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2
Archer
Iwait for Lena to get inside her apartment. Even when I hear the snick of her lock turning over, I don’t move. It’s a struggle not to climb the stairs and let myself into her apartment. Something has changed with me, with Lena, with us both.
We’ve been friends since the first day of kindergarten. Living on a small island has a lot of quirks. One of those is having small class sizes and a school that houses grades K through twelve. These two black-haired kids walked into the classroom, and it was as if we already knew each other. Lena had been hiding behind Rhys, wary eyes scanning the room for some unknown danger. I’d been drawn to them both, just as I had been to Davis, Ruby, and Ezra. Even Miri when she moved to the island.
Rhys and I hit it off immediately; he was a sarcastic shit even back then. Lena was his shadow. Quiet, shy, always trying to stay out of anyone’s notice. From the first second I laid eyes on her, I had this need to protect her. To keep her from harm.
I failed.
A lot.
Their piece of shit dad beat them. I can’t even imagine how often it happened because it seemed like a lot, but I’m certain I never knew the half of it. Rage simmers beneath my skin and I clench my fists with the need to hit something as ancient memories creep out of their vault and needle me. I take a deep breath, shake out my hands, and banish those dark thoughts. Now is not the time to take a trip down the nightmare version of memory lane.
Lena could barely stand upright by the time she went inside. I still hadn’t been able to stop myself from crowding her, leaning into her as she’d rested against the wall. She looked pale and the tired bruises under her eyes made her irises look almost purple. I’ve always known Lena is beautiful, almost ethereal looking, but I think tonight is the first time I’ve been willing to admit to it myself. Her midnight hair, those flawless eyes that see so much, the full, pink pout of her lips. I don’t know how I’ve never noticed how astoundingly beautiful she is until recently. She’s always been my friend, but lately, there’s been an ache deep in the recesses of my soul that’s been pushing for more.
The night has left me wired, jittery, after everything that went down. I don’t want to go home, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to head back to Paul’s Tavern. Rhys and I have been butting heads for the last month, ever since Lena helped heal Miri.
At first, I thought it was because he was afraid I’d put Lena’s life in jeopardy by helping her. I’d somehow lent her some of my magic or energy so she could heal our friend. To be honest, I don’t totally know what I did. Now I’m not so sure that’s why Rhys keeps pissing me off. I think he might have figured out something that’s only just becoming clear to me. Things are shifting between me and Lena.
Fuck it, I’m going back to Rhys’s bar. Hopefully, he can get his undies out of his ass long enough for me to get a drink without a side of smartass. Part of me understands. Rhys isn’t great with change on a good day. When it comes to his sister, he’s even less forgiving. It's not really his decision, though. Lena has always been gorgeous, sweet, funny, but it’s as if it’s been hidden behind the mask of the child I grew up with. Somehow, I missed that she’s grown into a smart, capable woman.
Now I can’t turn off those thoughts. It’s all I can think about. What Lena’s lips feel like. What she tastes like. What it would feel like to be buried deep inside her. I groan and shake out my hands again. This is bad. We don’t know for certain, but if I had to put my money on it, I’d bet Lena is supposed to be my partner in the Axis. My soulmate, my… what was the Fae word from that damn diary? My iomlán.
We don’t know for sure, but it feels right. That’s part of what scares me the most. Our parents tried to form an Axis years ago. It fucked them all up in one way or another. Miri’s mom was the only one who walked away somewhat unscathed, except ultimately, she died because of her connection to Anthony and the Axis.
My own father might be included in the undamaged column. But did he really escape unscathed? He’s essentially a robot with no emotion whatsoever. It didn’t make him a violent drunk like Davis’s dad or a sadistic bastard like Lena and Rhys’s dad, or even a cold sociopath like my mother. He’s simply numb to everything. Or that could have been what he was like before the Axis was formed. None of us really knows. And isn’t that a son of a bitch?
What if Lena and I form the bond and something goes wrong? What if we break like so many of our parents did? Getting involved with her isn’t worth the risk of her getting hurt. Except she’s literally all I can think about.
God, I just need to fuck her and get her out of my system. No strings, no commitment, just two friends, scratching an itch.
