Page 26 of Evermore (The Never Sky #3)

Within moments, the entryway looked exactly as it had before, pristine and untouched. The only evidence that anything had happened was the shell-shocked expressions on our faces and Archer’s grunt as he lifted himself off the floor.

Thorne’s fury seemed to dissipate slightly as he took in the restored room, but his eyes remained hard as they locked onto me. “What happened?”

I met his gaze steadily, refusing to flinch under the weight of his anger. “All the questions and no answers. What a pity. Must be rough.”

“Paesha—”

Quill snatched my hand. “Don’t you say her name. Don’t even look at her.”

He didn’t argue. Shockingly. Instead, he stepped to the side so Tuck could enter. The massive man stroked a hand down his scarred face, scanning Archer from head to toe. “What in the hell did you do to yourself, Archie?”

“He saved me,” Quill answered. “Who are you?”

“The name’s Tuck.”

“Oh, you’re the carriage driver,” she said, eyes a little too keen as they scanned the burly man. Probably shouldn’t have referred to him as that.

“Something like that,” he chuckled. “You must be the kid.”

“There’re lots of kids here.”

“Fair point. Any idea which one of them put a hole in the floor?” he asked, looking up to Briony who’d walked in with a baby on her hip.

“One minute we were sleeping, the next there was screaming, and the house was shaking. Don’t ask me. This is not what I signed up for.”

“Oh, Thorne didn’t warn you?” I asked. “Nothing is as it seems where he’s concerned.”

“Don’t,” he said, stepping toward me.

“He is a god, after all.”

His eyes narrowed. “Paesha, stop.”

“You don’t get to control me.”

I turned to Briony. “Did you know? I’m assuming you didn’t.”

“Know what?” she asked, eyes glossing over.

“You really are a piece of shit,” I said, whipping back to Thorne, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

He stepped closer and immediately my heart began to race. “And who’s going to stop me, Paesha darling? You? Archie?”

Out of nowhere, Quill surged between us and kicked Thorne right between the legs. She’d been taught that little trick by Deyanira. As the giant fucker fell to his knees, I couldn’t help but feel a modicum of pride.

“I’d like to say I’m sorry about that, but I’m not,” she said, throwing her hands on her hips. “Now leave us alone.”

I hid my smile, glancing over to Archer, who was very pale. “Are you okay?” I asked, forgetting everything else, despite the warning bells going off in my mind about being in the same room with Thorne.

“I’m fine,” he said with a nod, though the tremor made it clear he wasn’t.

“Do you need a healer?” Thea asked, moving to his side.

Briony stepped toward him too. “Archie?”

“I’m fine,” he growled, pushing past everyone to walk out. I reached for his hand. When my fingers grazed his, he paused, back going rigid. “I’m fine,” he said for the third time and walked out.

Thorne stood, eyes locked on my fingers as Archer walked away. Likely not because I’d reached for him. But because I was no longer wearing the ring he’d put there. Nor would I ever again.

The others followed Archer out, no one looking more concerned than Aeris as they surrounded him. Only Quill remained, still positioned defiantly between Thorne and me like a shield.

“Go check on Archer,” I told her softly, never taking my eyes off Thorne.

“But—”

“It’s okay. I can handle him.”

She hesitated, then squeezed my hand before leaving. The moment she was gone, the voices started their relentless whispers. But for once, I welcomed them. Let them fuel the fire burning through my veins.

Remember he tried to trap you.

He will destroy you.

Unless you destroy him first. Break him like he broke you.

Make him bleed.

I stalked forward, a savage smile playing at my lips as I traced a finger down the buttons of his pristine shirt.

“Is this what you wanted, Keeper ?” His title dripped with venom.

“Someone to play your little mortal games with? Someone to bend and break and put back together however you see fit? Someone you could lock away and play with? Did you forget to mention I would be bound to Alastor if I didn’t give him that fourth name?

Just like you forgot to mention threatening to take away my memories was only for fun? ”

He stayed perfectly still under my touch, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. Good. Let him feel a fraction of the uncertainty he’d forced on me.

