I lifted my hand in a placating gesture to Jean Luc, but the moment he worked himself free, he was gone.
See, Jean Luc wasn’t like the rest of us.
His powers weren’t defensive. They were all offense.
That was why he was often overlooked—why people looked at him and didn’t see a dangerous man.
Apparently, they hadn’t pissed him off like Farrow did, though.
The moment he was able to move himself out of Farrow’s hold, he moved like lightning, gathering himself up and then he was just gone.
Jean Luc can fly.
He could also…
A branch from the tree above Farrow fell, knocking him out before he even realized he should be paying attention.
Jean Luc’s powers were of the knock-them-out-and-kill-them variety.
As I was saying, he could fly. He had superhuman strength. He could move things with his mind. And he could get himself free of any hold or lock—as he’d done with Farrow and his telekinetic ability.
It didn’t help that Farrow was still so new to his powers. He didn’t have the same control, nor had he participated in the fights that Keifer used to test our abilities.
“Jean Luc,” I warned before the next branch came down. “He’s a stupid kid.”
Jean Luc dropped down, landing on the balls of his feet with one hand planted into the earth, and glared at the stupid pile of shit.
“I can’t fucking stand him,” he growled. “The kid is a fucking piece of crap who deserves to be quartered and cooked.”
I snorted and turned toward the door.
Wink.
Wink’s head appeared moments later in the parted drapes that covered the window of the front room of my house.
Come here.
My sister’s head appeared next, first looking at me and then her eyes went huge at the sight of Jean Luc standing next to me.
I rolled my eyes at the whispered communication that went on between the two of them while they made their way outside.
“Yeah, Ian?” Wink asked as she stepped outside.
She had her hand around Mattie’s wrist, hauling her with her as they breached the outside steps.
“Mattie,” I said. “This is Jean Luc. Jean Luc, this is my sister Mattie.”
Jean Luc nodded his head. “Cherie.”
“Jean Luc is going to stay with you while I do patrol tonight,” I said. “We’re going to…”
I stopped when Mattie’s phone rang.
She cursed and fumbled it out of her back pocket before placing it to her ear.
“Hello?” she answered.
Shock fell over her face, and then tears started to gather in her eyes.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She hung up and we waited for her to explain the call, me more so than anyone else.
“My house caught on fire tonight,” she said when she realized we were waiting. “I have to run to my house and give them some information.”
“Is it okay?” Wink asked as she looked at her best friend worriedly.
“They said it was a total loss. They weren’t even able to get my neighbor out of his house before it spread to three other houses surrounding mine.”
I swallowed as something, a wave of fear, washed over me.
“I’m coming with you.” I took a step forward.
She held up her hand to stop me.
“No,” she said. “You just told us you had to go to work, not even ten minutes ago. I’ll be fine on my own.”
I looked over to Jean Luc, who understood immediately.
“I’ll go,” he offered. “I’m done for the night. Is that acceptable?”
When she looked like she’d protest, Wink butted in.
“You don’t know what they’re going to need from you, and you don’t even have a car. You’re going to need to lean on someone for now,” Wink said gently.
“I’ll call Shane,” Mattie suggested. “And I also have the Uber app, which is what I used to get here in the first place.”
Wink barely hid her smile.
“Shane’s working today,” she said. “I just spoke with him an hour ago. He said he was going into his lair, and you know what happens when he goes into his lair.”
“He doesn’t take his phone so he can work without interruption,” she growled in frustration.
I barely hid the smile that started to overtake my face.
She was uncomfortable at the thought of Jean Luc going with her.
That was just too bad. If she didn’t want him, she’d get me.
Either way, someone would be taking her where she needed to go.
“Just give in,” Wink snorted. “One of them is going to go with you.”
Mattie grimaced and forced a smile. “Okay, Jean Luc, I hope you’re ready for a wild, eventful night.”
Jean Luc nodded his head. “I have a car at my place, but it’s not anywhere close.”
He looked at me, and I nodded at her.
“She knows.”
Mattie’s eyes widened.
“You’re a dragon rider, too?”
Did her voice get higher in the last twenty seconds, or is that just me? I asked my woman silently.
Wink’s lips tilted up in a smile.