22
{ Katy }
The ride to Petersburg was a lot more uneventful than the trip to Atlanta, with the exception of the bickering between Daemon and Archer and the state of some of the highways we traveled on.
I knew better than to look inside the cars this time, but Dee apparently didn’t. Every so often, I’d catch sight of her in the front seat, staring out the window at the destruction, and she’d make a soft sound, like a swallowed cry. Had she had a hand in this? Maybe not physically, but had anything she’d done had a domino effect that ended with many, many lives lost?
I felt for her, and I was happy when I saw Archer’s hand gravitate toward her whenever she appeared to get lost staring out that window. But the closer we got to West Virginia, the closer to home, I could no longer think about Dee.
My heart started pounding in my chest like it wanted to jump out and do a little dance the minute we entered Petersburg from the highway. Everything looked normal, like this little patch of the world, a few-stoplight town, had somehow been left out of the events the rest of the world faced. Except as we cruised through the main drag of downtown, no one was out on the streets. Not a single soul walked on the sidewalks. There were a few cars, but it felt like everyone was holed up inside their homes. And that wasn’t the only thing.
“God,” breathed Archer, his knuckles bleaching around the steering wheel as he quickly turned onto the nearest road that got us to where we needed to go. “They’re everywhere.”
I didn’t need an explanation. He was talking about the Luxen.
Daemon leaned between the two front seats and placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. He didn’t speak out loud, but when I saw Dee turn toward him, her lips were pressed together tightly and her face was pale.
My stomach got in the game with my heart, tumbling as it raced.
Dee nodded and then said out loud, “I can hear him, but I’m fine. I’m with you guys.” She glanced at Archer in a way that almost made me swoon and forget what was going on. “I’m going to be okay.”
I just hoped that was the case. We were obviously deep in enemy territory, and it would be no amount of time before they knew we were here. They might already know we were here.
And backup in the form of the Arum and the military was still many hours away. This could all go very badly, and very quickly, because we were intentionally walking into a trap. Dee and Daemon were really going to have to be convincing when it came to playing along with the enemy to get close to Ethan.
So convincing I really hoped they didn’t switch sides.
Might be a needless fear, because I seriously believed what Daemon felt for me was strong enough to beat that, but the concern was still there. It was like a shadow in my blood, a constant thought in the back of my head, a tiny stone in my stomach that didn’t go away.
This could really blow up in our faces.
As we neared the turnoff I hadn’t seen in so long, I leaned forward and grasped the back of Dee’s seat. My breath caught in my throat as the Explorer eased up the driveway. The grass looked overgrown, crowding the road with tall reeds; it was clear no one was concerned with landscaping, but I figured that was okay, with the world facing an alien apocalypse and all. Any other option was unacceptable for me to consider. Mom had to be fine, had to be waiting for me.
She was home, because her Prius was parked in the driveway, in front of the porch where the wooden swing still swayed back and forth in the breeze.
Archer turned the key in the ignition, cutting the engine as I stared at the flower box surrounding the porch. It was more weeds than flowers, but that was okay, too, because Mom had a daughter missing and an alien apocalypse to deal with. Plus, she wasn’t really good with flowers and all that jazz.
My fingers were shaking as I unlatched my seat belt.
Mom had to be inside the house. Had she seen us pull up yet? Would the door open at any given moment and she’d be walking out? A prettier, classier, smarter, and nicer version of me—a version I hoped to be when I got older.
I could barely drag in enough air to get my lungs working. From our plans, I knew Daemon would be leading the show here, and the last thing any of us needed was for me to go running to my mom. But I wanted to see her. I needed to, because I missed her desperately and I had to make sure she was okay.
I was all she had left, and she needed to know that I was still here.
Daemon caught my arm, keeping me in the backseat while Dee and Archer hopped out and stared at her house with wary expressions.
“There are Luxen nearby,” he said, smoothing his thumb along the edge of my sleeve, across my wrist. “I don’t know if they’re in any of the houses.”
“Why would they be in our houses?” The moment the question left my mouth, I knew how stupid it sounded, because there could be any number of reasons why they’d be in my house or Daemon’s.
He smiled tightly, but the worry in his eyes caused the little knots in my stomach to expand. “I know you want to check on your mom. I get that, but I need you to not run off. We’re going to head over there, but if anything is off and I tell you to get out of there—”
“Why would things be off?”
Daemon cocked his head to the side. “Kat . . .”
“I know,” I whispered. Stupid just kept spewing out of my mouth.
“Don’t forget the gun.” It was tucked in the back of my jeans, like a gangsta. His eyes searched mine and then he nodded. “I’m going to climb out after you, and Kat . . .” His stare turned intense, deep, and thorough. “If I have to talk to you a certain way or act like I did back in Idaho, I’m sorry.”
