by De-Ann Black
‘Vesper!’ Archer’s voice sounded again. ‘Don’t run. Don’t move, or he’ll kill you.’
Movement from the trees made me trust his warning.
Archer aimed his bow, not at me this time, but at an unseen monster, unseen by me at least. The arrow wasn’t blue or crystal; it was dark, a vague outline, as was Archer, though his ice blue eyes glanced at me before he fired. Even in the gloom, the intensity and colour of his eyes was unnervingly beautiful. His face was sculptured and pale, and his blue–blond hair seemed darkened by the dampness of our surroundings. Everything about him was intense, from the upswept angle of his eyes to the determined line of his tempting lips.
The arrow hit its target; the monster’s cry confirmation it had been wounded.
Archer ran towards the creature, and I grasped the chance to slip into the shadows, away from both the monster and Archer.
Realising I’d gone, Archer came after me, leaving the monster to its wounded fate.
Deeper and deeper into the forest I ran, hoping Sabastien or Daire would find me before Archer did.
‘Vesper!’
A different voice. Daire’s voice. A surge of energy charged through me. ‘Daire!’ I shouted, knowing that Archer would hear me and know now where I was. But I had no choice. I had to hope that Daire would reach me first.
A strong hand grabbed hold of me.
It was Daire.
He clasped me to him, relieved he’d found me safe, and then soared off with me, leaving behind Archer and the roar of other monsters.
I clung on to Daire, who held me close. My fingers felt the chainmail on his chest, his muscles strong beneath the metal.
‘Hold on, Vesper. Not far now,’ Daire assured me, his voice buffeted by the force of the air as he flew towards another part of the forest nearer the city.
We landed in a clearing, surrounded by the tall silhouettes of trees like a wall of warriors protecting us from prying eyes.
Daire put me down gently on the ground.
I felt exhausted.
‘You’re safe,’ he said, brushing my hair back from my face. He checked that Archer hadn’t wounded me.
‘I’m not hurt,’ I said, though I felt the sting of tiny cuts and grazes on my legs from running through the forest.
‘Where’s Sabastien?’ I said.
Daire glanced at the sky. Several silvery lights shimmered in the distance. ‘He’s heading back to the city with the moths. He knew I’d found you, and that you’d be safe with me. There are things he has to do.’ His eyes looked at me with knowing. Did he know Sabastien had kissed me?
‘Why is Archer hunting me?’ I said.
‘Midnight warned him of what we were up to.’
‘Getting me to gift you back the land from Orlaith’s garden?’
‘Yes. Archer doesn’t want the land. It’s not part of his heritage so it holds no interest for him.’
‘So what is it he wants?’
‘We think it’s you. He’s been watching you for as long as we have. We’re not sure what he plans to do, but Archer is a strategist. There is something about you that he wants.’
‘What does he want?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Are you sworn enemies?’
‘We’re not the worst of enemies, but we’re not friends. We’ve fought and argued many times.’
The chainmail and metal wrist guards had faded from Daire. His top was almost back to the soft material I’d seen when I’d first met him. Like Sabastien’s wings, Daire’s chainmail seemed to appear as if by thought and fade again when not needed.
‘Are you cold?’ His grey eyes were filled with concern.
‘No, just tired.’
His hands cast sparkling dust into the air, and moments later a cabin lit by the glow of old fashioned lanterns appeared nearby.
Daire put his arm around my shoulders. ‘Come on, you can rest here.’
Inside the cabin were colourful rugs, a cosy fire and a comfy bed. I lay down on the bed while Daire sat beside the fire. His wings had faded too. Now he looked the same as I’d seen him in the sunshine in Edinburgh.
I watched him carefully. Things were different between us. I knew he liked me. He had a crush on me. But then Sabastien’s words filtered through my thoughts. ‘I can never love you, Vesper.’
‘Thank you for rescuing me. There were monsters in the forest. Archer wounded one of them.’
‘We’re all monsters,’ Daire said softly, looking at the fire and not at me.
‘You’re not a monster. Neither is Sabastien.’
