Page 52 (1/2)

Daemon drew in another harsh breath as he started toward me, but he came up short "I would’ve kept you safe"

Then in a flash of red-white light, he was gone And I was alone in the freezing night, left with uilt

Chapter 32

When I returned to one except Mattheho stayed to help…clean up after everything Sohn’s body, plus his car and Blake’s truck There were broken picture frames everywhere The coffee table was scratched all to hell I had no idea hoas going to explain the brokenin the hallway upstairs

But the spot where Ada liquid pooled in two spots Mattheas trying to clean it up, but his hands were shaking, his jaorking I grabbed some towels from the linen closet and knelt beside hi his head and closing his eyes He let out a staggered breath "This should’ve never happened"

Tears built in my eyes as I sopped up as left of Adam "I know"

"They are all like my children Now I’ve lost another, and for what? It doesn’t make sense" His shoulders shook "It never athered on my cheeks, and I wiped atto protectfor severaltels before he placed his hand on mine "It’s not just your fault, Katy This was a world you stureed You weren’t prepared for it Neither are any of the back tears "I trusted Blake when I should’ve trusted Dae my cheeks "You cannot take on the full responsibility for this You didn’t make the choices Blake did You didn’t force his hand"

I choked on a broken sob as grief tore through uilt, and he knew it Then the strangest thing happened He pulled me into his arms, and I broke Sobs racked ainst his shoulder,for his loss, too Time passed, and it beca down my face and a heart ripped apart When my tears dried,for you…for Dae, and now you knohat you’re truly up against Don’t end up like Dawson and Bethany Both of you are stronger than that"

I spent the rest of the night trying to hide what had gone down from my mom Eventually, I needed to tell her No doubt the satellites had picked up on what had happened the night before And there was the issue that so feeling that the worst had yet to pass I figured in the co days or weeks, it would There’d also be questions about Adaht now

I convinced her that the wind had thrown a branch into theupstairs Believable, since Daemon had knocked down several outside The pictures were harder to explain

Then I slept through New Year’s Day, waking the following Sunday ary Pop-Tarts, and then I went back to sleep to avoid the swa for me Guilt ate away at hn They surroundede that when I did wake that evening, I took a shower, piled on so ue recollection of hearing Will in the house earlier

Snow continued to fall, but with theoff the pristine surface, I found my way to the lake easily I stood by the frozen, flawless water, huddled down in ht s were clearer here Not less intense, but eable Adahn And when they did, it would come back to me…and to Daemon

And I’d killed Not by my own hand, but I had led everyone down this road People have died--innocent and those not so innocent Daeht--a life was a life Enemy or not, there was blood on ha dark stain

And every tihtness in o away

I wasn’t sure about going to school to I still had no clue who had betrayed Dawson and Bethany, and there wereall of us An invisible clock had appeared, ticking away to my very own personal doomsday, and I had no one to blale dancing across my neck My breath stalled in my chest, and I couldn’t will my body to turn around Why was he here? He had to hate me So did Dee

The snow crunched under his footsteps, which I found strange He could move so quietly when he wanted His body heat blanketed nore him forever, and I also knew he’d stand there forever if he chose to Surprised and wary, I faced hi in his jaw "It’s where I co that came to mind "How’s Dee?"

"She’ll survive," he said, eyes shadowed "We need to talk" Daeht now? Not sure if I’ at the lake can take a lot of concentration"

I couldn’t figure out anything froht gaze settled on y built insideto killI’d caused My throat dried as we started back to his house in silence I followed hiry?" he asked "I haven’t eaten all day"

"Yeah, a little"

He e of lunch meat I sat at the table while he made two ham and cheese sandwiches He doubled up on thethat was how I liked it, and I alht then We ate in strained silence

Finally, after he’d cleaned up, I stood "Dae his hands, he then walked out of the kitchen without answeringin a deep breath, I trailed after him When he started up the steps,upstairs?"

Daeany-colored rail "Why not?"

"I don’t know It’s just see me no other choice We passed Dee’s empty bedroom It looked like Pepto-Bismol threw up in there There was another bedrooured it had been Dawson’s, probably untouched since he’d disappeared Months had passed before Mom and I had moved any of Dad’s stuff