Weight slammed down on my chest as the tears streamed down Kat’s face. I pulled her into my lap and held her. That was the only thing I could do while she sobbed for the loss of her friend. And it was more than just the loss. Kat wouldn’t be able to tell anyone what happened to Carissa. She would have to pretend that she didn’t know anything when people realized that the quiet girl from trig class had disappeared. Guilt would fester. I knew it would. So would the pain, because Carissa’s death was absolutely senseless and beyond cruel, and that wasn’t something you could easily, if ever, come to terms with. You just came to accept it.
All I could do was hold her, and as she cried, I whispered to her in my true language. I told her it would be okay. I told her that I’d be here for her, no matter what. And I told her that one day, she would live without any more of this pain or this fear.
I would make sure of it.
My brain started to turn over all the stuff that needed to be done. Kat’s bedroom needed cleaning up. She needed something to cover the burned spot, because I didn’t want her seeing that every day.
After some time, the tears slowed and Kat lifted her head. Her eyes were rimmed in red, but her voice was steady as she spoke. “She had a bracelet I’d never seen her wear before. The same kind of bracelet that Luc had on.”
That was unexpected. “Are you sure?” When she nodded, I leaned back against the couch, keeping her in my lap. “This is even more suspicious.”
“Yeah.”
“We need to talk to Luc without our unwanted sidekick first.” Unease churned. I didn’t trust that kid. I didn’t trust Blake. I didn’t trust that Carissa met a Luxen, fell in love with the person, was injured, and then healed. “I’ll let the others know what happened. I don’t want you to have to go through telling them what happened.”
She lowered her cheek to my shoulder. “Thank you.”
“And I’ll take care of your bedroom. We’ll get it cleaned up.”
Kat relaxed. “You’re perfect, you know.”
“Sometimes,” I murmured, brushing my chin along her cheek. For once, I didn’t feel anywhere near perfect. “I’m sorry, Kat. I’m sorry about Carissa. She was a good girl and didn’t deserve this.”
“No,” she whispered. “She didn’t.”
“And you didn’t deserve to have to go through that with her.”
Kat didn’t respond, and I reached up, carefully brushing away the tears that gathered under her eyes. Her voice was thick as she spoke. “Can we go to Martinsburg? Mom works on Wednesday. Do you think that’s too soon to talk to Luc on our own?”
“No. I think that works.”
She fell quiet after that, and eventually her breathing evened out. The fight with Carissa and the tears had exhausted her. Lifting her out of my lap, I laid her down on her side. She murmured something unintelligible that weaseled a small grin out of me. Grabbing the quilt off the back of the couch, I draped it over her.
I lingered for a moment and then walked into her kitchen, fishing my phone out of my pocket. I sent Dee a quick message. A minute later she was walking into Kat’s kitchen.
“What is—?”
“Keep it down.” I leaned against the counter. “Kat’s asleep in the living room.”
Dee frowned as she glanced at the wall clock. “Um…”
“Carissa was a hybrid,” I told her, cutting to the point.
She stared at me, her mouth slowly parting. “Come again?”
I gave her a brief rundown of our suspicions. “She came after Kat. Attacked her and then she…she kind of self-imploded.” My shoulders stiffened as Dee jerked back a step. “I’m sorry. I know you were friends with her, but I need you to do me a favor right now.” God, I sounded like a dick, but I needed her to do this for me. “I know you’re not really fond of Kat right now, but can you set that aside just for tonight? I need to go get a damn rug for her bedroom, and then I need to clean it up. I just want you to stay with her and be here in case she wakes up.”
“Yes.” She blinked once and then twice, but didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Of course.”
“Thank you.” Relieved, I folded an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.
Dee hugged me back. “Carissa… She’s really gone?”
I nodded as I stepped back.
She wrapped her hands around her hair and started twisting the length. “Oh my gosh, I don’t…”
“I’m sorry.” Two of the lamest words in history at the moment. I scrubbed my hand through my hair. “I’m going to grab Dawson and have him go with me. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Before I left, I went back into the living room. Kat was still asleep, curled on her side. Under her eyes, the skin was puffy, but the red splotches on her cheeks were gone. I knelt at her side, brushing back her hair. I kissed her cheek. “I promise you,” I whispered into her ear. “You won’t have a life like this. I promise.”
Chapter 17
“Damn,” Dawson said from the passenger seat. His elbow was resting against the door, and the side of his face was plastered against his hand. “Damn.”
My hand tightened on the steering wheel. “That pretty much sums it up.”
Dawson and I were heading to the store to find some kind of area rug for Kat’s bedroom. Because of the time and where we lived, options were limited. We had to leave Petersburg to hit up the nearest Walmart. Andrew was at the house just in case something else unexpected and insane happened.
“I know I haven’t been around, but I can’t see it being someone from the colony. No way,” he said, shifting in the seat. “Those in the colony don’t get close to humans in that way. Not unless that’s changed.”
I thought of Ethan’s recent visit. “No, that hasn’t changed.” I paused, glancing over at him. His face was shadowed. “You think Daedalus is behind what happened to Carissa?”
He didn’t respond for a few moments. “They’d bring in humans all the time and force us to heal them. It usually didn’t work…and the humans would die, because they were injured. I lost count of how many died in front of me.”
My jaw clenched. “None of that—those deaths—are your fault.”
“Didn’t feel like it then, when you’re the only person who can save them. Anyway…” He cleared his throat. “Sometimes it would kind of work. I…I could heal the human and within a couple of days, the mutation would start, but it didn’t hold. It never held.”
I was quiet as we passed a semitruck, unsure of what the appropriate response to that level of messed-up shit would be. Honestly, I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. Dawson had been becoming more and more like himself with each passing day, but he still wasn’t very talkative, especially not about his time with Daedalus.
“Usually I wouldn’t see those humans again—after they were brought to me to be healed,” he continued, his voice gruff. “Once though, I did. I think Daedalus thought they had a success on their hands. The guy lasted longer than any other subject, but he…he wasn’t right, Daemon. Like when a fever ravages the brain, he was out of control and he did what Kat said Carissa did. Self-destructed. As if there was a bomb inside of him, but instead of exploding, he imploded. Everything caved in…” He trailed off, shaking his head as he dropped his arm into his lap. “They haven’t had much luck with successful mutations. That’s why Beth and I were so…important to them.” He looked over at me, and I already knew what he was going to say. “That’s why you and Kat would be important to them.” Hearing about some of the shit Dawson was forced to do and had seen always made me want to blow something up. I couldn’t even begin to think of Kat ever being in the situation. “I’m sorry,” I said after a couple of moments. “I’m sorry you had to go through any—”
“It’s not your fault, man. Never has been. Never will be.”