The Archer Queen

by Blake, Nova

  Every muscle in my body tensed as the pain hit me. I cried out, losing contact with the boy and falling back onto the floor. I was on fire inside. I could feel the sweat spring to my own brow, feel the twisting pain burning inside my body.

  And then it was gone. Burned up by the magic. Cleansed by fire.

  When I sat up the woman was looking at me aghast. Her hand was pressed to her mouth as though to suppress a cry and she shook her head slowly as if struggling to believe what she had just seen.

  "You bear the Mark," she whispered. "You've healed him."

  I looked over, and sure enough some of the color had returned to his face and his fever had broken. I let out a sigh of relief and then wiped the sweat from my own brow, then dragged down my sleeve to cover the Mark again.

  "Please don't tell anyone of this," I said, locking eyes with the woman. "I don't need the attention, and I can't heal everyone. Please?" I begged her with my eyes, hoped that in return for what I had done she would keep my secret.

  "I won't tell a soul," she said. And then she stood and held a hand out, helping me to my feet before she wrapped me in an embrace. "Thank you," she said, over and over again.

  14

  Farrow

  Thomas slammed his hand against the door, pushing it closed behind Jaelyn. And then he whirled to face me, his finger pointing at my chest like an arrow.

  "What the hell was that about, Farrow?" he hissed.

  I shook my head, but didn't step back. This man did not intimidate me. He might be broader, but I had more height; and besides, I didn't need physicality to win this fight. "I was simply asking a question," I said, trying to keep the amusement from my voice.

  "Just?" He let out a sigh and spun to face the door, dragging hands through his thick brown curls. "You don't know her." He said this quieter, as if he was questioning how much he knew her too. I'd warrant, not as well as he thought. Even in the few days since we'd met, I had seen her change. I knew there would be more to come. I could see it inside her, burning bright.

  It was beautiful.

  "I might not know her past, but I can see her future. I think, if you're honest, you can too."

  Thomas spun back to face me, his lips pressed tightly together, trying hard to keep the words inside. It wouldn't take much to make him explode, to get those words out. I cocked my head, and flung an arrow at him.

  "I bet if you had it your way, she'd be at home, pregnant, looking after the children while you were off hunting."

  Perhaps it was more like a full quiver.

  His face went deep red and I could see him grind his teeth together. "You don't know me either!" Thomas yelled the words, flinging his hands in the air as he spoke. "I would never make her do anything she didn't want to. If she wanted to stay on the hunt I would happily stay home with kids. Hell, I'd have no kids, if they aren't in her plan. But clearly, she doesn't know what her plan is yet." He gestured to the door. "And your demand to know have driven her away."

  I swallowed, looking to the door and then back to him. "I like this side of you," I said. "And your plan, Thomas. Is to please her?" I raised an eyebrow, but there was no mockery in it. I thought Thomas could tell. "You might not have big dreams, but you cannot get in the way of her thinking bigger than just you."

  He swallowed hard, the tension fleeing his body. "She is my dream, she has always been my dream and it has taken a long time for her see that she wants me too, that change can be good. That we can be good."

  "You are good for her, you give her the stability she needs in this changing world," I said. The words were coming from inside me, and I knew the truth of them even if they didn't pass through my brain before they left my lips. Sometimes, that happened to me. Prophecy, passed down through my grandmother’s people. "And I will challenge her where you won't. She needs that too."

  Thomas let out a long sigh, his shoulders curving forward. "Truth."

  "Truce?" I asked, holding a hand out towards him. "I have nothing but the best wishes for Jaelyn. I am her arrow, as are you."

  Thomas straightened and looked me in the eyes, something shifting behind them, his mindset realigning. I didn't know what he was thinking, but when he reached out and gripped my hand, shook it like we were making a pact, I knew things would be okay.

  "Brothers," he said. "For as long as Jaelyn wants us both, I will protect you as if you were my kin." He bowed low over our hands, the gesture, the words, had the feeling of an oath, maybe from his family. I wasn't sure what to offer in return.

  "Brothers," I agreed, bowing to him as well. A tremble of magic shot between us and I let go, stepping back.

  That had been a surprise.

  Thomas eyed me warily, but when I shook my head to tell him that it hadn't been me, he seemed to understand. This was beyond us. This was about Jaelyn.

  "We should go and find her," he said. "She should have had enough time to pull herself together by now."

  "Is that why you shut the door?" I quirked an eyebrow.

  He nodded, frowning as he glanced around the room. "She has a habit of avoidance. She doesn't know her own power yet. Come on, let's go."

  I spotted her cloak and grabbed it from the hook behind the door, and then we were off, into the night to find our lady.

  15

  Jaelyn

  The room was empty when I got back to it and the silence was exactly what I needed. The bath was still full but it was only lukewarm now; still, I stripped off and sank into it anyway needing to be clean for the first time in days. It didn't take long before a shiver ran through my body though and I scrubbed my body, my hair, wanting to get out as quickly as possible.

  And then something struck me.

  I had magic.

  Fire magic.

