The Darkest Star

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  I peeled myself off the wall and hurried after him. “I need—”

  “Your phone,” he interrupted. “I know.”

  “Okay.” I struggled to keep up. His long-legged pace was impressive … and annoying. “Can I have it?”

  “No.”

  “What? Why not?”

  “You don’t need it.”

  “I need it—I totally need my phone. It belongs to me.”

  Luc kept walking, and I just—I just lost it.

  Leftover adrenaline from being thrown against a wall mingled with the frustration burning at my skin like a swarm of fire ants. Snapping forward, I grabbed his arm and stopped him. In the distant part of my mind I knew that he had allowed me to do that. That if he had wanted to keep walking, he would’ve and then simply dragged me behind him. But I didn’t care that he could throw me down the hall with a flick of his wrist if he wanted to.

  “I’m not leaving here until I have my phone.”

  A smile played at his mouth as he glanced down at my hand and then back up. “Really?”

  “Why are you being so difficult? Just give me my phone and you’ll never have to see me again.”

  His thick lashes lowered, shielding his eyes as he reached down and pried my fingers off his arm. He did so gently, as if he were well aware of his strength and thought my fingers could snap like dried twigs. “But what if I want to see you again?”

  I swallowed as my eyes narrowed. “But I don’t want to see your face ever again.”

  The almost teasing smile began to fade. “Well, that’s rude.”

  The irritation gave way to reckless fury. “If you don’t give me my damn phone right now, I will call the police.” I glanced down at the leather cuff he wore before meeting his gaze head-on. I hated saying what I did next, because I would never do what I was about to threaten, but I was willing to say just about anything to get my phone so I could leave and forget all about Luc and this damn place. “I doubt the Luxen back in that room would want that to happen, would they?”

  Luc’s eyes widened slightly as he faced me. A measure of surprise splashed across his striking features, parting his full lips. “Are you actually threatening me?”

  I had the common sense to recognize I was treading on thin ice with lead boots. Like the kind of thin ice that was already cracking under my feet. “It’s not a threat.” I managed to keep my voice level. “It’s a warning.”

  “That’s the same thing, Evie.” Luc stepped toward me, the pupils of his eyes seeming to expand. “It’s a threat.”

  The air stalled in my lungs and my body moved without thought. I took a step back, but he came forward once more. I kept going until I was against a damn wall again.

  “No one has even the tiniest inclination to threaten me,” he said, the pupils of his eyes starting to turn white. An icy chill ran down my spine. “Because they know better.”

  My chest rose sharply.

  “They especially know better than to threaten what I’m trying to do here.” His chin dipped, and he was right back in my space, eye to eye. Several seconds passed, and the stupidest, absolute dumbest thoughts occurred. I thought about that meaningless kiss that wasn’t even a kiss—about how those full lips had felt.

  How they were soft yet hard, and I—

  What in the world was wrong with me? Had I hit my head and damaged my brain earlier? The answer was yes, a resounding yes.

  “Dammit,” he growled, and then he did the strangest thing—stranger than me thinking about kissing him, which was next-level bizarre.

  He dropped his forehead to mine as he breathed in deeply. “Peaches. I am really beginning to have a thing for peaches.”

  I tensed as my eyes widened. What was happening? And why was I standing here? At this point I probably shouldn’t even be trusted to own a phone. “It’s j-just lotion.”

  A breath shuddered through Luc. “You were never supposed to be here. Do you understand that? That was the deal.”

  My heart lurched in my chest. “What are you talking about?”

  The tips of his fingers brushed my cheek, and my entire body jolted as if I’d touched a live wire. He pulled back. A stark intensity filled his stare, and I thought maybe his gaze dropped again, to my mouth. He tilted his head to the side, almost like he was lining up his mouth with mine, and whispered, “The deal was I would stay away…” He paused, the brilliant light of his pupils increasing. “If you stayed away.”

  “What?” I said breathlessly.

  Tension filled the air, popping and sparking around us. Static cracked, and the overhead lights flickered, dimming briefly before roaring back to life, becoming ultra bright.

