Page 109 of Evermore

“Called it,” Thorne muttered, lifting me into the carriage before I could protest.

“I hate you both,” I growled, but let them settle me against the cushioned seat. The Remnants surged again, and I had to bite back a scream. “Next time I decide to save your life, remind me what terrible company you keep.”

Tuck clicked his tongue. “That’s no way to talk about your favorite carriage driver.”

“Let me guess. God of Deception and Driving?”

He froze. “Knowledge, actually. Thank you very much.”

I rolled my eyes, making the headache throb worse. “I would have never guessed.”

“We can argue about it when you’re feeling better.”

“Can’t wait.” I slumped against the cushions, trying to focus. Thorne’s voice seemed to come from far away as he explained something about Archer and the Treeis bond to Tuck. The words blurred together as exhaustion pulled at me, though the Remnants gave me no peace.

“Don’t,” I said sharply when I caught the dark look that passed between them. “When we get there, you keep your hands off Archer. Let me talk to him. If someone’s going to tell him he’s been manipulated by yet another god, it should be me.”

“He likely already knows,” Tuck said, shutting the door to the carriage. “Either way, we’ll get it sorted. Best clean yourself up, Boss. No need to scare the kid with all that blood on your face.”

Thorne pulled a cloth from a box under the seat and dabbed at the wound on his head with a hiss. I managed a moan as the carriage sprung to life, headed straight to the Syndicate house. Tuck had always been good at knowing where… Mother fucker. God of Knowledge, indeed.

Thorne was quiet the entire way. His eyes drifted to me, but I could tell his mind was busy. Back in reality, there were far worse things than monsters hiding in the dark. Eventually, the carriage slowed to a halt outside the Syndicate house, where Archer already stood waiting with Quill at his side. The moment the door opened, Quill launched herself forward, but stopped abruptly as her small hands made contact with my skin. She jerked back, her eyes widening.

“You’re mad?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

I slowly shook my head, fighting against the chaos still raging within. “It’s not me.”

Those keen eyes studied me intently, studying the swirling marks on my skin, understanding dawning in their depths. Without hesitation, Quill reached out and took my hand again. This time, waves of calm and tranquility flowed from the contact, pushing back against the furious Remnants. Though they didn’t fall silent completely, their assault became bearable for the first time since leaving the Forgotten.

I fell to my knees, yanking her into a hug that we both needed. “Thank you, my girl.”

“I missed you,” she whispered back. We stayed like that for several minutes. Until I remembered that having Archer at my back was a threat. Even though something within me refused to believe it. I stood, keeping my grip on Quill’s hand like a lifeline. I turned to face Archer. He hadn’t moved from his spot, his attention fixed on the carriage where Thorne and Tuck remained. He didn’t appear angry, but certainly wary.

“Is there something you’d like to share with me?” I asked quietly.

Archer’s jaw clenched. He’d been preparing for a battle, it seemed. “If this is about my father?—”

“This is about Ezra.”

The name hit him like a physical blow. He jerked back, genuine shock crossing his features. “What are you talking about?”

Without releasing Quill’s hand, I pulled aside the fabric covering my shoulder, revealing the Treeis mark. Archer’s sharp intake of breath was followed by a trembling hand pushing up his sleeve. There on his forearm, unmistakable and damning, was the same intricate pattern.

“I have the same mark.” He stared down at his forearm in confusion. “I don’t know where it came from. I just noticed it one day.”

I gestured for Tuck and Thorne to join us, never letting go of Quill. They approached cautiously, and Tuck’s eyes immediately fixed on the matching marks.

“It’s a Treeis bond,” Tuck explained, his voice grave. “We haven’t seen one in centuries. It’s an ancient binding that’s impossible to create unless you’re Unmade.” He shared a look with Thorne before continuing. “The Unmade Guardians answer only to Ezra. They are mortal, but only just. The Treeis bond is something we’ve occasionally seen over history, but never without someone’s magical acceptance.”

Thorne’s gaze moved between the three of us, me, Archer, and Quill, his expression dark and studious. “What’s the possibility of a Treeis bond between three?” he asked Tuck. “In all the realms’ history, it’s never been done, but could it happen? Unless…the three always included Ezra and now, because of the chain of events these three bonded first.”

Tuck answered, “I’m not sure. But we’re in agreement that Archer has shown all the signs of an Unmade Guardian, right?”

Thorne nodded.

“Can we back up here,” I asked. “Start with the basics. What’s an Unmade? What’s an Unmade Guardian? How do you become one? What does it mean? We need the basics.”

“An Unmadeisa Guardian. Ezra plucks mortals from the realms that he believes will follow his cause. He sees possible future events, determines the probability of them and uses his Unmade Guardians to help stop whatever sets the most destructive things into motion. It’s similar to the way you were bound to Alastor, only the Unmade follow Ezra because they believe in his cause. They feed power to him specifically from their devotion to him.”