One side of his lips kicked up, and it was amazing how a simple half smile could twist my insides. “I didn’t think you would, and I wouldn’t leave you here. Where I go, you go, and vice versa. You’re not getting rid of me for any length of time that easily.”

“Glad we actually agree on that.” Not too long ago, Daemon would’ve tried to shelter me, but I think he’d learned that didn’t work out very well.

This was the first time in days that we were together and could speak openly with each other, and as I watched him, I knew there was something beyond his sister on his mind. With as many things as we had to stress over, it would be like looking for an apple in a pile of apples.

“What?” I asked.

Our gazes collided and held, and I drew in an unsteady breath. Those emerald eyes, which were such a bright, unreal green, never failed to catch my attention. Daemon was beautiful in a way that didn’t seem possible, but that beauty ran deep, beyond the skin that really wasn’t his true form, and into the very core of his being. When I first met him, I hadn’t believed that. Now I knew better.

His thick lashes lowered. “Just thinking about what Nancy said about the serum—about us.”

“About us not being connected like we thought we were?”

“Yeah.”

“This is good, though.” I smiled when he looked up. I didn’t know what to think, other than that our lives really not being joined together had to be good news and that it didn’t change anything between us. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m ticked that Nancy lied to us, that she tested something so volatile on me, but it’s . . . it’s okay. I know I can kick some butt and tap into the Source, but you are stronger than me. I’m the weaker—”

“You’re not weak, Kitten. You’ve never been weak, before or after the mutation.”

“Thanks for that, but you know what I mean. Let’s be realistic. I’m a liability to an extent when it comes to fighting. I can only go for so long before I tucker out. You really don’t.”

“I get it.” He thrust his hands through his hair again, frowning.

I searched his face. “Then, what?”

“It’s just that . . .” Daemon knelt down in front of me, his brows knitting together. He reached out and draped his hands over my knees. “It’s just that since the moment I realized what healing you meant, or what I thought it meant, I never thought I’d face a day without you. That I’d never have to worry about going on if you weren’t there. And I’m not trying to make this into some kind of Romeo and Juliet bullshit, but now I know there’s a chance of that and it . . . it f**king terrifies me, Kat. It really does.”

I blinked back a sudden rush of tears as I cupped his cheeks. The slight stubble tickled my thumbs. “The idea of you not being there terrifies me, too.”

He leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine. “I know it’s good news, and I know it’s stupid. I should be more scared of dying in general than not, but—”

“I know.” I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against his. “Let’s just not die on each other, okay?”

Daemon’s chuckle teased my lips. “I like that plan.”

“You won’t let anything happen to me,” I told him, resting my hands on his shoulders as I drew back. “And I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“That’s my Kitten,” he murmured as he looked me over. “Speaking of not letting anything happen, how are you feeling?”

“Tired. Some sugar would be nice.” For some reason, eating sugar helped after using the Source. It always reminded me of Harry Potter.

“I’ll make sure Archer grabs some of that when he comes back.” He stood and then climbed on the bed so he was sitting behind me. “But for now . . .”

He grabbed my hips and tugged me back against his chest.

“What are you doing?” When his right hand slid onto my upper thigh, my breath caught. “Oh.”

His deep laugh rumbled through me. “Believe it or not, I’m not thinking inappropriate thoughts.”

I turned my head to look back at him, eyebrow raised.

The wicked half grin turned my heart to mush. “Okay. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time I am thinking something that would turn the tips of your ears pink.”

“And you’re not now?”

His lips pursed. “Yeah, all right. A hundred percent of the time, but I actually do have totally appropriate reasons for touching you.”

“Uh-huh.” I rested my head against his cheek. And then I felt his hand slide over the top of my right thigh. “What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you.”

Heat from his fingers radiated out over my thigh. “You don’t need to do this. It’s just a scratch.”

“More like a flesh wound, and you’ve been limping around since it happened. I should’ve done it while we were in the helicopter, but I was too busy keeping you from throwing yourself into the cockpit.”

“I wasn’t that bad.” A small smile pulled at my lips. “But thank you for that. I was afraid I’d hurl all over you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he replied drily.

Once the dull ache in my thigh eased until it was nothing but a memory, I started to pull away, because healing me could take its toll on him, but instead of letting me go, he scooted off the bed with me in front of him. The moment his feet hit the floor, he scooped me up in his arms.