by Chelsea Fine
And a sliver it was.
***************
As soon as she and Gabriel entered the cabin, Scarlet was greeted by Nate. Who was wearing several sweaters and a pair of mittens.
Scarlet didn’t entirely understand Nate’s dedication to their quest or why he was so willing to drop everything in his life to help them break the curse, but she was grateful.
“Good morning, Scarlet.” Nate raised a mitten. “High-five!”
Scarlet high-fived him with smirk. “Morning, Nate. What’s with the arctic getup?” She stepped inside the cabin.
Nate pointed to the living room, where the broken window was now covered with a blue tarp. “Tarps aren’t very insulated.”
“Ah.”
“We ordered a new window, but it won’t be here for a few weeks because someone had to design a cabin with custom-sized windows.” He glared at Tristan, who was seated in the kitchen as they walked his way.
Scarlet raised her eyebrows. Tristan designed the cabin? Interesting.
Tristan said nothing as he looked at Nate, but once Gabriel and Scarlet entered the kitchen, he dropped his eyes to the coffee mug in his hand.
Scarlet wasn’t sure if his lowered gaze was because of Gabriel’s presence, or because Tristan had just felt Scarlet and Gabriel kissing in the driveway. Or both.
Probably both.
Scarlet averted her eyes from Tristan and tried to act natural. Which was impossible.
When her lips had first touched Gabriel’s in the front yard, Scarlet had felt normal. She had been eager to kiss her beautiful boyfriend and feel his arms around her and his mouth against hers.
But once the kissing became more intense, hot jealousy bubbled inside her, heating her veins until it was a relentless boil.
It wasn’t her jealousy she had felt.
It was Tristan’s.
Scarlet had tried to ignore it. But the jealousy expanded within her until Scarlet could feel nothing but the intruding emotion.
Not knowing what else to do, Scarlet had pulled away from Gabriel and now, standing in the kitchen with both Archer brothers, she was completely confused.
Nate looked at Scarlet. “So, what’s up?”
Scarlet looked at him for a moment, pulling her thought’s away from Tristan’s jealousy. “What happened to your mom, Nate?” She looked at Tristan, then Gabriel. “And your mom? Did she…did she die?”
Gabriel nodded. “A long time ago.”
Scarlet’s lips parted. “But didn’t she drink water from the fountain of youth?”
Nate smiled sadly. “Water from the fountain of youth is fatally addictive.”
“What?”
He nodded. “Even just a drop of water to your tongue makes you an instant slave to the addiction. Our mothers,” Nate gestured between himself and Gabriel and Tristan, “drank the water thinking it would heal them, but instead they became consumed with addiction. They quickly depleted their vials of water and soon began writhing in pain without more. The addiction killed them.”
Scarlet’s mouth hung open. “Then why on earth are we searching for the fountain of youth? Don’t get me wrong, I want to undo the curse as much as you guys. But I don’t want to develop a fountain habit along the way!”
“You won’t.” Gabriel shook his head.
Nate explained, “The addiction only works on those who are strictly mortal. You have immortal elements in your body, so fountain water can’t poison you. Or us.”
Scarlet bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Nate said.
Scarlet tucked her hands into her coat pockets.
“So…” Nate started, “was that why you came over this morning? To talk about our mothers?”
Scarlet shook her head. “No. I had an idea that might help us find the fountain.”
Nate smiled and rubbed his palms together, making a swish-swish-swish sound with his mittens. “Awesome! I love it when you get ideas. What is it?”
Smiling nervously, Scarlet cleared her throat. “I think we should use one of the Head Ghosts to go into my brain and pull out my memory of the fountain’s location.”
Gabriel’s jaw dropped.
Nate’s jaw dropped.
Tristan’s jaw clenched.
***************
No.
Hell no.
Tristan started shaking his head.
No way. Never, ever, ever—
“Now, before you guys say anything, just hear me out.” Scarlet set a hand against her head. “I have what we need inside my brain, somewhere in my memories. If we use a Head Ghost to pull those memories out, then we can find the fountain, undo the curse and live happily ever after.”
No, no, no.
Tristan didn’t care how logical Scarlet’s plan sounded. They had no idea how dangerous the Head Ghost could be and Scarlet’s brain was not up for experimentation. The fact that she would even suggest using a Head Ghost on herself was crazy. She was crazy.
Beautiful and brave and completely crazy.
Tristan kept his eyes away from Scarlet, not trusting himself to look at her without growling.
First, he’d had to silently endure Scarlet’s desire for Gabriel when they were kissing earlier—that was new. Now, she wanted to use an illegal head device to invade her brain?
She was going to give him a heart attack.
Gabriel was the first to respond. “Um...Scarlet, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Way to give a rock solid “no”, Gabriel.
“Why not?” Scarlet looked at Gabriel sternly. “We get the memory, we find the fountain, we’re free of the curse.”
“Yeah, but…” Nate tried to scratch the back of his head with a mittened hand. Finding the mitten to be problematic, he yanked both off his hands and tossed them on the counter. “We don’t know how dangerous Head Ghosts are. What if the Head Ghost causes brain damage or permanent amnesia or turns you into a crazy person—”
“The fountain could fix all that.” Scarlet’s eyes were hard and her face was flushed.
