by Willa Alders
I could feel anger growing inside for me. Maybe that was what I had thought Archer had been hiding. Then I felt mad because I was being used and nothing more. Then I thought no, he wouldn’t hurt me. He said he wouldn’t hence why he gave me the amulet he cared about me. So why was he keeping this from me? Why had he agreed with his sister? Why couldn’t he tell me? Was he afraid, afraid to come to me and tell me? Was he afraid of how I would react to the thought he had to help plan my death? All these questions raced through my mind. Or maybe I thought he was just trying to protect me. Or it could have been all of the above; there was no other logical explanation.
“As much as I hate to say this I’m going too. I can’t really hate Archer either because I know he loves you and I know he won’t hurt you or at least I don’t think he would. It just pisses me off to no end because you weren’t there when I went back Ara. It was almost as if Archer wanted freedom so bad he was willing do anything even if that meant using you as a pawn in some sick twisted plan. You have no idea how bad that makes me just want to rip his head off. I would give anything to get the chance too but at the same time I know I can’t. I can’t do that to you. So for your sake I hope my gut feeling is right. I really hope it is because if he fails the outcome is bad. You both will die Ara. Not that I care if he dies because I don’t like him but at the same time I don’t want him to die. Because if he dies that means you’ll die either at the hands of his sister or worse yet you would due to a broken heart. I don’t want that Aralynn –I don’t want you to die because that would be the worst pain for me. I couldn’t handle it I would be insane. I can’t lose you I care too much about you. So even if it means I can’t have what I want most then I accept that fate because you living means more to me than you will ever know. I need you with me and I will take you in whatever form I can have so if that means you being with Archer then so be it.” Avery sighed.
“You’re telling me this now why?” I asked demandingly.
“Because you deserve to know all of it—you deserve not to be lied too. So you need to know that’s why I’m acting the way I am. I can’t help it you have no idea how much I’m trying to move past this, and trying to figure out where I draw the line in being more than an overprotective brother. You really have no idea. It doesn’t matter though because now you know.” Avery’s eyes were burning blue as he spoke his voice was filled with sadness.
“I don’t know what to say.” Was all I could manage to mumble out of my mouth.
“You don’t have to say anything Ara. I didn’t tell you that because I want you to feel pity for me. I told you because I want you to understand that I’m sorry and I’m trying. That’s the reason I told you what I found out so you know what you’re getting yourself into.” Avery said as walked closer to me.
“Well thank you for telling me.” I said trying to digest everything Avery was telling me. “Just so you know your gut feeling is right I know Archer won’t hurt me.” I said wryly to him.
“I know he won’t but his sister will stop at nothing. She’s Abaddon. She’s the bad version of us. She’s equal to you in all shapes. She’s their most powerful only difference is she knows it.” He said with concern.
“Who is she?” I asked quietly. Avery shook his head.
“I don’t know exactly. I kind of got kicked out. Which has never happened before it was almost like someone was expecting me to go back. They put up one hell of a powerful chant to prevent me from going all the way back. We need to figure out who she is fast.” Avery said with urgency in his voice but then he smiled his crooked smile. “But…..you do know what this means right? It means that Archer is immortal too with abilities just like you. This makes me wonder why he hasn’t told you yet! The only thing I can think that may make him tell you his secret is if you tell him yours first. Trust me if you do he will come clean to you, and the sooner you both tell each other the better. Because if can come to our side it would be a great advantage. We could not only figure out whom this girl is and if she is sister but so much more. Archer could tell us her plan giving us some ideas on what we could train you two together. We could make you both stronger, and you would become more powerful together than separate which that alone might just be the advantage we would need to change the outcome of everything. So as much as I hate to say this I’m going to. So if it means that we have to save Archer to save you then I’m in.” Avery said as his face softened.
“I’ll tell him Saturday.” I said as I got a heavy feeling in my gut. I didn’t like the sound of all this.
“Ok. Just so you know I kicking his ass for using you in the first place.” He smiled at me.” He said to me as he smiled.
“Good luck. He kicked yours tonight.” I smiled at him. “By the way, thank you.”
“No problem Ara anytime.” Avery’s voice saddened again.
“I’m sorry this is so hard for you.” I said touching Avery’s arm. I was hurting him more than what I knew and my stomach still felt queasy.
“No worries Ara. Like I said I told you because you needed to know but now that I did I can move on completely. You’ll be easy to get over. So don’t kid yourself into thinking I need you to breathe.” Avery said sarcastically.
“Is that so?” I asked sarcastically.
“Yeah.” He paused.
“What’s going on with you and Madison anyways?” I asked him as we reached our house.
“Not much. She’s a fun time and gets the job done if you know what I mean. “He shrugged at me but I knew he was covering up more.
There’s more.” I said to him inquisitively.
“Yes there’s more. There are feelings there for Madison too. I don’t understand how there is considering clearly I’m not over everything that happened in the past and yet I get feelings for her. To top it all off she’s human. I’m not supposed to develop feelings for her and yet I am. I’m letting things slip and letting this get too far gone.”
