The Darkest Star

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “It sounds like one.” Luc touched my arm, and I drew in a shallow breath as I looked over at him. “I’m sorry you had to see that, and I think I need—” His gaze shot toward the door, and a second later there was a knock. He sighed as he rose and went to the door.

  A wicked sense of déjà vu rolled over me, and I tensed. It was Grayson. He didn’t even look at me. “I know you probably want to murder me right now.” Grayson’s voice dropped, but I could still hear him. “But we have guests. The kind that meant I had to send Kent away.”

  “Great.” Impatience dripped from that one word. Luc glanced over his shoulder at me. “I’m sorry, but—”

  “It’s okay.” Because what else could I say? “We have the worst timing.”

  A strange look flickered over his face. “Always.”

  My brows knitted. “Can I come with?”

  “No,” he was quick to reply. “I’ll be right back. Turn on the TV, watch a movie, and make yourself at home. I won’t be gone that long.”

  My eyes narrowed. Luc was out of the room before I could respond, closing the door behind him. Sighing, I looked around the room once more. Any other time I would be beyond interested in snooping around his apartment, but I was interested in a whole different kind of snooping. I wanted to know what was going on that required Kent, a human, not to be present.

  I wandered halfway across the room, toward the guitar, and then stopped. Luc didn’t tell me I had to stay in the room. He just told me that I couldn’t go with him. So if I found my way out of the room and downstairs, then it wasn’t like I wasn’t listening to him.

  Not that I had to listen to him anyway.

  Pivoting, I made up my mind and didn’t give myself a chance to really think about what I was doing. I slipped out the door, relieved to see that no one was standing guard. I made my way to the end of the hall and entered the stairwell. Going down six flights of steps didn’t suck as badly as walking up them, but I really needed to start exercising or something, because the muscles in my legs were already starting to burn.

  Sweating more than I should’ve been considering I was walking down steps, I reached the main level and slowly opened the door. I crept into the dim hallway, keeping close to the wall as I neared the opening to the club. I stopped at the end and peered around the corner.

  I saw Grayson first. He was standing by one of the high, round tables, his arms crossed. My gaze shifted to the right and I could see only Luc’s profile, but it was enough to recognize the bored indifference etched into his striking face.

  My fingers curled around the edge of the doorway as I saw a muscle clenched in Luc’s jaw.

  I saw a guy first. He was tall and dark haired, and standing next to him was someone who was obviously a sibling—a sister. She was the feminine version of him. Same black hair and identical height, and where his features were masculine, hers were delicate. The other guy was darker skinned than them, as if he spent a lot of time in the sun.

  None of them wore a Disabler.

  And all of them looked like rejects from Bikers ’R’ US. They were decked out in leather—leather pants, leather jackets.

  “We know you help our kind.” The one I deemed the Brother stepped forward. “And you’re saying you can’t?”

  Help? Duh. They were unregistered Luxen—Luxen looking to leave here—but why wouldn’t Luc help them?

  “I do help others.” Luc sounded just about as enthused as he looked. “But I don’t help those like you.”

  “Like us?” the sister parroted his tone, her gorgeous face pinching. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Luc tilted his head to the side. “You know exactly what that means.”

  “I don’t know what you’ve heard about us.” Suntan Man’s tone was more gentle as he smiled. “But we’re not here to cause trouble. We just need to lie low for a couple of days, and then when you deliver your next package, we go with them. That’s all.”

  “And why exactly do you guys need to lie low, Wayland?”

  Suntan Man winced only slightly. “There have been a few misunderstandings.”

  “Yeah.” Luc snorted. “I’m sure they were misunderstandings. Like I said, It’s not that I can’t help you. It’s that I won’t.”

  “That’s bullshit,” seethed the brother.

  “I would watch your tone, Sean.” Grayson lifted his chin. “Or there’s going to be another misunderstanding.”

  Sean sneered. “You better watch how you talk to me, traitor.”

  Grayson’s arms unfolded as a faint white glow shimmered over his shoulders. “What did you call me?”