‘We are. Not the type of monsters you think of. Not brutes with sharp teeth and claws. But monsters nonetheless. We are hunter fae, and so is Archer.’
Daire sat beside the fire, eyes downcast. The light from the fire shone on his handsome features. ‘I know Sabastien told you how I feel about you. He told me what happened at the restaurant.’
I blushed.
‘You have to understand that you were spellbound. It’s not the same. And your attraction was also enhanced by the Cupid’s darts that had affected Sabastien. If his coat had cut through a single flower, a fae like him wouldn’t have been tainted. But he cut through all those flowers, and it has made him fallible to love again.’
I looked at the wound on my hand. Purple and blue. The blood of a Purple Thorn and the blue of the Cupid’s darts flowers. Or blue like Archer? The thought shot through my heart and then disappeared again.
Despite everything, it was Daire who had fought to protect me from Archer, and rescued me in the forest. Not Sabastien. ‘Thank you again for protecting me. Sabastien wouldn’t have.’
‘He has his reasons.’
My expression showed my interest. I urged him to continue.
Daire threw stardust on the fire. It sparked into a hundred tiny lights. ‘The girl he used to love hurt him deeply. He risked his life to save her. He fought fiercely to protect her once. Then she left him anyway. He swore he’d never do that again.’
‘I guess I don’t blame him.’
‘Sabastien is not the one for you,’ he said. ‘Neither am I. You deserve better than we could ever provide. Living here, or in both our worlds, isn’t right for you.’
‘You know this for sure?’
He couldn’t give me an answer. ‘I’m taking you home after you’ve rested. All you have to do is stand in Orlaith’s garden and say that you wish to grant us back the land. Then we’ll be out of your life forever.’
‘What if I don’t want you out of my life forever? Can’t we still be friends?’
‘You’d want to be friends with monsters?’
‘I thought you were the good guys.’
‘We are, but all the good guys are still monsters.’
I felt the sting of the cuts on my legs as I sat up on the bed. ‘Ouch!’
Daire saw the cuts. He hurried over and gently touched the skin. Each cut healed into a silver scar, fine as a spider’s web. His fingers moved along my legs from my ankles to my knees which were grazed from scrambling through the forest. His touch felt soothing and exciting, stirring in me feelings that made the colour in my cheeks warm.
He pulled his hands away as if his fingers had been burned, realising our closeness could be something more.
‘The scars will fade in time,’ he said, standing over by the fire, gazing at the flames, looking so tall and such a gorgeous monster.
‘Are you okay?’ I said. He bore no wounds that I could see from the recent battle. ‘Were you hurt in the fight with Archer?’
He turned and looked at me, an expression of surprise revealing he wasn’t used to anyone asking if he was okay. Maybe no one ever had. I seemed to have taken him aback.
‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘No injuries from the battle. No more than bruises.’
I smiled. ‘I’m pleased you didn’t get hurt.’
I sensed him bite his lips with what he’d like to have said. Instead he murmured, ‘The fight didn’t hurt me.’ His
words had an undertone, letting me know that I had hurt him. I’d let Sabastien kiss me.
A noise sounded outside the cabin.
Daire and I exchanged a wary glance. He put his finger to his lips, telling me to hush. He crept over to the door, listening. No sounds. Carefully he opened the door. No one was there.
He stepped outside and looked around. I peered out behind him. Only the trees and shadows could be seen, and yet…I sensed that I was being watched.
Daire closed the door and secured us inside the cabin.
I stood beside the fire, shivering from the chilling thought of being hunted…and of monsters.
‘I won’t let anyone hurt you,’ Daire said, looking fit and strong and capable of ensuring I was safe.
‘It was probably just the wind,’ I said, remembering how Orlaith and I had felt that night in the garden when neither of us believed this was true. Daire nodded as Orlaith and I had done.
I wrapped my arms across my chest. ‘My mother and Orlaith will be worried about me.’ Orlaith would’ve phoned to see if I was okay on my own while she was away, and on getting no reply she would’ve no doubt called my mother.
