The Burning Shadow (Origin 2)
But I wanted to tell them.
There was a silly part of me that wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
Flushing the toilet, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and opened the stall door, coming face-to-face with April.23My skin turned to ice as I stared at April, shocked into immobility. The strangest thought occurred to me as the stall door swung shut behind me.
She looked so … normal, so April.
Blond hair pulled back in a sharp, tight ponytail. Lips as red as fresh blood. Her white sweater had these little fluttering cap sleeves. The pale blue gaze locked with mine looked human.
Did she know I quite possibly killed her mother?
“Are you going to wash your hands, Evie?” she asked.
Tiny goose bumps rose over my flesh. “Are you going to let me?”
“Of course.” She stepped back and to the side. “You and I need to chat, and I’d rather do that hygienically.”
Unsure if this was some kind of trick, I watched her as I walked over to the sink closest to the window—a window too small to climb out of.
Not like I’d have a chance if I made a run for it. I’d seen how fast she was.
“You seem surprised to see me.”
Hands shaking, I turned on the water as I found her reflection in the water-spotted mirror. “Yeah. I am.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
My mind was racing a million miles a second as I struggled to stay calm. I had my Taser in the front pocket of my backpack and the obsidian necklace under my sweater. I wasn’t weaponless. I just had to get to them. Then what? Could I stab April?
Hell yeah, after what she did to Heidi? I could. But would I get the chance?
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain level. “You almost killed Heidi.”
“Almost?” She sighed as she crossed her arms. “That’s disappointing. I was hoping she was dead.”
Fury swamped me as I slowly washed my hands under the warm water. My gaze shot over to the door.
“No one is coming in. Not until I want them to. It’s just you and me. And I have a question. Heidi shouldn’t have survived that. That means she’s got a Luxen wrapped around her pretty little finger, doesn’t she?”
I said nothing, swallowing hard.
“Or an Origin?”
My heart stopped.
“You think I don’t know about them—about him. Luc. I know enough to stay away from him. For now,” she continued. “And you think I don’t know what Zoe is? I’ve always known. Was it her that healed Heidi?”
Like hell I was telling her anything.
April huffed, smiling. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll find out all your secrets very, very soon.”
I was going to shove the obsidian blade into her eyeballs very, very soon. “What are you?” I asked, turning off the water.
“We are the alpha and the omega.” Her smile spread, flashing her teeth. “We are the beginning and the end.”
“Okay. Well, that answered the question of whether or not you’re clinically insane.” I reached for the paper towel. “You’re also a murderous, stupid bit—”
“Now, now. You don’t want to make me mad, Evie. I have to play nice.”
Drying my hands, I faced her. “Why do you have to play nice?”
“Rules.” She rolled her eyes. “Even I have to follow them.”
Tossing the paper towel into the trash, I shifted my backpack to the front and reached for the front pocket.
April stepped forward. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m just getting my hand sanitizer,” I told her, slowly unzipping the front pocket. “Who are you working with?”
Her head cocked to the side.
“The Daedalus?”
If she was surprised to hear those words, she didn’t show it.
“I mean, you were killing people and making it look like the Luxen are doing it. You were turning people against them, and you’re clearly not human.”
“Of course I’m not human. I mean, duh.” She laughed as if I’d suggested the most ridiculous thing ever. “You know, I first thought it was Heidi.”
My brows snapped together as my finger stilled on the zipper. “What?”
“Who I was looking for.” April flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. “Obviously, I was wrong.”
My fingers curled around the cool plastic of the stun gun. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“You will. Really soon. I’m not supposed—”
Pulling the stun gun out as I jerked forward, I swung my arm toward her.
Her hand shot out, as fast as a cobra striking. She caught me by the wrist and twisted sharply, putting the right amount of pressure to cause a spike of pain. I gasped. “Drop it,” she cooed as if she were talking to a puppy. “Bad girl. Drop it.”
I held on.
“A stun gun?” She twisted my wrist again, and that was it. My fingers sprang open. I had no control. She quickly snatched it up. “The only thing that would do is really piss me off.” Letting go of my wrist, she stepped back and tossed the stun gun into the trash. “Here I am, being polite and patient, and you—”