  A slow smile crept over my face and I splayed my fingers against the walls of the tub, pushing out with my magic. It felt like nothing at first, and then my skin tingled and heat flooded the water, warming it to the perfect temperature.

  I let go of the seep of power and relaxed into the tub until only my head was sticking out.

  It felt divine.

  I could get used to this.

  All of it, in fact. We might be holed up in a rundown inn, but I had two men on my side, and swelling magic in my veins. And tonight, I had helped not one, but two people. I'd used both my hunting skills and my magic to make a difference.

  It had felt good.

  Like the beginning of a want, a need. A desire to do something. To make a difference. One that Anya and her family were not making. One that the rulers of this court were not providing either.

  But could I really be the one to change things?

  I examined my hands in the water. There was perhaps a little more dirt under the nails than normal, nails that had grown and become ragged because I hadn't stopped to trim them. There had been blood spilled on these hands now too, but they looked the same. Unchanged. Yet I knew they could do so much more now.

  Was it because of the magic? Or just the fact that I was out of my comfort zone. Out in the world, seeing how things really were. Did it even matter? Because Anya would never let me take the throne, even if I wanted it.

  I didn't want it. But I did want to make a difference and the magic helped with that. With or without it, I would find a way to create change. I knew that now. It might not be what Farrow wanted from me, but it felt good, right. I'd been so naive before I'd left the Court of Stone. I'd thought that despite the fact we had no True Queen, things were still okay.

  I'd been so wrong.

  My pleasure in the warmth of the bath evaporated so I dragged myself out and toweled off, dressing in a simple robe. I picked at the food that remained on the platter and then collapsed into bed, letting sleep take me.

  * * *

  Someone shook my shoulder and I pushed them away groggily.

  "Wake up, Jae."

  It was Thomas.

  I opened one eye and glared at him. "Why?"

  He exhaled, his shoulders slumping a
little. "Because we need to talk."

  "And if I don't want to?" My stomach gurgled, and I didn't think it was because I was hungry. He had that look in his eyes, the steady one, the one that said he wasn't going to wait for the right time because that time was now. Every other time he'd looked like that I had made an excuse, bolted, hidden. But I couldn't do that here.

  I contemplated dragging the blankets over my head, but that would only delay the inevitable.

  "Too bad. You always avoid it, but we have to."

  I groaned and sat up, dragging my hair back from my face and straightening my robe. I caught him looking at my chest, at where the fabric had revealed the side of my breast. The want in his eyes made me blush.

  "Out with it then," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat and trying to maintain my composure.

  He sighed again. This was going to be bad. One way or another. "Farrow had a point. About you."

  I sucked in a breath. That was not what I'd been expecting. In fact, it was worse. I looked around the room then, scanning for the other man, but he wasn't there.

  "Where is he?"

  "Arranging a meet with his friend at the Court," Thomas said. "But that doesn't matter. He challenges you in ways that I don't. I can see that now. I think you need that."

  "I—"

  "No, just let me say this. I love you. You know that. And I want to be with you, but more than that I want you to be happy. If you want to be queen."

  "Thomas!" I squeaked, hating the sound of those words on his tongue. "Just stop. Stop it."

  "I need to get this out, Jae. I want you to chase your dreams and grow and be everything you can be."

  The grief in his eyes made my gut clench and my heart ache. It was like he thought that in order to grow I had to leave him behind. I gripped his chin and made him look at me. "I don't have dreams to chase Thomas, but I have a heart and right now, it's what I want to follow."

  I moved forward then, pressed my lips to his with such ferocity that he was pushed backwards. "I want you, Thomas," I whispered into his mouth and he sucked those words from me, drew them into his own lungs and swallowed them as if they were the very air itself.

  16

  Jaelyn

  After we were dressed to Farrow's satisfaction in the Court of Lakes attire, he led us out through the city. It felt different in the daylight, all the shadows had been chased away and the sun was bright, glinting off the white clay buildings. Not a trace of threat remained.

  I had to wonder if this fooled everyone into thinking things were okay, when I knew that they weren't. Not really. That small glimpse into the underbelly, the knowledge that there was no security or safety here burned in my belly, but I had to push it down. Farrow had already said that the queen of this court would be angling to become True Queen, and I didn't need to alert her to my presence by making demands that things be changed.

  It took a while for me to realize that we were retracing some of my steps from the night before, down the same road to the lake shore. And over there was the alley I had saved the woman in. It'd not uttered a word to either Thomas or Farrow about what had happened. It wasn't that I was hiding it exactly, just that I didn't want to worry them.

  And also… I wanted to keep it to myself. To hold that nugget of warmth, that knowledge of my power inside me.

  For now, anyway. That glimmer of magic, the way I'd been able to help the woman and her son had sparked something new in me, something fragile and delicate. Something I wanted to foster before I spoke it into words outside of my head.

  We crossed over the bridge, the same one I'd sat on, but now in the daylight I could see a much bigger, grander bridge to the west. Both this one and that led to the same cluster of buildings above the water, the white reflecting in the placid surface of the lake, the curves of the walls, the glass, all making it look like some miraculous mirage. Something ethereal and light.

