Obsidian (Lux 1)

He snorted. “Sure looks like it, Kitten. His hands were moving so fast I was beginning to question if he was human or not.”

I stiffened, my eyes opening. I counted to ten. I made it to three before he spoke again.

“You should sneak out of here and go home while he’s distracted.” His hand tightened around mine. “I can even get Dee to morph into you if need be.”

Shocked that he’d go to that extreme, I pulled back and looked up at him. “It’s okay if he gropes your sister? ”

“I know she can take care of herself. You’re out of your league with that guy.”

We’d stopped dancing, oblivious to the other couples. Disbelief coursed through me. “Excuse me? I’m out of my league?”

“Look, I drove here. I can let Dee catch a ride with Andrew and take you home.” He sounded like he had everything planned out. Then his eyes narrowed. “Are you actually considering going to the party with that idiot?”

“Are you going?” I asked, pulling my hand free from his. My other hand was still on his chest and his arm still circled my waist.

“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing.” Frustration punctuated each of his words. “You’re not going to that party.”

“You can’t tell me what to do, Daemon.”

His eyes narrowed, but I could see the eerie glow beginning to form in his eyes, overshadowing his pupils. “Dee is taking you home. And I swear, if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here, I will.” My hand curled into a useless fist against his chest. “I’d like to see you try.”

He smiled, eyes starting to gleam in the darkness. “I bet you would.”

“Whatever,” I said, ignoring the looks we were starting to get from everyone. Over his shoulder, I saw Mr. Garrison watching us, which worked to my benefit. “You’re the one who’s going to cause a scene carrying me out of here.” Daemon made a noise that really sounded like a growl.

Anyone in their right mind would’ve been terrified, and I should’ve been, considering I knew what he was capable of. I wasn’t. “Because you’re local alien teacher is watching us as we speak. What do you think he’s going to believe when you toss me over your shoulder, buddy?” Every inch of him stiffened.

I smiled like the cat that ate an entire aquarium full of fish. “Thought so.”

Surprisingly, he returned the smile. “I keep underestimating you, Kitten.”

Stealth-mode Simon appeared before I had a chance to gloat over that major win. “You ready?” Simon asked, glancing between Daemon and me. “Everyone is leaving for the party.”

Damon’s look dared me to not listen to him, and that’s pretty much why I agreed. He didn’t control my life. I did.

Chapter 23

The Field was about two miles outside of Petersburg, heading in the opposite direction of my house. It was literally a gargantuan harvested cornfield. Enormous bales of hay covered the landscape as far as I could see, lit in orange and red. I couldn’t help but think the combination of dried hay and fire wouldn’t end well.

Someone tapped a keg.

Correction: the combination of hay, fire, and cheap beer couldn’t end well.

Simon had kept his hands to himself the whole way here, so I was feeling pretty good about my decision with the exception of the above foreseeable problem. He led me through the trampled cornstalks toward the fire.

“The girls are over there.” He pointed to the other side of the fire where several girls were clustered together, sharing red plastic cups. “You should go say hi. Mingle a little.”

I nodded, having no intention of going there.

“I’ll get us a drink.” He leaned in, squeezing my shoulders before heading off. The moment he reached the keg, he gave some other burly dude a high five and let out a loud, “Hoo-ray!”

Quite a crowd was gathering around the fire, pushing back to the surrounding woods. Someone had pulled a truck up, turned on the radio, and left the doors open, making it nearly impossible to hear anything. Clutching the shawl around my shoulders, I moved along the edges, looking for a familiar face. Relieved, I saw Dee standing with the Thompson triplets. Beside them, Carissa and Lesa shared a blanket. Daemon was nowhere to be seen.

“Dee!” I called, weaving out of the way of a girl teetering in high heels. “Dee!”

She turned, and then seconds later, she waved her hand wildly. I took a step in her direction, and Simon appeared out of nowhere, two cups in hand.

“Oh my God,” I said, stepping back. “You scared me.”

Simon laughed, handing me a cup. “I don’t see how. I was calling your name.”

“Sorry.” I took the drink, wrinkling my nose at the distinct smell. Taking a sip, I learned it didn’t taste much better than it smelled. “It’s kind of hard to hear with all the noise.”

“I know. And we haven’t had a chance to talk at all.” Simon draped his arm over my shoulder, stumbling a little. “And that sucks. I’ve wanted to talk to you all night. Did you like the corsage?”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you again.” It was pretty, a combination of pink and red roses. “Did you get it in town?”

He nodded and then downed the contents of his cup as we moved away from the truck. “My mom works at a local florist shop. She made it.”

“Wow. That’s pretty cool.” I plucked at it, careful not to spill any beer on it. “Does your dad work in town?”

“Nope, he commutes into Virginia.” He tossed the cup to the side and pulled out the flask. “He’s a lawyer,” he boasted, unscrewing the lid with one hand. “Handles personal injury claims. His brother is a doctor in town, though.”