The Darkest Star (Origin 1)

“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 the cloth. Luc was . . . he was cleaning his face, wiping away the streaks of blood.

The man’s body shook once more and then I saw him slip 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 that 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.”