  I sucked in a sharp gasp.

  Luc smiled.

  Just a few feet away, the door at the end of the hall opened. The lights in the hall returned to normal. The acute pressure and edginess seeped slowly out of the hall, but my pulse was pounding so fast, I felt like I’d run up five flights of stairs. I broke eye contact with Luc and saw the blue-haired guy standing in the doorway. His name was Ken or Kent.

  He checked out Luc and then me. “I was wondering what was taking so long.”

  Luc took a step back, but even though I wasn’t looking at him, I could feel the intensity of his stare still focused on me. “What’s up, Kent?”

  “He’s getting worse,” he replied.

  Swearing under his breath, Luc stalked off. For a moment I didn’t move—I couldn’t. I was stuck to the wall. What had just happened there? And what deal was he talking about? None of that made sense.

  And none of that mattered.

  All I needed—all I wanted—was my phone and then to be out of here.

  I sprung off the wall, hurrying to catch up to Luc as Kent stepped aside. He held the door open. I half expected both of them to shut the door in my face, but Kent just arched a reddish-brown brow at me as Luc prowled into the room.

  It wasn’t empty.

  There was a guy standing in the corner, and it took me a moment to recognize him. I’d seen him last night with Luc. It was the guy with the military haircut who had sat down next to Luc.

  He turned toward me, and the first thing I noticed was his eyes. They were just like Luc’s. An extraordinarily violet color, and those eyes widened. “What the—”

  “Don’t,” Luc warned.

  The man twisted toward him. “Don’t what?”

  “You know exactly what I’m telling you not to do.” Luc kept his back to the man as he sat down on the edge of what appeared to be a narrow bed.

  I had no idea what was going on as the stranger faced me once more. “I have so many questions,” he said, looking at me in a way that made me feel like I was under a microscope.

  Kent snorted. “Don’t we all?”

  “She is no one you need to worry about, Archer.”

  Archer? What kind of name was that?

  “Huh,” Archer murmured, and then gave a little shake of his head. “Anyway, you think it’s wise that she’s here? Now?”

  “No,” Luc replied.

  My brows shot up, and I opened my mouth to speak, but Luc leaned back, and I got an eyeful of who was lying on the bed. Gasping, my hand flew to my mouth. “Oh my God…”

  A man lay on his back. At least, I was guessing it was a man. His brown hair was matted, coated in sweat and … and blood. His face was a mess of angry, purplish bruises. Eyes swollen shut, lips puffy and torn. The man’s chest barely moved.

  “What … what happened to him?” I asked.

  Luc’s gaze drifted to me and he sighed. When he spoke, he sounded way older than eighteen. “Good question. I’m not quite sure.” He folded the washcloth in half. “I was about to find out, but I was interrupted.”

  Me. He was talking about me.

  Archer crossed his arms. “I found him like that, outside by the dumpsters in the alley.”

  A shiver danced over my shoulders. I knew what dumpsters he was talking about. The window I climbed out last night emptied right i
nto the alley beside those dumpsters.

  “I don’t know who he is,” Archer continued, glancing over at me. A strange look crossed his handsome face. “Or what he was doing out there.”

  “That’s Chas.” Kent sat in a small, metal chair. “He … helps out around here.”

  It was like Luc forgot I existed as he leaned over the man, carefully dabbing the washcloth along the man’s forehead. The man named Chas shuddered, and the very edges of his body blurred. His bloody skin lost some of the color, becoming … translucent. Another gasp parted my lips as I lowered my hand.

  The man was a Luxen, a very badly injured Luxen.

  I saw the bluish veins in Chas’s still arms for only a brief second before his human form took hold again. I saw no sign of a Disabler. Based on only the injuries I could see, I had a feeling that if he were human, he wouldn’t be breathing.

  “When was the last time you saw him?” Luc asked.

  “Last night.” Kent rubbed the heel of his palm along his chest. “After the raid.”

  Archer’s jaw locked. “You think the ART officers did this?”