  “You heard him,” the sister chimed in, smiling cruelly. “You sided with them. Fought against your own kind. What else does that make you?”

  Holy crap, these Luxen were so not on Team Human. A chill powered down my spine. They were the invading Luxen.

  “Intelligent?” Luc suggested. “Unlike you, Charity, and your brother. And your friend Wayland.”

  Sean stretched his neck from one side to the other. “Why are you making this so difficult? We are Luxen and you help us. We need to get out of here and we know we can’t do that without you.”

  “That’s correct.” Luc moved so that his back was to the hall. “I help Luxen worthy of living out their lives without having to look over their shoulders. I do not help Luxen who signed up for the whole Make Earth Their Bitch club.”

  Yep.

  They were definitely not friendlies.

  A startling thought occurred to me. Were they responsible for what had happened to Colleen and Amanda? Maybe they thought murdering a human was a misunderstanding? But if it had been them, why would they have left the bodies in such obvious places?

  “And why is that, Luc?” Charity glided in front of her brother, and Luc momentarily blocked her from my sight. “Why would you even care about the humans? They should mean nothing to you. I don’t even understand how you can surround yourself with them. If I breathe too deeply, I can smell their leftover sweat and … perfume. Peaches.”

  Peaches?

  I sniffed the air around me.

  Uh-oh.

  “This conversation bores me,” Luc replied, his fingers moving idly at his sides. “I’m going to give you a minute to leave here and this city, because I’m feeling generous today. That minute starts now.”

  “Do you think we’re afraid of you?” Sean’s stance widened. “We know what you are. You can’t take all three of us.”

  “Oh really?” Luc chuckled. “Then you don’t know what I am if you think I can’t take the three of you.”

  Grayson grinned as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a sucker. “Cosign.”

  Wayland raised his hands. “Now, everyone, let’s just calm down—”

  “You’re down to thirty seconds,” Luc reminded them.

  “Screw that.” Charity stepped to the side. “Screw this.”

  “Twenty seconds,” Luc counted.

  Her beautiful face twisted as she lifted a hand. “You know what. We don’t need your help.”

  “Charity,” warned Wayland.

  “Ten seconds.”

  Her chest swelled. “Fine. We’re leaving.” She took a step back. “But first? You’ve upset me. I’m thoroughly disappointed with the great and powerful Luc.”

  “Oh Lord,” murmured Grayson. He’d unwrapped his Blow Pop and shoved it into his mouth.

  “I guess I should just show you how disappointed I am.” Bright white light erupted from her arm, spiraling down to the tips of her fingers. She tapped into the Source. “Hey, Peaches,” she called out, and I froze from my not-so-hidden place. “You didn’t have to die today, but you can thank Luc for that. Oh wait. You can’t, because you’re going to be dead.”

  18

  Someone cursed as light exploded from Charity’s fingertips and arced across the room, coming straight at me. There wasn’t even time to scream.

  I was going to die.

  Without warning, something—no
, Luc—crashed into me. The impact knocked the air out of me. He brought me down, twisting in midair and hitting the floor, taking the brunt of the fall. For a brief second I was splayed out on top of him, hip to hip, absolutely stunned. “That was … fast.”

  Luc rolled quickly, shoving me underneath him as the plaster exploded above us, sending puffs of drywall dust into the air. “God, you still don’t listen to anything I say.”

  “Wait. What?” I whispered.

  “Stay put,” he said to me, and then sprung up, spinning around. “That was a huge mistake.”

  I rolled onto my belly, lifting my chin.

  Stalking forward, Luc lifted a hand as I sat up, scrambling to my feet. A rush of air whipped through the corridor, lifting my hair and sending the strands flying across my face. The next second, Wayland was scooting backward, across the dance floor. Sean slammed into the wall and slid up it, pinned several feet off the floor.

  “Wow,” I murmured.

  Charity charged Luc—straight up charged him like a linebacker.

  Gasping, I shot forward, skidding to a halt when Luc stepped into the attack. He dipped as she swung at him. White light crackled from her open palm. Luc caught her outstretched arm as he rose, twisting her backward. She flipped through the air, but Luc caught her before she hit the floor.

