Rae Rivers - The Keepers - Archer

Their agreement had been simple. They lived and worked in harmony and kept any supernatural tendencies a secret. No harming humans, no public displays of supernatural abilities. For the longest time, their agreement had worked, until a few generations later; Warrick’s parents had developed a different vision. Instead of a peaceful existence, their vision consisted of freedom, control, and exposure. A feud had broken out, altering their friendship circle forever. In the end, her parents and Archer’s parents had lost the battle.

Sienna still remembered the fire as vividly as though it had just happened. The image of her house engulfed in thick orange flames and the horror of knowing their parents were inside had affected her forever.

When suspicion had fallen on Warrick’s parents, they’d left town. Then, in a brutal car accident, they died – leaving Brogan and Warrick as orphans, and taking the truth of the fire to the grave.

It hadn’t been long before the two brothers had made it clear that they shared the same views as their parents and would do anything, hurt anyone, in order to have the freedom and control their parents had fought for.

Like hell.

She would die before she handed over her Grimoire.

“I don’t have it,” she said firmly, shoving away the anger and resentment stewing inside.

“But you know where it is and according to the legend, we need a Beckham witch to open it. Warrick seems to think you’ll also know the location of all four stones.”

“Chasing the book is like chasing a rainbow. You’ll never get close, and you’ll certainly never hit gold.”

“It exists and we’ll not only find it, Sienna, we’ll open it.”

She touched a hand to her pounding head, willing the pain away. The blinding headache only clouded her already murky thoughts. It was hard enough to think clearly with Harper pointing a syringe of Rose Thorn at her. The damn headache had to go.

She knew precisely why Warrick wanted the Grimoire. She was simply surprised he’d taken so long to come for it.

Two years ago, in a desperate attempt to bring an end to the wicked hold the Brogan brothers had on everyone, Sienna and her grandmother had cast a spell. Mason Brogan, the older and bigger evil of the two brothers, was spelled into an abandoned underground church tomb deep inside the forests of their hometown, cursed to live as the dead until ever freed. As for the younger brother, Warrick Brogan, they’d cast a spell on him to diminish his powers, underestimating his evilness.

Warrick had retaliated, killing Sarah Bennett, her fourth Keeper and dearest friend. That night had altered the course of their lives and the reality of Sarah’s death had sent everything reeling out of place.

Without his brother or his powers, Warrick had simply vanished.

Until now.

If Warrick ever got his hands on the book and the four stones that were the key to opening it, he’d access the spell binding Mason, and could then unseal the curse.

“Have you found the other stones yet?” Sienna asked, her stomach rolling at the thought.

He grinned, meeting her eyes. “We’re working on it.”

“Even if you find the book, you’ll never be able to open it.”

“They all warned me that I’d never catch a Beckham witch, but here you are.” He kicked at the rope around her ankles. “Bound, weak, useless.” Pleased with himself, he started to chuckle.

“I’ll never help you.”

“You will or people will die. You’re a witch so you’ll never let that happen.” He trailed a calloused finger along her jaw and down to the silver necklace around her neck, his touch light, yet harsh at the same time. “Beautiful necklace.” His fingers clasped around the solid pendant and toyed for a moment before yanking it off her.

“No!” Eyes widened in disbelief as her hands flew to the spot on her neck where the necklace had hung for the last two years.

“A family heirloom?”

His mocking tone stirred the lull inside of her and fury sparked a sudden burst of renewed strength. Sienna pushed at his chest and he stumbled backward. Stronger than her, he recovered with the speed of a demon and pounced.

His slap was brutal. “You’re weak, Sienna. Nothing you do can harm me.”

“I won’t always be weak,” she said, hating that he was right. The effects from the Rose Thorn still ravaged her and until the dreaded herb left her system, she would never be able to fight him off.

“But just to be sure …” he said with a wicked smile and brought the syringe toward her.

She baulked in fear, panic taking its destructive grip. “You can’t!” She tried to back away from him, but stumbled against the couch behind her. “A second dose so soon could be deadly.”

He grinned and closed in on her. “A gamble.”

“No!” she screamed as all three men held her down and injected her with the dreaded herb. The affect was instant and her body went completely limp. She fought for consciousness, tried to claw her way out of the blackness.

And lost.

Much later, she resurfaced long enough to hear the shouting, breaking glass and violence - terrifying sounds that rattled her to the core. She tried to open her eyes, to make sense of the chaos around her, but sleep beckoned.

Then silence fell.

Confusion reigned and she couldn’t move, couldn’t fight back. Alone. She was so alone and at the mercy of these three men.

And out of the darkness, she saw him.

Archer.

“Sienna,” Archer murmured, kneeling beside her. “It’s over.”

“Archer?”

“It’s okay, we’re here. You’re safe now.”

Strong arms drew her in as the blackness engulfed her again.

Her Keepers had found her.

BENNETT ESTATE, RAPID FALLS, CANADA

“Archer?” His name, whispered in the darkness, had Archer bolting from the chair in the corner of the bedroom.

“Sienna.” Archer sat on the bed beside her, relief washing over him. A quick study along the length of her reassured him that she was fine. Pale and thin, but she was awake – and safe. She looked lost in the massive bed and for a moment, he wasn’t sure if the bed was ridiculously too big or if she was simply too damn small. “You had us scared to death.”

“Remind me to hunt down every last Rose Thorn tree and destroy it.” She grunted and tried to sit up, blinking to clear the cloudiness. “That herb packs a powerful punch.”

“It’ll take a while for the affects to wear off and for your body to heal.” Archer reached for her, adjusted the pillows. Her arms felt tiny in his hands, almost as though they were silly little branches that could be snapped without any effort at all.

She settled back against the pillows and ran her fingers through her long hair, the colour of fire, in an attempt to tame the wavy curls. “Where am I?”

“We brought you home.” And about time too. The huge mansion nestled on a quiet estate in the hills had never been the same since she’d left. Private, peaceful, surrounded by forests that had frequently been her favourite escape over the years.

Green eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly glanced around the bedroom. “Here? To Rapid falls?”

“It’s the safest place and it’s your home.”

“Was my home.” She covered her face with her hands and released a frustrated groan. “Dammit, Archer. Why did you bring me here? This is the last place I want to be and you know that.”

“That’s a conversation we’ll have when the Rose Thorn is no longer mulling your senses.”

“The Rose Thorn doesn’t change how I feel about this place.”

Her words stung but he kept a straight face. Her determination to stay away surprised him. She really hadn’t wanted them to find her. It annoyed him until he saw the underlying fear in her eyes.