The Brightest Night (Origin #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,180

on the dresser, the shade labeled rich mocha. I’d left it there, thinking now wasn’t the time for a makeover.

Concern wasn’t just a shadow in the back of my mind. It was a full-blown, tangible entity that made it difficult to pay attention to the conversation around me. I knew exactly what was keeping Luc away from me. It was what Daemon had said the day before.

It was what I had said to him.

Will that be worth causing your friends even more pain?

That was what I’d said to him, and I couldn’t take those words back. I wouldn’t. Those words were the truth. Luc’s attempts to keep me alive had put others in harm’s way. They had hurt people. They had led to death, and that was something he had to live with—we both had to live with—but I didn’t hold it against him. I couldn’t regret how far he had gone to keep me alive. Even without reading my mind, Luc had to know that. He had to know that if it had been him, I would’ve done the same. It didn’t matter who I used to be or who I was now, I knew I would’ve done anything to save his life.

“Do you really think they’re going to kill them?” Heidi asked from where she sat next to Emery. We were outside by the firepit. They had taken up the love seat, and Zoe was curled up in one of the other chairs.

Looking around, it was almost easy to pretend we were in any pretty garden and things were normal. Or at least the new normal. We were all together finally. Only we were missing James, and they were discussing whether or not Blake would be executed.

So, like I said, almost easy.

“I don’t know how they could let him live,” Emery answered as she toyed with a strand of Heidi’s hair. “Even if he’s turned over a new leaf, he can’t be trusted, and because of that, it’s not like he can just be exiled or whatever.”

“Because what if he’s still working for the Daedalus?” Zoe asked, her arms looped around her knees. “He now knows too much.”

Emery nodded. “Like what this zone is and who is here. The moment they learn this is where Daemon and Archer are? Kat? Dee? They’re going to take this place out.”

“Hell, Daemon and Archer? They hear that Luc and their missing Trojan are chilling here, we’re going to be knee deep in Daedalus officers,” Zoe said. “They’d already know if Evie hadn’t stopped Sarah, and I can’t help but think the entire zone is on borrowed time right now.”

My gaze shot to her. There was something about the way she said that that made me think she was talking about more than just Blake. “What do you mean?”

Zoe nibbled on her lower lip as she shook her head.

“What?” I persisted.

“I don’t know. It’s just that I can’t be the only person who’s been thinking that Sarah had inside help. Even if the contacts out there, the ones at the resource centers, don’t know where the packages are being moved to, it feels mighty convenient that Sarah found her way here.”

I sank into the chair. “No. I don’t think you’re the only one.”

“But if they knew what was going on in the zone, you don’t think they’d be all over this place?” Emery asked.

“That’s what I can’t figure out. If they do know, why haven’t they invaded?” Zoe shrugged. “Which means I’m probably just being super-paranoid.”

“I don’t think you can be too paranoid,” I said, pushing back a chunk of hair blown into my face by the wind.

“But back to Blake?” Emery glanced at her girlfriend. “Things aren’t looking good for him.”

“I don’t know about that,” Zoe said, unfurling her legs. “Cekiah and Zouhour are not about straight up killing people, especially when it leads to the death of innocent Luxen.”

“Presumably innocent Luxen,” corrected Emery. “We really don’t know the truth. Just bits and pieces of the story they want told.”

And man, that was a truth that couldn’t be argued against.

“I just don’t know how I feel about that,” Heidi admitted. “I mean, I get that this Blake guy did terrible things and he can’t be trusted, but what if he’s been, I don’t know, reformed? Or what if he really was doing everything to keep his friend alive?” She looked around our small, incomplete circle. “We all would do anything to keep our loved ones safe. I’m here because of that.