The Brightest Night (Origin 3)

“Are they still using the facilities under the fort?” Luc asked.

“I was able to escape about a year later, and they were then. I imagine they still are.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it as I squeezed my eyes shut for a heartbeat before reopening them. If that was true, then my mom had to be still working for the Daedalus when she died. How could she not have if those facilities were still active under her feet? I thought about how she’d warned me the night she’d died and I’d run. How else would she know they were coming if she still didn’t have something to do with them?

“Good to know,” Luc murmured. “How did you escape?”

“We were being moved to a new location. I don’t know where. They didn’t tell us, but Chris and I were being moved together. It was our only chance. I don’t think either of us thought we would succeed, but we were ready for the consequences if we failed.”

“Death?” I said.

“Certain death,” he confirmed. “But we were on the interstate, somewhere in Ohio, when they stopped to get gas, and then we ran. We’ve been running ever since. It was by some fluke that Chris met a Luxen who introduced him to one of the resource centers. If not, we’d still be running.”

“And you’d be in a less precarious position,” Luc finished for him. “Anything else of interest you want to share?”

“If I knew more, I’d tell you.”

“Then I guess this conversation is over.”

“Wait,” Blake called out before Luc or I could turn. “I need your help.”

“I’m sure you need a lot of things, Blake.”

“I need to get out of here. If I don’t, Chris is going to die, and I’m telling you, he’s been innocent in all of this. You can read my mind and see that is true.”

“I can, but I don’t see how you think I can help.”

“You know exactly how you can help.” Blake gripped the bars, wincing as the onyx-and-diamond mixture began to work at the alien DNA in him. “If you don’t help me escape, they’ll kill me. That will kill Chris. He doesn’t deserve it. The blood is on my hands.”

“That blood can’t be washed off, Blake. Ever.”

“You of all people know I realize that.” Blake still held on to the bars, the scars lining his face beginning to stand out more. “If I could somehow break this bond that ties Chris’s life to mine, I would. God, I would’ve done it years ago, but I can’t, and he doesn’t deserve to die, Luc. He doesn’t.”

Heart twisting with unwanted sympathy, I looked to Luc.

“Please,” Blake begged. “You’re not helping me. You’re helping Chris. Please. Daemon is going to kill me. You know he will.”

“Can you blame him?” Luc asked.

“Hell no. I don’t blame him at all. If it were just me, I’d welcome it. God, I would. You have no idea what kind of nightmares I have. You escaped, Luc. I didn’t. But if you hadn’t, I’m what you would’ve become.”

I stiffened.

“I would’ve never become you.”

“You sure about that?” Blake nodded at me.

Luc stepped forward, pressing his hands to the bars above Blake’s. The hybrid jerked his hands off.

Blake backed away. His gaze darted to mine. “Please—”

“Don’t.” Luc moved, blocking me from Blake’s view. “Don’t ask that of her. You do, and your life ends here, right now. You know I’ll do it.”

There was silence and then, “You would.”

Luc said nothing.

“I’ll do anything. Anything,” Blake whispered. “Think of all the favors I could owe you—”

“I can’t help you,” Luc said.

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Won’t,” Luc answered, and I felt like crying.

I didn’t want Luc to help Blake. I didn’t want Kat and Daemon to wonder where Blake was, nor did I want the community to live in fear that Blake would betray them—because I knew in my heart, he would if he were ever captured—but this was sad. It was a fucking tragedy, and I hated the Daedalus even more for what they had turned this man into—for putting all the nails in his coffin years ago. If Blake were killed and Chris did die, it may be by Daemon’s hand, but it was the Daedalus that caused it.

I wanted to close my eyes, but I didn’t. Blake came back into view, only because he was backing up. He sat down on the bed and tipped his head back against the exposed brick. His eyes closed, and he returned to waiting for what was surely coming his way.

Death.

And then, without saying a word, Luc took my hand and we walked out.* * *Luc let go of my hand the moment we reached the main level. That stung, because it felt odd and wrong, as did the fact neither of us had said a word.

“We need to talk,” I said the moment we were out on the sidewalk, far enough away to prevent anyone from overhearing us. “Not about Blake—”