Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

hair back. All I wanted to do was sit down and eat a box of sugar cookies, my hands beginning to shake from exhaustion.
    “But does he really know where they are keeping Beth?” Dawson’s eyes were feverish.
    “I don’t know.” I leaned against a locker. “There’s no telling with him.”
    Dawson shot forward, suddenly in my face. “Did he say anything—anything we can use to find her?”
    I blinked, surprised by his sudden animation. “No. Not really. I—”
    “Think,” Dawson ordered, head lowered. “He had to have said something, Katy.”
    Daemon clasped his brother’s shoulder, wheeling him away. “Back off, Dawson. I mean it.”
    He shrugged Daemon’s hand away, body coiled tight. “If he knows—”
    “Don’t go there,” Daemon interrupted him. “He was sent here by the DOD to determine if Kat was a viable subject. To do to her what they are doing to Beth. He killed Adam, Dawson. We are not working with—”
    My legs had started to wobble, and I swayed a little to the left. I really couldn’t even begin to figure out how Daemon knew, but he spun toward me before I could straighten. Strong arms went around my waist, tucking me to his side.
    Daemon’s brows were dark slashes above his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
    My cheeks burned. “I’m okay. Really, I am.”
    “You’re lying.” His voice dropped low, dangerous. “Did you fight him?” And then his voice went even lower and a chill ran down my spine. “Did he try to hurt you? Because I swear right now, I will tear through this state—”
    “I’m okay.” I tried to wiggle free, but his arm was like a vise grip. “I used more of the attack first, ask questions later approach. I tired myself out, but he didn’t hurt me.”
    Daemon didn’t look convinced, but he turned his attention back to his brother. “I know you want to believe that Blake can help us somehow, but he can’t be trusted.”
    Dawson looked away, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Frustration rolled off him in waves.
    “Daemon’s right.” Matthew planted his hands on his hips. At the end of the hall, the door opened and two teachers entered, carrying steaming cups and papers. “But this is not the place to discuss any of this. After school, your house.”
    And with that, he spun in the other direction and stalked off.
    “I know what you’re going to say,” Dawson said sharply. “I’m not going to do anything reckless. I promised both of you I wouldn’t and I’m keeping my end of the deal. You better keep yours.”
    Daemon wasn’t relieved as he watched Dawson head in the opposite direction. “This isn’t good,” he said.
    “You have no idea.” I glanced up at him and waited for the teachers to disappear into their classrooms. “Trusting Blake may be a moot point.”
    His eyes narrowed as he turned, angling his body as if he was shielding me. “What are you saying?”
    I prayed he didn’t lose it. “Blake confirmed what Will had said. The DOD and Daedalus believe my mutation wore off. Good news, right? But he’s desperate—more so than we realized. If we don’t agree to help him, he plans to turn us over.”
    Daemon’s reaction was as expected. There was now a fist-sized indent in the locker beside us, and I grabbed his arm, dragging him into the nearby stairwell before teachers started inspecting the source of the noise.
    Helpless anger seeped into the air and settled over him like a blanket. He knew what I wasn’t willing to say yet. Like with Will, we’d been blackmailed—trapped again, and what could we do? Refuse to go along with Blake and be turned over? Or trust someone who had already proven he wasn’t worthy of such a thing?
    God, we were screwed to the tenth degree.
    I could tell Daemon wanted to ditch school and search the entire county, but he also didn’t want to leave me alone…no matter how hard I worked to convince him that, of all places, I was the safest at school. Because apparently I wasn’t, not when Blake was back, acting