The Keepers: Archer (20 page)

“The archers are dead. Warrick and his warriors have gone. Where’s Archer?” Declan asked, scanning the area around them. “He wasn’t where I left him.”

Ethan grunted, straightened. “Archer’s gone, Declan. I went back for him but he wasn’t there.”

Declan spun around to face Ethan, his eyebrows drawing together in a tight frown as understanding dawned. “He would never leave. They must have taken him.”

Ethan shoved himself forward. “We should be able to track them.”

“Stay with the women,” Declan said and disappeared in a flash. He did a quick sweep of the area and returned with a grim expression. “No sign of them. They probably used the river. Let’s get Rose and Sienna home.”

Sienna’s chest tightened as though Declan had struck her. She flew toward him, gripping his arm. “You can’t just leave Archer, Declan. We have to find him.”

“Rose is hurt and we have no bloody clue where Archer is, Sienna,” Declan said.

“They have him. They’ll hurt him.”

“Archer can handle himself.”

“They will hurt him!”

“They won’t kill him, Sienna. The only reason they took him is to use him as a bargaining tool to make you more pliable.”

“So we’ll do it. We’ll do whatever they want.”

“No.”

“Declan, he’s your brother!” Sienna gasped, as his words sank in. “We have to find him.”

“Don’t you think I know that, Sienna?” he snapped, gripping her shoulders.

“He needs us. His powers have weakened. He’s hurt.”

“I know.”

“You know what they will do to him. We have to get him out, Declan.”

“I know, Sienna.”

“Declan, Warrick will –”

“Sienna, I know!” he shouted, tightening his hold on her. She gasped at the force of his grip, a strength he seldom used on her. Declan was quick to reign in his temper, and his expression softened as his hands came up to cup her cheeks. “Sienna, I get it. He’s my brother. Trust me when I say that everything inside of me wants to charge ahead and find him, but I don’t know where to look for him. Rose is hurt and we’re under attack. Our first priority is getting you and Rose to safety. We don’t know how many warriors are still out there. We’re no use to Archer if we’re all dead. Safety first, then we’ll look for Archer. We’ll find him, I promise.”

Sienna nodded, trying to get a grip on the panic that tore through her. Her insides twisted at the thought of Archer at Warrick’s mercy, but Declan was right. They had no idea what other dangers lay in waiting for them.

Her gaze flickered to Rose who leaned against a rock for support, one hand clutching her injured shoulder. Through the soft glow of the dying flames behind her, Sienna could see the red blood that covered Rose’s hand.

Anger soared, and she averted her gaze to Declan. “Warrick will be in contact, Declan. You know what he’s going to ask me.”

He gave her a brief nod. “No matter what he threatens, there’s no way in hell you’re going to release his brother, Sienna. We always knew that Warrick was the lesser evil of the two and if Mason’s ever freed, he’s going to be out for vengeance and won’t give a rat’s ass who gets hurt in the process.”

“Sienna,” Rose said, straightening. “Declan’s right. Releasing Mason would mean unleashing an ocean of evil upon this town.”

“And sacrificing Archer in order to keep Mason entombed is okay?” Sienna said through clenched teeth.

“No, but you’re duty bound to maintain the balance of nature. Setting Mason free would unsettle that balance.”

“Killing Archer would do the same.”

“We’ll find Archer another way – one that doesn’t involve freeing Mason. Your involvement with Archer has dampened your senses, Sienna. Deep down, you know what the right thing to do is.”

“I am not sacrificing Archer!” she snapped, hating the fact that they were all right. Nausea took over and she pushed Declan away, needing space from his intense gaze, and the heated rage that oozed from every pore. Drawing on anger to steady her composure, Sienna went to Rose and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you home. We’ll figure this out once we’ve stopped the bleeding.”

Declan caught her free wrist, swinging her around to look at him. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, Sienna.”

“Hell no.”

Sienna didn’t look back as she closed the front door of the mansion. She turned off her phone and slipped it into her pocket. Ethan and Declan were with Rose, patching her wound. With some proper lighting and a gentle clean, the wound seemed less fierce. Her flesh was torn, and she’d swallowed a few painkillers for the pain, but Sienna figured that with Ethan’s careful stitching, Rose’s concoction of magical herbs, and some much needed sleep, Rose would be fine.

