The Burning Shadow (Origin 2)

“Are you threatening me?” Daemon sounded incredulous.

Luc seemed to grow in height. The air in the open room became heavy, stifling. A clap of thunder shook the walls, and I jerked back from Luc, eyes widening.

“Daemon,” Archer said quietly, his gaze bouncing from Luc to me. “She can’t be a threat.”

“That’s not what it looks like to me,” the Luxen growled. “And you want us to bring her back with us? Are you out of your mind, Luc? I’m not bringing that back where Kat and my child—”

Luc shot forward. I shouted, but it was too late. One second Luc was standing in front of me, and the next he was slamming Daemon into the wall with one hand planted in the center of the Luxen’s chest. Drywall plumed into the air as Luc rose off the floor, bringing Daemon with him.

Good God …

“You, Kat, and your child wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.” Tendrils of white light curled into the air, spreading around Luc like the wings of an angel. The walls of the house groaned under the power coalescing in the room. “After all I’ve done for you and yours, you would refuse me in my time of need?”

Daemon lifted his hands, but they slammed back into the wall. Sheetrock caved in under them. “And you would put my entire world in jeopardy?” he snarled, the tendons of his neck straining as he struggled to lift his head from the wall. “Are you that selfish?”

“You should already know the answer to that,” Luc growled. “I am.”

“Stop!” I shouted as Archer grabbed Dawson, winging him back from Luc and Daemon. “Luc! Stop!”

“She is not a risk to you or to Kat,” Luc said. “She needs your help.”

I started toward them, but a gust of wind shoved me back several steps. My mouth dropped open. “Luc!”

“Don’t come near us, because if he so much as looks in your direction, that’s it,” Luc warned, and I barely recognized his voice.

“I don’t know what is happening, but you need to chill out,” I tried as Daemon fought against Luc’s hold. “Please? Both of you. Because I am really starting to freak out.”

Static charged the room, making the air heavy. Then the light receded from Daemon’s face. “My bad.”

Luc stared at him for a moment and then dropped him. The Luxen landed nimbly on his feet. The tense silence stretched out as Luc lowered himself. “That’s an awful big oops you almost made right there,” Luc said. “Let’s make sure you don’t make it again.”

Daemon’s lips twisted in a smirk as he stepped to the side, and once again, I was in the line of his sight for only a brief second. Luc shadowed his movements, blocking him.

The door opened just then, and there was Kent, holding a huge white box. “I have doughnuts…” He lowered the box, taking in the scene before him. “Um, what did I miss?”

“Stay right there,” Zoe said, and Kent listened.

Daemon took another step back. “I’m not going to do anything, Luc. I’m just really, really curious about her.”

Relieved that it no longer looked like Luc was going to kill Daemon, I threw up my hands. “Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on and why you all are staring at me like that?”

“Your eyes.” Luc faced me. “It’s your eyes.”

“My eyes…” I trailed off as understanding blasted through me. I darted over to the rectangular mirror above the mantle and yep, my eyes were black with white pupils. “Oh my God, I don’t know why they’re doing this.” I spun around, and Luc was there. “I got dizzy in the bedroom, and I had a memory. I was coming down here to tell you.”

“What did you remember?” he asked, capturing my wrists as I reached for my eyes.

I tried to focus on him, aware of the fact that everyone was listening. “It came out of nowhere, but he called me Nadia, Luc. In the memory, he used that name, and it doesn’t make sense.” I drew in a stuttered breath. “Are my eyes still messed up?”

A muscle flexed along Luc’s jaw as he nodded.

“I’m guessing this has happened before,” Dawson stated.

“Yes,” Zoe answered, staring at me. “Once before.”

“I really think you guys should start telling us what the hell happened,” Archer said, arms folded across his chest. “All we know is that Foretoken was raided and that you needed our help. That’s it.”

“It’s a long story,” Luc replied. “But the gist of it is, something was in the Andromeda serum that was given to Evie when she was sick. I don’t know what it is.”

“Wait. You don’t know what it is?” Daemon blinked once and then twice. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“For real?” Daemon insisted.

Luc looked over his shoulder. “Yes, Daemon. I don’t know what the hell was given to her, because obviously I was lied to.”