  Grayson pulled a stool off the table and sat down, shoving the Blow Pop back into his mouth.

  Luc held Charity there with one hand around her throat. He lifted her up. “Normally I don’t like to do this, but you just tried to kill Peaches, and I find myself partial to peaches. Even the edible ones. Don’t”—Luc gripped her other hand before it connected with his arm—“even try it.”

  Luc threw her back. She hit the floor, rolling several times. He prowled forward as she shot to her feet. Charity slipped into her true form. Her veins lit up. My breath caught. A white sheen filled the club as the light in her veins seeped into her skin, replacing bone and tissue. Heat flared like the air was kicked on, and I shrunk back, pressing against the bar.

  The glow was so intense, like staring into the sun. Within moments, Charity was incased in light. She went after him again.

  “Wow,” Grayson said, cocking his head to the side. “She does not learn.”

  “Nope.” Luc stepped to the side, nothing but a blur. He caught her by the throat again, bringing her to her knees. He was seemingly oblivious to the crackling light stretching out toward him.

  Sean fell from the wall, landing in a crouch. He popped up and darted across the dance floor. Without taking his gaze off Charity, Luc threw out his other hand. Sean shot into the air, flipping sideways, right over Grayson’s head. He landed in one of the shadowy alcoves.

  “You know, you could help, Gray,” Luc gritted out.

  “Nah.” He swirled the stick around in his mouth. “Looks like you got it all handled.”

  Luc rolled his eyes as he focused on Charity. “I didn’t want it to come to this.” A different kind of light rippled over his arm as he knelt down. “But you do not threaten what is—”

  Charity’s scream drowned out the rest of what Luc was saying. Her arms flailed out as her back bowed. Her light flickered rapidly, like a bulb that was going to burn out.

  Sean’s roar sent a bolt of fear through me as he pushed to his feet.

  “No!” Wayland shouted a second before he went all Luxen.

  It was too late.

  Her glow receded just as the brighter light, the light radiating from Luc’s hand, burst from her eyes and open mouth, streaming to the ceiling of the club where it seemed to roll harmlessly across the studs and beams.

  Luc let go.

  Charity hit the floor, her arms outstretched, her knees bent. I pressed my hand to my mouth. She looked like … like what my mom had said, like Chas when he was slipping back and forth between the two forms when he’d been injured. Her skin reminded me of a translucent shell with empty, dull veins and features that were almost human but not quite.

  Wayland shot across the floor, making a beeline for Luc, who was stepping over the body. Sean was running out of the alcove, bypassing Grayson, who looked like all he was missing was a bowl of popcorn.

  The two male Luxen launched themselves at Luc. I didn’t think. Spinning around, I grabbed the closest thing possible—a heavy bottle of amber liquid. Cocking my arm back, I winged it as hard as possible. The bottle smashed into Sean, shattering upon impact.

  “A bottle?” Grayson laughed. “Did you just throw a bottle?”

  “At least she’s helping,” Luc shot back, lifting his hand.

  “Hey.” Grayson pulled the sucker out of his mouth. “I’m here for moral support.”

  I cringed as Sean shook the broken glass and liquid off and slipped back into his human form. His eyes narrowed on me.

  Luc opened his fist, and it was like an invisible lasso caught Wayland around the waist. Whipped right off the floor, he was thrown into the air and then he just—he levitated there.

  Sean shot toward me, and I reached blindly behind me, grabbing for another bottle. Then he wasn’t coming at me. It was like a giant invisible arm swept him across the floor. Sean crashed into the table Grayson sat at. They went down in a tangle of legs, arms, and chairs.

  Luc chuckled. “Moral support, my ass.”

  With wide eyes, I picked up another bottle as one of the toppled stools flew across the floor, shattering against the wall. Grayson was on his feet, his usually perfectly coifed blond hair falling into his face.

  “You made me drop my sucker.” Reaching down, he gripped Sean by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up. “And it was my favorite. Sour apple.”

