The Brightest Night (Origin 3)

Of what I might do.

“You’re here to talk about me.” I decided there was no reason to beat around the bush. “And whether or not I should be allowed to stay here. You did warn me that there’d be problems if I proved to be a risk.”

Surprise flickered across some of the human’s faces, but not Cekiah’s. “I also warned Luc of this. I kept your secret until I could no longer do so.”

“We weren’t aware of the fact that you were anything but human until yesterday.” The features of the female Luxen from the day before were taut. “Needless to say, none of us were all that pleased to discover that not only Cekiah had kept the secret from us but so did several trusted members of our community.”

I really had no idea what to say to that, and none of those trusted community members looked all that bothered by being called out. Frankly, Daemon and Dawson looked bored.

“And here I thought we were going to talk about important things like how close the Daedalus came to discovering the community.” Luc planted his cheek on his fist as he propped his arm on the side of the chair. “And what will be done to ensure that never happens again.”

“That is what we’re discussing,” Cekiah responded. “That thing was obviously here because of Evie.”

That thing.

“And that means the community is at a risk,” a human said. She was young, probably in her thirties. “Another could come looking for her the same way this thing did.”

There it was again. Thing. My hands curled into fists. I wasn’t like Sarah, but did they understand that? Was I a thing to them?

“Are we to stop transporting those in need of safety here?” A male hybrid joined in. “Because how else would we prevent something like that from happening again?”

My skin chilled. I thought about Heidi and Emery still out there, and all the other unregistered Luxen who needed shelter. If they closed up shop, would the other zones follow out of precaution?

“You can’t do that,” I blurted out. “There are still Luxen and others who need a safe place to go. If you or the other zones start turning people away, they’ll be defenseless. Anyone taken into custody and processed has never been seen again. If these zones shutter their doors, you’d basically be signing their death certificates.”

“I’m relieved to know you’re thinking about those who need our help.” Zouhour eyed me from where she sat, her nose pinched. “You understand the importance of what we do here.”

“I do.”

“Then you have to also understand why we’d be concerned about how you jeopardize what we do here.”

And I did.

Lifting a hand, I rubbed it against the wound, the one that would’ve surely killed me if I were human and Luc hadn’t been there. I needed to be here, where I was presumably safe with the exception of being shot, so I could learn more about what I could do and just how much control I truly had over the Source, but I could not be the cause of others basically being left to fend for themselves.

I wouldn’t.

Evie. There was a world of warning in how he said my name.

I closed my eyes. It’s not right.

A faint charge of electricity danced along my back, coming from Luc. There was no doubt in my mind that the others felt it, too. “She understands fully, more than any of you probably would want to give her credit for. Except you, Kat; you have a heart as big as hers.”

Kat didn’t look up from her sleeping son’s face as she said, “From what time I’ve spent with Evie, I know she wouldn’t want to do anything that puts anyone or what we do here at risk.” She smiled down at her son. “I’m sure she’s mere minutes from volunteering to leave. That’s what I would do.”

Daemon sighed heavily as he nodded in agreement, sending Luc a rare look of sympathy.

“I don’t care if one or a hundred more come looking for her. I brought her here because it was the safest place I could think of.” Luc shifted behind me, his arm tightening around my waist as a brutal edge hardened his tone. “There is not a single thing that I will not do to ensure she remains as safe as possible.”

“Luc.” I shot him a look over my shoulder.

He ignored me. “Not a single thing,” he repeated.

“Trust me,” Eaton grumbled as he dragged his thumb over his brow. “We all are completely aware of that.”

“Then I don’t know why we’re having this conversation,” Luc retorted.

“That’s the thing, though.” Kat looked up then. “It doesn’t matter if Evie leaves this afternoon. The Daedalus won’t know that unless she’s spotted outside the zone. If more will be sent, they’ll come even if she’s not here. While that concern is a valid one, it’s a pointless one, and we can’t shut out others who need our help.”