The Darkest Star

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “Whoa,” James murmured, dropping his hand to his side.

  Maybe I should’ve warned him about Clyde.

  Sunlight glinted off the numerous piercings in Clyde’s face as I snapped out of whatever stupor I was in. “I don’t know if you remember—”

  “I remember you,” he said, and I was sure that wasn’t a good thing. He fixed his gaze on James. “But I don’t remember you.”

  James was apparently struck silent.

  “We’re not here to, um, go clubbing or whatever,” I tried again. “I was here last night.” I winced. “You already know that. I lost my phone.”

  Clyde turned that huge bald head toward me. “And you came here because…?”

  I thought it was pretty obvious, but I went ahead and explained. “I lost my phone when I was with … Luc.”

  “Luc?” murmured James.

  I’d also left out the part about Luc when I’d talked to James.

  Clyde didn’t blink. Not once. “So you’re here to see Luc?”

  “Not necessarily.” I really didn’t want to see him. “We were in a room last night, and I just need to check out that room for my phone.”

  “You were in a room with some dude named Luc?” James repeated. Then he said under his breath with a grin, “You hussy.”

  I ignored him.

  One pierced brow rose. “Are you here to see Luc or not?”

  Every muscle in my body tensed. For some reason, I didn’t want to say that I was, but if that was the only way I was going to be able to get into the club, I would. I gritted out, “Yes.”

  Saying nothing, Clyde stepped back as he held the door open. Relief smacked into me. He was letting us in. I exchanged a quick look with James as a horn blew from a car passing by. I stepped forward. James didn’t. I grabbed his arm and pulled him through, squeezing past Clyde. The door swung close behind us, shutting out the sunlight and sealing us inside. I let go of James’s arm.

  I ignored the bubbling nervousness as Clyde shuffled around us in the small space. He opened the door to the club. I hesitated for a moment and then followed him. What I saw was nothing like last night. The lights over the dance floor were on, pressing the shadows back to the bar and the alcoves. Most of the chairs were off the floor, placed upside down on the round tables. Only a few tables remained set. There were two people at the bar, but they stood half in the shadows, and I couldn’t make out who they were.

  Gone was the scent of overpowering perfume and bitter liquor. The place smelled like someone had recently scrubbed down every surface with a lemony disinfectant.

  There were no signs of the raid. All the bottles behind the bar had been replaced. It was as if it hadn’t happened.

  “I can just go look in the room. I remember—”

  “Sit.” Clyde gestured at one of the tables that had the chairs down, and kept walking, disappearing past the bar and into a narrow hall to the right, one I hadn’t been down before.

  James dropped onto a stool. “That is the biggest dude I’ve ever seen in real life.”

  “Right?” Too nervous to sit, I stood behind the stool.

  Dragging the bill of his cap around so it was on backward, he then lowered his hand to the smooth surface of the table as he looked around the club. “Interesting place.”

  I eyed the hall Clyde had gone down. Was he going to find my phone or, God forbid, find Luc? My stomach knotted. I really didn’t want to see Luc again.

  “So, you told me you came here last night with Heidi,” James said, cocking his head to the side. “But you didn’t tell me about being in some random room with some random guy.”

  My cheeks heated. “It’s not like that. At all. It’s, well, it’s a long story.”

  “We have time—wait. Hold that thought.” James leaned in, squinting as he stared across the club. “Don’t we go to school with him?”

  “Who?”

  He jerked his chin toward the bar, and I turned. The two people who’d been standing there had moved farther into the light, and I immediately recognized one of them. The dark-haired Luxen. His name was Connor. No idea what his last name was. Surprise flickered through me. “Yeah. We do.”

  “Wonder what he’s doing here?”

  Before I could answer, Grayson appeared from across the club, walking from where the shadows clung to the walls as if he had been conjured out of thin air. I stiffened, wondering if the Luxen had that kind of ability and we just didn’t know about it.

