A second later, she blurred like bad reception, and then she was in her true form, the luminous glow fading until it revealed the translucent skin and network of dull veins.

“Care to explain why you just killed our host?” Daemon asked in a dangerously even voice.

Archer reappeared in the wide opening of the room, one hand clamped on the back of Matthew’s neck and a crushed phone in the other. Blood trickled out from Matthew’s nose, a deeper red with a blue tint to it.

Daemon and Dawson shot forward. “What the hell?” Daemon’s voice thundered through the house. “You have two seconds to answer that question before I tear this room apart with your ass.”

“Your friend here was making a phone call.” Archer’s tone was flat, so calm that a shudder worked its way through my muscles. “Tell them, Matthew, tell them who you were calling.”

There was no response from Matthew. He just stared at Daemon and Dawson.

Archer’s grip tightened, jerking Matthew’s head back. “The bastard was on the phone with Daedalus. He screwed us. Bad.”

Chapter 27

Katy

Daemon stepped back, actually physically recoiling from the accusation. “No.” His voice was hoarse. “No way.”

“I’m sorry,” Matthew said. “I couldn’t let this happen.”

“Let what happen?” Dee said. Her face was pale as her hands clenched at her sides.

Matthew didn’t take his eyes off Daemon. His voice, his entire being pleaded with Daemon to understand the unthinkable. “I can’t keep losing you all—you’re my family, and Adam is dead. He’s dead because of what Daedalus wants. You have to understand. It’s the last thing I wanted to go through again.”

A cold sensation raced through my veins. “Again?”

Matthew’s vibrant blue eyes slid toward me, and it was like the shutters were off. For the first time, I saw the distrust and the loathing in his stare. So potent and powerful, it reached across the room and latched onto me. “This is why we don’t mix with humans. Accidents happen, and it’s in our nature to save the ones we love. That’s why we don’t love humans. It leads to this! The moment one of us gets involved with a human, Daedalus is only a few steps behind.”

“Oh my God.” Dee clasped her hands over her mouth.

Paris tsked softly. “That is a terrible reason to betray those you consider family.”

“You wouldn’t understand!” Matthew struggled free from Archer’s grip. “If I have to sacrifice one to save everyone else, I will. I have done it. It has been for the best.”

I was dumbfounded. Struck absolutely stupid for a few seconds, but then I thought of that night Daemon and I had gone to Matthew after we saw the Arum go into the house with Nancy—the same night Matthew had confirmed that if Beth was alive, Dawson had to be.

There had been so much that Matthew had known that we never questioned. And the fact that he knew about this place and never mentioned it before? Horror rose in me as I stared at him.

Luc cocked his head to the side. “What did they offer you? Everyone would go free if you turned over just one of them? An equal exchange. A life for a handful of others?”

I was going to be sick.

“They wanted Daemon and Kat,” he said, his gaze sliding back to Daemon. “They promised that everyone else would walk away from this.”

“Are you insane?” shrieked Dee. “How is that helping anyone?”

“It will!” Matthew roared. “Why do you think they left Daemon and you alone? You two knew about Dawson’s relationship and that Bethany knew the truth about us. All of you were at risk. I had to do something.”

“No.” Beth’s quiet voice shook the room. “My uncle was the one who turned us—”

“Your uncle confirmed what was suspected,” Matthew spat. “When they came to me about you two, they gave me an option. If I told the truth about the extent of your relationship and what you knew, everyone else would be left alone.”

“You son of a bitch.” The edges of Daemon’s body started to blur. “You turned over Dawson to them? My brother?” Venom dripped from his words.

Matthew shook his head. “You know what they do to Luxen who break the rules. They are never heard from again. They threatened to take you all in.” He spun toward Ash and Andrew. “Even you. I had no choice.”

Energy crackled through the room.

“Yeah, they end up in Daedalus,” Archer said, his hands flexing. “Right to the same place you just sent Daemon and Katy.”

“You told them about Beth and me?” Dawson’s voice broke halfway through.

Matthew nodded his head again. “I’m sorry, but you exposed everyone to them.”

Daemon looked stricken, as if he’d been sucker punched, but the sudden heat rising in the room wasn’t coming from him. It was from Dawson. A fine current of energy rolled out from him.

“It’s the same now.” Matthew pressed his hands together, as if he were about to pray. “All they want is Daemon and Katy. Everyone else, including you and Beth, will walk away from this. I had to do it. I have to protect—”

Dawson reacted so quickly that if anyone in the room wanted to stop him, he or she didn’t have a chance. Rearing back, he sent a blast of pure, unstable energy straight into Matthew. The bolt slammed into Matthew’s chest, spinning him around.

I knew Matthew was dead before he hit the ground.

I knew it was Dee who screamed.

