The Rising (Darkness Rising 3)

"Well, thank you." I said to Ash. "For staying." I turned to Rafe. "Although he says he knows who you are, I'm still going to annoy him by being all polite about it. Rafe, this is my brother, Ash. Ash, this is Rafe. My boyfriend."

"Yeah, I figured that when I heard he was taking your clothes to you."

"You were around earlier?" I said.

He shrugged. "Getting firewood. Didn't want to interfere with you and Daniel." A glower at Rafe. "I'm going to strongly suggest you don't go with my sister next time she shifts. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

Rafe's words were brittle, but Ash didn't seem to notice. Or didn't care. Just waved me back to the campsite.

THIRTY-FOUR

DANIEL WAS FINE. ASH and Corey had been keeping a careful watch on him, ready to grab a taxi to the nearest hospital if he started coughing up blood or feeling sharp pains. The blood I'd found was from a nasty scrape on his arm that had opened up when Corey cleaned it. That was his worst injury. The driver had hit his brakes before impact. He'd knocked Daniel flying, but that was it. Bruises and scrapes, already scabbed over. I still used my healing on him, though. I don't know if it helped, but it made me feel better.

While I worked on Daniel, the guys lit a fire. It was getting cold and they'd decided it was safe enough as long as they kept it small. Once that was going, I explained what happened with us. That took a lot longer than Daniel's story.

First I told them about Sam, Annie, and Kenjii and why they weren't with us.

"And Nic?" Daniel said when I finished talking about the others. His face was drawn with worry. "Is she okay?"

I took a deep breath. "She's . . . fine, and she's not fine. I-I don't know how to tell you this . . ."

"Then I will," Hayley cut in. "Nicole--"

"No," I said sharply, then softened my tone. "Please. Let me."

Rafe stood. "Maya's right. The rest of us can find something else to do. Hayley? Can you explain to Corey?"

Ash seemed unwilling to leave on Rafe's command, but at a whisper from Corey, he followed them out of the clearing.

When they were gone, Daniel lowered his voice and said, "If Nic's been hurt, you can tell me, Maya. I know you hoped there'd be something between us, but there isn't."

And thank God for that. If you had started dating her when I pushed you to it . . .

"We're just friends," he continued. "I'm going to be upset if she was hurt, but you didn't need to send them away. Corey's just as close to her as I am."

"It's--it's not that. She's . . . the experiments . . . Or I think it was the experiments, but I don't know for sure. Maybe it's just her. I . . ."

I saw his confusion, and I tried to think of a way to word it. When no ideas came, the words did, blurted.

"Nicole killed Serena."

He didn't react. He just kept staring at me, blankly, as if processing. Then he said, "Nicole . . . ?"

"Drowned Serena. She's a xana, like we figured. She swam out under the water and pulled Serena down."

I thought of Serena, under the water, fighting for her life while I searched for her. How long had she struggled? How long had she been under there and I could have saved her if only I'd found her, if only--

Daniel put his arms around me, pulling me against him as I shook and the tears started.

I pulled back. "I'm sure."

"I didn't ask if you were."

"I know, but it sounds crazy. I started suspecting her after she was captured. Sam said some things and when I saw Nicole in the camp . . . Things happened that I didn't tell you about. I had to be sure. Then, at the house there, she admitted it. Everyone knows. There isn't any question. Nicole killed Serena."

"Why?"