The Brightest Night

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  Lowering my hands, I looked to Nate as my heart pounded. “Are there more?”

  Trembling, he nodded.

  “I guess this is a bad time to say I told you so?” Grayson said.

  Yeah.

  Yeah, it was.

  Luc lifted his hand. Sparks flew from his fingertips. The very air lit up, like I’d seen him do once in his apartment above the club. Glittering golden dots of light rolled out from Luc in all directions, spreading down the dark halls on either sides, eating away at the void.

  The halls were empty.

  “Where are they?” Daemon demanded, having returned his human form. “Where is this Morton? And be detailed, kid. I know there are over three hundred stores in this building.”

  Nate kept his arms close to his chest. “He wanted me to bring you to him.” He stared at me. “He said he’d be in the park.”

  “The park?” I repeated.

  He nodded. “The one beside the big tower.”

  “We just came from that direction. No one was out there,” Daemon said.

  “I don’t know. I swear. That’s where he said he’d be,” Nate repeated. “He’s there. He has to be. You’ve got to help me get Tabby back.”

  “We will,” I told him.

  Grayson shot me a look that said I shouldn’t have said that.

  “How many more officers did you see?” Luc asked, the pupils of his eyes diamond white.

  Nate shook his head. “Maybe the same number as the ones that were here,” he said.

  “And what is he going to do once you lead Evie to him?” Grayson asked, returning to the dimmed, human version of himself. “He just going to hand Tabby over?”

  “That’s what he promised.”

  Grayson huffed out a laugh, shaking his head.

  “What? What are you saying?” the kid shrieked. When Grayson looked away, Nate shuddered. “He promised. I did everything he asked. For years, we stayed away from you guys, but then he told me I needed to get supplies from you all. That’s when I went into the community. He said that I couldn’t be seen until I saw you.”

  My stomach sank even though we already knew. The Daedalus was here. They’d been here, and God only knew what was going to happen from here—what could already be happening in the community. And they were here because of me.

  After everything I’d done, I still put the community at risk.

  “He told me what you looked like, and he told me I needed to get you to follow me, but not right away. It would be too suspicious.”

  “Why did he want her to follow you?” Daemon asked.

  “He had to confirm who she was.” Nate started to pace in a tight, narrow line.

  “That’s why he was there that night.” My fingers stretched as the Source sent an angry push of energy through me. “He needed to see who I was with his own eyes.”

  Nate shoved a hand through his hair, tugging at it. “He never told me why. He still hasn’t. This whole time, he had us believing that we were opening the tunnel as a way to get out. He lied.”

  “And so you believed that he’d just give you back your sister after you helped him?” Grayson demanded.

  Horror crept into the young boy’s face. “What else could I believe?”

  God, I understood the position he was in. He had to believe, because if he didn’t, then there was only one harsh reality.

  “It wasn’t until we cleared the tunnel a few days ago. He told me it was time to get you to follow me.” He tugged at his hair again. “I didn’t know why, and I didn’t understand why he acted the way he did when he saw you. He wanted to see you, but he made you leave.”

  Because he’d gotten what he’d needed to be sure of.

  “Then earlier, he took me down to the tunnel and I saw them—the men in white. The soldiers. He told me that I needed to get you to come back with me,” he said. “But I refused. I like you. You gave us food and stuff, and you were nice, and I’d already talked to Jamal and Nia. We were planning to come to you. I swear.”

  “But?” Luc whispered, and I stepped closer to him, knowing that soft tone meant he was seconds from doing something bad.

  “But he hit me. He kicked me. I didn’t care. Wasn’t the first time. But then he told me he had Tabby.” Tears streaked both cheeks, even the one under the swollen, bruised eye. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  Did he?

  He’s telling the truth, Luc’s repeated, his voice entering my thoughts. He has a sister. This man has her or at least got him believing that he does.

