The Rede Breaker

Chapter 30: The Myth of David Tereso

I agreed to leave with Archer, but I still have questions.

Archer rode in like the white knight. He made it just in time and was able to clear the darkness away. He came out of the whole incident without so much as a scratch.

It's convenient.

The drive to the White Thorn Coven's Manor is filled with unspoken tension, even though Archer glances over at me occasionally. I bite my tongue, but the question lingers dangerously close to my lips. If I am wrong, he was there for me when I needed him.

Everything is so confusing.

Archer pulls to a stop in front of the giant white house. I gather the courage I need to ask the question I want to know. As he places the gear in park, I place my hand over his. Archer is surprised but doesn't move his hand.

"How'd you get to my house so fast?"

Archer is taken aback by the question. I can see the wheels turning in his head. His face confirms his emotional state when he frowns at me.

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" He asks.

"And you drove away the demons with little effort."

"That's not true. The light spell was very taxing. And I was on my way to your house anyways."

"You were?"

"Yes. I talked to Avarie and she told me that you mentioned us sacrificing a goat. I knew what you would think of that and I needed to see you."

"It looks bad."

"My coven isn't sunshine and daisies and my family has been connected to the coven and dark magic for generations." Archer confesses. "But we're trying to change things. No demon summoning, no nasty curses and no--"

"Ritual sacrifice?"

"Parker, we're building something. I cherish that. I haven't felt this way about someone in a very long time. I haven't been as honest about me and my past and my family's history as I should be, but it's because I don't want to scare you off."

I laugh. It's laughable that he would think his past would scare me off. My last boyfriend murdered an entire coven and terrorized my closest friends. I doubt anything in his past could rival that.

"I care deeply about you. And I swear to you that I am not working with a demon."

"I believe you."

I do believe him. I interlace my fingers with his, pulling him closer. I press my lips against his and a spark dances across my lips. His enthusiasm surprises me, especially when he grabs me forcefully and pulls me closer to him.

He pulls me into the center console, and I groan as I pull away from him. His eyes glow brightly before settling to their natural dim blue.

I chuckle as I exit the car. My head is airy and light, as if I am traveling. Archer's kisses do something strange to me. His affection for me is refreshing because there is a level of respect between us that I have never experienced. It's unsettling in the best way to have a mutual level of respect for someone.

My hand runs along the black iron fence as we journey up the path to the gigantic white house. The house looks brighter in the darkness, if possible. An aura of light prevails when all I can think about is what darkness could lie within its walls.

We meet with a large oak door. The door has a stained-glass window depicting a white rose with a green stem. The rose has thin white thorns poking from the stem of the flower.

I knock three times as we wait in silence.

Laura opens the door. She looks as if she has just returned from a renaissance fair. She is wearing a grey dress with a navy corset bodice. Her hair is braided into a lazy French plat and her eyes sag.