The Brightest Night

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  “Awesome. I just need to grab my shoes.”

  “Take your time.”

  I did not take my time. Dashing into the bedroom, I toed on my sneakers and then ran back out. It was when we were walking to the vehicle that it struck me. I glanced at Viv as I rounded the front.

  “Luc,” I said.

  “What about him?” She hopped into the driver’s seat.

  “This was his idea.”

  “It was,” she admitted. “But when he brought it up, I was like, damn, what an excellent idea. He didn’t have to talk me into it. If I didn’t think this was a good idea, I would’ve put the kibosh on it.”

  I believed her.

  “I hope you’re not mad or anything,” she said as I climbed into the passenger seat.

  “No. I’m not.” I sat back, smiling, and I didn’t need to see myself to know it was a big, goofy smile. He knew I wanted to be useful here, to provide some sort of service, and he made it happen. “I’m glad he said something.”

  “So am I.” Throwing the UTV into reverse, she eased out of the driveway and started down the street. “I’ve been training some people here, just in case I need an extra hand or something happens, so the more people who know more than just basic first aid, the better.”

  “Funny thing is, I actually considered becoming a nurse before … well, before everything.” I watched the houses go by. “I used to think I didn’t have the stomach for it.”

  “You do,” she said confidently. “If you didn’t, there would’ve been no way you could’ve been in the same room as Spencer.” Squinting, she exhaled loudly. “Never in my life have I ever seen anything like that.”

  “That’s probably a good thing,” I told her as we neared the overgrown park. “You did everything possible to save his life. You didn’t fail him.”

  “I wish it didn’t feel that way.” She squeezed the steering wheel. “But I know I did everything. We all did. It just sucks.”

  “Yes,” I said quietly. “It does.”

  A faint smile appeared. “Tell you what, though—I’ll never complain about being bored again, that’s for sure.”

  I grinned and nodded as the market came into view. “Oh! Do you mind if we stop by the library really quickly?” I asked. “I need to see if there’s hair dye here, and I have no idea where I’m supposed to find Zouhour.”

  “Sure?” She sent me a look full of questions.

  “I need to change my appearance,” I explained. “Eventually, I’m going to need to go back out there, and I need to make it harder for people to recognize me.”

  “Ah!” Viv laughed. “That makes sense. I was thinking this was a weird time for a makeover.”

  “No doubt,” I agreed.

  We swung by the old library, and after waiting a couple of minutes, Zouhour showed up with a thick binder that contained all the goods in storage. Turned out that there had been hair dye at one time, but the unused boxes had been tossed out since no one really wanted to put several-years-old dye on their heads. Understandable, because I sure didn’t.

  Hoping Luc was able to find one, I thanked Zouhour, and then Viv and I headed back to the medical office, driving behind the busy market. She parked the UTV right outside the office, and I followed her inside.

  Enough sunlight poured in through the windows that the waiting area was brightly lit. Instead of rows of chairs, five examining tables had been moved out.

  Viv saw me staring at them. “Weird location to treat patients, I know, but there’s too much natural light out here to let it go to waste.” She tossed the keys onto a counter. “The back rooms are used when privacy is needed. All but one have windows to let some light in, and we’ll fire up the lanterns if we need them.” She motioned me to follow her. “Luckily, we haven’t had to use them too often. With Daemon here, he can take care of most of the injuries, and now Luc. It will cut back on the stuff that makes me feel like my head is about to slip underwater.”

  “Are there no other Luxen here that can heal?” I asked.

  “There are a few who can do minor injuries, but nothing like what happened to Spencer. If Luc couldn’t keep him stable, Daemon wouldn’t have been able to, either.”

  “I’ve been told that all Luxen can heal, but to varying degrees.” I followed her along a narrow hall. Most of the doors we passed were closed.

  “Yep. It seems like those who were most skilled at healing, well, they didn’t make it here.”