  “Oh hell,” James muttered, apparently realizing in that moment that Grayson was a Luxen and wasn’t wearing a Disabler.

  A smirk tipped up the corner of Grayson’s mouth as he stopped in front of our table. He passed a dismissive glance over James, and then those ultra-bright blue eyes landed on me. “I’m told that you’re looking for your phone?”

  “Yes. It’s a slim black—”

  “I know what a phone looks like,” he replied. “I don’t have it.”

  “Okay.” I didn’t think he did. “I just need to check a room. I dropped it in there and—”

  “You can’t check the room.”

  Irritation swelled. “Why not?”

  He simply shook his head.

  “Look, I’m not trying to be a pain, but I really just need to find my phone. That’s all. So, if you’d—”

  “Your phone isn’t in that room,” he cut me off.

  I frowned. “How would you know?”

  “Because I know what room you’re talking about, and there’s no phone in there.”

  “But—”

  “I do know where your phone is.” Grayson focused on James like I imagined a lion did when it spotted a limping three-legged gazelle. “Do you like horror movies?” he asked James, pulling what appeared to be a Blow Pop out of the pocket of his jeans.

  James looked over at me nervously. “Yeah, uh, I guess so?”

  The Luxen’s smile was like a razor as he unwrapped the lollipop. It was green—sour apple. “My favorite is an older movie. Hostel. There’s this young, witless guy who basically stumbles into a den of freaks who take great pleasure in torturing and murdering people.” He shoved the Blow Pop into his mouth and spoke around the thin white stick. “Have you seen that one?”

  James lifted his brows. “I’ve … Yeah, I’ve seen it.”

  “You kind of remind me of that guy. You know. The young, witless one.”

  Well, that was super-creepy.

  Grayson’s gaze slid to mine. “Luc has your phone. It’s his new treasured possession.”

  Dammit. “Can you get it from Luc?”

  “Nope.”

  The urge to scream hit me hard. I had no other choice. “Then I want to see Luc.”

  He tilted his head to the side. “Luc is unavailable.”

  “Then make him available.” My hand tightened around the edge of the table.

  Grayson’s smirk turned into a full-blown smile. “Obviously, you don’t know Luc if you think I can simply make him available.”

  “I don’t care if I know him or not; I’m not leaving here without my phone.”

  James looked a little pale. “Maybe we can buy you a new one.”

  Buy me a new phone? With what? Monopoly money? I didn’t even have any of that.

  “That would be wise,” Grayson commented.

  “No.” I glanced down the hall Clyde had disappeared into. “If you won’t go get Luc, then I will.”

  The older Luxen tilted his head to the side. “Is that so?”

  “Evie,” James said. “I really think we should leave.”

  Grayson smile reminded me of barbwire. “For once, I actually agree with a human.”

  This was ridiculous. All I was asking for was my phone, not the secrets to the alien race. Angry, I twisted toward James. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  “Stop,” Grayson called out flatly. “Don’t.” There was a pause. “Definitely don’t take the door at the end, on your right, to the stairwell.”

  I halted.

/>   “Or go onto the second floor,” he continued in the same monotone voice. “Luc would be very unhappy about that.”

  What in the world? I looked over my shoulder at him and saw that he was now sitting across from a very, very uncomfortable-looking James. I had no idea why he’d possibly tell me where Luc would be if Luc was so unavailable, but it didn’t matter.

  I hurried down the hall, passing several doors. Two led to bathrooms, and another one had an EMPLOYEES ONLY plaque on the door, but half the words had Xs over them, leaving the word ploy behind, which was … notably odd.

  Really odd.

  I scanned the narrow hall and found the door to the staircase. I threw it open and started up the flight of steps, not giving myself time to think about what I was doing. And maybe that was stupid.

  Or maybe it was brave.

  I could see my mom doing something like this. Definitely my dad, and they were brave. Obviously. So maybe sometimes it took a little stupidity to be brave.