Without making a sound, Sienna pushed Declan’s motorcycle to the end of the driveway, ignoring the surge of energy needed for the effort. Anger and worry fuelled her strength and pushing a heavy motorcycle down a long driveway so she wouldn’t be heard when the engine started, was of little importance to her.

All that mattered now that Rose was safe and on the mend was that Archer came home.

The engine of the Harley Davidson roared to life and shoving on Declan’s helmet, Sienna climbed onto the bike and took off with a vengeful fury churning inside.

Their parents and one of her Keepers were dead, the other injured, all of them tortured.

It had to stop.

And she was the one to do it. After all, everything Warrick was after ended with her.

She made the quick trip to Warrick’s mansion with ease and parked the bike directly outside his front door. Her days of hiding and coming through back doors were over.

Storming up the steps, she stared at the warrior on duty who immediately stepped forward to stop her. Sienna cursed and swung out her hand, fingers spread, delivering a quick, debilitating mind blast to the man who threatened to sound the alarm of her arrival.

He dropped to his knees with a groan, and she went to stand in front of him. He slumped toward her and she stepped back, not bothering to check if he was still breathing.

Hell no. He supported Warrick, fed on Warrick’s evil crap, and that was enough for her. Any man on Warrick’s team was in the path of her wrath tonight.

They’d all crossed her and she was itching to dig into the powers she’d been keeping on a tight leash.

Until now.

The front doors burst open from the intensity of her determined, vicious glare, and she stormed into the foyer of the house. Sienna flicked a glance at the expensive marble tiles, extravagant chandelier, and the enormous staircase, the stench of money fuelling her anger.

Two more men came rushing to stop her, but another blast of mental energy sent them to their knees with a loud groan. The three men who followed were quick to hold back once they’d witnessed her ability.

“Where’s Warrick?” she demanded, the tone in her voice sounding foreign to her own ears.

One of the men pointed toward the pool deck and Sienna followed suit, not waiting for an invitation.

Warrick stood on his immaculate patio beside a rectangular pool, barefoot, dressed in jeans and a long sleeve shirt. He had a drink in his hand and an amused expression on his face, looking far too relaxed after the stunts he’d pulled tonight.

“Where the hell is Archer?” she demanded, walking right up to him and slapping the drink out of his hand. The glass shattered against the ground, his drink splattering across the paving.

He wasn’t surprised to see her. No doubt, he’d been expecting her. “Easy, Sienna. You’re in my territory now,” Warrick warned, his tone edged with a defensive hitch.

“Considering how you’ve stomped all over my territory, you don’t know the meaning of the word.”

“Your sidekicks aren’t too far behind you, I presume?”

“No. I came alone.”

“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow, a brief smile making his lips twist. “That makes for a refreshing change. I’m not sure whether I admire your gutsiness or question your stupidity.”

“You’d be careful with name calling, Warrick. After all, I am a witch.”

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten. I’m simply curious as to why you think you can challenge me alone.”

“Need I remind you what I’m capable of?”

“We both know your powers are sketchy, Sienna. And what’s the use of a witch having such strong powers when she’s too afraid to use them?”

“You killed Sarah, sent us spiralling into the river, went after the witch who harbours the Beckham stone, you’ve taken Archer, and you hurt Rose. My list of paybacks has grown to mammoth proportions so you might want to stop antagonizing me.”

“Bad me,” he said with a sarcastic drawl. “It appears I’ve been a busy boy.”

“All you’ve done is rile me up, and trust me when I say that emotions fuel a witch’s powers.”

“I’m not scared of you, Sienna.”

“Yes, we established that the night of your party.” Images of the fear splashed across his face as she set fire to his study came to mind and she didn’t bother hiding the smug grin. She turned off the fake smile instantly and narrowed her eyes. “Where is Archer?”

“He’s … rather tied up at the moment.”

Sienna stared at the warlock’s face, as her energy began to rumble through her, violent and frantic as though it had no choice but to flow outwards. A rustling of nearby trees at the bottom of the well-lit garden hinted at her anger. A rush of air rippled through the trees as a gentle gust that quickly grew stronger, gathering into a small whirlwind.

“Where’s Archer?” she repeated, keeping her gaze pinned to Warrick’s face, her concentration on the whirlwind hovering at the edge of his garden.