  Anything could’ve happened to them, but I had a feeling that the Daedalus was more than just a little responsible. Those who could heal virtual strangers would’ve made excellent candidates for mutations.

  “Here is the supply stash.” Viv opened the door to what must’ve been a small laboratory before. Natural light shone in through the windows, casting a soft glow over the metal shelves lining the walls. My gaze roamed the room, and all I could think of was those kids and the grandma who died from a freaking cut on the hand. Right in front of me were several things that would’ve saved her life. There were boxes of bandages and latex gloves, cases of needles and bundled IV bags, row after row of pill bottles, numerous pieces of medical equipment, and stacked first-aid kits chock-full of everything needed to disinfect a cut.

  “We were running low on a few things—namely, inhalers. Got a few people here with pretty bad asthma, and they’re about to run out and—”

  The bell above the door jiggled, signaling that someone was here.

  “Coming!” Viv called out before raising her brows at me. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

  What turned out to be going on was a human man and Baby Wonder Woman—the little girl Ashley had made fly on the playground. The little girl was covered in an oozing, angry red rash that turned out to be poison ivy, much to the father’s relief. Calamine lotion was given out, along with an oral antihistamine and a stern warning to not scratch, which the little girl promised not to do seconds before scratching at her arm as if she were trying to take it off. On the way out, the little girl had waved goodbye, and the father had nodded in my direction. That was the only time he really acknowledged my existence.

  After that, there was the cutest elderly couple. The husband was worried about his wife. She’d been having chest pains, and after a brief examination that included taking the woman’s pulse, blood pressure, and asking numerous questions, Viv was fairly certain it wasn’t anything serious, but she recommended that the woman come in at any time if she experienced shortness of breath or nausea. Neither of them paid much mind to me, not even when Viv showed me how to use a blood pressure cuff.

  When they left, Viv sat down on the rolling stool, shoulders lowered as she watched them shuffle toward the market. “She might be having heart failure,” she said after several moments.

  Pressure clamped around my chest. I didn’t have to ask. The Luxen couldn’t heal something like that. Not even Luc. “There’s nothing that can be done.”

  Viv shook her head sadly. “No. Not here. We don’t have the diagnostic capability to even test for it, and we can’t blindly prescribe medication that could do more harm than good.”

  “That’s got to be hard knowing that there may be something serious and not being able to do anything.”

  “There are a few things we can do.” Viv toed herself around. “Last year, we suspected that one of the guys had cancer. He’d had it before, and all his symptoms pointed toward a cancer of the pancreas or liver, and that’s something we can’t treat here. We offered to escort him out to one of our outposts. We’d provide him with identification and some money. Without insurance, it would be a crapshoot, but it was still something.”

  “Did he take it?”

  Viv gave me a tight-lipped smile. “No. I’ll never forget this, but he’d said he knew all the treatment in the world wouldn’t make a difference and that he would rather stay here. We can’t force anyone, and something like the pancreas doesn’t show recognizable symptoms until it’s often too late. He was right. In less than a month, he
was gone. Treatment might’ve extended his life, but it might not have been the best extra months given to him.”

  Heaviness settled over me, but I didn’t have long to dwell on it. Another person came through the door, holding a blood-soaked handkerchief to his hand.

  For a moment, I thought the dude might bleed to death right there, but come to find out, fingers just tended to bleed a lot. The guy only required five stitches. He didn’t really say much to me beyond hello. The same went for the second man who needed his palm closed, having sliced it open helping repair a roof. A shot of lidocaine and a rather neat row of stitches later, he was out the door, replaced by what turned out to be a toothache, a case of indigestion, a bout of possible kidney stones, and what Viv believed to be an upset stomach.

  “How do you know what to diagnose these people with?” Curiosity had gotten the best of me. “Not that I doubt what you’re coming up with, but kidney stones? Indigestion?”

  “I’m a mind reader,” she teased. “Actually, you saw all those books back there? I’ve read every possible diagnostic manual I could get my hands on. I’ve been right for the most part.” Her nose wrinkled. “Well, except for that one time.”

