there—and they would try to stop me.
At this point, I’d like to see them try.
But as I crested the rocky hill and picked up speed, what Ethan had said overshadowed my plotting. Both of you have brought this onto yourselves. Had we? The answer was simple and right in my face. Both Dawson and I had put the girls in danger simply by being interested in them. Neither of us had planned on them getting hurt, or that healing them would mutate them into something not quite human or Luxen, but we knew the risks.
I especially knew the risks.
It was why I had pushed Katy away in the beginning, had gone to extremes to keep her away from Dee and me. Partly due to what had happened to Dawson, but also because there were so many risks. And yet I had brought Kat deep into this world. Held her hand and practically escorted her right into it. Look at what that got her.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
If anyone was to be caught, if things went down badly in Mount Weather, it should’ve been me. Not Kat. Never her.
Cursing under my breath, I hit a patch of ground lit by silvery moonlight seconds before breaking clear of the forest and slowed down without intending to.
My eyes went straight to Kat’s house, and pressure clamped down on my chest.
The house was dark and still, as if it had been the years before she had moved in. No life, an empty, dark shell of a home.
I stopped beside her mother’s car and let out a ragged breath that did nothing to relieve the pressure building in my chest. In the darkness, I knew I wasn’t seen, and if the DOD or Daedalus were watching for me, they could take me in. It would make it easier for me.
If I closed my eyes, I could see Kat coming out the front door, wearing that damn shirt that said My Blog Is Better Than Your Vlog , and those shorts…those legs…
Man, I had been such an ass to her, but she hadn’t backed down from me. Not for one second.
A light flipped on in my house. A second later, the front door opened, and Dawson stood there. The breeze carried his soft curse.
I had to say Dawson looked a thousand times better since I’d last seen him. The dark shadows that had been under his eyes were mostly gone. Some of the weight had returned. Like before the DOD and Daedalus had captured him, it would be nearly impossible to tell us apart with the exception of his longer, shaggier hair. Yeah, he looked like a million bucks. He had Bethany back.
I knew I sounded bitter, but I didn’t care.
The moment my feet touched the stairs, a shockwave erupted from me, cracking the cement of the steps and rattling the floorboards.
Blood drained from my brother’s face as he took a step back. A sick sense of satisfaction swelled in me. “Weren’t expecting me so soon?”
“Daemon.” Dawson’s back hit the front door. “I know you’re pissed.”
Another burst of energy left me, hitting the ceiling of the roof. Wood cracked. A fissure appeared, splitting down the center. My vision tinted as the Source filled me, turning the world white. “You have no idea, brother.”
“We wanted to keep you safe until we knew what to do—how to get Kat back. That’s all.”
I took a deep breath as I stepped up to Dawson, going eye to eye with him. “Did you think that locking me up in the community was the best answer?”
“We—”
“Did you think you could stop me?” Power shot from me, smacking into the door behind Dawson, blowing it off the hinges and into the house. “I’ll burn the world down to save her.”
Chapter 2
Katy
Soaking wet and chilled to the bone, I pulled myself off the floor. I had no idea how much time had passed since the first dose of onyx had been released and the last blast of icy water had knocked me flat on my back.
Giving in and letting them do what they wanted hadn’t seemed like an option in the beginning. At first the pain was worth it, because I’d be damned if I was going to make this easy for them. Once the onyx had been washed from my