The Burning Shadow (Origin, #2)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Empathy was power.

“Just so everyone is on the same page, if anyone throws a chair leg at the head of someone I care about and I can intervene,” I said, “I’m going to intervene. I’m not just going to stand there.” “Peaches—” “Except for you,” I told him. “I’m going to let it hit you in the head because you have a thick skull.” One side of his mouth curled up. “I’m okay with that.” I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

He rose off the floor by several feet. I tripped over broken drywall, my mouth hanging open. He was suspended in the air, hovering several feet off the floor. I’d never seen him do that. “Have you guys seen the first X-Men movie?” Luc asked, speaking as if he were discussing the weather. “It’s an old one, but a favorite. If you ask me, one of the best cinematic scenes in all of movie history was in that film.” They stared at him, slowly backing up as somewhere, off in the distance, sirens screamed to life. I could hear the smile in Luc’s voice when he said, “I’m going to do you a solid and re-create it.” Luc lifted his hands. All the rifles flew out of the hands of the attackers, then stopped in midair. The rifles flipped around, turning on their owners. I’d seen this movie. I knew this scene. I so doubted there was a Professor X to step in here.