The Keepers: Archer (24 page)

Closing his eyes to ward off the image of the lifeless woman in front of him, he held Sienna while she sobbed.

THREE MONTHS LATER

Sienna replaced the book of potions on the bookshelf in Rose’s living room and looked around. It was exactly as Rose had left it, a room decorated in white couches and curtains, splashed with Rose’s favourite colours – pink and red. Tasteful, neat, and comforting.

She’d searched Rose’s cottage, studied every page of the Beckham Grimoire, recalled dozens of past conversations with her grandmother and she was further away from an explanation than she’d ever been.

The transfer of powers, the secrecy, and the details surrounding Rose’s final, fatal sacrifice was still a mystery.

Archer appeared in the doorway, his strong and quiet presence snapping her attention away from her broody thoughts. He wore jeans and a white shirt underneath a black suede jacket. He leaned against the doorframe, his muscular arms folded across his chest. “Are you done? It’s getting dark.”

Sienna nodded, turning off the lamp beside her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“It’s hard coming here. I can’t believe that it’s been three months already.”

He scanned the books scattered across the coffee table. “Any answers yet?”

“No. Nothing.”

“Maybe we should stop searching. Maybe we should simply trust her.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I need to know why she chose to die in order to break the spell on us. I know she loved us and I get the whole binding of your powers and the fact that I needed them restored in order to regain my strength. But she sacrificed herself, Archer. For us.”

Archer’s frown became more pronounced. “Rose knew she was going to die anyway, Sienna. She chose to have her death mean something. She loved you and believed you’re meant for greater things. You dying in a tomb was not part of her master plan.”

“I wish I understood her plan. So far, all I have are a dozen questions and no answers.”

He went to her, pulling her into his arms, his manly scent and the feel of his arms around her bringing her the comfort she’d grown so accustomed to. “Rose wanted you to have her powers, and although she wasn’t willing to disclose why, she always said you were meant to have them. She believed that, Sienna, and you have to believe that too. She was so determined to protect you, protect your powers, that she was willing to sacrifice herself in order to accomplish that.”

It was hard to explain the guilt that racked her, but Archer understood. He carried his own guilt over Rose’s death, and he was processing it in his own way. With the curse against them destroyed, his powers were at full throttle.

Archer pulled back, catching her chin between his fingers. “Poisoned or not, Rose died to save us. She gave me back my powers and she gave you back your life. Her death means something, Sienna. We’ll always have a lifetime of guilt and gratitude towards Rose, but we have to trust her. She knows more about this world than we’ll ever know and she had her reasons for doing what she did.”

Sienna nodded, captivated by his words and the intensity of his gaze. When she looked at him all she saw was love and a sincerity that had her rooted to the spot. “Rose gave me you,” she whispered.

Archer closed his eyes, absorbing her words. When he opened them, his eyes were clouded with a sadness she’d often seen since Rose’s death. With a soft exhale, Archer pulled her into his arms again, kissing her head. “She didn’t die for nothing, Sienna. You’re here because of Rose. We’re here because of Rose. Her death matters.”

Sienna’s eyes filled with tears and she pulled back to wipe them away. “I miss her.”

“Me too. She’ll always be watching over us.”

“Hopefully drinking her scotch and tending the rose bushes.”

Archer smiled, reaching into his pocket. “I have something for you.”

Sienna glanced down, her breath catching when she saw the necklace in his hands. Her necklace. The one she’d spelled years ago to keep him from finding her. Despite that, he’d still found her. Fell in love with her. Fought for her. Almost died for her. And after all that, he was willing to return the necklace to her.

Archer reached for her hand, placing the pentagram within her palm. “I said you could have your necklace back when this was all over.”

“I also said that once this was all over, I’d be leaving.”

Archer raised a brow, but didn’t say anything. Sienna’s gaze flickered from his face to the necklace in her hands. The pentagram stood for everything they were – their connection, their destiny, their bond, and their love for each other.

With a small smile, Sienna handed the necklace back to him, closing his fingers around it. “I don’t need it anymore, Archer.”

