The Brightest Night (Origin 3)

But if Luc said he hadn’t spoken out loud, there was no reason he’d lie. I’d heard his thoughts.

I heard his thoughts.

Holy crap!

“How?” I exclaimed. “How did I hear your thoughts?”

“That’s a good question. I can only theorize that it’s one of those latent abilities waking up, and I was most likely being loud during those moments. It’s possible Trojans can read thoughts like Archer and I can. It would make sense that the Daedalus would attempt to work that into the Andromeda serum. It would give the Trojans yet another leg up,” he said. “Or it could be something else.”

“Like what?”

His eyes closed. “I’ve healed you several times.”

“Like after Micah?” I hadn’t just gotten banged up in my fight with that Origin. I’d been near death.

“Yes. You were always getting yourself in trouble. Falling down and cutting open a knee or a hand. Once, you broke your arm,” he said, his tone light. “Another time, it was your right foot.”

The corners of my lips turned down. “It sounds like I was a klutz.”

“You weren’t a klutz. You were simply fearless.” His eyes opened. “You would always jump before looking.”

“Well, now it sounds like I was a badass.”

“You’re a badass now,” he told me. “And when you first got sick, I attempted to heal you. I know hybrids can often telepathically communicate with the Luxen who mutated them. So, it could be that. Even though I didn’t mutate you, you were given the other serums that helped mutate other hybrids.”

“I want to try now.” I popped upward, pushing off his chest. Luc grunted. “See if I can read your mind.”

“Okay,” he murmured, eyes going half-mast.

I drew in a deep breath and shook out my shoulders. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but I figured it should require concentration.

Silence filled the room. Nothing but silence.

“I hear nothing.”

“I’m not really thinking anything,” he murmured. “Sort of really distracted at the moment.”

“Why?” It was then when I remembered that I was naked. “Luc!”

“Sorry.” He chuckled. “But it’s probably a good thing you don’t know what I’m thinking right now. Well, not thinking. More like picturing—”

“You need to focus.” I started to scramble over him, but my gaze landed on the stack of shirts on the dresser that belonged to him. They were the ones that had already been here, brought over by Dee a few days ago.

I didn’t have to get up.

I could be lazy like Luc and Zoe. My heart skipped a beat as I dipped my chin. Fully aware that Luc was still staring at me, I didn’t allow myself to be distracted by that. I focused on the low-level hum inside my chest and then pictured the top shirt—

I squeaked as the shirt winged across the room, smacking me in the face. It fell to Luc’s chest.

“Nice,” he remarked.

“But I did it!” Happy and surprised, I picked up the shirt and tugged it on.

“Boo.” Luc pouted.

I grinned. “I can’t believe I actually got that shirt to, like, just come to me. Maybe I should try the bottled—”

“Nope.” He curled his hand over mine. “Let’s hold off on the liquids while we’re in bed. Don’t need a second bath.”

He had a point.

“Plus, after the whole sleeping thing, you—”

“Do not say I should take it easy. I feel fine. Great, even.”

“Well, that has everything to do with me and that tub.”

I shot him a bland look. Luc smiled back at me.

My heart danced happily, because it was stupid. “We don’t have an endless amount of time to take it easy. In the morning, we practice some more. Moving things with my mind—”

“It’s not really with your mind, it’s with the Source.”

“Semantics.”

“Sure. You’re right. Just semantics of an ability you have very little control or understanding of.”

I opened my mouth but snapped it shut again. Yet another good point. Ugh. “Moving things with the Source is not helpful when said item smacks me in the face.”

“I’ll have to agree with you on that. I also have to agree with you on your shirt of choice.”

Brows furrowing, I looked down and saw that it read COMMAS SAVE LIVES. I shook my head. “Where do you get these shirts?”

“From Amazon.”

I looked up. “Really?”

Luc grinned. “Yes. Guess what?”

“If you say chicken butt, I’m going to punch you.”

“I didn’t say, ‘From Amazon,’ out loud.”

My lips parted on an inhale. “Really?”

He nodded.

Excitement thrummed through me. Rising onto my knees, I squared my shoulders. “Think something. See if I can hear it.”

He lifted his brows. “Hear anything?”

I listened with my ears … my mind … the Source. Whatever. “No.”

“Good. Because I was blocking my thoughts.”

“What the hell?” I threw up my hands. “What good is that?”

“I just need to make sure you can’t read my mind whenever you feel like it.” He winked. “I like my privacy.”