“I just don’t like him,” James was saying as we walked into school Thursday morning. “And it has nothing to do with what he is.”
That was good to hear, since James had no idea what Luc really was. “He doesn’t make good first impressions.”
“No kidding?” He snorted as we neared my locker. “I know you say you’re not involved with him—”
“And I’m not,” I told him for the umpteenth time. That was the truth. Luc and I were barely friends. I decided that was probably a good thing—a great thing. Really. Something about him left me . . . unnerved and confused, and I didn’t like it. At all.
Luc was an unknown variable, and that made me feel like a mess. And I didn’t need any messy stuff right now. Not when the world felt like it was on the verge of imploding again.
James nudged my arm. “You know, I’m just concerned.”
“Why?” Right now I thought there were a lot more important things to be concerned with. Like who’d wiped out an entire family yesterday, and was it related to what had happened to Colleen and Amanda?
And Luc’s reaction to it? It was like he knew something. What, I had no idea, and I hadn’t heard from him since he’d literally disappeared from my house.
“I don’t know,” he said as I opened my locker door and grabbed my books. “Ever since you went to that club with Heidi, you’ve been different. And don’t ask me how. It’s just a feeling.”
It was too early in the morning for these kinds of deep thoughts. “I’m the same Evie as before . . . and before that . . . and before that, too.”
James was quiet for a moment. “Well, that looks like it’s going to be a problem.”
At first I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I followed his gaze and saw that he was checking out one of the younger Luxen boys. He was at a locker several feet away, by himself. I thought maybe his name was David . . . or Danny. Something like that. The metal band around his wrist gleamed in the light as he gripped the edge of the locker door. He was alone, but he wasn’t going unnoticed.
Two older guys were standing across from him, by one of the glass cases full of really crappy senior art projects that had been completed last year. I recognized the guys as part of April’s protesting pack, which was out in front of the school again.
Except for these two.
They were eyeing the younger boy like a pack of hyenas sizing up a baby gazelle for dinner. Not good.
“You know,” I said. “I tried talking to April about what she’s doing.”
“I bet that went well.”
I bit down on my lip as I closed my locker door. The young Luxen was obviously aware of the guys. His knuckles seemed to be bleached white, and it appeared as if he were stalling, probably hoping they’d leave first.
The two guys didn’t look like they were going anywhere.
Nervous energy buzzed through my veins. I could just walk away. I didn’t know the boy. A horrible voice whispered, Why get involved? It had nothing to do with me . . . but didn’t it?
Straightening the strap on my bag, I made up my mind. “Do you know those two guys?” I asked, jerking my chin in their direction. “Are they jerks?”
James nodded. “Yeah, they’re dicks.”
“So, they’re probably not eyeballing the boy because they like his shirt and want to know where he got it so they can buy one?”
“Nope.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m going to see if he needs someone to walk with him to class. I mean, I’m not going to say it like that, because that would sound weird and awkward, but you know, I’m just going to . . . be there.”
James pushed away from the locker beside me. “I’ll join you.”
Thankful I wasn’t going at this alone, I walked toward the young Luxen. His head jerked up and swung in my direction before I got within a foot of him. His shoulders were stiff as wariness crept into deep ocean-blue eyes.
“Hi,” I blurted out. “I don’t think we’ve ever met. My name is Evie, and this is James.”
The Luxen glanced at James, and then those startling blue eyes centered on me. “Daniel—I’m Daniel.”
Aha! I almost had his name correct. “You’re a sophomore?”
He nodded as James angled his body, blocking Daniel from the other guys. “Yeah. You guys are . . . seniors?”
“Yep,” I chirped a bit too happily. “Do you have class on the second floor? James and I do.”
“I do.” He closed his locker door. A moment passed. “Why are you guys talking to me?”
I blinked at the blunt question.
“You’ve never talked to me before, and I’ve seen you guys every day at your locker since the start of school.”