  Rounding the landing to the second floor, I entered the dimly lit hallway and saw several windowless doors. It kind of reminded me of an apartment building. Except, there were no peepholes.

  Sighing in frustration, I bit down on my lower lip. Luc could be in any number of these rooms and there were a lot. I was literally going to have to check each one. Or I could just start screaming his name until he came out.

  I walked down the hall, my steps slowing when I heard what sounded like whispers coming from the right. I stopped and saw that one of the doors was cracked open.

  I went to it, placing my hand on the cool surface. Pushing it all the way open, I stepped inside and saw nothing. The room inside was pitch black, as if heavy curtains had been hung, blocking out all possible light.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  Thump.

  I jumped as something moved or fell over in the room. Scanning the darkness, I tried to see something—anything—but it was useless. My ears strained to hear another sound, but there was nothing. It was quite possibly a good time to get the hell out of this room.

  I took a step back.

  Air stirred around me, lifting the hair around my face. My breath caught as instinct flared to life. I so wasn’t alone in this room. I moved to get the hell out—

  A hand gripped my arm, jerking me forward. A scream rose, abruptly cut off as I was shoved. Hard. My back hit the wall, knocking the breath out of me and shooting pain up my spine, where it exploded along the base of my skull.

  Before I could move or make a sound, the same hand—a cold hand—closed around my throat, tight enough just to let the tiniest bit of air wheeze in. My hands flailed until I found it—his arm in the darkness. Digging my fingers in, I tried to pry the hand away from my throat as adrenaline pumped through my veins. My heart slammed against my ribs as bitter tendrils of panic burrowed deep into my stomach.

  Oh God. Oh God—

  I felt him lean in. I felt his breath ghost over my cheek as I was lifted up onto my toes. I felt his words all the way to the marrow. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  6

  “Who are you?” the man demanded.

  I opened my mouth to respond, but since he was half strangling me, I couldn’t get a single word out.

  “Why are you here?” he demanded, and his grip tightened. My feet left the floor, forcing out a raspy gasp. Fear dug in with razor-sharp claws.

  In the darkness, two bright white pinpricks of light appeared, casting a luminous glow. Pupils. They were pupils. This man was so not human. My fingernails scraped over his skin. Oh God, I was going to be choked to death all over a damn phone—

  The door swung open. “Let go of her now.”

  At the sound of the familiar voice, the hand around my throat disappeared. I fell forward, throwing my arms out into the empty space around me. A scream built in my throat—

  An arm circled my waist. For a second I was hanging in the air, arms and legs flailing by a steely arm. Without warning, I was suddenly upright, on my feet, my back pressed against a very solid chest—Luc’s chest. I inhaled sharply, surrounded by that all-too-familiar woodsy scent of his.

  This wasn’t any better than being choked.

  I jerked forward, but the arm around my waist was like a steel band. I made it about an inch and then was hauled back.

  “Stay still,” Luc warned directly into my ear.

  Every muscle in my body locked up. About to inform him he could not tell me what to do, I winced as light suddenly flooded the room. My vision adjusted, and I saw an older man—an older Luxen—standing a few feet in front of us.

  And then I saw what—who—was behind him.

  There was a woman holding a small child, maybe a toddler. The little girl with curly pigtails had her face buried in the woman’s shoulder. Her tiny body was trembling so badly, she was shaking the woman cradling her. Real primitive fear was etched into the beautiful woman’s face as she stared at us with wide, terror-filled eyes.

  Luc was as still as a statue behind me. “Explain yourself.”

  “You told me we were safe here,” the Luxen male said, nostrils flared. “You swore that to us.”

  Shocked that this adult Luxen would answer to Luc’s somewhat arrogant demand, let alone listen to him, I was struck silent.

  “You are safe here,” Luc replied.

  “She walked into this room. A human.” His hands opened and closed at his sides. “What was I supposed to think?”

  “You should’ve thought, Wow, she’s an idiot and therefore harmless,” Luc retorted, and my mouth dropped open. “Throwing her against a wall wasn’t exactly necessary.”