I don’t realize how close I’ve wandered to the edge of downtown until I’m nearly at a path that leads into the woods. There are trails all over the island where people can go hiking or go out for a walk. There are no streetlights this far out and it’s decidedly a bad idea to be wandering around after the events of earlier tonight.
The snap of a twig has my head jerking in the direction of the sound. I can’t see a damn thing, so I stand there, holding my breath and waiting for any other indication that someone is close by. The bugs and night creatures are still chirping and making humming sounds, so whatever it is, it isn’t scaring them off. I’m not getting any bad vibes either, but that doesn’t mean there’s not still something out there.
Deciding my luck has already been shitty enough for the night, I turn back toward town and head toward Rhys’s bar. Without conscious thought, my feet take me back through town. The only thing that shakes me from my musings are the voices I hear up ahead. I’ve wandered to the bottom of the small rise where the library sits. Jesus, where is my head tonight?
I’ve drifted to the very same spot that Davis found his father’s mutilated body earlier this evening. He’d been arranged and put on display on top of a symbol charred into the grass.
I hate how damn close this is to Lena’s work. Especially because the library is so much more to her than that. It’s not just the place where she clocks in to get a paycheck. It’s her happy place.
The low rumble of an argument reaches my ears as I tuck myself against the wall of a building. As if the shadow sense I’m looking for cover, they slide around me in a cloak of night. My heart fumbles in my chest as it skips a beat. This is not natural. The way the shadow’s cling to me evokes a low thrum beneath my skin that cries out magic. Holy shit. Is this my magic? Before now, it’s only ever surfaced in the smallest ways.
Shoving down the need to freak the fuck out about the hum of power under my skin, I focus on the conversation happening less than twenty feet away. Lena’s father, Scott Marsten, also known as our little island’s sheriff, is having a heated debate with none other than Anthony Hatcher. Scott is gesturing wildly, sweat staining his pits. Anthony stands with his arms crossed in a dark blue suit I would envy if it weren’t for the piece of shit wearing it. Both men are handsome, but it’s merely an attractive facade to hide their rotten insides.
“How the fuck am I supposed to clean this up?”
Anthony sighs and I swear he rolls his eyes. “Not my problem, Scott. Why do I employ you if you can’t do your job?”
“I can’t just snap my fingers and make a murder disappear.”
Anthony pulls his phone from his pocket, swiping it open and scrolling through… is he on Instagram? Even from this distance, I can see a vein throbbing on Scott’s forehead. He’s going to have a stroke. If he does, I’ll have no regrets walking the fuck away and letting him suffer.
“I seem to recall that it is that easy for you.” Anthony finally deigns to respond, and my stomach churns at the words. I know Scott’s corrupt as they come, but covering up murder? Who the hell is Anthony talking about? Whatever emotion Anthony’s comment was meant to incite, it appears to work if the haughty grin on his face is any indication. Scott’s skin is an ashy color, devoid of all blood.
“That was different. There weren’t hundreds of tourists tromping all over the place and screeching at this fucking mess.” Scott waves his hand toward the burnt-out symbol in the grass.
“Yes, well. You figured it out once. I’m sure you can do it again.” Obviously done with this conversation, Anthony tucks his phone into his jacket pocket and takes a step away. He turns back around before Scott can react, his hand shooting out to wrap around Scott’s throat in the next second.
“Don’t forget your place, Marsten. James Radford served a purpose, too. But you are just as expendable as he was.”
Anthony launches Scott away, and he scrambles to regain his footing, choking and coughing as he tries to drag in a breath. He’s hunched over, his eyes full of rage and hate, as he glares at Anthony walking away. Thank fuck Lena and Rhys are long gone from that man’s house. I’m sure he’ll be finding some poor fool to take out his aggression on.
I hold my breath as Anthony passes me. He doesn’t even look in my direction as he walks by, not two feet away. Whatever this magic of mine is, it’s insane.
Scott curses, kicking at the blackened grass before he stomps off in the opposite direction. That drink is starting to sound like a bad idea. I’ve likely reached my limit of avoiding trouble for tonight.
