asking anyone who may have seen the officers or may know anything to please contact their tip line.

  Below the article were two pictures. I recognized them immediately. Clicking off the webpage, I immediately brought up a new web search screen. First, I Googled Nancy Husher and came up with nothing. Smoker had mentioned her by last name, saying she wouldn’t be mad if I wasn’t…messed up.

  I shuddered.

  I’d thought there’d at least be something in relation to the DOD, but it wasn’t like the woman existed on the Internet. My next search victim was my mom’s boyfriend. There were quite a few sites linking to numerous awards won in the medical community, but nothing showing a connection to Bethany.

  But there was something that left a bad taste in my mouth about him.

  One article’s headline read:

  local doctor overcomes leukemia, backs funding for new cancer treatment center in grant county.

  My eyes scanned the article. It was Will. There was a picture of him, most likely taken during rounds of treatment, because I recognized that bone-haggard look.

  I couldn’t believe it. Did Mom know this? I mean, cancer wasn’t a reason not to date someone, but after everything she went through with Dad? Could she go through something like that again if the cancer came back?

  And if I actually grew to like the dude, if he wasn’t an implant, could I deal with that again? I went back to the search page, unable to wrap my brain around this new fact.

  Stopping to grab a cup of cocoa, I returned to my amateurish investigation. My fingers hovered over the keyboard while a sense of guilt flushed my cheeks. Then, with a cringe, I Googled Blake Saunders, telling myself I only wanted to see his old blog, since he never did tell me its name.

  The first searches linked to some college athlete, but down toward the bottom of the first page, I saw a news report about his parents’ murders. Clicking on the link, I read the sad, sad write-up on the deaths of his parents and sister. It was called a brutal break-in.

 
; There were a couple more articles stating the same, and then I found the obituary for his parents, which took me to a funeral home site in Santa Monica. Sunny Acres. Who in the hell named a funeral home Sunny Acres? Shaking my head, I took a sip of my cocoa and clicked the pictures the website had of the family. The younger Blake was cute, and so was his sister. My gut clenched when I looked at the pictures of him and his little sister playing on a swing set. The kid was way too young, and her death was probably horrific. I blinked back hot tears, moved by someone I’d never even met. It just wasn’t fair or right. Death usually was never those two things but this…this was wrong.

  I kept going through the pictures, stopping on an older one of Blake’s father. I could see the resemblance in the easy smile and hazel eyes. The man next to his father looked oddly familiar. He shared some of the same features as Blake’s dad, but his face was rounder. Some of the pictures had captions below, but this one didn’t. I went through the next couple of pictures greedily, and then I stopped on one that looked like a family reunion taken around the holidays.

  Leaning closer, I set the cup down before I dropped it. A sharp pang sliced my breath as I got a real good look at the guy who’d been in the picture with Blake’s father.

  The man had his hand clamped on the younger Blake’s shoulder and was smiling at the camera from beneath a wiry, light brown mustache. The caption below listed him as Brian Vaughn.

  Thoughts warred in my head as I quickly clicked on the obituary again, skimming for surviving family members. Brian Vaughn was listed as a stepbrother of the deceased—of Blake’s dad.

  My surprised laugh came out strangled, and I stood, looking around the room expectantly, although I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Shock beat at me, struggling to keep the rising tide of anger at bay.

  Blake was related to a DOD officer.

  How…coincidental.

  I started to pace the length of the living room, my breath coming out harsh and fast. The illogical part of my brain was trying to convince myself that it was just a coincidence, that it was another Brian Vaughn who looked like the DOD officer. But the harsh reality of being fooled…of allowing myself to be played right into the DOD’s hands beat at me.