After I met with Matthew Sunday morning, he said he could work something out with the officials that would allow Dawson to return to school. It wasn’t going to be easy, and not just the technicalities of Dawson reentering school. It was going to be a lot for him to deal with.
“It’s a good idea,” Matthew had said.
Yeah, it had been a good idea, but it was going to be a freak show when it happened, just like it had been after he and Bethany had disappeared and after Adam had died.
The only thing different this time was that we could prepare for it. Since Dawson wasn’t able to make his grand reappearance until sometime midweek, we were going to be able to lay the groundwork as soon as we returned to school Monday. Dawson’s return wouldn’t be kept secret there.
It was Sunday afternoon and Dee was upstairs with Dawson, attempting to convince him to let her cut his hair. I was pacing the length of the living room, my thoughts on the house next door. On the person next door.
Some of the anger had faded from last night, enabling me to see that I kind of made a mess out of explaining why I was so furious with her. As impossible as it was, I wanted her far away from all of this.
Scrubbing my hands down my face, I muttered a curse under my breath. How could I keep her away from any of this? She was a part of this, like the damn center of it all.
I dropped my arms to my sides. Staring at the wall, I wanted to slam my fists into the plaster. Damn, sometimes not caring about anyone was so much freaking easier. Feeling for a person, wanting them safe at all costs, was probably one of the scariest stunts I’d ever pulled.
I started for the kitchen when I sensed a nearby Luxen. A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Glancing out the window, I saw that it wasn’t Adam or Matthew, not even Ash.
Lydia stood at the door.
Not surprised that someone from the colony finally showed up, I went to the door and opened it. “I know why you’re here and no, you can’t see him.”
She smiled tightly. “Well, good afternoon to you, Daemon.”
I folded my arms, quiet.
With a sigh, she folded her hands together. The insulated white vest she wore reminded me of the officer Dawson had tossed through the window. “So, it is true? The rumors?”
When I didn’t answer again, Lydia lifted her chin. A flicker of light raced through her veins, a stark contrast against her ebony skin. “You can either answer my questions or answer Ethan’s. Is that what you want?”
I wanted that like I wanted a meteorite to land on my head. “What rumors did you hear?”
“You’re not going to let me in?” When I smiled at her, she looked like she was seconds from throwing me through a wall. The skin around her eye twitched. “Rumor is that Dawson was with the DOD this entire time.”
Having no idea what information I could trust Lydia with, I leaned against the doorframe. “Is that so?”
Lydia nodded. “He was being re-assimilated.”
I kept my expression blank. Re-assimilated? That was one way of looking at this screwed-up situation, but it was better than the truth. I doubted the colony would be thrilled to hear that Dawson had escaped, if that was what truly had happened.
Stepping out on the porch, I let the door close quietly behind me. “We didn’t know until they released him last week. We thought he was dead.”
“I know. I remember how you and Dee were afterward,” she said, her shoulders relaxing. “Why did they have him?”
“I don’t know.” I was such a damn good liar. “We haven’t really talked to the DOD, and Dawson hasn’t really gone into it.”
Lydia glanced behind me, at the closed door. “None of us have ever heard of the DOD releasing a Luxen who possibly needed to be re-assimilated.”
I met her steady gaze. “There’s always a first.”
“I suppose,” she replied, and a moment passed. “He won’t be a problem, right? You’ll make sure of that, won’t you? We don’t want the DOD snooping around, Daemon.”
The point of her visitation was finally laid out between us. The colony, the Elders, cared only about how Dawson’s presence affected them, and if he would drive unwanted attention toward them.
Question was, what was the colony hiding?
Kat still wasn’t exactly happy with me come Monday morning. She wanted an apology for Saturday night. I wanted one, too, and I also wanted to lock her in a room outfitted with obsidian, and maybe a shitload of assault rifles.
The rifles might not be a good idea. She would probably shoot me.
I figured we’d talk later, and later came at lunch when she rushed up to me while I was standing with Billy Crump, telling him the story of how Dawson had run away from home, but now he was back, and blah, blah bullshit.
Kat drew up short as she glanced at the milk I held in one hand and the slice of pizza in the other. “Ew,” she muttered, shaking her head.
Pizza and milk was an awesome combo.