Do you think whatever is happening with me will stop?
He scooped up the last of his cake and then placed his plate on the coffee table. We may get lucky. What youre doing might fade over time, but you need to be careful. No pressure, but its a threat to all of us. Im not trying to becruel. Its the truth.
No, I understand. I could expose you all. Ive almost done it several times.
He leaned back against the couch in a lazy, arrogant sprawl that made my toes curl. Im checking around to see if anyone has heard of this happening. I have to be careful, though. Too many questions will give way to suspicion.
I fingered the necklace as Daemon turned to the television and smiled. An eighties hair band played, screeching about a love lost and found, to only be lost again.
After seeing your dance skills earlier, you would have blended right in with the eighties, he said.
I rolled my eyes. Can we not mention that again?
He grinned as he turned to me, a sly look on his face. You were this close
to having Walk Like an Egyptian down.
Youre a douche.
Daemon laughed. Did you know I had a purple Mohawk?
What? I laughed, not even able to imagine that, especially around these parts. When?
Yep, purple and black. It was before we moved here. We were living in New York. I guess I went through this phase. Pierced nose and all, he said, grinning.
I busted out laughing, and he shoved a throw pillow at me. I picked it up and placed it in my lap. You were a skater boy, huh?
Something like that. Matthew was with us. He became our guardian of sorts. He had no idea what to do with me.
But Matthewhes not that much older.
Hes older than he looks. Hes around thirty-eight.
Wow. Hes aging well.
Daemon nodded. He arrived at the same time we did, in the same area. I guess he thought he was responsible for us, being the oldest out of everyone.
Where did you guys? How in the world would I say this? Coming up empty, I winced. Where did you all land?
Reaching over, he picked a piece of lint off my thermal. We landed near Skaros.
Skaros? I scrunched up my face. Uh, is that even on Earth?
Yes. He smiled slightly. Its actually a small island near Greece. Its known for this rocky region where a castle once stood. Id like to go back one day. Its kind of like our birthplace, I guess.
How many of you landed there?
A couple dozen, or at least thats what Matthew has told us. I dont remember anything from the beginning. His lips pursed. We stayed in Greece until we were around five, and then we came to America. There were twenty or so of us, and as soon as we arrived, the DOD was there.
I couldnt imagine what that mustve been like for him and the others. To be so young, to be from a different world, and then to be thrust right into the hands of a foreign government had to be scary. How did all of that go?
He glanced at me. Not very good, Kitten. We didnt know that humans were aware of us. All we did know was there were Arum around, but the DOD came as a huge surprise to us. Apparently they knew about us from the moment we got here. They rounded up hundreds who had arrived in America.
I twisted toward him, clutching the pillow to my chest. What did they do with you guys?
They kept us in a facility out in New Mexico.
No shit. My eyes went wide. Is Area 51 the real deal?
He eyed me, amusement creeping into his eyes.
Wow. I let that one sink in. All those crazies trying to get into the compound had good reason. I thought the whole Area 51 thing had been around a while.
My family and friends arrived fifteen years ago, but that doesnt mean the Luxen didnt come before that. He laughed at my expression. Anyway, they kept us there for the first five years. Theythe DODhad been assimilating the Luxen for years. We learned a lot about humans during that time, and when we weredeemed ready to fully assimilate, they let us go. Usually with an older Luxen who could take care of us. Since Matthew had a relationship with us, we were placed with him.
I did a quick calculation in my head. But you guys wouldve been only ten years old. Did you live with Matthew until recently?
Believe it or not, we mature differently than humans. At ten I couldve gone to college. We develop a lot faster, our brains and whatnot. Im actually smarter than I act. Another fleeting grin graced his face. Matthew lived with us until we moved here. At fifteen, we were pretty much adults. The DOD set us up with a house and money.
Well, that probably explained part of our national debt. But what about people asking questionslooking for your parents?
Daemon glanced at me sidelong. Theres always an older Luxen we can pass off for our parent, or we can morph into an older version. The morphing thing we try to avoid because of the trace.
Shaking my head, I settled back against the couch. Running their own lives since they were fifteen, with just Matthew checking in on them. I shouldnt be so shocked. My own life was sort of that way, with my mom working so much since Dad died.
Daemon was watching me in his intense way when I looked at him. Do you want me to leave?