Daysider (Nightsiders) by Susan Krinard

out what’s going on. Now that you’re back, Michael, we can work out a plan to create a diversion so that one of us can get closer to the settlement.”
    “Are you including him in this plan?” Michael asked, prodding at Damon’s neck.
    Damon’s next move was almost too swift to follow. He literally turned on himself, striking Michael’s gun aside as he twisted his body in a way Alexia wouldn’t have believed possible. In three seconds he had Michael pinned to the ground like a rabbit between a leopard’s paws.
    “The question,” Damon said through his teeth, “is whether or not you can be trusted.”
    Michael heaved against him, but Damon easily held the agent down with his hand around Michael’s throat and one knee pressed to his chest.
    “Damon!” Alexia said, climbing to her knees. “Let him go!”
    He continued to stare into Michael’s eyes. “Maybe he stayed away because he knew we were going to be attacked.”
    “That’s insane,” Michael said, wheezing the words through his constricted throat.
    “Stop it!” Alexia shouted. “How do you think he would have known that? Are you accusing him of working for the enemy?”
    “No. Only of cowardice.”
    Michael made a noise of pure fury and clamped his hands around Damon’s wrist. Damon tightened his grip. Alexia gathered her legs underneath her, stiffened her muscles and stood up. She managed to stay on her feet for five seconds before she began to sway.
    Damon snapped his head toward her. “Sit down!” he commanded.
    “Alexia!” Michael croaked. “What—”
    “She’s ill,” Damon said to Michael, showing a glint of his right incisor, “and it’s because of you. ”
    Michael ceased his struggles and tried to look at Alexia. “You said you weren’t hurt!”
    “She was lying,” Damon said. “She was badly wounded in the attack. She recovered from that, but something else is wrong with her. Some kind of illness. You’re going to tell me what it—”
    Alexia’s legs collapsed beneath her. Damon leaped up and caught her before she hit the ground. Michael was at her side a moment later.
    “What’s wrong?” he demanded as Damon gently lowered her to the ground. “Alex, what’s going on?”
    “My body’s still healing,” she said, her teeth chattering. “That’s all.”
    Damon cupped the side of her face, sliding his thumb over her cheekbone.
    “Get your hands off her,” Michael said through his teeth, grabbing Damon’s wrist.
    With hardly a glance, Damon broke free and pushed Michael back, shoving him onto his knees.
    “Stop!” Alexia gasped. “He saved my life, Michael!”
    Michael resumed his previous position, carefully avoiding Damon’s eyes. He didn’t try to interfere as Damon unbuttoned Alexia’s jacket and peeled it back behind her shoulders. When it was out of the way, Michael pushed the torn edges of her shirt and undershirt aside and touched the place above her right breast where the bullets had hit.
    “It’s already healed,” he said. He lifted one of her eyelids. “Hyperemia,” he said. He took her wrist. “Rapid heartbeat. Has she had a fever?”
    “I’m still here,” she said testily. “You can ask me. ”
    “Have you?” Michael asked.
    “The best thing you can do is leave me alone and let me heal.”
    Michael ignored her and pushed her shirt open over her left shoulder. She tried to stop him, but she wasn’t strong enough, and Damon didn’t interfere. Exposing the underside of her upper left arm, Michael cursed.
    “Your patch,” he said. “For God’s sake, Alexia, what happened?”
    She glanced at Damon. His gaze jerked from the unhealed wound to Michael’s face, and his eyes narrowed.
    Don’t say anything, she begged Michael silently. She didn’t want to know if Damon had made it possible for someone to take the patch. If she was going to die anyway...
    “What happened?” her partner repeated.
    She closed her eyes. “When I was wounded,” she said slowly, “I was out for