Archer caught me, but I shrugged him off, clinging to Daemon as tears streamed down my face. “What . . . do we do?” I couldn’t look away as Daemon continued to flicker in and out, his beautifully strong light dulling, and the coldness spread like a disease inside me. “It wasn’t a . . . normal gun. It was one of those . . . weapons we were given. Please . . . do something . . .”

“It’s the modified PEP weapon.” Archer placed his hands above mine, his face twisting in concentration. “Dammit. We need to make sure the bullet is out. If it’s not, then . . .”

The words sank in as I slid down to my side, unable to hold myself up. One of my hands slipped off his cheek. I could no longer get my tongue to work, and I labored for breath. I threw everything in me into reaching Daemon. Don’t . . . leave me. Oh God . . . please don’t . . . leave me. I love you. Daemon, I love you. Please don’t let go. Please!

Archer cursed under his breath as his gaze bounced between Dee and me. “Kat, I . . .”

I didn’t feel myself falling, but I was suddenly flat on my back and staring up at the cloudless blue sky. Such a beautiful sky, but my heart hurt. My chest seized, and my entire body went rigid.

No. No. No.

We were supposed to have tonight and tomorrow, and many weeks and months, but we didn’t have even another minute. My face was wet, soaked, and my heart was slowing. The world started to slip away.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Then Daemon and I . . . we had nothing and there was nothing.

My body came back online slowly, tingling and aching as if I’d run a zombie marathon and gotten chewed on in the process. There was an odd beeping sound. It annoyed me, because all I wanted to do was slip back into the oblivion where there was nothing. I didn’t want to remember exactly why I didn’t want to open my eyes.

Reality existed on the fringes of my consciousness, a reality that would be cold and shattering and heartbreaking, and I didn’t want to go there. I wanted to stay where there was nothing.

The beeping wouldn’t let me slip away, though. It was faint, and every beep was accompanied by another beep, as if it were chasing mine or I was chasing the other beep, so I listened as my fingers twitched. A tremor coursed up my arm and then made its way through my body.

“Katy?”

I recognized the voice and the voice hurt, because it reminded me of. . . .

No.

I couldn’t go there. I didn’t want to.

A warm hand folded over mine and squeezed gently. “Katy?”

The beeping picked up speed and so did the other.

The other.

Something flared in my chest, like a tiny flame sparking to life. My senses were whirling to the forefront. I could feel something cool against my chest—stuck there. The beeping was starting to go crazy. And then I knew what it was.

A heart monitor.

And there were two separate beeps, one virtually on top of the other. Two. That had to mean . . . Surrounded by a familiar earthy scent, I willed my eyes to open and dragged in a deep breath.

Dee was hovering over me, her green eyes bright with relief. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to wake up.”

My mouth was dry from panic as I stared at her. She looked okay—maybe a little stressed. Her hair was a bit crazy-looking, her face a little pale, but she was smiling. Her hand squeezed mine again.

I took another breath and slowly turned my head to the left. My heart exploded in my chest as I gasped.

He lay there, his normal, deeply tanned skin a shade or two paler. I could only see half of his face, but it was a strong, beautiful profile—the cut jaw and straight nose.

I glanced back at Dee in confusion and then quickly looked back at the bed near mine, afraid to blink in fear he’d disappear. I was shaking as I pushed myself up. “I’m . . . I’m awake?”

“Yes.”

My breath caught, but not in that painful way. “I don’t understand.”

She eased away from the bed, giving me room to swing my legs off the side. “You should probably take it easy.”

I ignored her, pulling the sticky things off my chest as I placed my bare feet on the cold floor. It was then I realized I was in a hospital gown and we were in a hospital room. “I don’t understand,” I repeated.

Dee moved to the foot of his bed and smiled tiredly. “The bullet was normal, but it had this electric current in it, sort of like an encasing. If it had stayed in him longer, it would’ve killed him . . .” She trailed off, shaking her head. “It should’ve killed him, but he hung on.”

He hung on.

My legs were wobbly as I stumbled toward the bed, staring at the steady rise and fall of his chest. He was alive. He was breathing. My heart was pounding out of my chest.

I was beyond words as I reached out and placed my fingers on his arm. The skin was warm and dry. My breath caught once more.

“Archer called the general and told him what happened. There were still a lot of military nearby, and he sent a helicopter to pick you guys up.”

My hand trembled as I slid it up his arm.

“They flew him and you out. We’re at a military base in Maryland. They had doctors here,” she explained. “They were able to get the bullet out. They say . . . he’ll be okay, Katy.”

I lowered my head to his chest and I heard it—Daemon’s heartbeat moving as fast as mine. “Oh my God . . .” I sat on the edge of his bed, keeping my ear plastered to his chest. “Please . . . tell me this is real,” I whispered, eyes filling up with tears. “That I won’t wake up again and find this is a cruel dream. Please.”