I knew it was Daemon who grabbed my arm and pulled me from the room.

I knew it was Archer’s voice that rose above the chaos, joining Daemon’s in issuing orders.

And I knew we had to get out of there. Fast.

But I never expected that Matthew would do something like this, or that Dawson would kill him without so much as blinking an eye.

“Stay with me, Kitten.” Daemon’s deep voice glided over my skin. We were passing the kitchen. “I need you to—”

“I’m fine,” I cut in, watching Luc spin around to pull a thunderstruck Ash into the foyer. “They’re coming. Now.”

“You can bet your little behind on that,” Archer said, reaching behind him. He pulled out a gun.

“I don’t like you talking about Kat’s behind, but besides that, where are we going?” Daemon asked, his grip on my hand tightening. “What’s the plan? Run out of here like we’re insane?”

“Sounds about right,” Andrew said. “Unless we all want to get carted away.”

“No.” Luc kept a careful eye on Dawson and Beth. The Luxen was still sprouting some major rage face. “We head out of town, toward Arizona. I got a place those assholes won’t find. But we have to get out of the city.”

Daemon glanced at his brother. “Sound good to you?” When Dawson nodded, Daemon let go of my hand and stepped up to his brother, clasping him on the shoulder. “You did what you had to do.”

Dawson placed a hand over Daemon’s. “I’d do it again.”

“All right, family bonding time aside, anyone who gets into one of these cars outside is in it for the long haul,” Paris said, shaking a set of car keys. “If you even think you’re not ready to put your life on the line for everyone here, then you stay behind. If you screw us out there, I will end you.” He flashed a rather charming smile. “And I will probably enjoy it.”

Daemon cut him a dark look but said, “I second that.”

“I’m already in it this far,” Andrew said, shrugging. “Might as well go all the way.”

Everyone looked at Ash.

“What?” she said, tucking short strands of hair behind her ears. “Look. If I didn’t want to take part in this craziness, I would’ve stayed home, but I’m here.”

She had a point, but I wanted to ask why she or Andrew would risk everything when they weren’t fans of Beth or me. Then it hit me. It wasn’t about us. It was about Daemon and Dawson—it was about family.

I could get behind that.

We hurried toward the front door, but at the last second, I grabbed Daemon’s arm. “Wait a minute! I need to go upstairs.”

Archer whirled around. “Whatever it is, we can leave it. It’s not important.”

“Daemon…” My fingers dug in. I assumed everyone else had their IDs. I didn’t know, but we needed our papers. We had to have them.

“Shit.” He got what I was talking about. “Go ahead outside. I’ll be faster.”

Nodding, I darted around him and rejoined Archer. “Really?” he growled in a low voice. “Those papers are that important.”

“Yes.” We didn’t have rings. We didn’t have a certificate under our real names and, yeah, it wasn’t real, but we had that license, our fake IDs, and right now those things meant everything. They were our future.

Dawson already had Beth loaded in the backseat of an SUV. Ash and Andrew were climbing in with them.

“Go with them,” I told Archer, knowing he’d keep them safe. “We’ll go with Paris and Luc.”

Archer didn’t hesitate. He intercepted Dawson and got behind the wheel. “You want me driving in case stuff goes down. Trust me.”

Dawson didn’t look convinced, and in that moment he was an exact replica of his brother, but he did something Daemon pretty much never did. He didn’t argue. Just got in the passenger side and shut up.

A second later, Daemon appeared behind me. “They’re in my back pocket.”

“Thank you.”

We climbed into the Hummer, Paris behind the wheel and Luc in the front. Luc twisted around as we slammed the doors shut. “Sorry about Matthew,” he said to Daemon. “I know you were close. He was family. That sucked. But people do sucky things when they’re desperate.”

“And dumb,” Paris muttered under his breath.

Daemon nodded as he settled back against the seat. He glanced at me and lifted the arm closest to me. I didn’t hesitate. Heart aching something fierce, I scooted over and pressed against his side. His arm came around me, his fingers digging into my arm.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to him. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” he murmured. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

There was a lot to be sorry for. Things I couldn’t really even wrap my head around as we peeled out of the driveway. And the other things, like the fact that Daedalus was most likely en route right now? Yeah, I couldn’t think about that. Panic was already simmering inside, wanting to sink its claws in me. I’d be useless freaking out.

The gate up ahead wasn’t opening. Daemon held on tight as Paris didn’t break. He plowed through the metal gate.

“Good thing we’re in a Hummer,” Luc said.

Daemon reached for the seat belt. “You really should be wearing this.”

“What about you?” I let him buckle me in the middle seat.

“I’m harder to kill.”

“Actually…” Luc drawled the word out. “I’m probably the hardest thing to kill.”