Gabriel shook his head. “We don’t know that for sure. What if the Head Ghost damages your brain and the fountain can’t fix it?”
“Then at least the curse will still be broken and you two,” she gestured at Gabriel and Tristan, “will get to live normal lives.”
Tristan tried his best not to shout out how much he hated this idea.
“Normal lives?” Gabriel stepped closer to her. “Scarlet, we’re trying to break the curse to save you. Tristan and I are fine.”
Scarlet’s lips tightened. “You two are not fine.” Whipping around, she looked at Tristan, protectiveness and desperation rolling off of her in waves. “You live in pain when I’m alive. And you,” she pointed a finger at Gabriel, “aren’t free to love anyone other than me.” Scarlet pressed her lips together, resolve coming over her features. “Nate,” she said, looking at him seriously, “you’ll help me, right?”
Tristan looked at the counter, frustrated by her stubbornness. Stupid, beautiful, crazy, stubborn—
“No,” Nate said without hesitation, as he walked to the pantry.
Tristan looked up.
God love Nate.
Scarlet looked like Nate had just slapped her. “No?”
Nate pulled a box of Lucky Charms down from a pantry shelf and casually walked around the kitchen collecting a bowl, a spoon, and the milk carton from the fridge. “No,” he repeated.
Sitting at the counter, Nate poured his cereal and milk and took a bite.
“Why not?” Scarlet squared her jaw.
Nate finished chewing. “Because your brain has more secrets than just the fountain’s whereabouts. Secrets that we might need you to remember someday. And I don’t want to risk losing those to a Head Ghost. I think the last thing we need to do is screw around with your head.” He shrugged and took another bite. “We’ll find the fountain. But not with a Head Ghost.”
Scarlet turned pouty lips and big eyes to Gab
riel.
“Please?” She stepped closer to him, looking up into his eyes. “Please help me end the curse?”
Gabriel looked conflicted as his eyes scanned her cheeks and lips and neck….
Be strong, Gabe. Don’t fall for her pouty face.
“Uh…” Gabriel cleared his throat. “I don’t want to risk hurting you, Scarlet.”
Tristan breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Agh,” Scarlet huffed and turned to Tristan, her blue eyes piercing his green ones.
Tristan held her eyes. “Absolutely not.”
He felt a flicker of anger pass through her.
Deal with it.
Scarlet turned back to Nate and Gabriel.
“Come on, guys,” she begged.
“No.” Nate took a few more bites of Lucky Charms. Finishing the cereal, he lifted the bowl to his mouth and started slurping out the milk.
Scarlet shook her head in frustration. “All of you are impossible.” She spun on her heel and left the kitchen, Gabriel following after her to comfort her—or whatever else dedicated boyfriends did when their girlfriends wanted to do stupid things.
Leaving his mug on the counter, Tristan left the kitchen as well.
He needed a distraction. And some space between himself and the stubborn brunette who was dating his brother.
Ugh.
16
Gabriel let his arrow fly, hitting the center of the target ahead of him. Standing a few yards away, Tristan did the same, a direct hit against his own target.
The grand archery tournament was just weeks away and Gabriel had entered for the title. Tristan had opted out, but insisted on practicing against Gabriel at every opportunity.
Because Tristan thought he was better.
Ha.
Gabriel drew back another arrow. “I saw you venture to the eastern woods the other day.” He let the arrow sail. “What do you travel there for?”
Tristan pulled back and shot another arrow as well. “Hunting.”
Gabriel cocked his head. “In the eastern woods?”
Tristan shrugged, reaching for another arrow. “I like a challenge.”
What that a hint of a smile on Tristan’s face?
Gabriel slanted his eyes at his twin. The eastern woods were the least ideal of all the land, especially for hunting. Gabriel knew Tristan appreciated isolation when he hunted but…still. The eastern woods? It did not seem likely.
Gabriel found another arrow and the brothers continued shooting for a few minutes.
“Have you caught any decent game lately?” Gabriel asked.
“A few deer, some rabbits. Not much more.” Tristan didn’t look at Gabriel as he spoke.
Something was off in his story.
Gabriel looked at his twin. “I’ve not seen you return home with any meat this month.”
Tristan paused, just briefly, but long enough for Gabriel to know he was lying.
Gabriel’s face broke out into a large grin. “You are hiding something, brother. What is it?”
Tristan looked at him with a raised brow. “If I hide anything, then it is meant to stay secret, is it not?”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, trying to guess his brother’s secret. “What is in the eastern woods for you? Money?” His eyes lit up. “Is it a girl?”
Tristan said nothing as he drew back another arrow with a tight mouth.
“It isa girl!” Gabriel laughed heartily. “And here I thought you were incapable of loving anything outside of your weapons. My brother, the romantic, sneaking off to the eastern woods for love.” Gabriel laughed again. “Who is this woman? Would I like her?”
“She is not a witch, if that is what you’re asking,” Tristan quipped.
Gabriel shook his head. “Raven is not a witch.”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “She practices spells and curses and God knows what else.”
