The Brightest Night (Origin #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,136

a hand, I rubbed it against the wound, the one that would’ve surely killed me if I were human and Luc hadn’t been there. I needed to be here, where I was presumably safe with the exception of being shot, so I could learn more about what I could do and just how much control I truly had over the Source, but I could not be the cause of others basically being left to fend for themselves.

I wouldn’t.

Evie. There was a world of warning in how he said my name.

I closed my eyes. It’s not right.

A faint charge of electricity danced along my back, coming from Luc. There was no doubt in my mind that the others felt it, too. “She understands fully, more than any of you probably would want to give her credit for. Except you, Kat; you have a heart as big as hers.”

Kat didn’t look up from her sleeping son’s face as she said, “From what time I’ve spent with Evie, I know she wouldn’t want to do anything that puts anyone or what we do here at risk.” She smiled down at her son. “I’m sure she’s mere minutes from volunteering to leave. That’s what I would do.”

Daemon sighed heavily as he nodded in agreement, sending Luc a rare look of sympathy.

“I don’t care if one or a hundred more come looking for her. I brought her here because it was the safest place I could think of.” Luc shifted behind me, his arm tightening around my waist as a brutal edge hardened his tone. “There is not a single thing that I will not do to ensure she remains as safe as possible.”

“Luc.” I shot him a look over my shoulder.

He ignored me. “Not a single thing,” he repeated.

“Trust me,” Eaton grumbled as he dragged his thumb over his brow. “We all are completely aware of that.”

“Then I don’t know why we’re having this conversation,” Luc retorted.

“That’s the thing, though.” Kat looked up then. “It doesn’t matter if Evie leaves this afternoon. The Daedalus won’t know that unless she’s spotted outside the zone. If more will be sent, they’ll come even if she’s not here. While that concern is a valid one, it’s a pointless one, and we can’t shut out others who need our help.”

Lips slowly parting, I stared at Kat while the human female twisted toward her. “Then what do you suggest we do?”

“Make sure those coming here are being truly vetted and have every single one of our contacts looked over with the finest-tooth comb possible, because I don’t for one second believe that this girl and the Luxen she was with could’ve been all that vetted. Not saying we have a spy in one of our contacts, but I think we have someone who screwed up,” she said, and baby Adam softly cooed. “But that’s just a suggestion, Jamie. A measured, less extreme response.”

“Are you suggesting I’m fearmongering?” the woman demanded.

“I wouldn’t dare think of suggesting that.” Kat met the woman’s stare. “But what do you think the Chicago zone will do if we stop allowing packages in? They’ll follow what we do.”

Looks were exchanged throughout the table, and it was Zouhour who spoke. “You’re right.”

Luc relaxed behind me. “Do you ever stop and think how incredibly lucky you are to have such a brilliant wife, Daemon?”

Daemon smiled. “Every. Single. Day.”

“An additional risk does lie in our contacts. We need to find out how this thing was vetted and allowed in,” Quinn said.

“She wasn’t a thing,” I snapped as the gnawing ache in my stomach moved upward. “Her name was Sarah, and whatever was done to her was done against her will. We saw her when she mutated. She had no idea what was happening to her. She may be as close to evil as one can get now, but a little bit of empathy never killed anyone.”

The human woman opened her mouth.

I wasn’t done. “And just so we all are on the same page, Sarah and I both were changed by the Daedalus. We’re not alike, and I’m also not a thing.”

Luc’s hum of approval blended with my own thoughts as his arm briefly squeezed my waist.

“My apologies.” Quinn bowed his head. “You’re right.”

“You say you aren’t exactly like her, but you both were changed.” Cekiah crossed one leg over the other. “I know what Luc and Zoe have told me. I know what you yourself have said, so what has changed that you suddenly know what you are?”

I