  Part of me understood Nate’s actions. Just like I understood why Daemon and Kat and Dee and just about everyone else wanted to kill Blake while recognizing, unwillingly, that Blake had been put in a god-awful situation.

  But we all had choices.

  We just never knew which side we’d fall on until we had to make that choice.

  “I wish you’d told me the truth earlier. We would’ve still helped,” I told him. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

  Nate closed his eye.

  “Daemon,” Luc said. “Go back to the community. Warn the others that the Daedalus is here. Get them ready.”

  Daemon took a step, and then he hesitated. He actually hesitated, and that said a lot, because his wife was back there, his baby. And it also said a lot that Luc was asking him to go and not Grayson. Luc had to know that Daemon wanted to be back there just in case this was something that had already turned uglier than we were aware of.

  “Do you guys have this handled?” Daemon asked.

  “Yes.” Luc’s gaze moved from Grayson to me. “We’ve got this.”

  I nodded. “We do.”

  Daemon met Luc’s stare, and then he was gone, racing off to the community, to his wife and son, and I prayed things were as we’d left them.

  “Let’s go get your sister,” Luc said. “I want to meet this Morton. Super-excited about it.”

  “If we go through that hall, it’s the quickest.” Nate pointed at the hall straight ahead.

  “It is,” Luc confirmed. “Daemon was thinking that just before he left.”

  Grayson snapped his fingers at Nate. “You. I want you right beside me. Within arm’s length the whole way.”

  Frozen, Nate looked at me.

  “Go to him,” I said. “He won’t hurt you.”

  Grayson lifted a brow.

  Nate didn’t move.

  “You’re not within arm’s length,” Grayson murmured. “I do not like to wait.”

  The kid gathered whatever courage he had in him and made his way to Grayson.

  Luc stepped into me, his hand on my arm. “This isn’t your fault, Evie.”

  I met his gaze as knots formed in my stomach. “They’re here because of me, and if something happens to the people—”

  “If it does, still not your fault,” he said. “And I’ll spend the next however long reminding you of that, but right now, I need you out of here.”

  “What?”

  “They’re here for you. The last thing we want to do is lead you right to them.” He lifted his hand to my cheek. “You have to know that would be a bad idea.”

  “What’s a bad idea is you not having me there. You all are badass, but we really have no idea what’s going to happen. What if they have a Trojan there?” I said, heart thudding as I lowered my voice. “What about Nate’s sister?”

  “We’ll get her and we’ll deal with whatever is there, Trojan or not.”

  I stepped back. “You’re not going to fight my battles without me.”

  “Evie—”

  “No,” I repeated. “I don’t need you to protect me. I don’t need you to stand in front of me. I need you to stand beside me.”

  His eyes flared wide and several moments passed before he reclaimed the distance, cupping my cheeks with both hands this time. “If something happened to you—”

  “You’d feel the same way I would if something happened to you,” I finished for him. “You’d be destroyed. I’d be dest
royed. Together, we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “Together,” he repeated, closing his eyes. “I hate this. Every fiber of my being hates the idea of you getting anywhere close to these people. That you’ve already been close and anything could’ve happened. I hate this, Evie.”

  “I know.” I gripped his wrists. “So do I.”

  “No hesitation, Peaches. You’re going to kill more tonight, and if things get out of control, if there is a Trojan, take them down,” he said. “Use everything you have, and I’ll take care of the rest—I’ll take care of you after.”

  “I know,” I repeated.

  Luc leaned down, kissing me. It was far too quick, but it was just as powerful as any of the other kisses. Then he stepped back. So did I, and together we joined Grayson as he stood with Nate. One look at Grayson’s expression told me he agreed with Luc. He didn’t want me here, and I got that. I really did. They were here for me.

  And it was me they’d get.

  We walked down the corridor, past the broken men who lay scattered about.

  “Cleanup is going to be a bitch,” Grayson muttered. “I am not going to be on that team.”