  Did he seriously just call me an idiot?

  The Luxen male’s lips thinned and then he shocked me even more by saying, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  I felt Luc nod behind me and then he said, “And this”—his arm tightened even more, and a tiny squeak escaped me—“won’t happen again.”

  The male didn’t respond, nor did he take his eyes off us as he backed up, keeping himself firmly planted between us and the others.

  Understanding flared to life, and I probably would’ve seen it earlier if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in almost being choked to death.

  The Luxen was protecting the woman and child from—from me. I was so dumbfounded by the realization, I didn’t protest when Luc removed his arm from my waist and then wrapped his fingers around mine, pulling me out of the room. The door closed behind us, but I swore no one had touched it.

  Once we were in the hall, I tried to tug my hand free. “You called me an idiot in there.”

  “And I’m wrong?” He kept walking, the muscles along his back tense. “Because I really don’t think so.”

  “Yeah, you’re as wrong as—”

  Luc spun, and without any warning, I was once again pressed against a wall. He towered over me, keeping our joined hands between us. When he spoke, his voice was incredibly soft. “When I said I’d be seeing you again, I hadn’t meant today. Not that I’m complaining, but I’m kind of busy. But I guess you missed me already?”

  Missed him? Ha. No. My throat dried as I stared up and into those odd amethyst eyes. The color seemed to … churn restlessly. “I didn’t plan on coming here—”

  “But you’re here.”

  “Yes. I have a reason, a good one—”

  “There are no good reasons for you to be here today.”

  “I’m looking—”

  “For me?” His brows lifted, disappearing into the wavy locks of brown hair. He stepped in, and I imagined I could feel the heat coming off his body. Maybe it wasn’t my imagination, because he was close enough that if I shifted one way or another, my legs would brush his.

  “Do you have to talk to me like you have no idea what personal space is?” I demanded. “And no, I’m not here for you.”

  “I don’t have to talk to you like this, but I want to. I like it.” One side of his lips kicked up when my eyes narrowed. “And yes, I have a s
inking suspicion that you are here, in fact, for me.”

  My jaw locked down. “I need to find my cell phone—”

  “And you thought you’d find it in a room full of Luxen?”

  If he interrupted me one more time, I was going to scream my throat raw. “It would be nice if I could finish a sentence. Then I would be able to tell you why I’m here.”

  He tilted his head to the side, staring at me like he’d been hanging around for an hour. “I’m waiting.”

  I pulled on my hand again. He held on. “Who were they?” I demanded. “Those Luxen in there?”

  “That’s why you’re here? To ask about them?”

  It wasn’t, and their presence wasn’t any of my business, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that they were hiding in here. I thought about last night’s raid. The ART officers were looking for unregistered aliens. Luc had them here.

  Hell, he obviously was one.

  And apparently, the ART officers weren’t very good at their jobs, because Luc, and what I was guessing was a family, were still here.

  Luc’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and I drew in an unsteady breath. A muscle flexed along his jaw. “How did you even get up here? I told Clyde to send you away.”

  “Grayson…” I stilled.

  Wait. Had Grayson set me up? He told me to come up here; he had to know that family was hidden in one of the rooms.

  Luc’s gaze lifted to mine. “Grayson sent you up here?”

  “Kind of,” I gritted out, holding his stare. “Can you back off?”

  There was a moment of silence. “I feel like we’re having déjà vu.”

  “Probably because you have no respect for personal space.”

  His lips pursed. “Sounds about right.”

  I stared at him.

  Luc dropped my hand and took a step back. His gaze flickered over my face. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  His question sort of surprised me. “No. He didn’t hurt me.”

  “He was choking you.”

  “Yeah, he was doing that, but I’m … I’m okay.”

  He watched me a moment, shook his head, and then pivoted. He started stalking down the hall, and it was then that I realized he was carrying something in his other hand. A cloth—a washcloth.