“Well don’t worry about how far your letting it go because I’m sure she will just be a brief fling in a week or two. So I wouldn’t think too much on it you’ll get wrinkles Avery and that wouldn’t be good for the bad boy image.” I raised my eyebrows with my sarcastic response.
The subject we were talking about must have been making Avery really uncomfortable because he fell silent for a few minutes as we walked into the house. He stopped right outside my bedroom door his eyes lingering on me for a moment. I could see the sadness returning; the pit in my stomach growing making me feel worse than what I already did about the whole mess. Yet at the same time I felt relief because Avery told me what he found out about Archer and why he was being a total dick to me. I knew I hurt him and as much as I didn’t like Madison I hoped she would help him move on and he seemed to have some feelings so that was a good sign.
“Thanks Ara for hearing me out.” He said and I nodded. “I’ll check on Kilyn again because I know something is off about her I’m just not sure what it is exactly. Be careful tomorrow with her Ara ok! Try not to hang out with her too long. If you are going to be longer let me know through mind speak and I’ll stay close with Sam. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Avery said kissing my forehead then jamming his hands in his pockets.
“I will. Thank you.” I said to him flipping on my bedroom light.
“You’re welcome.” He said heading into his room.
I turned my iPod on and listened to the music grabbing a book off the shelf. I changed into shorts and shirt and plopped on my bed. I began reading Romeo and Juliet trying to take my mind off everything that had happened tonight but I couldn’t. My mind was racing, and my heart was aching. I was aching because of what had happened to Sam, and how he had about died. About how he loved a magical being and she was taken from him. I was thinking about how he said he gave Vida a necklace identical to mine which was even odder.
My mind started thinking about everything Avery had said to me about how he felt. I couldn’t shake that he actually really wasn’t just messing around in
the past. He had felt more than what he led on. He never fell in love and some weird suspicion made me think that he had actually fallen in love and his heart was crushed irreverently. I never meant to hurt him like that but I did. Now he was stuck in some weird parallel and I didn’t know how to make it better. I hoped that things wouldn’t be awkward between us now.
Then all of a sudden I was thinking about everything Avery had said about Archer. About how Archer at first was using me to gain his freedom and then how he was falling in love with me in the process. I ached because I knew what Archer had to agree to gain his freedom –he had to weaken me. Now that I knew he was in love with me it definitely made things more complicated. Especially trying to keep things from his sister or whoever she was hard enough to begin with and it was only going to continue to get harder. This meant we had to keep her in the dark as much as possible with no slip ups. If we did slip up the outcome wasn’t a good one-we’d both DIE!! I wasn’t ready to accept that.
God I hoped Avery was wrong, but he never was. None of us were ever wrong! Any feelings or thoughts with us because of our abilities were always proved to be right one way or another. In fact it had been centuries since an immortal had been wrong. It simply was not possible; our feelings would always come true. I felt sick, because now I had to save my family, Archer and our love. Great I thought again, I was entering HELL! I wasn’t looking forward to this.
My mind started thinking about what Archer had said about the amulet. He said that as long as I wore it he would be safe. I couldn’t help but think of what Sam had said to me about it too at the party. He said that if I wore it; it would protect the one I needed it to protect. Then I thought about how Sam saying he gave Vida an amulet identical to mine once.
Just like that everything started flooding my mind into a blurry cloud of smoke. I was swimming with questions and thoughts, none of which were making sense. When the smoke started to clear I could kind of think clearer. Why had Sam said the amulet was identical to the one he gave Vida so many years ago? Was it the same one, and if it was how did Archer get it? Suddenly it all made sense Vida was Archer’s mom. Was that possible? I knew it was so I definitely intended to find out. Not to mention I had to figure out who his sister was and who exactly was out to destroy me. Was it someone I knew?
Plus to top it all off I had to tell Archer who I was on Saturday. Then hopefully he would tell me the truth about who he was. Hopefully he would accept it and let me help him gain his freedom. Then hopefully we could be together in peace. I knew I should be mad at him but I couldn’t. I understood that he had to agree to his her terms to gain his freedom which hurt me and I was going to let him know he did. I couldn’t be mad either because I too was keeping something from him about who I was. So in a way we were equal only difference part of what I was keeping from him wasn’t about me killing him like his was about killing me.
All I could think about was who Archer’s sister was and what she was currently doing to him. He had said she was mad when he left. I really hoped she wasn’t torturing him. I wanted nothing more than to be with him right now. With that my stomach tossed and turned. I must have been mentally exhausted because next time thing I knew I was seeing Archer and I together in a palace. I knew then I was dreaming…….
CHAPTER 12 ARCHER
I was sitting at a bookstore digging through some old books when I found a book about old magic spells and rituals. Nothing that I was reading really stuck out at first, but in a back corner of the store I found a mythology book that mentioned the words Abaddon and Kintana. Which I definitely thought sounded interesting so I picked it up and start flipping through the pages. It wasn’t going quick enough so I thought about turning the pages and then it happened. The pages started turning without me touching them. That was strange I had never done that before.
