The Brightest Night (Origin #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,214

held significance, and they kept coming, years’ and years’ worth of thoughts, desires, fears, and memories.

And then the storm quieted. The images stopped. The pain stopped. The world stopped.

I wasn’t standing.

My arms dangled at my sides, and my legs were limp. Luc held me, an arm around my waist and his palm flat against my cheek. I couldn’t speak as I stared into eyes streaked with lightning. Something was wrong with me. I couldn’t move or close my eyes, speak or stop him as he lowered me toward the smoking, ruined ground.

Over his shoulder, I saw that the tower was gone, so was the Galleria. My eyes shifted just a fraction to my right, and oh God, there was nothing there. No buildings. No trees—

The hand at my cheek slid to the back of my head as I felt my legs and then my hips touched the ground. My head was guided down, and he was still above me, his lips inches from mine.

“Never,” he said, and the ground trembled under me. Brackets of tension formed around his mouth as his jaw hardened. His eyes squeezed shut and then reopened. The bolts of churning white light slowed. “Never come for me.” He slowly slid his hand out from under my head as his lips brushed the corner of mine. “Never look for me. If you do, I will take everything from you.”

Luc slowly pulled away, and for the briefest second, our gazes met. I thought I heard him whisper my name, but then he was gone, and there was nothing but heated stone and ash, glittering like a million fireflies. Nothing more than tiny specks of what was left of the city drifted back to the ground, where it fell upon me and everything around me like slivers of snow kissed by the sun.

I couldn’t speak, but even if I could, Luc was now gone, so I couldn’t tell him he was wrong. He’d given me everything, because I remembered.

I remembered everything.

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DAEMON

Never in my whole damn life had I ever been so scared.

I thought it had been the moment I realized Kat had gone out there by herself, baiting that Arum to protect my sister and I.

I’d been wrong.

When I realized Blake had been working for the Daedalus, I’d been scared out of my mind for her, and when Will, the man who had used her mother to get to her—to us—had her in that cage, I’d been terrified for the nightmares I knew those hours would leave behind.

I’d been wrong.

Even when the Daedalus had her and everything messed up thing they did and all that came out after that, I’d thought I could never be more scared that she would be ripped away from me.

I’d been so damn wrong.

Now I knew.

Because the hours of pain and too many close calls as Kat struggled to bring our child into this world had truly been the most frightening moments of my life. And each time I felt her heart slowed to a sluggish beat, I thought that was it. She was an incredibly strong hybrid, and I was one of the most powerful Luxen in the world, but when her gray eyes had started to lose their focus, I was terrified that it wouldn’t be enough.

And as much as it killed me to admit, it wouldn’t have been.

The tiny body against my chest squirmed, drawing my gaze. My son. Our son. Wrapped in a white blanket, he was so tiny. I didn’t realize infants were this damn small. I bet he fit in both of my palms. Not that I would try. God knows I was too afraid of dropping him.

Or breathing too heavily.

Or thinking too loudly.

He was asleep, and even now, his little legs and arms pumped under the blanket, as if he was ready to get out there and take on the world.

Just like his momma.

My gaze lifted from the wrinkling little face. Soft candlelight flickered throughout the room, dancing over Kat’s cheek. Color had already begun to work its way back into her skin. There had been moments where she’d be too pale, when there had been too much blood. She was already healing.

Thanks to Luc.

I looked down at my son and it was like someone had punched a hole through my chest.

If Luc hadn’t been here, Kat wouldn’t have pulled through. She would’ve died. I would’ve gone with her, and if our son had survived, he would’ve done so without the people who loved him more than all the stars in the sky could.

Quietly, I turned to the wall that faced the house Luc and Nadia were in. Evie, I corrected myself for the umteenth time. Her name was Evie now. One of these days I would stop referring to her as Nadia.

Probably a long time from now.

But I needed to try.

I owed Luc … I owed him everything. He was why we were still here, healthy and whole.

Worry crept into my thoughts. I had no idea what happened to her, and all I knew was that she hadn’t woken up, no matter what Luc did. If something happened to her…

Well, the Daedalus would be the least of the world’s problems.

Right now I couldn’t go there.

That would be a bridge I hoped to never have to cross. I hoped it all worked out. Luc infuriated the hell out of me, but he deserved happiness just as much as Kat and I do. He deserved to have his girl by his side.

Kat stirred under the blanket. One pale foot stuck out. I grinned as her toes curled. Any other time I would’ve grabbed that foot of hers. She would wake up swinging, thinking a demon or some crap got her. Courtesy of all those books she read, she had one hell of a vivid imagination. I would’ve made up for it, starting with that foot and following the length of one curvy leg.

Come to think of it, something similar was why I now held our son in my arms.

My smile grew.

Damn if I didn’t get a little lost staring at her. Always did. Awe filled me once more. How she handled everything amazed me. Even when I knew she hurt, when I could feel her heart failing, she had held on to my hand with such strength.

Time and time again she proved that I wasn’t worthy of her, and I was so damn lucky to have her. To have this.

Bow-shaped lips puckered and his little brow furrowed. Was he dreaming? Did infants even dream? I had no idea, but if he dreamed, I wanted them to be good ones. Rocking him gently until his forehead smoothed out, I had a feeling Kat and I were going to have our hands full with Adam.

* * *

There was never a name more fitting for our son. He would be just as fierce as his namesake and as brave and strong as his mother. And he would have me standing behind him. Always.

Everyone knew I’d burn down the entire world for Kat; watch it all go up in flames if I had to. I always knew I would. No doubt, but as I stared down at the tiny, scrunched up face, I truly realized the depths of destruction I would wreak to keep them both safe and happy.

“Nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever touch you,” I said and kissed the downy softness on the top of his head. “That is a promise.”

And that was one I would never break.

Cradling him close to my chest, I carried him back to where Kat slept. Careful not to wake either of them, I settled in beside her. I bent, brushing my lips over Kat’s brow and then leaned against the headboard.

It was going to be a long night.

That was fine by me.

There was nothing else I rather be doing than watching over the two most important beings in my life.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to my agent, Kevan Lyon, and subrights agent, Taryn Fagerness. Thanks also to Stephanie Brown, Melissa Frain, and the amazing team at Tor: Ali, Kristin, Saraciea, Anthony, Eileen, Lucille, Isa, Devi, and everyone else who had a hand in bringing this book to publication.

Luc and Evie’s story would never have been a thing if it wasn’t for you, the reader. I cannot thank you enough. Special shout-out to JLAnders. You guys always amaze me.

The Brightest Night was the first book I wrote without my writing pal, Loki. I want to thank her for nineteen years of friendship and cuddles. Snuggle Diesel for me.