  I shot him a look but said nothing as we reached a dark department store. Luc cut the light show, not wanting Morton and whoever else to see our approach. I walked into the darkness without hesitation. It wasn’t like I wasn’t afraid. I was scared. My heart was pounding, my fear feeding the Source and making my senses acutely aware. It would be foolish, deadly so, to not be afraid. I’d taken down one Trojan before, but Sarah hadn’t been trained like I had been, like the others. I could fail. A lot of things could happen. I just couldn’t think of them as we navigated the turned-over racks and fallen mannequins. This was my fight, and if I couldn’t hold my own here, I wouldn’t be able to out there.

  We reached the doors and then, after warning Nate to remain quiet, we stepped out into the fresh air that did nothing to remove the lingering scent of mold. Luc led us to the right and we walked down the street, keeping close to the tower and out of the moonlight. I made out the cluster of trees we’d passed before and the space hidden within. There was an opening—

  My skin erupted in goose bumps. My vision seemed to constrict and expand as instinct roared to life, taking over.

  I moved fast—faster than Luc could’ve anticipated, shooting out in front of them. It was almost like when I’d seen Sarah. The Source seized control, but I was still there, and this time I was in the driver’s seat; it’s just that the Source was guiding my movements. My ears prickled, picking up a repetitive clicking.

  Throwing out my hand, the word stop formed in my mind. It poured into the Source and then into the air.

  They came to a stop inches from us. Over a dozen tiny cylindrical objects containing a bluish electrical charge in the center remained there, frozen all around us.

  Nate gasped.

  Stepping forward, Luc plucked one out of the space. His lip curled. “They’re the same kind of bullets April’s handler shot me with.”

  Which meant they weren’t looking to kill any of us. They wanted us wounded, and that was actually worse.

  “True story.” Luc picked up on my thoughts, signaling to me that this time was different from before. He hadn’t been able to hear my thoughts when I’d gone after Sarah. His fingers closed over the bullet as the Source swelled around his hand. He swept his arm through the air, and one by one, the modified bullets exploded. A second later, he lit up the air, sending the Source in every direction, and I saw the remaining officers. There were just as many, if not more, than the ones who’d come into the mall.

  I was moving before I knew it, racing through the opening. Luc and Grayson were right behind me as I skidded to a stop, my eyes clocking the lowered weapons, sensing their willingness to fire once more.

  “When will you guys ever learn?” Luc said, curling his fingers as if he were summoning them. The rifles went up and into the air, crashing into the tower behind us and into the trees.

  These officers didn’t run like the others. They came right at us, pulling something small and black from their thigh holsters.

  “Tasers,” Luc warned.

  “Fun times.” Grayson shoved Nate back as he slipped into his true form.

  “Get back,” I ordered, hoping everyone listened.

  Dipping down, I slammed my hands onto the ground. The earth rattled and woke up with a deep, trembling breath. Geysers of dirt flew into the air, and then the ground expanded under my hands, rippling out in all directions, forming tunnels of churning dirt and grass.

  There was a shout as the closest man jerked backward, his arm flying up. Electricity charged up the prongs of the Tasers as he hit the button in his panic. He went down, down deep, along with several others. I buried them under the thick, sandy dirt.

  I didn’t think they were getting out.

  Ever.

  Rising, I caught sight of Luc catching one of the officers by the arm. A bone cracked, and the Taser dropped to the ground. Luc slammed his hand into the officer’s chest. The Source washed over the man. His screaming ended abruptly, just as the Source streaked across the area, smacking into another officer. Her pain-filled shout was drowned out as Grayson took down another.

  I continued forward, the wind picking up around me as my eyes moved to the trees. Perfect, useful weapons. The Source guiding me, I spread my arms and hooked my fingers inward. Branches cracked like thunder, tearing from the trees.

  Grayson and Luc knew what was up. They hit the ground like pros, Grayson taking Nate down with him. Not all the officers were fast enough.

  The branches—now jagged, multiheaded arrows—hurtled across the clearing. They slammed into the men and then went through them, piercing shields, helmets, and armor.