“Well, I like her.” Gabriel shrugged and returned to shooting. “She is attractive and far more interesting than the mundane women of court.”
Tristan stopped shooting and gave Gabriel a knowing smile. “And she is the very last person father wants you to marry.”
Gabriel smiled back. “Exactly.”
***************
The next day, Scarlet exited her small hut with her bow and quiver as the early sun peeked through the trees. It was a beautiful morning.
Birds chirped out their happy songs, dew rested atop the green leaves of spring, and a handsome man stood in her yard. Waiting.
Scarlet wanted to growl. “You seem to have misunderstood me when I asked you never to return.” She brushed past the hunter and made her way into the trees.
He traveled alongside her, his own bow clutched in his hand.
“I have made a decision.” He sounded lighthearted. “If you refuse to hunt with me, then I shall follow you through the forest and hunt with you.”
“You are mad.” Scarlet stepped over a rock. “And slightly annoying.”
“Just slightly?” He smiled. “I feel I am already making progress with you.”
“I do not hunt with others.” Scarlet picked up her pace.
The hunter kept up easily. “Nor do I. But I think we can benefit from each other’s company.”
“I doubt that.”
“I have a proposal.”
“Another one?” Scarlet mocked a smile. “You are quick with your proposals. Is that what you do in your castle? Propose things all day while you eat your giant turkeys and drink wine from the vineyards of Zeus?”
“Of course not. I only drink wine from the vineyards of Aphrodite.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “If your proposal includes joke-telling, consider me uninterested.”
He showed off his dimples.
Why did he have to be so attractive? Why couldn’t he be repulsive?
“My proposal is this,” he began. “If you let me hunt with you, I will carry all your kills.”
Scarlet stopped walking and looked at him. “Why?”
“Because I am much larger and stronger than you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Why are you so desperate to hunt with me?”
The hunter looked down at her sincerely. “Because I want to keep you alive.”
He was a fool.
But….
Scarlet thought his offer over. If someone were to carry her kills, she could bring even more food back to her mother.
Scarlet narrowed her eyes. “You would help me hunt on your father’s land? Take what is rightfully his?”
Tristan nodded.
“And you would not tell anyone of my home or my mother?”
“Not a soul.”
She took a deep breath. “Very well. We will hunt together.”
He smiled triumphantly.
“But I get to lead the way,” she said, turning her nose in the air as she plowed through the trees.
“Of course you do.”
With her back to him, she heard the smile in his voice and pictured his dimples.
Agh. Beautiful men in the forest were always trouble.
***************
That night, Tristan entered the main hall of the Archer estate where his father waited for him with a goblet in his hand.
“How are you today, my son?” his father asked.
Cornelius Archer was a round man with a red face and a great affection for wine. He wasn’t evil. But neither did he strive to be good. “Have you been busy feeding the poor and throwing my money to beggars?”
Tristan ignored the question. “What is it you wanted to see me about?”
“You will be eighteen soon.” Cornelius stood up straight. “And the king has requested the finest archers in the land to join his army as he overtakes the monasteries.”
Overtaking monasteries?
Well, that sounded like a good way to go to Hell.
Tristan frowned. “Which monasteries?”
“All of them.” Cornelius shrugged. “The king wants land and the monk
s have land. So he is serving them eviction notices.” Cornelius lifted the goblet to his lips and took a swig of wine. “But you can imagine how well that’s going. So the king is out for blood instead, which is a far more effective way to do business, if you ask me.”
Tristan wasn’t asking him.
Kicking monks out of their homes didn’t sound very noble. Or maybe it did and that was the problem.
“What does this have to do with me?” Tristan shifted his weight.
Cornelius smiled. “You and Gabriel are the best archers England has.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Tristan said dryly. “We’ve only been forced to practice our skill every day since we were three years old.”
“Exactly.” Cornelius pointed at him. “The Archer family name is legendary and the king wants you.”
“No,” Tristan said.
Cornelius laughed. “Oh, my son. My very silly son. You do not say no to the king.”
Tristan shook his head. “The king has his pick of every archer around. Tell him I am sick or mad. Tell him I am dead. I do not wish to fight for him.”
“What has gotten into you?” Cornelius swung his goblet as he gestured at Tristan, wine sloshing over the rim and onto the stone floor. “Lately, you’ve been acting strange. And Gabriel tells me you are not participating in the archery tournament this year?”
Tristan shrugged. “I do not wish to travel.” There was a certain girl in the eastern woods he had hunting plans with.
Cornelius puckered his lips. “And now you refuse to fight for the king? Do you hate archery so much?”
Rolling his eyes, Tristan said, “Of course not. I simply do not wish to fight in his army.”
“You must, Tristan. You and Gabriel are the best archers in the land. It’s in your blood. It is your duty. The Archers have always served the king.”
“I will not do it.” Tristan turned to leave.
“You will,” Cornelius called out, but Tristan ignored him.
Fight in the king’s army? Never.
17
By the time Laura returned home from her trip, Scarlet had almost overcome her frustration with the boys about the Head Ghost.
Almost.
She still thought they were being over-protective, but she had stopped begging for their help. For now.