“He was the only one who really was…nice to me. Well, in his own way. He’s not really a warm and fuzzy guy.” She paused, tilting her head back as she gazed at the star-strewn sky. “We didn’t talk a lot, but he was always there with me. I never thought he’d be the one to help us in the beginning. I guess first impressions really don’t mean jack.”
“I guess not.” A sudden wariness had etched across her face as she lowered her chin. I could see the weight of everything settling on her. Almost the same look I’d seen on Beth’s face the morning I left, before she’d freaked out.
I didn’t know what to say as we headed across the parking lot. There really were no words that fit how far Kat’s life had been derailed. Nothing I could say would make it better, and trying to seemed to undervalue everything she’d gone through. Like telling someone who’d lost a loved one that the deceased was in a better place. No one wanted to hear that. It didn’t change anything, make the grief go away, or shine any light on why it happened.
Sometimes words were cheap. They could be powerful, but in those rare occasions like now, words meant nothing.
We stopped under a faint lamp along the side of the hotel that faced several benches and picnic tables. Soot covered Kat’s face. Dried blood dotted her cheeks. My stomach lurched. “You were bleeding?”
She shook her head, casting her eyes back to the sky. “It’s not mine. It was a soldier’s. I…shot him.”
What little relief I felt was overshadowed by what she’d had to do and would still have to do if push came to shove. I handed her the gun. “Okay. All right.” I cupped her cheeks. “Stay here. I’m going to take a different form and get the keys. If anything looks fishy, you shoot first and ask questions later. Okay? Don’t use the Source unless you have to. They can track that stuff.”
She nodded. I noticed that her hands were fidgety. Adrenaline was still pumping through her, keeping her on her feet. She’d need a sugar overdose real soon. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
“Good.” I kissed her, wanting to linger so as not to leave her out there alone. But there was no way I could take her into the lobby like this. Sketchy people checking in or not, she was bound to draw attention. “I’ll be right back.”
“I know.”
I still didn’t move. My eyes searched her weary ones, and my heart rate kicked up. Kissing her once more, I forced myself to let go and then turned, heading back around to the front. I called up the image of one the guards and took his form. Memory supplied jeans and a T-shirt. All of it was a facade, like a mirror throwing off a reflection. Except the image I reflected was fake, and if you looked too long and too hard, you started to see cracks in the disguise.
A bell gave a jovial little ding as I entered the lobby. The air smelled of clove-scented cigars. There was a gift shop to the right, several old chairs positioned in front of vending machines, and to the left was the check-in desk.
An older man waited behind the counter. His eyes were bug-like behind thick glasses. He was rocking plaid suspenders. Awesome attire.
“Howdy,” said the man. “Need a room?”
I approached the counter. “Yes. Got any available?”
“Sure do. Looking for a few hours or the night?”
I almost laughed because of what Kat had said outside. “For the night, maybe two.”
“Well, we’ll start out with just one night and go from there.” He turned to the register. “That will be seventy-nine. We only take cash here. Nothing for you to sign and no ID required.”
No big surprise there. I dug into my pocket and opened up the wad of cash. Holy shit, what was Archer doing carrying several hundred dollars with him all the time? Then again, it wasn’t like he’d be easy to mug.
I handed over a hundred. “Mind if I take a look at the shop?”
“Go ahead. I ain’t got much to do.” He nodded at the TV on the counter. “Reception is always spotty around here in the middle of the night. The same with the TV in your room—room fourteen, by the way.”
Nodding, I took my change and the key to the room and headed over to the gift area. There was a stack of unisex shirts with the words Route 375: Extraterrestrial Highway emblazoned in a bold green across the front. I grabbed a large one for myself and a small for Kat. There was a pair of jogging pants that would be a little big on her but would do. I picked a pair for myself and then turned, scanning for food.
My eyes landed on a stuffed green doll with an oval head and large black eyes. I picked it up, frowning. Why in the world did humans think aliens looked like a whacked-out Gumby?
The motel manager chuckled. “If you’re into the alien stuff, then you’re in the right place.”
I grinned.
“You know you’re about eighty or so miles from Area 51. We get a lot of visitors here on their way to do some UFO watching.” His glasses had slid down his nose. “Of course, they don’t get into Area 51, but people like to get as close as possible.”
I put the doll back and turned toward the food aisle. “You believe in aliens?”
“I’ve lived here my whole life, son, and I’ve seen some crazy unexplainable things in the sky. Either it’s aliens or the government, and I’m not a big fan of the idea of it being either.”
“Me neither,” I replied, grabbing up as much sugar as I could find. I added a They R Among Us tote bag, one of those crappy pay-as-you-go phones, and a few other things that caught my attention. Before I headed back to the counter, I wheeled around and grabbed the stupid alien doll.