  “Do tell.”

  She laughed. “The woman was complaining of an upset stomach, vomiting, and fatigue. I asked all the standard questions. What have you eaten? When was your last period? Does it get better before or after food? Yada, yada. Nothing there to give me any indication of what could be happening other than just a stomach issue. A few weeks later, she came back with the same complaint, but she’d gained a little bit of weight. I asked her again about her period, but that time, she said she couldn’t remember.”

  I started to grin.

  “One pee-on-a-stick test later, we knew she was pregnant. So, that time wasn’t my fault.”

  I laughed. “Well, I could see how it would be hard to keep track of months here.”

  “That woman was like five months pregnant. How do you forget not having your period for five months?”

  My eyes widened. “Good point.”

  “Damn straight.”

  Looking out the window, I watched several men and women carry baskets into the backs of the stalls. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is it normal that the people here aren’t exactly warm and friendly with new people?” I asked. “Or is it because I blew up a house?”

  “Oh, everyone here is pretty wary of just about anyone.” She lifted her brows. “And because you blew up a house, can you blame them?”

  “No,” I said and laughed.

  “They’ll warm up to you.” Reaching over, she patted my arm. “Especially if you don’t blow up any more houses.”

  “I’ll try not to.”

  “Just don’t try so hard that you end up not doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done.” She rose. “I need a protein boost. And I have the perfect drink for you to try out.”

  Fifteen minutes later, I found myself staring at what Viv referred to as her Lunch of Champions, which was a concoction of raw veggies, some sort of powder she swore wasn’t expired, and fresh milk. It looked like green slime. Green slime that had thrown up green slime.

  I was this close to telling her about the children in the city when she took a huge gulp and then offered the glass. “Try it. It’s not bad.”

  “Uh. I think I’ll pass.”

  She pinned me with an arched look. “You are this alien hybrid who can blow up a house, but you’re afraid of a protein shake full of vitamins.”

  I nodded.

  Her lips thinned. “It’s really not that bad. Kat loves it.”

  “Kat also just had a baby.”

  “Evie.”

  I sighed, taking the glass. “Fine.”

  “Great.” She bit down on her lip, staring at me. “Try it. Come on. You can do it.”

  Lifting the glass, I didn’t even attempt to smell it as I took a tiny sip—

  “Drink like you mean it.”

  “I am!”

  “That is not a real drink. You need to take a drink like it’s your first spring break.”

  That made me snort, but I took a real drink, and the moment my tongue hit the thick, uneven mixture, my gag reflex woke up.

  “It’s good, right?” she asked.

  Not wanting to hurt her feelings, I forced myself to swallow and then spent several precious seconds willing myself not to vomit. Only when I was sure I wasn’t going to throw up on her, I said, “It’s, um, different.”

  Her lip curled. “You don’t know what’s good for you.” She snatched the glass back. “But I guess you really don’t need vitamin and protein shakes, do you?”

  I watched her down half the glass. “Thank God.”

  Still drinking, she slid me a sideways look.

  “I bet you had a great spring break,” I said.

  She stopped long enough to say, “I don’t remember most of them, so I’m going to go with a hell yeah.”

  I glanced out the front windows, feeling the shivery awareness along the back of my neck. I spotted Grayson and tensed. I hadn’t felt him at all today, but I now knew he’d been around, staying far enough away that I didn’t feel him. Which was mildly irritating.

  I still had no idea what to make of what Luc had said before he’d left or my conversation with Grayson last night. I also wondered if Grayson ever slept.

  “Oh Lord, here comes my most favorite person in the world,” Viv grumbled, and I barely squelched my laugh as he walked in. “To whom or what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Sir Grayson?”

  Grayson arched a brow. “I doubt you find any pleasure from my visits.”

  “Nuh-uh,” she replied about as convincing as a kid with their hand shoved into a cookie jar.

  That ultrabright blue gaze slid from her to me. “I have news.”

