The Burning Shadow (Origin 2)

Turning around, I saw April’s open hand. The key fob rested in her palm. I dipped down, swiping it out of her hand, and slid it into my pocket.

Clutching the phone, I inched around the sink, keeping clear of April’s legs. I probably shouldn’t have killed her. I had questions—lots of them—but then again, I hadn’t exactly been in control of myself. As soon as her hand touched mine, I reacted with … rather deadly precision. I wanted to kill her. Needed to take her out, and while at no point in time had I been joking about wanting to kill her after what she did to Heidi, I didn’t really think I was capable of it.

I also hadn’t thought I was capable of picking up a gun and shooting someone in the head.

His voice came again, thready and weak, but there, in the back of my mind. You have to be faster and stronger than he is.

It was the same voice I’d heard after I shot the woman in April’s house—her handler.

“Evie?” came a muffled voice from the other side of the bathroom door. “Can you let us in?”

Darting to the door, I quickly threw the lock and swung the door open. The minute I saw Luc in the doorway, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He caught me easily, walking forward as he threaded his hand through my hair.

“Peaches,” he murmured against the side of my head. “If it takes a murder to get you to greet me like this, I’m not going to complain.”

A hysterical-sounding giggle rose through me as I buried my face in his neck. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking.” There was a pause. “Are you hurt? I saw blood on your face.”

“Just a nosebleed.” My head was thumping something fierce, and my back hurt like hell, but I was okay.

“You sure?”

I murmured a yes against his warm skin.

“Wow.” Grayson’s voice filled the bathroom. “You really did kill her.”

I nodded, wondering if he wore contacts to get past the RAC drones.

“Impressed,” he added reluctantly.

“Is that a hole in her head?” That was Emery, and I started to lift my head, but Luc kept my face buried. “And … is it just me, or does her blood look super-weird?”

“I need you guys to get this bathroom cleaned up before anyone realizes what happened here,” Luc ordered. “Hand me her bag, Gray.” A second later, I felt Luc shift my bag on his shoulder. I started to wiggle to get free, but the arm around me tightened. “Nope. I like you right where you are.”

Someone sighed heavily. Sounded like Grayson.

“I need to get down,” I told him.

“No, you don’t.” Luc started backing up. “What I need you to do is to hold on.”

“What—”

Luc turned, and then he was taking off, and I knew he was running, moving so fast that he’d be nothing but a blur to anyone who might see him. The moment I felt cool air, I knew we were outside, and it was only a few seconds later that he was slowing down, stopping, and opening a door.

“We’re at your car.” He wasn’t even out of breath as he lowered me into the passenger seat, and then his hands were on my cheeks, tilting my head back. “Your nose is still bleeding.”

“It’s okay.” I felt his palm start to warm, but I gripped his wrist, pulling his hand away. “I don’t think you should do that anymore.”

“I can fix whatever has your nose bleeding—”

“I don’t think you can,” I whispered.

“I think you know me better than that.”

He wasn’t getting it. I rocked toward him, my fingers digging into the skin of his wrist. “Something happened to me.”

“What?” Luc’s eyes searched mine as he flattened his palm against my cheek.

“I think I turned into the Terminator.”

His brows raised. “You what?”

“Yeah. I kicked her legs out from under her like I know jujitsu, and then I vaulted, Luc, I vaulted onto the sink and pivoted like a ballerina. I grabbed her head and stabbed her through it with the obsidian blade.”

He cocked his head to the side. “That’s … kind of hot.”

“Luc, I’m being serious.”

His violet eyes flared. “And again, I’m not joking.”

“Neither am I. I did something that was impossible for me, and it’s more than that. Way more than that.” My nails were digging into the skin of his wrist. I could feel it, but he didn’t so much as flinch. “I think—oh God—I think I’m like them—like April and Sarah.”

His lips parted. “Evie—”

“You don’t understand. There’s something in me that April unlocked.” I shuddered. “It was me, but it wasn’t.”

His intense gaze searched mine. “Okay. I’m going to need you to tell me everything.”* * *I did just that as Luc drove us to the club and led me up to his apartment, where he put a cold Coke in my hand. I drank the whole thing like I’d just crawled out of the desert, dying of thirst.