  My stomach tumbled at the thought. The man looked like he was near death. Why would the officers do that?

  “No,” answered Luc. “If it were them, they would’ve taken Chas into custody. They wouldn’t have left him lying out there.”

  “Had to be another Luxen to get the upper hand on Chas.” Kent glanced over at Archer. “Especially considering those types of injuries. Chas knows how to defend himself.”

  Feeling like I shouldn’t be here for this conversation, that I was hearing things I shouldn’t, I started to back up. I only made it about a foot.

  “Stay put, Evie,” Luc said softly, and I stopped, wondering if he had eyes in back of his head. “Just for a few more moments.”

  I stopped, not even sure why. I wanted my phone, but I could wait out in the hallway until he was done in here. I glanced around the room. “Shouldn’t … shouldn’t he be in a hospital?”

  “A hospital isn’t going to help him,” Luc answered, his voice stoic, and I wondered if that was because Chas might be unregistered.

  Archer was staring at me again, his expression curious. I folded my arms over my chest and looked away. “So, Evie,” he said, and I tensed. “How do you know Luc?”

  “I don’t know him,” I said, and Luc’s shoulders stiffened.

  “That’s interesting,” Archer began. “I wonder if—” A phone rang from his pocket and he pulled it out, a soft smile forming on his lips as he answered. “Hey, babe. Give me a sec, okay?” He lowered the phone as he pushed away from where he was standing, starting for the door. “It’s Dee,” he said to Luc’s back. “I’ll tell her you said hi.”

  Luc didn’t respond, and that seemed normal to Archer, because he walked out of the room, glancing in my direction. The man on the bed moaned again as a shudder rocked his entire body.

  “You’ve got to let go,” Luc said to Chas as his arm moved, blocking his face. “It’s the only way you’re going to heal. You’re safe here. Just let go.”

  I bit down on my lip as Luc leaned back, turning the cloth over. I saw streaks of red staining it. Luc was cleaning his face, wiping away the streaks of blood.

  The man’s body shook once more and then I saw him change into his true form. Part of me thought I should look away, but I couldn’t as a flickering white light encased Chas’s entire body. Within seconds, the human façade slipped away. My lips parted, but there were no words as I took in the luminous skin and the intricate veins appearing beneath it. This was the first time I’d seen beyond the light of a Luxen, and it was … it was strangely beautiful. Mom had been right, in a way. Their skin was like a jellyfish’s.

  Luc twisted, facing me. “You brought someone with you?”

  I frowned, unable to take my eyes off Chas. He’d stopped moaning and appeared to have settled down. Or he’d passed out. “Yes. He’s downstairs.”

  “Boyfriend?” he asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Figured. If he was a boyfriend, you’d need a new one. Well, he’s obviously not a good friend either if he didn’t insist on coming up here with you.”

  My spine stiffened. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

  “Did I suggest you couldn’t?” Luc folded up the stained cloth and tossed it to the left without looking. It landed in a small trash can as he turned back to Chas. “Take care of the friend downstairs, Kent,” he said. “Make sure he gets home safely but fully understands that he was never here.”

  I almost stopped breathing. “Wait. James rode with me.”

  Kent stood, sending a half smile in my direction as he walked past me, toward the door.

  Luc dropped his hands to his thighs, his back still to me. “James might’ve ridden with you, but you are not leaving with him.” There was a pause that felt like an eternity. “Actually, you’re not leaving at all.”

  Every part of my being stilled. There was no way I’d heard him right. No way at all. “You … can’t be serious.”

  Slowly, Luc rose and turned to me. “Oh, I’m as serious as heart attack. Cliché saying, I know, but you came here and you’ve seen things you shouldn’t have. Multiple things. Things I don’t want you repeating, especially to that mother of yours.”

  I gasped. Why was he bringing her up? Did he know her?

  That wolfish grin returned, turning the almost angelic beauty of his face to something darker, crueler. “Then you threaten me and what I’m doing here, and if you haven’t quite figured it out yet, that really doesn’t sit well with me. But most important?” Drawing his bottom lip between his lips through his teeth, he inched closer. “You broke the deal. You’re not leaving.”