“Well, is there any better time than now to start talking?” James dropped a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “Since we’re heading upstairs, we’ll keep you company.”
“Uh-huh.” Daniel’s gaze dropped to James’s hand, and then he arched a brow. I honestly thought he was going to tell us to take a hike, which would be a really bad thing, because the two hyena boys were looking like they were working up the nerve to say or do something. “I know why you guys are doing this.”
Prepared to deny the truth until I ran out of oxygen, I opened my mouth, but James said, “Then you know it’s probably a smart idea to let us walk you upstairs. Because that’s Andy and Leo standing over there. Let me give you a quick character breakdown for you. They’re both linebackers on the football team. They have a tendency to accidentally knock students down, and they have one-half of a fully working brain between the two of them.”
Daniel’s lips twitched. “And let me guess, they’re not fans of the Luxen?”
“I’m going to say that would be a reasonable assumption.” James patted his shoulder and then dropped his hand. “So, what class do you have?”
“English.”
“Then let’s go.” I stepped around so I was on his other side. “I can’t be late. I have this phobia of walking into class after the bell rings. Freaks me out when everyone stares at me as I take my seat and the teacher gives me that disappointed, annoyed stare.”
Daniel didn’t respond as he swung his backpack over his shoulder, but he started walking, and we followed him, caging him in from either side. As the three of us made our way to the second floor, gazes followed and silence fell, broken only by hushed whispers. Tension cloaked the stairwell, as suffocating as a heavy blanket. James appeared to be immune to it, because he talked about some investment TV show he’d been watching at night. Or maybe he was trying to distract Daniel or himself.
Maybe he was trying to distract me, because the tips of my ears were burning, and every time I looked around us, I saw gazes turn from wary to outright hostile.
“He shouldn’t be here,” someone said in a whisper that carried, and then another said, “You know one of them killed Colleen and Amanda.” Someone else responded, but I couldn’t make out what was said.
“They killed that family,” another said, louder.
Daniel’s cheeks began to turn pink.
My stomach sank as those words settled into me. If it all was hard for me to hear and to see, I couldn’t even imagine what it felt like for Daniel. There could be a hundred people like James willing to serve as a barrier for Daniel, for the other Luxen, but no one could be there every day, in every class.
Deep down I knew that whispered words were going to turn into actions, and things would escalate. Fear would turn to hatred, and that was a deadly combination. The school was a powder keg, and it wasn’t a matter of if it would blow.
It was only a matter of when.
* * *
Walking to my car after class, I kept expecting Luc to pop up out of nowhere, but as I glanced over my shoulder and scanned the parking lot, I didn’t see him.
I thought about messaging Zoe and seeing what she was up to, because I didn’t want to go home. Mom probably wouldn’t be there for hours. She’d been working super-late every day this week, something to do with foreign officials visiting.
Pushing my hair back as the wind picked it up, I cut between two absurdly large trucks, making a mental note yet again to get to school in a timelier manner. Walking this far sucked, which meant I probably needed to walk more. I slipped out between the trucks just as someone stepped in front of me.
“Whoa.” Jerking to a halt, I stopped myself a second before I face-planted into a chest. A hand gripped my arm, steadying me as I looked up. It was a guy—that guy. It took me a moment to recognize him and those dark sunglasses. He was the guy who’d helped me pick up my spilled notebooks. “Hey.”
He smiled as he let go of my arm. “This is becoming a habit—meeting in the parking lot.”
“It is.” I lifted the strap of my bag, settling it in on my shoulder. “I should really pay more attention to where I’m walking. Sorry about that.”
“You should, but then I wouldn’t benefit from your lack of paying attention.” His tone was light, teasing even.
The corners of my lips curved up as I wondered who this guy was. “I don’t think . . . we’ve met before. I mean, outside of me dropping my stuff all over the ground.”
His head tilted slightly. “Oh, but we’ve definitely met before.”