His expression darkened with an emotion she seldom saw, and he stared at her for a long while before finally breaking away to look at the pendant in his hand. “Are you sure?”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here, with you. With your brothers. You’re my Keepers, my life, my only family. This is my home, and I was stupid to run all those years ago. There may be others like Warrick and we might always be in battle against men like him, but if that’s the case, then there’s nowhere else I’d rather be that fighting them by your side.”

Archer exhaled quietly and closed his eyes, seemingly reaching to maintain a sense of calm that had been rattled at the warlock’s name. Warrick’s admission that he’d started the fire that killed their parents had been tough for them to process. They’d all reacted differently, the main emotion being absolute fury for the one man that had seemed hell bent on destroying their family.

Sienna cupped his cheeks in her hands. “He can’t hurt us anymore, Archer. You killed him and avenged the deaths of our parents and Sarah. It’s over.”

Archer’s eyes glassed over and he pulled back. Pocketing the necklace, he slid an arm around her shoulders. “Come. No more talk of Warrick. We have something for you.”

They walked outside onto the front porch, now in darkness, and Sienna froze at the top of the stairs, gaping at their surprise.

Ethan and Declan stood in Rose’s garden, surrounded by dozens of glowing paper lanterns. They both wore jeans, thin jackets, and similar sombre expressions. Their eyes held the weight of the grief they all shared, but the quiet strength and power that emanated off them was breathtaking.

They were her warriors. Her Keepers.

Declan stepped forward, lighting the last lantern, and handed it to her.

Sienna walked down the stairs, glancing at each of her Keepers, and drew in a deep, calming breath. Her emotions were so raw, so real, so overwhelming, and the fact that they’d done this for her brought a fresh bout of tears. Not trusting herself to speak, she took the lantern with a small nod.

Archer moved behind her, slipped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

No one said anything, they didn’t have to. Their emotions matched hers, their grief just as great, and the moment just as powerful.

They all missed their parents, Rose, and Sarah, but in truth, their cherished loved ones were finally free.

One by one, they released the lanterns and watched the gentle glow of light peacefully float away into the darkness. It was liberating, and touched a part of Sienna that had been numb for so long.

She rested her head against Archer’s, felt his gentle breathing beside her cheek, and closed her eyes. There were still so many questions, so much sadness and a lifetime of guilt, but the only thing she was sure of at that particular moment was that she’d lost, she’d come home, and her life was filled with a love that most people only ever dreamed of

Rose’s death mattered.

****

By the time they broke out of the forest and crossed the lawn towards the patio, it was late and the house was in darkness, an indication that Declan had gone out instead of returning home as he’d said. Declan had never been one for emotions so the memorial service they’d shared for their family had been a quick one for him and he’d quietly returned home ahead of them.

Archer eyed Sienna as she walked up the stairs and sank into the corner couch. She was exhausted, quiet, weary, but peaceful. It might be short lived and he doubted she’d give up her quest for answers, but for now, she looked more relaxed than she had in months.

Ethan swiped the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table and sank into the couch opposite her. He grinned at Sienna and shook the bottle. “Want some? It’s a perfect numbing agent.”

Sienna smiled. “Although I’m all for the numbing part, I think I’d prefer a glass of wine.”

“I miss Rose. At least she shared my taste in alcohol,” he grumbled and poured himself a shot of whiskey.

Archer reached for the soft blanket neatly folded across the couch and draped it across Sienna’s shoulders. “I’ll be right back,” he said, dropping a kiss on her head and went inside to fetch the wine.

As he headed to the small cellar beside the kitchen, a soft thud in the living room next door had his head rearing up.

“Declan?”

The sound of glass breaking had Archer bolting into the living room. He skidded to a stop in the doorway just as a black-clad intruder aimed a lethal kick at Declan that sent him crashing into the window behind him. Wood splintered, glass shattered, the noise a striking intrusion to their newfound peace.

Declan sprang to his feet and charged his assailant, who swiftly sidestepped him, swiped a vase off a nearby table and crashed it across his head. Declan cursed as glass rained down on him and he charged forward. This time, he was faster, and he sent his attacker to the ground.

