The Brightest Night (Origin #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,56

tell he was thinking about his response. “Depends.”

“It can’t depend on what the question is.”

His brows snapped together as he stared down at me. He gave a little shake of his head. “Ask your question, Evie.”

“Do you think the Luxen that have been captured by ART…” It was harder to say out loud than think. “Do you think they’re dead?”

His gaze met mine, and there was no hesitation in his answer, no thinking twice. “Yes, I do.”

I closed my eyes, heart and soul heavy. “Zoe told me the family I’d seen at the club hadn’t made it here, and that’s what I feared.” Drawing in a deep breath, I opened my eyes and met his gaze. “They have to be stopped, Luc. The Daedalus. All of them.”

“Agreed.” Luc smoothed his thumb along the bottom of my lip, and we stood there for what felt like a small eternity, neither of us speaking while the air was weighted with what could be the loss of thousands of innocent lives.

I broke the silence. “How do you move on from that knowledge? Think about anything else?”

“You just do, because you have to. Nothing good comes from traveling down that kind of road. I would know.”

He would, far more than I, and that saddened me even more.

“We move on, but we don’t forget, Evie. You know what we do? We get revenge. We get justice. That is what we do.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded. He was right. I couldn’t dwell on all that happened, but I would remember the faces of those frightened Luxen. I wouldn’t forget Kent.

Or even my mom.

I would be a part of that justice if it was the last thing I did.

“That’s not the only thing Daemon needed to talk about,” Luc added as he took my hand, walking us back to the house. “He said some supplies have been coming up missing. Food. Med stuff. Other random things. He didn’t know how long it’s been going on, but I’m under the impression that it’s been a while.”

An image of Nate formed in my mind.

“Why anyone would need to steal is beyond me. Needs are met here,” he continued. “Unless canned goods and jars of green beans are growing legs and making a run for the wall, someone is taking stuff.”

“Green beans.” I wrinkled my nose. “Ugh.”

He grinned down at me as we walked into the kitchen. “What if we only had green beans to eat?”

I thought about that. “I’d eat them and complain the entire time.”

“I can respect your honesty.”

“I should probably stop eating everything in sight, then,” I said as Luc turned on one of the lanterns. “I don’t want to add to any problems here.”

“If we need more food, I’ll get us food. It will be like caveman days. I’ll hunt and gather while you…” Luc trailed off.

I arched a brow, waiting. “I am dying with anticipation to discover which extremely sexist example you’re going to give. Tend the home? Cook the previous night’s kill? Wait patiently for my man to return?”

“I was going to say while you’ll be right there beside me.”

“Good save.”

A downright boyish grin appeared, and it was almost shocking how adorable it was, and then he laughed.

I liked his laugh; it made me want to grin and snuggle close, so I did just that. Well, I did a less graceful version of snuggling. My face plopped against his chest. Surprise flickered through me at how easy it was to be like this with him, to be affectionate and close. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to how easy it had become in what was such a short, tumultuous period of time.

But was it really a short time?

Our history, remembered or not, spanned years.

Turning my head, I rubbed my cheek against his shirt, welcoming the heat beneath the thin cotton. It was time to tell him what else had happened. I lifted my head. “Something happened today.”

“Tell me all about it.” Placing his hands on my hips, he lifted me up so I was sitting on the kitchen island.

“And I think it might have to do with the missing food and supplies Daemon was telling you about, but you have to promise me that you’re not going to say anything to him or Cekiah or anyone.”

“Done.”

My brows lifted. “You’re just going to agree that easily?”

A slight frown appeared as he braced his hands on either side of my legs and leaned in. “I live life operating on a need-to-know basis. You know that, but