My blood ran cold. I could already sense where the conversation was going, but I didn’t want confirmation. There were few places Quentin could be if she was no longer with Hunter and not with one of us. He wouldn’t return her back to Earth when she couldn’t control herself. That left one other place…
“She isn’t with Hunter and Larkin?” Erik asked.
“Not anymore,” Bexley said, turning her head to look at my brother.
“Then where the fuck is she?” I asked calmly, but the entrance hall grew darker as my aura spanned out around us, engulfing any light.
“Archer took her to lower Elysia,” Bexley answered quickly.
“Have you lost your mind?” I roared.
“I told Dionne to keep an eye on her.” She choked on the words as my grip on her tightened.
“You think I’d trust your girlfriend? You think she’ll be of any use against Archer?”
“What other choice do we have?” Erik said. “We can’t go down there and force her back to us.”
“Why not?” I snapped, already planning a way to bring her back.
“You’re not that stupid. It’s one thing to fight Hunter. Archer will figure it out quicker. Secrets are his territory. Be grateful he won’t be able to read her without consent.”
“Her gift—"
“I told Dionne to get to her before she can tell him,” Bexley croaked.
“If anything happens to her, I will hold you and your girlfriend personally responsible,” I hissed, releasing Bexley from my grip forcefully so that she landed in a heap on the floor. “Now, get out.”
Deep green so thick I felt like I was suffocating, dissipated away, revealing a beautiful and sprawling garden hosting rows upon rows of yellow tulips. If I wasn’t concerned about how my life laid in the hands of volatile and vicious Gods, I might have asked to walk between them and brush my fingers along the petals. I craved an act so frivolous and mindless.
“Welcome home,” Archer said, voice close to my ear.
It was a phrase laced with so much affection that it dripped from him with saccharine sweetness. But the words were abrasive, travelling down my ear canal and violently crashing against my eardrum. They burrowed under my skin, leaving me with an uncomfortable sensation that made me want to claw into my dermis and release them back into the wild.
Home.
It was a place I registered with safety and family. It was where I returned after a long day in the lab to shut the world out and recover.
Archer’s fingers were still wrapped around my forearm, brushing against one of the copper cuffs he placed on me as I swayed, bones suddenly becoming jelly. His grip tightened to keep me steady, and I took a deep breath through my nose.
Freshly cut grass. The scent should have been comforting and brought to mind well spent summers, but it was wrong. I wanted something earthier. Something more familiar and chaotic.
“I thought you might prefer it out here,” he said, cautiously letting go of my arm. “I don’t want you to feel you’re trapped.”
“But I am,” I said, finding my voice. It was still hoarse from crying.
“Would you like to walk?” Archer offered brightly, falling back on how we used to spend time together.
“No.”
He cast me a look before nodding and guiding me towards a swinging bench that was placed near the back of his home. Holding it still, Archer allowed me to settle first before taking a seat beside me. He sat a fraction too close, the heat of his body radiating next to mine, and the smallest twitch of his fingers causing our skin to meet.
“I understand this must be overwhelming for you,” he said, looking out ahead at the rows of flowers. Their heads swayed in the breeze, giving the appearance of a dance. “You are surrounded by those you thought you could trust and they’ve led you into a potentially fatal situation.”
Saliva filled my mouth as sourness puckered my tastebuds. There was still too much to process. Too much to understand, and I didn’t know where to start. My body had triggered every mechanism that warranted me to flee, but there was nowhere to go.
So, I panicked. My lungs burnt as I tried to take in enough air. Each breath was shallow despite how much effort I placed behind it. My mouth grew numb and my body trembled with the adrenaline that shot through my vessels. A pain radiated in my chest and a pathetic whimper escaped my lips.
Archer moved, kneeling in front of me. “You need to breathe.”
