“When will your obsession with her end?” I spat, sick of hearing him talk about her. He had no right. Archer wasn’t worth the dust beneath her shoes, and he thought he could discuss her as a bride. As a bride to Hunter.
The weight of my responsibility sat on my chest. It demanded to be released from its binds. It longed to reach out and infect everything it touched. I would have let it run rampant without so much as a thought about the consequences if only I could.
“When you’re dead.”
“Then go!” I gestured towards the stairs, and the clanging of the chains against the bars echoed around us. “You’ve been cultivating the oleander, Archer. Why wait for Hunter’s say-so? It was at your home. It was in your lab. You can get it and finish the job now rather than prattling on. Death is a better option than hearing you monologue like some low-budget film villain.”
The silence was brief, but it spoke volumes.
“Oh,” I said, lighting up. The laughter flooded out of me again. “Oh, dear.”
“Shut up,” Archer seethed through his teeth.
“You don’t know where it is, do you? What happened, Archer? Were you deemed too much of a liability?”
“It’s none of your concern.” His hands had balled into fists and thin tendrils of his green aura started to drift lazily around him. “You should count your days, Grayson. Elysia will be a better place without you.”
Archer turned on his heel and started towards the stairs. At least he was learning when to walk away from a fight that he was losing. I was under the impression that Archer and Hunter had become partners in crime, but I should have known better. Hunter wouldn’t allow anything to be out of his control. He’d given Archer the illusion of partnership so that he would comply. Now that his plans were in motion, the illusion was shattered.
“I won’t argue that point with you,” I said as he retreated. “But it’s not exactly a paradise with Hunter, is it?”
He continued to walk, and I pushed myself away from the bars, resuming my position on the floor against the wall.
“Larkin was never happy with him. You might think I’m stupid, but I noticed it immediately. It only took a few months for her to change. Don’t get me wrong, Erik always said there was never love between them, but she oozed vengeance. I didn’t care enough to figure out why, but it was clearly something.”
The footsteps fell silent, and I glanced towards the stairs to see Archer frozen at the bottom of them.
“You know something. You must have sensed it. That Larkin was keeping a secret.” When he refused to engage in conversation, I carried on. “And he told all of Elysia how much he loved Larkin. You remember the way he would walk with her through the streets? All those bouquets of flowers and dinners he would take her to. You must remember. And you mustremember how quickly they faded away after they’d said their vows. We both know he doesn’t love Quentin.”
“Neither do you.”
My nails dug into my thighs and relished the pain it brought forth. “Whatever helps you to sleep at night. But my point is, Larkin changed because of him. You’re a fool if you think that he’s going to treat Quentin like some sort of long-lost Queen. Hunter is my brother, and he’s only ever cared for himself.”
“It runs in the family. Clearly.”
“You’re so blinded by your hate you’re ignoring your own instincts. That is a dangerous game, Archer. Ignorance can only bring you peace for so long.”
It was an easy thing to do. You got too wrapped up in whatever was happening in your life—a vendetta; finding your soulbound—and you forgot to listen. Archer was so hellbent on my death that he would skew everything to fit his narrative, but I needed him to take off the rose-tinted glasses.
I never thought I would look at Archer as my only option. Not a lifeline. No. I still wasn’t sure if I would ever make it out of this cell. But being trapped meant that there was no way for me to keep an eye on Quentin. Erik hadn’t come to visit, and Ig had more sense than to place himself and Elva in the firing line. Even if they eventually showed up, it might be too late for Quen at that point. And so here I was, trying to get Archer to see sense. Leading him back towards the path I needed him to be on. Asking him directly would only get me a no. I needed to be smarter than that.
“I have never ignored my instincts,” he said, turning back around to face me.
“Then you’ll know that Hunter can’t be trusted. I’d bet my life on the fact he’s probably already crossed you, whether you choose to admit it or not.” I eased the pressure of my nails against my thighs.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Archer said. “It was a mistake coming down here. Waste of my time.” He turned around and started up the stairs.
In a last-ditch attempt, I called out after him. “I can appreciate the irony that your arrogance is what will kill my soulbound while you believe you’re doing what is right. Maybe we aren’t that different after all.”
I had no idea if it had fallen on deaf ears.
“Why are you taking me down to lower Elysia this time?” I asked, standing in the middle of the living room.
When Hunter mentioned we would take another trip to the more salacious side of Elysia, I immediately went on high alert. Our last trip was only a few days ago, and I was still reeling from being kicked out of Gray’s parents’ home.
I remembered the warmth that filled me when Evelyn embraced me during our first meeting. The way she asked for my orchids to add to her garden because I would be part of the family. Gray’s parents were by no means a replacement for my own—no one could ever replace my parents—but I’d forgotten what it felt like to be loved and cared for by parents. It dulled the pain of my loss and gave me hope I wouldn’t be a solitary figure in life. Now, all I could see was the way Eva’s aura flared into life as I abandoned Gray. She had probably ripped my orchids fromher garden and sent them up in flames. And I wouldn’t blame her.
“You don’t sound like someone who trusts me,” Hunter said, eyeing me carefully.