‘We’ve taken care of that.’ To his credit he seemed to feel a pang of guilt.
‘More spellbinding.’
‘You’d rather they were worried?’
‘No, of course not, but I’d prefer them not to be under any spell or false illusion.’
‘It won’t be long until you’re back in Edinburgh.’
‘What about the job my mother’s been offered in New York? I’ll bet that was just to keep her out the way, as was Orlaith’s trip to Glasgow and then London.’
‘The job still stands, if your mother wants it.’
‘But it wasn’t real. No one was going to offer her that job.’ I didn’t feel comfortable about her being fooled.
‘She’s capable of doing it. We just presented her with the chance.’
I sighed. I knew she was capable. Mum was a great journalist. I didn’t want them to take it back because she deserved a break. And Orlaith was a wonderful artist.
‘We can put things back,’ he offered.
‘No. They were both so happy. Just don’t do any more.’
He nodded. Another promise he had to keep.
‘I’m sorry, Vesper.’
‘For what?’ The list was getting longer.
‘For everything.’
I sighed again. I could see he meant what he said.
‘When can I go back to Edinburgh? I’m ready now.’
A sadness fell across his features. ‘I’ll take you.’ He held his hand out and I clasped my hand in his. ‘Ready?’ he said.
‘Yes.’
The cabin disappeared and we were standing amid the trees whose silhouettes still guarded us. It was snowing, and the ground was iced white. Daire threw a handful of sparkling faerie dust into the air. His wings extended, preparing to fly off with me.
No goodbye to Sabastien, I thought, almost tearfully. Would I ever see him again?
I glanced around. One last look at this beautiful fae world of snow, deep dark forests and cities steeped in shadows of the past.
‘Hold tight, Vesper,’ said Daire.
‘No,’ a voice roared, and then Archer came soaring from the sky. ‘No, Vesper,’ Archer shouted. ‘Don’t go with Daire.’
Archer flew at him, knocking him aside.
Another figure flew towards us in the distance.
‘Sabastien,’ I heard myself whisper, seeing his glistening dark wings power at speed. He was flying as fast as he could through the wind and the snow. Hurry up, I urged him.
Daire got back up and challenged Archer. My instincts made me fight, and I lashed out at Archer, using my strongest techniques to weaken him. I never thought my martial arts were any match against a fae, but I hoped I could help Daire, if only by being a distraction for Archer.
Archer absorbed the blows I tried to inflict on him, and made no effort to defend himself. His ice blue eyes looked at me as if he never would. It didn’t make sense. Archer had hunted me, had tried to kill me with his arrows. Why now would he not want to hurt me?
There was no time to think. Daire lunged at Archer and what seemed to be a fight to the death erupted right in front of me. A fury of wings, fists and dazzling starlight lit up the night.
Sabastien flew down and pulled me aside, a safe distance from the fight. ‘Stay here, don’t run. Stay where I can find you.’
I nodded, thinking surely Sabastien and Daire combined could deal with Archer.
Somehow Archer had gained the upper hand against Daire who lay barely conscious on the ground, entwined with vines of silver and black, and thorns.
With tremendous speed Archer drew an arrow from its sheath, and with his bow he aimed it straight at me. The arrow, brilliant blue crystal, shone in the night.
Daire’s eyes were filled with horror as he realised he couldn’t save me from my fate. ‘Run, Vesper,’ he found the strength to shout. ‘The arrow is poisoned.’
I knew I couldn’t run far enough or fast enough to avoid being hit. Archer’s arrow wouldn’t miss me this time.
Only one other could save me — Sabastien, but there was little hope of that. He’d sworn never to risk his life again for a girl he loved. Did he love me? I think he could have if his heart hadn’t been broken. Perhaps he loved me a little, even with a broken heart. His eyes flicked from me to Archer and back to me.
Then it seemed as if time slowed down. I knew it hadn’t, but that’s how it felt. Archer’s fingers released the arrow from the bow. I heard the sound of it cutting through the air. I saw the final look in Sabastien’s eyes — then he jumped at the last breath, and dived in front of me, becoming a shield to take the arrow that was meant for me.