  I sat up straight. “About?”

  “I just heard that a group arrived. One of them is a human female with extremely bright red hair.”

  Jumping from the stool, I was sure my heart had stopped. “It’s Heidi? Emery?”

  “Unless you know of some other red-haired human girl that I would come tell you about, then I’m assuming yes.”

  “Oh my God.” I spun toward Viv. “I’m sorry to do this, but can I—”

  “It’s totally cool. Go!” Viv shooed me, waving her hands. “Get out of here.”

  I whirled around to Grayson, nearly consumed with happiness and relief. “Where are they?”

  “At the entry house.”

  “Thank you.”

  I didn’t wait for his response—for anything else. I ran out the door, crossing the parking lot, and then I really picked up speed, knowing exactly where I was going. I ran as fast I had when I’d raced Luc. Wind tugged at my ponytail, tore at my clothing. I knew I was moving fast, but I could feel the presence of a Luxen close. Grayson was following.

  I cut through the wooded area, not thinking about the last time I’d been there. In less than a minute, I was rushing past the two patches of disturbed earth that had been left behind when I’d sucked Grayson and Luc down into the ground.

  Slowing down so I didn’t burst through a wall, I bounded up the steps and in through the open door. I probably should’ve called out or something, because barging into anyone’s house was rude, but my heart was thumping against my ribs as I heard voices—male voices and a softer, feminine one.

  I stepped into the dining room and got a quick glimpse of the table, but I had to look away. It looked normal now. A white tablecloth covered it, and for one morbid second, I wondered if Spencer’s blood had stained it.

  Pushing the thought aside, I followed the voices into the kitchen. My extra-special senses were firing off. There was a dark-haired Luxen male standing just inside, the rainbow aura briefly blurring his features. A fainter buzz signaled a hybrid was also nearby, but it was the vibrant crimson hair I zeroed in on.

  “Heidi!” I cried out.

 
She spun toward me, a smile breaking out across her face. “Evie! Oh my God! Evie!”

  I crossed the distance in a nanosecond. Like, for real. Fast enough that I caught the wide-eyed look of surprise right before I crashed into Heidi, throwing my arms around her. “I’ve been so worried about you and Emery! Oh my God, you have no idea! I was so afraid something happened and I wouldn’t know what to do. Wait. Where is Emery?”

  “Right here,” came the familiar voice, and my eyes flew open. Emery was standing just inside the mudroom, her raven-hued hair pulled back. The buzzed hair on one side of her head had started to grow out. She waved.

  “Hi!” I yelled.

  She grinned. “Hi, Evie.”

  “I missed you, too,” Heidi whispered. “You and Zoe and Luc and everyone—” She pulled back, clasping my cheeks in her cool hands. “Girl, you moved fast. Like, superfast. I think I’ve missed a lot.”

  “Well, yes. There’s a lot.”

  “Wait. What were those names again?” asked one of the guys behind us.

  Heidi let go as she glanced over to Emery. “Oh, crap. After all this time, I slipped up and said names.”

  “I just shouted your name to the whole world,” I told her, blinking back happy tears. In my excitement, I’d totally forgotten that those traveling were not allowed to share even the basic information such as names.

  “It’s okay now that we’re here.” Jeremy appeared behind Emery, pulling a black skullcap off. “Everyone can introduce themselves.”

  “What were those names?” the guy repeated, and I turned to him, still clutching Heidi like she’d possibly disappear.

  The male Luxen wasn’t who had spoken. He looked too terrified to do so as he stared at the man beside him. Light brown hair was swept back from the ruggedly handsome face of a hybrid. There was a network of faint white scars etched into his cheeks and on his nose, almost like a spiderweb of lines. Eyes a mixture of brown and muted green met mine. Recognition flared as he stumbled back in shock, his face paling.

  “Oh God,” he whispered.

  My arms slipped away from Heidi as I became vaguely aware of Grayson entering the room. “You recognize me, don’t you?”