“I get why. I can deal.”
Daemon held my gaze a moment longer and then nodded. Drawing in a shallow breath, I turned and opened the car door. He slid out behind me and immediately curved a hand around the base of my neck. I imagined that the gesture looked like one of control and dominance, but there was something soothing in the weight of his hand. I knew he was there.
His sister had a hold of Archer’s arm as she led him toward the steps on the front porch leading to their house. Dee paused only to cast a look back at Daemon, and I had no idea if they were communicating or not, since there was a chance another Luxen could pick it up.
Daemon steered me around the front of the SUV, and as we walked closer to my house, I noted the weeds once again. Vines had formed, and they were so thick and numerous that they had started to climb up the sides of the porch, wrapping around the railings.
My gaze flickered toward the door.
It was open, with just the glass storm door closed. My heart was really going at it in my chest and I had to force myself to walk slowly, like Daemon was leading me instead of me leading him.
The steps groaned under our feet and the familiar creak from a loose board on the porch caused me to jerk a little.
“There are definitely Luxen nearby,” he said under his breath.
Meaning they could be anywhere, in the surrounding woods or inside the house. With their presence so strong and thick, they could be sitting in the living room for all we knew. Shivers ran up and down my body as he reached around me with his free hand and opened the door. Our footsteps quiet, we stepped inside and were welcomed by the slightly warmer air of the interior and the scent I’d missed—fresh linen.
Tears pricked at my eyes as my gaze swung around the foyer. Things looked the same. Oh God, there were Amazon boxes by the door, along with media mail envelopes, and I knew they were full of books that had probably kept coming until publicists realized I hadn’t updated my blog in many, many months.
My book bag was next to the lovely pile of unopened mail, along with my sandals. Mom had left them there, like she knew I was coming back. That she wanted them there for me. My lower lip started to tremble, and I blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay.
We walked farther into the house, making no sound as we passed the doorway to the empty living room. I looked up the stairwell and then down the hall, toward the laundry room. The memory of dancing in my socks and falling on my butt when Daemon had let himself in, surprising me, rushed over me. The breath I took was too shaky. So many memories. They hurt in a good and bad way, wholly bittersweet. Daemon gently squeezed the back of my neck, and then we entered the dining room. From where we stood, I could see the kitchen.
My heart stopped in my chest and then sped up.
Daemon’s hand tightened.
I saw her—I saw Mom.
She was standing at the sink, her back to us, and oh my God, it was her—shiny blond hair pulled up in a neat bun at the back of her head. She wasn’t wearing scrubs, but dark jeans and a light sweater. Tears spilled out of my eyes. I couldn’t stop them.
“Mom?” My voice cracked.
Her spine stiffened for a second and I started forward, done with the pretenses. Daemon grabbed at me, but I was fast when I needed to be, and I broke free.
Mom turned.
She was here. She was okay. She was alive.
“Kat!” Daemon shouted.
In a blur of tears I couldn’t even see through, I was an emotional melting pot as I raced across the kitchen, around the table, reaching her in seconds, and I got all grabby, wrapping my arms around her. “Mom!”
I held her tight, inhaling the scent of her perfume and letting it wash over me, easing some of the knots in my—
Suddenly, arms were around my waist and I was hauled back against a hard chest and stomach. My brain raced. I didn’t understand what was happening. Then my feet were skidding across the floor as I was shoved behind Daemon. He kept his arm out, backing me up.
“Daemon, stop.” I struggled to get around him, knowing I was supposed to play it cool, but this was different. No one was in here but us. We were okay and I wanted my mom.
“Katy.” Daemon spoke my name, and the hoarseness of it, the way it seemed to punch out of him, caused me to go very still.
I lifted my head, breathing heavily as I peered around Daemon and . . . and I got a look at Mom, a real good look.
My whole world imploded—shattered into broken little pieces that were jagged and cut deep, slicing my insides into shreds and ripping me apart.
Her eyes—they were a bright, unnatural blue.
So blue that they looked like two polished sapphires, and Mom’s eyes . . . they should’ve been hazel, more green than brown, depending on her mood.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No. No.”
Mom tilted her head to the side as she looked from me to Daemon, and then she moved her lips into a smile that lacked any warmth. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
No. No. No.
I wrenched free of Daemon, backing up as I stared at Mom—no, not Mom. This wasn’t Mom. It wasn’t her. The cold blue eyes followed my movements and her lips continued to curl up as she watched me with such apathy I could taste it.
“No.” My voice was a broken record. It was all I could say as my chest split right open when the horror of the reality set in.
Mom wasn’t here.
She would never be here. Never again.
Because she had been assimilated. Mom was gone. Forever.