  7

  Aw, hell no.

  Fear pinged around inside me, but anger was like battery acid in my veins. Luc was out of his freaking mind.

  “I don’t think so,” I said, backing up toward the door. “You can’t keep me here.”

  “Really?” He tilted his head to the side. “Is that a challenge? Because I love challenges. I find them a fun way to pass the time.”

  Finding my phone was my top priority, and I would do some insane level of stupid to get it back, but this was going too far.

  “It’s not a challenge.” I backed into the hallway, discovering it was empty. No Archer. No Kent. The only exit was at the end of the hall, feeling like a mile away. “It’s a statement.”

  Luc smiled, and it was so misleading. It was the kind of smile a predator showed off as it sized up its next meal.

  Not wanting to take my eyes off him until the very last second, I headed to the right. My plan was pretty much to run—run as fast as I ever had in my entire life. I lost sight of Luc. Pressure clamped down on my chest.

  I spun around and took off, arms pumping at my sides as my flats slipped over the carpeted floor. I didn’t even make it to the halfway point when something rushed past me, blowing my hair around my face. Inherently I knew it was Luc. The Luxen were fast, mind-bendingly so.

  And I was correct.

  Luc appeared in front of me.

  I shrieked as I slid to a halt, almost losing my balance but catching myself at the last moment. Breathing heavily, I straightened. “That’s not fair.”

  “Never said it would be.” He came forward. “There’s no place in here for you to run. This building, all of it, belongs to me.”

  “That’s impossible. You’re only eighteen. You can’t own this building or a club.”

  “Nothing is impossible … when you’re me.”

  “Wow. You’re so special.” Dismay rose as I looked behind me. I was trapped. There was no stairwell behind me, only rooms, and I knew I wasn’t going to get past Luc.

  Luc prowled forward, and I panicked. With my heart in my throat, I darted to the left and grabbed a handle. The door opened about an inch, but then slammed shut as if a gale-force wind had pushed it. Fear and anger swirled inside me as I whirled around.


  Luc arched a brow. “Not sure where you think you’re going.”

  I rushed to the left, a scream of frustration building inside me. “You need to let me leave.”

  “But I thought you weren’t leaving until you got what you wanted,” he mocked. “Your phone.”

  “You’re not going to help me.” I pressed against the wall, inching sideways toward the stairwell. “You’re—you’re trying to kidnap me.”

  “Hmm.” He turned slowly so he was facing me. “I wouldn’t say I’m trying to kidnap you. I would say that I’m actively offering you a place to stay for an undetermined amount of time.”

  My jaw hit the floor. “That’s just a really nice way of saying you’re kidnapping me!”

  “You say kidnap; I say offering you an all-inclusive vacation.”

  “I don’t want an all-inclusive vacation!”

  “Well, it’s a break-it-you-buy-it kind of thing.”

  “I didn’t break anything,” I seethed, putting a decent amount of distance between us. “If I don’t go home—”

  “People will come looking for you.” He rolled his eyes. “Blah, blah. This sounds like a boring version of Taken, and how do you make—”

  Launching off the wall, I took off running. Part of me knew it was pointless, and it was. A rage-filled scream erupted from me as Luc suddenly appeared in front of me.

  I didn’t get a chance to turn around. He shot forward and dipped low. I screeched as he scooped me up, tossing me over his shoulder like I was nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

  “Put me down!” I shouted, my chest smacking off his back as he turned.

  “I really don’t feel like chasing you around, so sorry, that’s not happening.”

  “Oh my God.” Completely forgetting what he was, I pounded my fists into his back. “Put me down, you son of a—”

  “Ouch.” He bounced, causing my stomach to come down on his shoulder. “Hitting is not nice.”

  I guessed he was also going to have a problem with kicking as I swung my knee into his stomach.

  “Jesus,” he said, and grunted, clamping his arm over the backs of my legs. “You do realize I could easily pitch you out of a window, right?”