“Oh.” Embarrassed, I felt my cheeks heat. “Do we have a class together? I’m sorry. As you can tell, I’m not really observant.”
If Luc were here to hear me admit that, he’d be doubled over in laughter.
The smile on the guy’s face grew as he shook his head. “We don’t have class together.”
My grin faltered.
“I don’t go to this school,” he added, placing his hand on the fender of the truck he stood next to. “And I’m not from . . . around here.”
Confusion filled me as I stared up at the guy. “Then I don’t remember how we’ve met.”
“I’m beginning to see that. Understand that.” He paused. “Which is very interesting to me. I can’t figure it out.”
I had no idea what this guy was talking about, but I honestly didn’t want to find out. A chill powered down my spine as primal instinct sparked alive. Something about this conversation, this guy, wasn’t right.
“Well, it’s nice seeing you again.” I stepped to the side, deciding I needed to listen to whatever inside me was saying it was time to end this conversation. “But I have to get going—”
“Don’t run off just yet.” With his other hand, he reached up and lowered his sunglasses. “Not before I tell you want we have in common.”
Surprise rocked me as I saw his eyes. They were the same startling shade of violet as Luc’s, and just like Luc’s, the black line of his irises were fuzzy. “You’re . . .”
One side of his lips kicked up. That dimple in his right cheek appeared. “An Origin?” His voice dropped low. “Yes. That is what I am.”
Luc had made it sound like there weren’t many Origins in existence, but there was definitely one standing in front of me.
“Luc would be correct. There aren’t many of us left.”
I gasped, realizing he was reading my mind.
“And you know what? Luc could tell you exactly why there aren’t many Origins left.” Metal dented under the hand resting on the truck. The paint immediately smoked and peeled back. My eyes widened. “Don’t,” he murmured, straightening his sunglasses with his other. “Don’t draw unnecessary attention, Evie.”
My heart thundered. Why, oh why, didn’t we have retinal checks at the entrances of the parking lot? Then again, Luc had those contacts, and I had a feeling this Origin would’ve found a way around them.
“Because if you draw attention to us, then I’m going to have to make a scene,” he continued. “And I’ve already made quite a few scenes. I think you’ve witnessed at least one of them.”
The next breath caught in my throat as I realized what he was talking about. “You . . . you’re responsible for what happened to Amanda? Colleen?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I was a hundred percent responsible.” The easy grin remained fixed “But I’m not solely responsible.”
I tried to draw in a shallow breath, but it did nothing to ease the pressure clamping down on my chest as I glanced around. People were near their cars, but no one was looking at us. Why would they? From a distance, he just looked like some normal guy, especially with the sunglasses on.
“Evie,” he said my name so softly. “Are you paying attention to me?”
“Yes.” My gaze shot back to his.
“Good. Now ask me who else is responsible.”
My heart was tripping all over itself as I forced the words out. “Who else is responsible?”
“Good girl.” He took a slow, measured step forward. The paint on the truck rolled back, hanging limply in the wake of his touch. “Luc is. He’s about eighty percent responsible.”
“How—”
“So are you,” he cut me off. “After all, I thought I was grabbing you that night at the club. I mean, I’d only seen you from a distance, talking to Luc, and that girl was wearing the same color dress. She was a blonde. Honest mistake. Kind of worked in my favor, though, especially when I grabbed another blonde. That was on purpose. You know, just to do it.”
Horror froze every muscle in my middle as what he said sunk in. I thought about what Heidi had said about both of them being blondes. It had been a pattern, a terrifying pattern.
“Because I got to see you up close and personal in this very parking lot. I knew you weren’t that second girl.” The easy tone of his remained level. “But she knew you.”
A horn blew in the distance, causing me to jump.
“It was so easy to find you.”
Luc’s warning came back to me with a vengeance. Do you know how easy it was to find you? Christ. He hadn’t been joking around.
“I don’t understand—”
“Neither do I. Well, some parts of this little story,” he said. “I don’t understand you. Yet. But I’m figuring it out. Going to your house helped.”
