“I kind of like them,” Lotho said to Hunter, who appeared just as confused as the rest of us. “Which is great news for you, since I won’t kill you for bringing them here.”

Hunter scowled deeply as he folded his arms across his chest. “Good to know.”

“Back up off of the freak,” he ordered those surrounding Archer. He strode up the steps to the makeshift throne and then dropped down in an arrogant sprawl, thighs spread wide. “Okay, then. You want an army. I’ll give you an army.”

The mass of Arum around us shifted as some, but not nearly all, of the tension seeped out of my shoulders. I felt like I should say thank you, but those words wouldn’t even form on my tongue.

“I give you my word, but there is one condition,” he said, raising his chin.

“Of course,” I muttered.

Lotho eyed me like I was some kind of insect under a microscope. “It’s just one little thing that I demand.”

Archer nodded, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hunter’s shoulders square up as he squeezed his eyes shut. He muttered a curse under his breath.

“You let me feed off her.”

I started. “I know I heard you wrong.”

“No. You didn’t,” Lotho replied coolly. “You let me feed off her.” He nodded at Kat. The blood drained from her face, but it rushed to every part of my body like a fiery flood. “I won’t kill her. Just a taste. Or two. Maybe three.”

A long moment passed as I stared at the soon-to-be-dead son of a bitch. Part of my head couldn’t register that he’d dared to even make that request. Fury simmered in my gut, spreading into an inferno. My vision blurred as the world shifted colors.

Hunter shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s so messed up, man.”

“Yeah. I’m completely screwed up like that.” Lotho smiled, and my rage knew no limit at that point. “That’s my condition. Take it or get the hell out.”

18

{ Katy }

I was going to hurl all over my sneakers.

This . . . this thing wanted to feed off me? That was his condition? Panic rose swiftly, sinking its poisonous venom into my bloodstream.

Daemon exploded. He shot forward, reaching the first step before Hunter and Archer got hold of him. The words that streamed out of his mouth were a steady onslaught of various F-bomb combinations I didn’t even know were possible.

“You’re out of your f**king mind,” Daemon shouted. His eyes were all white, bright as diamonds, as he strained against the two guys. “You sick son of a bitch!”

Lotho arched a brow.

The edges of Daemon’s body thrummed, casting frantic slivers of light into the gloom of this underworld. “Forget it. That’s never going to happen, and you’re never going to f**king walk again when I’m done with you.”

One broad shoulder rose as Lotho stared down at him dispassionately. “Like I said, take it—”

Another ripe F-bomb was tossed in his direction. “If you think you’re going to get anywhere near her, you’re insane.”

My stomach tumbled as Lotho continued to smirk. “Hey, if you don’t want to play along, don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.”

Daemon lurched forward, nearly dragging Archer and Hunter to the ground. Another explosive tirade ripped from him as my heart pounded like thunder in my chest.

“That’s really your condition?” My voice was hoarse. “You’re not going to help without that condition being met?”

He nodded. His lifeless eyes landed on me, and I knew he wasn’t going to cave. We would leave with no Arum support. The military would drop their e-bombs all across the United States. Innocent humans and Luxen would die, along with hybrids and Origins. Dee would be lost, most likely killed. The world would rapidly rewind to the past, losing hundreds of years of technology and advancement.

We couldn’t let that happen.

My stomach turned as reality slammed into me with the force of a freight truck packed full of dy***ite. I was . . . I was going to have to let him do this. That was it. We had no other choice.

Archer and Hunter had managed to drag Daemon back a few steps, but the expression on his face was downright murderous as he glared at the Arum leader. I knew if he got free, he was going to go at him with everything he had. Maybe that was what Lotho really wanted.

Or maybe Lotho was seriously just a sick bastard.

I didn’t know, and it really didn’t matter.

My hands shook as I smoothed them down my sides. “Daemon.”

It was like he didn’t hear me; he was so focused on the Arum. Violence poured into the air around him. His chest heaved with every deep, ragged breath he took. He was a bottle with the lid about to be completely screwed off.

“Can you give us a few moments?” I asked.

Lotho gave a noncommittal wave of his hand. “I have all the time in the world. You all? Not so much.”

Daemon started to shift. “You have less time than you think, you stupid freak of a mother—”

“Daemon!” I placed my hand on his arm, and his head whipped toward me, eyes blazing. “We need—”

“We don’t need jack,” he growled. “But I need to end his life right—”

“Stop,” I said, staring into his burning eyes. “We need to talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” His gaze swung back to Lotho. “Unless you want to hear in detail what I plan to do to the bastard. Then we can talk all you want.”