If I’d thought my skin was glowing before, I was wrong. Now it was so bright I could’ve lit up the entire city.

This was so messed up.

Chapter Six

The room was silent, and I knew I wasn’t the only one holding my breath. I’d never seen my skin glow so impossibly bright before. There weren’t any tattoos on it like the ones I’d seen in pictures of the Aunare, but the glow was just as bright. I didn’t even know this was possible.

I dropped my chin to my chest as I realized that there might be nothing I could do to make my skin stop glowing. This was it. I was going to have to move into the warehouse. Become a hermit. Because I wasn’t going to be able to leave until the glow was gone, and I was having zero luck stopping it before the Aunare man did whatever he did to turn it on full-force.

“Whatever you just did, stop it,” Declan said.

Me? “I didn’t do anything.” I was trying to stop it, not make it worse.

“I know.” Declan blew out a long breath. “Lorne did something.”

Lorne? That was the guy who was looking for me. If I wasn’t so exhausted, I would’ve tried to find out more about him, but right now, all I cared about was making the glow stop.

“I didn’t do anything, Declan,” Lorne said. “I literally spoke her name, and that made her skin glow more?”

“This can’t be happening.” My voice sounded whiny, even to me. “I’m so screwed. I can’t hide like this. What am I going to do?”

Roan shrugged at me, and I knew he felt my helplessness. I could see my glow against him as if I were a bright light shining on him.

“I worked out for hours to make the glow fade a little, and now… I’m serious. I’m open to suggestions. I’ve tried everything and I’m so tired and I can’t—” I was trying not to panic, but my breath was heaving in and out, and I was so tired. So unbelievably tired. I just wanted to go home, but that wasn’t happening.

“Saying your name shouldn’t have done anything,” Lorne said. “I need to see you.”

“No,” Declan said.

“Declan. I’m not asking.” His tone was all demand. “I need to see her. Turn. On. The video. Feed.”

“No.” He massaged the bridge of his nose, and I wondered if he was as freaked out as I was. “Jason’s here. I think he suspects—” Declan stopped, as if speaking it aloud would make it true. “Trust me. I can’t risk using a stronger signal. He knows what to look for, but voice should be fine. The signal isn’t as complex.”