  Striding toward Wayland, Luc cocked his head to the side. “I would say I’m sorry about this, but that would be a lie. I’m not.” Luc closed his hand.

  Bones cracked like thunder. Wayland’s body twisted and churned, his arms and legs breaking at impossible angles. His body folded like an accordion, collapsing into itself and squashing Wayland’s light like he was nothing more than a bug.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered as horror rose inside me. When Luc said he could do everything a Luxen could do but better, he hadn’t been joking.

  Luc’s head whipped around. His pupils glowed like diamonds as he lowered his hand. Wayland fell to the floor, and I knew he was dead before he even landed. Luc’s gaze dropped to where I clutched the bottle. That muscle flexed along his jaw and then he turned away.

  Grayson suddenly skidded across the floor, thrown by Sean. “We came to you for help!” shouted Sean. “And this is how you respond?”

  Spinning toward Sean, Luc stiffened.

  “You’re going to regret this, so help me.” Sean moved so fast, he was nothing more than a bolt of streaking light.

  But he didn’t make it far.

  I saw him at the door, yanking on the handle. It wouldn’t budge. Luc stalked toward him. In his true form, Sean burst away from the door as Luc stopped in the center of the dance floor. A faint whitish glow appeared over Luc’s form. The air crackled and thinned, as if the oxygen were being sucked out of the entire room. I tried to take a breath, but it burned. I stumbled back, bumping into the shelf. Liquor bottles rattled.

  “I am done with this,” Luc said, closing his hand into a fist.

  The light around Sean’s body pulsed to an intense, nearly blinding white light. He jerked, falling to his knees. His back bowed as he threw his arms out. The light around him began to flicker rapidly and then it went out. Stopped. Oxygen rushed back into the room as Sean toppled forward, unmoving. A dark pool of blood appeared under him, seeping across the floor.

  My wide gaze lifted from the fallen Luxen to where Luc stood. The hazy glow receded back into him. So that was the difference between a Luxen and an Origin. The latter was able to kill by closing its hand.

  Dear God.

  “Well.” Luc sighed, looking at the floor—at the bodies. “That escalated quickly.”

  Grayson shoved a hand over his hea
d, pushing his hair back from his face. “That it did.” He looked over at me. “I think the girl is traumatized.”

  Still holding the bottle of liquor, I glanced at the bodies. They looked so … weird. Like props from a science-fiction movie.

  Luc slowly turned to me. His chest rose with a heavy sigh. “I’m pretty sure I told you to stay in the room.”

  “No.” I forced my gaze away from the dead Luxen. “You said I couldn’t come down with you.”

  He walked over to me, ignoring the bodies as if they weren’t even there. “You do realize that meant the same thing.” He stopped in front of me and reached out, prying my fingers off the bottle. He placed it back on the bar behind me as his eyes met mine. “Are you okay?”

  My hands fell to my sides. “Yeah.”

  His gaze flickered over my face and he seemed to draw in another deep breath. His voice was low when he spoke. “I had to, you know? I had to do that. Those Luxen were not good Luxen.”

  I swallowed. “I sort of figured that out.”

  “I’ve had a few run-ins with Wayland. He knew better than to bring them here.”

  “They were invading Luxen, right?” When he nodded, I exhaled roughly. “That’s why you wouldn’t help them?”

  His gaze searched mine. “I didn’t help them because they have no respect for human life. That’s why.”

  My heart pounded in my chest.

  “Wayland knew that any Luxen who would be a threat to a human would not receive my aid.”

  “If they knew that, then why did they come to you?”

  “Because they were desperate.” Luc looked away then, and I saw that Grayson was no longer on the club floor. “The task force is ferreting out unregistered Luxen every day, and I have a feeling they’d done things that had brought unnecessary attention to themselves. They were bad.”

  Having heard the way they’d spoken told me that, but would things have escalated like they had if I hadn’t been here? Guilt formed an uneasy knot in my stomach. “I should’ve stayed in your room.”

  “Yeah.” His gaze slid back to mine. “You should’ve.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, fully understanding that if I’d stayed in the room, things might not have—