“A slight weather hitch won’t deter me, Sienna.” Warrick glanced at the whirlwind and smiled. “In fact, I dare you to show me what you have. We both –”

The sudden onslaught of harsh wind swept away the last of his words and he blinked rapidly, a brief flash of surprise replacing his cocky smile.

The wind grew stronger, the whirlwind gathering speed across the lawn, increasing in its size and intensity so fast that it quickly formed a small, but powerful tornado.

Keeping them pinned in the centre of its wrath, the tornado wrapped around Warrick’s house with such force that the wide-eyed warlock stepped back. Several of his warriors tried to rush to his assistance, but the wind prevented them from moving forward.

Sienna drew on more energy, more strength, empowered by revenge and hatred for the man in front of her who’d done everything in his power to destroy them. Fuelled by her rage, the tornado wrapped around the house faster and more powerful, lifting everything in its wake. Garden furniture, pot plants, rocks, and bushes were pulled into the circle of madness around the house, gathering momentum with reckless speed.

Glass shattered, roof tiles were ripped away from the roof, and everything that could be lifted was thrown into the air.

“Sienna, stop it!” Warrick yelled, grabbing her shoulders.

“Where’s Archer?” she shouted back, her voice barely audible above the noise of the wind. “You bring me Archer, and I’ll stop.”

“Fine.”

“Now, Warrick.”

“Then stop, dammit!”

Just like that, the wind stopped, and everything circling the house mid-air came crashing down around them. Warrick’s garden, his house, was trashed.

Damn right.

“Bring me Archer,” she said to the stunned men.

Warrick nodded at one of his warriors who went inside, returning a moment later with a small, flat screen. Warrick glanced at the image on the screen, grunted, and held it out to Sienna.

The image served as a powerful punch to her gut, and she fought for composure.

They had tied Archer with ropes around his wrist and he hung mid air in a dark, gloomy room. Blood gushed from the arrow wound in his chest and several other injuries they’d given him.

“What the hell have you done to him?” Sienna threw the screen at Warrick and charged forward.

Warrick caught the screen with one hand and held up the other to fend her off. “Easy, Sienna. One word from me and they’ll kill him.”

“Killing him would start a war you would never want, Warrick.”

“All I want is my brother.”

“I can’t do that. Your brother is more evil than all you warlocks added together. Setting him free would unleash an evil upon us that would hurt many innocent lives.”

“My brother deserves to be free and I deserve to have the powers that were mine. You and your grandmother had no right to strip us of either.”

Sienna stepped forward, jutting out her chin in quiet confidence. “We had every right, Warrick. We are Beckham witches, designed to keep everything pure and good about the world intact. You and your brother stand against everything we believe in. Had you used your powers for the greater good, we’d never have interfered!”

“This time, Sienna, you’re the one who can huff and puff all you want, but we both know that you’d never sacrifice Archer’s life to keep my brother entombed.”

His words of truth whipped at her control but she kept her gaze on him, unflinching. Warrick showed her the screen again, the image of Archer striking her where he knew it would.

Hurt, injured, bleeding.

He nudged the screen at her. “Undo the spell, and I’ll give you Archer.”

“Give me Archer, and I’ll undo the spell.”

“Ah, so we’re at a stalemate.”

“I have no guarantee that you won’t kill Archer once I’ve freed Mason.”

“You have my word.”

“Your word is as good as the word of a chipmunk, Warrick. You either bring Archer to me or you say good bye to any chance you have of seeing your brother again.”

“Fine,” Warrick snapped, tossing the screen to the man closest to him. “But Archer’s not here.”

“Then take me to him.”

“Meet me at the tomb where my brother is, and I’ll bring Archer.”

Sienna nodded, although everything inside her rebelled at the idea. “And your warriors?”

“They go where I go.”

“Hell no. If I’m going alone, so are you, Warrick.” She gave him a final glare and pushed past him, knocking her shoulder against his. “I’ll see you in an hour. Come alone, or I go home. And that includes your damn wolves.”

He flashed her a wicked grin. “You’ve met my wolves?”

“They had your stench all over them.”

“Nifty trick I picked up last year. Pity Archer had to kill three of them.”

“A given considering they were after me.”

“Ah, your White Knights are forever at your service.”

“Of course. One hour, Warrick. No warriors, no wolves. And bring Archer.” With a final glare, Sienna turned around and stormed out the door.