But Sabastien was too late — and the arrow hit its mark, straight through my shoulder.
I dropped to the ground, with one thought in mind before I lost consciousness. Sabastien did love me. He loved me more than the girl from the past because he’d gone against all the things he said he’d never do again.
Sabastien raged at Archer and then flew off, leaving Daire.
Daire looked at me as he had done when I’d fallen from the cathedral — as if it was his fault.
Archer sheathed the second arrow in his hand. He didn’t need it. He’d achieved what he’d set out to do.
Orlaith’s moon garden was all aglow. I blinked awake and found myself sitting on a chair with Midnight at my feet. Midnight was asleep, though I felt he’d been keeping guard of me.
I breathed in the scent of the flowers that bloomed at night, and a sense of relief washed over me. I noticed the wound of the Purple Thorn on my hand had gone, and I reached up to touch my shoulder where the poisoned arrow had struck me, but it had healed too. No mark, and no silver scars on my legs. No one would ever know what I’d been through, and for a moment I had to pinch myself that I hadn’t imagined it all.
Then I saw that the bluebells and fairy lantern flowers near the umbrella tree had gone. Daire and Sabastien had taken the faerie land and its flowers back. I vaguely remembered standing in the garden granting it back to them.
A few silvery lights flickered in the depths of the umbrella tree. The faeries, I thought, and then they disappeared, followed by the faerie moth with its translucent wings. I sensed they’d gone forever.
The glow from the lanterns lit up the garden. I stood up, not disturbing Midnight who slept soundly on the grass. Everything was as it had been before. Even the Cupid’s darts. Beyond the walls, the city sounded quiet. It was around two in the morning and most people would be asleep.
A silvery moon shone bright in the night sky. It was great to be here again, I thought — and that’s when I saw Archer, standing near the patio doors which were open, the curtains wafting in the warm, summer breeze.
He was every bit as beautiful as Sabastien and Daire. These fae were monsters, but such beautiful monsters.
‘
I wanted to see that you were safe,’ he said, walking towards me. His top and trousers in shades of inky blue glistened in the light, emphasising his lithe physique, and his blond hair with its hint of blue made his pale features more attractive than ever.
My heart beat nervously, excitedly. I couldn’t blame the Cupid’s darts or any spells for the effect he had on me. The attraction was real, even if he was a fae, a monster, a creature of lore.
And as I looked at him I began to remember what happened. Archer had been hunting me, but not as prey. He’d tried to save me from the monsters, those monsters being Daire and Sabastien. Good guys but monsters nevertheless. Yes, they’d wanted their land back, that’s how it all began, but Sabastien had been foolish enough to drop me from the cathedral, something Daire had never planned or wanted, and ultimately, neither had Sabastien. Unfortunately, the thorns on Sabastien’s coat had tainted me with the blood of a Purple Thorn. Midnight and Archer had been watching from the rooftop. The cat had alerted Archer.
Archer’s arrows weren’t tipped with poison, but with antidote. He’d hunted me to fire an arrow, for one was all that was needed, to clear the blood of the Purple Thorn fae from my system. That’s all Archer had tried to do. And he’d succeeded. I was free of the effects. I was as I used to be, thanks to Archer. A monster and a good guy.
‘I came to say goodbye,’ said Archer. ‘And to take Midnight back to Orlaith. She’s fast asleep in London. She’ll be home in a few days.’
‘Does she know anything that happened?’
He shook his head.
I was pleased. ‘So everything is fine now?’
He smiled.
‘What about Daire and Sabastien?’ I said. ‘Will they ever come back?’
‘Maybe, but not for a long time.’
I felt sad about this, yet something inside me told me to let them go, for now. ‘What about you?’ I said to Archer.
‘I only ever had your interests in mind.’
‘Why did you help me?’
‘Because Midnight cares about you, and you needed my help. It was the right thing to do. No more, no less.’