I put the book down on the table; I was definitely buying that one. I picked up another book and started thinking about flipping through the pages to page 118. Sure enough it worked. Another ability maybe that I was coming into I thought or an enhancement of moving things with my mind I didn’t know for sure. I knew I would have to tell my mom about it later. I put the book back on the shelf and found one more about bows and arrows. Something about it was telling me to buy it so I put that with the mythology book and walked to the counter. I paid as I dug my phone out of my pocket because it vibrated. It was Aralynn.
She had texted to say Sam was having a party and wanted me there. I texted her back that I was on my way and that I would be there shortly. It took no time to drive to Sam’s he lived barely on the edge of town. I got out no one was there yet. That was good, even my sister wasn’t. Good, I thought, maybe I would be able to tell her about who I was. I walked on into Sam’s which he preferred. He was throwing on a shirt when I walked in.
“Hey man, I hope you’re ready for tonight, it’s going to be wicked.” Sam said already opening a beer.
“I am. Wicked huh? I haven’t heard that in a while.” I said catching a beer. I opened it taking a drink of it then set it on the counter. I wasn’t ready to be drunk yet although my nerves would say otherwise.
“Yeah wicked probably crazier than last night, hopefully.” He said with a sly smile.
“Bro, you always have crazy nights.” I laughed at him. “Where’s Ara?” I asked taking one more drink of the beer.
“That I do. She’s in her room showering. Go on just don’t let Avery see you.” Sam laughed at me throwing that beer away and opening another one.
“Alright, I won’t.” I said smiling as I headed into her room, shutting the door behind me. I sat down on her bed and waited.
She had music playing and I thought about going in the bathroom but decided not to. I just sat and waited. She walked out of the shower singing up a storm to the song she was playing. I learned then she was tone death as she went into the closet from the bathroom door. I walked over to the door as she came out she jumped. I smiled at her leaning down and kissed her cheek.
“I’m sorry beautiful.” I said wrapping her up in my arms.
“It’s alright.” She said hugging me back. “Avery let you in or Sam?”
I shook my head at her. “Avery, nah. He was outside with that girl who was at your house earlier. Sam did though.” I said with a small smile.
She had finished braiding her hair when I walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her from behind. I stood there looking at us in the mirror. We definitely were good together. She was absolutely gorgeous, and perfect. She was all mine. She made me whole and I loved that. I hoped it would all work out when I told her soon. I knew it would though. I wanted to kiss her softly right now and take her in my arms again showing her how much I loved her. I knew that right now wasn’t the right time to do that.
“You look very pretty.” I said contenting myself with that.
“Thank you.” She replied turning around and kissing my lips softly then she led me out of the room then outside.
We were walking through crowds of people, some of the teens were gawking at us as they typically did. She didn’t seem to notice though, she just continued holding my hand and pushing her way through the crowd. Where we were headed, I didn’t know but it didn’t happen because my sister came running up, grabbing her. I growled in my head this was not happening. I didn’t like her taking Aralynn, I didn’t need this not right now.
“Sorry Archer, I’m going to steal her for just a moment. Please forgive me.” Kilyn sneered to me in a fake sincere friendly voice.
I could see right through her though. I knew this was a test to see if I was doing her bidding well. I knew that if she didn’t think so then I would be punished for it later which wouldn’t be good. I just hoped that Aralynn would unknowingly do her part and convince my sister that everything was right on track.
“I’ll be back soon I promise.” Aralynn said kissing my cheek then walking off.
She was completely clueless I thought. She hadn’t a clue that my sister was the evil being w
ho was planning a horrible torturous death for the both of us. I had to tell her it was becoming more and more evident which was making me sick. I made my mind up I would somehow pull her away from everyone and tell her who I was on Saturday. I had too. I just hoped she would understand why I couldn’t tell her at first, and that I didn’t mean to hurt her. I would never hurt her if I could help it and that I had been doing everything to keep her safe. I also hoped that my sister didn’t realize my plan in the meantime because if she did nothing good would come from it. She would make me watch her kill Aralynn, and then make my death long and painful. I felt like I was going to be sick again. I needed a drink to calm my nerves before Aralynn came back to me. So I went and found a cooler, and grabbed a beer. I found Sam he was sitting there on the step watching some girls walk away.
“Having a blast yet?” He asked me as I sat down next to him.
“Yeah until Kilyn ruined it.” I grunted.
“Yeah girl talk I hate that. I never quite understood what they talked about for so long.” He laughed at me hitting my bottle with his can.
“Me either.” I said shaking my hand hoping to God she wouldn’t talk to my sister long.
“On another note we have to give Aralynn a hard time. I was helping her with something and she kissed my cheek. I told her I wouldn’t tell you. I figured it would be funny to mess with her on the flipside.” Sam laughed taking a drink of his beer.
“Yeah we can.” I said, knowing I wouldn’t but if it made Sam have a good night then I was down for it. Truth was I wasn’t worried. I had nothing to worry about Sam was like her brother. No big deal I found it rather funny because I could see Sam giving her a hard time about it.