  The air smelled like metal as I lowered my hands.

  Six more down.

  Half a dozen left.

  I scanned the grounds, looking for Morton and the child. An officer came straight at me, and I pushed with the Source. He flew backward as if the very hand of God had grasped him and he met an unhappy ending with some sort of cement wall that stood in the center of the park.

  Where was—?

  I spun, coming face-to-face with an officer who held a Taser mere inches from me. I had no idea what, if anything, it would do to me. I didn’t want to find out. The officer jabbed the Taser at me. Electricity fired to life—

  I moved.

  Or I thought I did, because the officer stumbled forward, the Taser firing harmlessly against nothing, against—

  Smoke and shadows.

  Holy crap.

  I’d done the Arum thing—the thing April had done. I was there, but not. The officer whirled, and I threw my hand out. It was there—the dark, fuzzy outline of it was, at least—and it went straight through the man’s chest. Blood sprayed my face as I drew my arm back. The man’s shout ended as he collapsed, folded like a paper sack. I watched my arm solidify, watched my legs become more than just the shape.

  I lifted my head to where Luc stood feet from me. His wide eyes met mine. “Did you see that?” I asked.

  He nodded. “You went all Arum there for a moment.”

  “I didn’t know I could—”

  Luc grabbed my arm, thrusting me to the side as he shoved his hand out. A bolt of the Source erupted from his palm and hit the chest of the man who had come up directly behind me.

  “Thank you,” I said, turning around and finding Grayson taking out another officer. I was going to have to take what I’d just done and set it aside to get excited over later.

  Luc and Grayson made quick work of the remaining officers. Within minutes, the field was scattered with bodies, and the scent of burned flesh and blood was heavy in the air. I felt the sudden awareness of an incoming Luxen. My gaze darted to the sudden bright light that rushed through the trees. The Luxen solidified, becoming human.

  “Daemon.” Surprise gave way to fear. “Is everything—”

  “Every
thing is fine, and they’ve been warned. I came back to help.” He strode forward. “Doesn’t look like you guys needed it.”

  “Told you we had it handled,” Luc responded, reaching down and lifting the helmet off one of the officers. “Jesus. This guy can’t be any older than we are.”

  I didn’t want to feel the pinch of sadness over a life lost long before he entered this field, or what could have led anyone to sign up to work for an organization like the Daedalus.

  They believe they’re on the right side of history, Luc told me as he rose. They always do.

  “Please tell me Morton is among them,” Daemon said.

  “Sorry,” Grayson said. “He hasn’t made an appearance yet.”

  “Are the others okay?” Nate asked from where he sat on his knees, arms tight to his chest.

  Daemon spared him a brief glance. “They’re fine. Being welcomed right now with blankets and warm soup, I believe.”

  Nate closed his eyes, shoulders caving in. I was relieved to hear that the children made it and that so far nothing had happened at the community, but—

  Branches snapped under the fall of booted feet, and we spun back to the cement wall. Out from behind it stepped Morton. One hand was on the tiny shoulder of the small girl. She had her blanket. It trembled like a limp flag, and she looked too terrified to cry, to make a sound.

  A nasty, bloodthirsty smile pulled at my lips as I walked forward. He would not hurt that little girl. He would not hurt Luc or Grayson or Nate. He would not hurt me.

  “I wouldn’t take another step forward,” Morton advised, lifting his other hand. He held something small. “If you do, I’ll push in on this button my thumb is already resting on. You’re fast, but I’ll hit this button in time. You may hurt me. You may kill me. But you will activate this time.”

  41

  He held the Cassio Wave between his fingers.

  The Source didn’t care about that. The desire to lash out, to destroy him, caused tiny muscles all along my body to twitch as I forced myself still. My entire body trembled as I eyed his hand. I could take him. I could get to him before he pressed—

  Careful, Luc’s voice intruded. You’re fast, but his finger is on the button.