Oh my God. He was the one in my house that night—
“Yes,” he intruded into my panicked thoughts. “More than once, actually. You should really set that alarm system. I mean, what good is having one when you don’t use it? Then again . . .” He laughed, a sound so at odds with what he was saying. “It wouldn’t have stopped me. I was so close, I left my mark behind.”
Horror gave way to nausea as understanding filled me. I stumbled back a step. “You scratched me?”
“Well, yeah, and I was choking you.” His smile spread to both sides of his mouth. “Just a little.”
“Just a little?” Bile climbed up my throat. Terror turned my blood cold as my heart ended up somewhere in my throat. My hand closed into a fist. I’d been so close—
“To dying? Yeah, but not as close as you have been before. Don’t—” His voice rose and his tone sharpened. “Come any closer.”
I thought he was talking to me at first, but I wasn’t trying to get near him. Then my gaze shot behind him. Standing between the bed of the truck was Emery. Behind her was . . . Connor. What was Emery doing here? I didn’t see Heidi. And why was she with Connor?
“You two come any closer, I will have to do something that would be considered inappropriate,” the Origin said, never looking behind him. Not once. “Something that would make Luc very upset, and you guys don’t want that. Right? You know what happens when Luc is . . . disappointed.”
“I don’t know who you are and I don’t even care at the moment, but it seems like you know Luc and what happens when he’s angry. You do not want to get on his bad side,” Emery warned as the wind picked up, tossing the longer hair across her face. “Trust me on this.”
The Origin smirked. “Oh, trust me, I know exactly what happens when Luc is angry.”
Air lodged in my throat. I stared at Emery, really looked at her. Her eyes weren’t . . . they weren’t a muted green anymore. They were the color of the brightest moss, and her pupils—her pupils were all white. My mouth dropped open.
Emery wasn’t human.
She’d been wearing contacts the day at breakfast. Heidi’s girlfriend was a Luxen!
“You have no idea who is really around you, do you? I guess you’ll figure it out in due time.” The Origin drew my attention back to him. “But in the meantime, I have a question I want you to ask Luc. Would you do that for me? Please?”
He gripped my arm before I even saw him move. I gasped as he yanked me forward and my bag slipped off my shoulder and hit the ground. His grip tightened, causing me to cry out. “Ask him if he’ll play with me?”
“What?” I whispered.
It happened so fast.
There was a crack from inside. Red-hot pain, the kind I’d never experienced before, shot up my arm, stealing the next breath I took. I couldn’t even scream as my legs gave out.
The Origin let go, and my knees slammed into the asphalt. Doubling over, I pressed my arm to my stomach. Someone cursed, but I could barely hear them over the pounding of my blood.
He broke my arm.
Holy shit, he broke my arm.
The stranger stepped around me as I tried to breathe through the throbbing pain, casually walking off like he hadn’t just snapped my bone with a twist of his hand.
Emery was there in a second, kneeling in front of me as she gripped my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I said with a gasp, rocking backward as another wave of sharp, burning pain shot through me. “He broke my arm. Like, for real.”
“Dammit.” Emery looked over her shoulder at Connor as she wrapped her arm around my waist. “I’ve never done the healing thing before, and you’re wearing a Disabler. Call Luc.”
“Luc?” I said, and gasped again, my head not working right. “I need a hospital. Doctors. Pain meds—strong pain meds.”
“We have something far better than that.” Emery hauled me to my feet with striking ease. “Come on.”
My gaze darted around the parking lot. I saw Connor was on the phone, his mouth moving fast.
Heidi was suddenly there, her face pale. “What happened?”
“I thought I told you to stay back.” Emery walked me out between the trucks. “But of course you didn’t listen.”
“You should’ve known better than that.” Heidi grew closer. “Holy crap, what happened to your arm?”
“Some guy broke it,” I gritted out. “And I need a hospital.”
“Some guy?” Heidi repeated.