Rolling on the floor in a struggle of fists and grunts, they fought each other with similar strength, but Declan was still stronger and faster and quickly got the upper hand by launching his full body weight against the black cloaked figure. Trapped beneath Declan, the stranger hit back until Declan grabbed the flailing arms and pinned them to the ground.

“Who are you and what the hell do you want?” Declan demanded breathlessly.

“Get off me!”

Declan and Archer gaped at the feminine voice beneath the hoodie. Declan released her arm and shoved back the hood of her coat. “You’re a woman?”

Using their brief moment of surprise, the woman broke free and shoved Declan with such strength that he flew backward across the ground, crashing into the coffee table. She sprang to her feet, swung around, and launched herself across the room towards the three daggers against the wall above the fireplace.

Archer was there as she reached them. As he lunged for her, she whirled around, stabbing one of the daggers into his shoulder. He gaped at her, the small woman with big dark eyes and long black hair. He groaned, releasing her, and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the dagger. She gasped, staring at his shoulder. Wide eyes swung back to meet his, and for a brief moment, Archer was caught off guard by the flash of shock that splashed across her expression.

Declan charged her, grabbing her by the neck in a death like grip. She screeched, the sound shattering the quiet undertones of their scuffle, and reared backward in an attempt to dislodge him. Declan’s grip never faltered and together they struggled around the room, tripping over the coffee table in a crash of curses and grunts.

“What the hell’s going on here?” Ethan demanded as he and Sienna rushed into the room. They paused in the doorway, gaping at the intruder caught in Declan’s grip.

Before either of them could react, the room started trembling. Everything rattled, shook, shivered, the noise screeching through the room in an eerie realization that their intruder was not a normal burglar. Cupboard doors burst open, glass shattered, books flew across the room, and the light bulbs exploded.

Taking advantage of their brief moment of surprise as they stared at the chaos she’d created, the woman grabbed the two remaining daggers off the wall, not risking the third dagger still shoved in Archer’s shoulder, and bolted through the nearest broken window. As everything came to an abrupt stop inside the living room, she landed on the grass outside with a gentle thud.

The three brothers raced to the window but she was already across the lawn, headed towards the forest.

“What the hell?” Declan said breathlessly as she vanished into the darkness with a speed they easily recognized. “She’s a bloody Keeper.”

The three brothers stared out of the window in stunned silence.

“What just happened?” Sienna asked, gawking at the mess in the room.

Simultaneously, they all turned to look at her, their shoulders heaving from the unleashed adrenaline that came with the struggle. They scanned the room, the explosion of destruction, trying to piece together exactly that.

“Archer, you’re hurt!” Sienna exclaimed, rushing toward him.

With a grimace, Archer tugged at the dagger in his shoulder and tossed the weapon onto the floor. Sienna disappeared into the kitchen, quickly returning with fresh towels that she shoved against the bleeding wound.

“She stabbed you?” she asked, checking the wound. “With your own dagger? How did you let that happen?’

“She surprised me,” he replied with a grunt.

Sienna turned to look at Declan. “You’re also bleeding,” she said, nodding to his face where a streak of blood gushed from a slice to the forehead.

Declan swiped at his head, glaring at the blood on his hand. “That bitch!”

“Why was she here?” Ethan asked, reaching for a towel beside Sienna and tossing it to his brother. “What was she after?”

“She was after the daggers,” Declan said, anger lining his words. He walked to the fireplace, pointing to the spot where the three daggers had hung. “I was sipping a whiskey on the couch when she simply walked into the living room and helped herself to the daggers.”

“She walked in?”

“I didn’t bother with the lights and by her calm demeanour it appeared she thought we were out. I tried to stop her but she turned into a crazy woman.”

“A hitch in your manly powers, Declan?” Sienna goaded. “How could you let a woman trash the living room and steal your daggers?” Sienna held up the remaining dagger, bloody and sticky from Archer’s blood. “Well, she made off with two of the three daggers.”