As I checked out, I kept an eye on the parking lot. Nothing had moved, but I was itching to get back to Kat.
“There’s an icebox outside if you need it.” He handed over the bag. “And if you need another night, just come on by.”
“Thank you.” I turned, spying a clock above the counter. It was a little after eleven. Sure felt a hell of a lot later than that. And it was damn strange that the town was so dead this early in the night.
Back outside, I pulled the key out of my pocket and waited until I was around the corner before I slipped back into the Daemon she was familiar with.
Kat was waiting where I’d left her, leaning against the wall, which put her back in the shadows. Smart girl. She turned, smoothing her hands through her hair. “How’d it go?”
“Great.” I reached inside the bag. “Got you something.”
She tilted her head to the side as I stopped in front of her. “A portable bath?”
“Better.” I pulled out the alien doll. “Made me think of you.”
A short, hoarse laugh bubbled out of her as she took the doll, and my chest did a funny spasm. I couldn’t remember the last time I heard her laugh or anything that remotely sounded like one. “It looks just like you,” she said. “I’m going to name it DB.”
“Perfect choice.” I dropped my arm over her shoulders. “Come on, we’re on the right side for our room. Your shower awaits.”
She held DB close to her chest, sighing. “I cannot wait.”
The room wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Recently cleaned, and the smells of Lysol and fresh linen were decidedly welcomed scents. Bed was a double, sheets turned down. A bureau across from the bed featured a TV that looked like it would have reception problems any time of the day. A small desk butted up to it.
I sat the goodies on the table and checked out the bathroom. There were towels, soaps, and the essentials, which was good because my dumb ass forgot about that. I returned to the room, finding Kat standing there, still clutching DB. It was ridiculous and weird and a thousand other things how cute I thought she looked, covered in dirt, sweat, and blood.
“You okay with me taking the first shower?” she asked. “Because I was joking. I wouldn’t shank you.”
I laughed outright. “Yeah, get in the shower before I throw your dirty behind in there.”
She wrinkled her nose at me and then placed DB on the bed so the alien doll looked like it was about to watch some bad TV. She then sat the gun on the nightstand. “I’ll be quick.”
“Take your time.”
She hesitated a moment, looking like she wanted to say something, and then changed her mind. With one last long look at me, she turned and disappeared into the bathroom. The hiss of the shower was so immediate it brought a smile to my face.
Heading to the bag, I dug out the disposable phone and opened the package. It was already preloaded with a hundred minutes. I wanted to call my sister and brother, but doing so this soon was too much of a risk. I set it aside and moved to the window. It faced the road and parking lot, which was perfect.
Peering out from behind the thick burgundy curtains, I wondered how long it would take for Archer to find us or if he even would. Might make me a cold-hearted bastard, but the outcome of Archer didn’t matter to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate what he’d done for us and what he’d risked, but there wasn’t enough room in me to worry about others. We were out. And we were never going back. I’d take out an army, burn down an entire city, and throw the world into chaos if I had to in order to keep Kat out of that place.
Chapter 20
Katy
The near-scalding, steady stream of water had washed away the grime and whatever else was stuck to my skin. I turned a few times and finally stopped, pressing shaky hands to my face. I’d already used the tiny bottle of shampoo—twice—and I needed to get out of there, but being in the stall with rust stains near the drain and uneven pressure was so different from the bathrooms in the compound that I didn’t want to leave. It was like being in a bubble, safe from reality.
Water coursed over my body, cascading off the jagged scars along my back, pooling around my feet. Lowering my hands, I looked down. The water wasn’t draining fast, causing it to gather in the bottom of the tub. The water had a pink tint to it.
I swallowed hard and turned off the faucets. Stepping out of the tub and into the steam-filled bathroom, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, securing it at the top. I did my best to get the excess water out of my hair, going about it methodically. Wrap. Squeeze. Wrap. Squeeze. When that was done, I realized I had no other reason to hide in the bathroom.
And that was what I was doing. Hiding. I didn’t know why, except it felt like my insides were bruised and frayed, too exposed. We were out—we were free for now. That alone was reason to celebrate, but we were far from in the clear. There was the unknown fate of Archer, where we would go from here, and an entire life I’d left behind in Petersburg—my mom, my school, my books…
I needed to leave the bathroom before Daemon thought I passed out or something.
Clutching the top of the towel, I went into the room. Daemon was at the window, his back straight like a sentry. He turned at the waist, his gaze moving from the top of my head to my feet. The light was on beside the bed, and it was dim, but when he looked at me like that, it felt like a spotlight had been turned on me. My toes curled into the carpet.