“I don’t know who it was, but that’s not important right now,” Emery said. “Grab her bag. We’ve got to go.”
“To the hospital?” I suggested, wheezing through the pain. In the back of my mind, I remembered the whole Luxen and Origin healing thing. Hell, Luc had healed those marks on my stomach, but my arm was broken. I wanted a doctor. I wanted pain meds. Lots of them.
Connor turned, sliding his phone into his pocket. “He said he’ll meet you.”
“Thank you.” Emery ushered me past a group of people. They were starting to pay attention. “Heidi.”
She came running to our side, carrying my bag. The world spun a little. A car door opened in front of me. It wasn’t my car, but I was suddenly in the backseat and Heidi was crawling in beside me. Another door slammed shut.
“Let me see your arm.” Heidi scooted close as the engine turned on. Emery—Emery the Luxen was driving.
I stared at her face, taking short, quick breaths. “How bad is it? I can’t look.”
“Um.” She glanced at the front seat. “I don’t see a bone, but it’s swollen and really red.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “Not seeing . . . a bone is a good thing, but I don’t know if I can feel my fingers.”
“It’ll be okay.” Tears gleamed in her eyes. “I promise.”
Needing to believe her, I nodded as Emery peeled out of the parking lot and gunned the engine. I swallowed hard and tried to focus on anything other than the breath-stealing pain. “It was him—he killed them. Colleen. Amanda.”
Heidi blinked and then pushed her hair back from her face. “Oh God.”
“He didn’t say who he was?” Emery demanded from the front seat.
“No. But he knew Luc. He knew me. He . . . he was at the club when it was raided. I . . .” The pain was getting worse. I felt like vomiting, and there was a good chance I might. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pressed down against the seat, onto my side, legs curling and uncurling, but it did nothing to help with the deep, inescapable pain.
“Evie?” Heidi placed her hand on my leg.
Sweat dampened my brow. “I think I’m going to be sick. Oh God, th-this really hurts.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Heidi’s trembling fingers pushed my hair back from my face, tucking the hair behind my ear. “We’re going to get it fixed. I swear.”
“There he is.” Relief was evident in Emery’s voice. “Finally.”
I kept my eyes shut as I felt the car pull over. A car door flew open, and the sounds of traffic poured in, along with the scent of exhaust and . . . and pine. Evergreen. I pried open my eyes and turned my head.
Luc replaced Heidi. He cursed.
I panted through the pain. His hair was a mess of waves and curls, like he’d been in a windmill.
“H-how did you get here?”
“Ran.” Concern filled his face, darkening his eyes. The front passenger door opened and then Heidi’s face appeared between the two front seats. “Get us to the club,” he ordered. “Now.”
“I need a hospital.”
Luc leaned over me, and those churning violet eyes became the only thing I saw. “You need me.”
“Wha—”
“I’m going to touch your arm.” And then he did just that, curling one hand around my elbow. “And this is going to hurt, but only for a second.”
Panic dug in. My wild gaze swung around the car, glancing off Heidi’s stricken face to Luc’s. His jaw was hard, and extreme concentration was etched into his features. “Wait. Please. I know you can heal, but I want—”
The pupils of his eyes flared white. “I’m sorry.”
Luc folded his hand over the center of where the worst of the pain was coming from, my forearm, and my arm caught fire. My back bowed as my head kicked back. A scream ripped through me as the ceiling of the car warped, fading out and then rapidly coming back into stark clarity. My legs straightened, and I didn’t know how I didn’t kick Luc through the door, but he was still there, holding onto my arm.
“Stop!” Heidi cried out. “You said he could help her. He’s hurting—”
“He’s making her better,” Emery said. “I promise, Heidi. Just give him a second.”
This wasn’t helping. At all. It was nothing like the brief warming I’d felt before.
The pain pulsed and flared through my entire body, obliterating all thought until there was no pain and nothing . . . nothing but swamping heat.