  Farrow saw where I was looking and said, "That’s the official entrance. For important people." He winked at me.

  "Ah," I said with a slight nod.

  "Not that we aren't important," he rushed to add. "But this way they'll pay less attention to us, and that's what we want. For now, we're just visiting the court to take in the sights, and then tomorrow we might use the main path. We'll see. Depends what Killian's plan is."

  "He's coming up with a plan?" I raised an eyebrow.

  "He knows this place better than any of us, so it makes sense."

  "And this Killian. What's he like?" Thomas asked. He moved so that he was walking between me and Farrow, and I had to stop myself from smirking at the not-so-subtle move. Every time he said he didn't mind what was growing between Farrow and I, I believed him, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from creating a physical barrier anyway, as if he just wanted to keep me to himself for a little bit longer. I slipped my hand into his and squeezed it reassuringly.

  "You'll see soon enough." Farrow winked at Thomas this time, causing him to pause mid stride for just a moment before he caught himself. "Honestly though, he is nothing like his mother. He and I go a long way back."

  There was a wistful tinge to his voice that I didn't understand, but then he shook himself free of it. Longing? Or something akin.

  Thomas didn't seem to notice though, he pressed on with his questions. "And you trust him? That's really all that matters."

  "With my life."

  "Good enough for me, then," Thomas said with a firm nod.

  "And me," I added. There was a warm feeling of trust between us now, as if whatever the guys had spoken of when I'd run had helped to clear the air between them. I'd never been in a relationship with more than one person at a time and it was going to take some getting used to. Hell, I'd barely been in a relationship with one person! It was all new to me. And scary. Letting them get closer to me meant I kept mining new parts of my heart and mind. I'd avoided change and risk for so long…

  Now look at me. Every day was a risk. Every kiss, too.

  The lake glistened below, sparkling in the sunlight. It was so pretty, too pretty to think about sirens and other things that might be lurking below the surface. Soon, we made it to the other side and the guards gave us a cursory look before admitting us through the gate.

  This court felt so different from what I was used to. There were many levels of deck and ramps leading between doors, a courtyard that opened into the lake itself, where a few people swam. Aquatic plants grew from the water through holes in the deck, arranged artfully to form partial walls, or nooks.

  It was beautiful.

  "This way," Farrow said. He led us on, away from the main buildings, towards what looked like a secluded area with an actual wall, not one made from greenery. There was man standing sentry at the small gate there. He wore loose black clothing, in contrast to the light colors this court seemed to prefer. He had straight black hair which fell to above his ears, the front was longer and swept over his brow, fanning over his eye.

  I assumed he was a guard, but then Farrow stepped up to him and they clasped forearms, pulling into each other for a hug. A grin spread across the man's face and I realized that this must be Killian. Their hug lingered longer than I thought was normal, and then kissed.

  On the lips. Deep and slow. Lingering.

  My mouth dropped open and a tingle of heat shot up from my core, my nipples tensing at the sight. I knew that men loved each other, and women loved each other too, but I hadn't seen men kissing like this and it was intriguing and… Hot.

  It was hot.

  "Well," Thomas said. "I guess you're Killian?" He raised an eyebrow as the two pulled apart. Farrow's arm went around Killian's waist and they neared us.

  "This is Killian."

  "I see that you are very good friends," I said with a smile.

  "You could be our good friend too," Farrow said, throwing one of his familiar winks my way.

  I blushed and my lips moved but I couldn't seem to form any words.

  Killian saved me, stepping forward
and grasping my hand, lifting fingers to his lips so he could kiss them. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jaelyn," he murmured.

  A flare of heat shot up my arm and I snatched it back with a gasp. "Oh my goodness, not again!"

  "What the…" Killian stared down at his arm as the golden arrow Mark shot through his skin. "What did you do to me?" His face had darkened and he stepped towards me, but Farrow blocked him.

  "Calm down," he said. "It just means you're hers."

  "I… What?" Killian stepped away from Farrow and scraped his hand over his forearm. "I belong to no-one. I am my own man. You didn't tell me about this."

  "I didn't know it would happen," Farrow insisted. "I swear, or I would have warned you." He stepped towards Killian, and this time the man didn't move. Farrow drew up his sleeve, showing his own Mark, and then Thomas joined them, baring his forearm too.

  "We have all been chosen," Thomas said. "Just as she has." He glanced over at me, giving me a light smile before looking back at Killian. "None of us were given a choice, friend. It's just how it is. We are in this together."

  "Well, crap." Killian blew out a breath, and then he smiled. "Mother is going to be so pissed off."

  * * *

  It turned out that Farrow had only given Killian the very basic details – that we needed to get into the castle to steal the bow back for Princess Anya. He'd failed to mention that I was Marked too, that he and Thomas had also been Marked in a way.

  Keep your arrows close, Zodi had said. Who knew my arrows were going to be men. Three of them now. It was a complication I hadn't foreseen.

  Killian had adjusted to this new normal faster than I imagined – faster than I had. In fact, all of my men had seemed to adapt with ease. I didn't understand it.