“Did you laugh about it with the other gods? Poor little Paesha, so desperate for love she couldn’t see what was right in front of her?” I leaned closer, breathing in the familiar scent of him. Lies, all lies.

“It wasn’t like that. What I feel?—”

“What you felt ?” I shoved him hard, satisfaction coursing through me when he stumbled back.

“You felt nothing! Gods don’t feel, they play .

They manipulate and destroy and wrap it all up in pretty promises.

” I gestured at his perfect face, his perfect form.

“Even this is a lie. Everything about you is designed to trap, to lure, to deceive. Well congratulations, god of a thousand stupid fucking names.” I swept into a mocking bow.

“You succeeded beautifully. I fell for every single fucking thing.”

Yes.

He can bleed.

Let us taste it.

I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, pushing away the voices. The power. The Remnants.

“I’m not your enemy.” He reached for me and I slapped his hand away, shadows writhing at my feet.

“You’re not my anything.”

He surged forward, grabbing where the bands circled my wrist as he pinned me to the wall. “I am sorry for hurting you. Is that what you need to hear? Is that what your poor broken heart is begging for? If you would let me explain?—”

“You don’t want to explain. You want to justify lying and I don’t care enough to listen. It doesn’t matter. Go find someone else to fuck with. Leave me alone.”

“I can’t,” he roared.

And before I knew what was happening, Archer had come back to the entryway and tackled Thorne.

The two men crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, the impact shaking the restored entryway.

We’d sold everything in this room to feed the Salt, thank the gods, but if we hadn’t, it’d all be in splinters.

Archer’s face was a mask of fury as he grappled with Thorne, his earlier exhaustion seemingly forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Despite Archer’s ferocity, Thorne moved with an eerie calm, easily deflecting blows that might’ve shattered bone.

Archer landed a solid punch to Thorne’s jaw. The crack of the impact echoed through the empty room, but Thorne barely flinched, his expression one of resigned patience rather than pain or anger.

After the initial shock, I realized this would never end well for Archer. “Stop!” I yelled. “Stop! He’ll kill you!”

But Archer was beyond reason, driven by a protective rage I’d never seen in him before.

He slammed his elbow into Thorne’s solar plexus, a blow that would have left any mortal gasping for air.

Thorne only grunted, his hands coming up to grip Archer’s shoulders, not to harm but to restrain.

Tuck stepped into the room, his massive frame filling the doorway.

With a speed that contradicted his size, he crossed the space in two long strides and wrapped his meaty arms around Archer’s waist. In one fluid motion, he lifted him off Thorne as if he weighed no more than a child.

As Tuck hauled him backwards, Archer’s elbow shot out with lightning precision.

The crack of bone meeting bone echoed through the room as Archer’s elbow connected solidly with Tuck’s jaw.

Tuck’s head snapped back as he stumbled, and his back hit the wall.

Blood trickled from a split in his lower lip, staining his beard red.

Despite the blow, his arms remained locked around Archer, muscles straining as he fought to contain the thrashing man.

“Enough!” Thorne’s voice cracked like thunder, freezing everyone in place.

He rose to his feet with inhuman grace, brushing nonexistent dust from his clothes.

His eyes, however, burned with a cold fury that sent chills down my spine.

“My patience wears thin, Paesha. This ends now. I am going to talk, and you are going to listen. You and I are leaving. We’re going back to the Parlor to?—”

I laughed, cutting him off. “If I had a dick, I’d tell you to suck it right now, Reverius Thorne Noctus. I’d rather get on my hands and knees and crawl to Alastor than go anywhere with you.”

Only when Alastor’s dark chuckle filled my ears did I realize the Remnants creeping along the floor were not mine, but his. Alastor took my side, bringing his hands around the back of my neck, his tattooed fingers digging in as he purred, “There’ll be no need to get on your knees, Paesha darling. ”

His power engulfed me like a tidal wave of shadows, stealing my breath and clouding my vision.

The binding marks on my wrists flared to life, searing pain shooting up my arms as they recognized their master’s call.

The last thing I saw before the shadows claimed me was Archer breaking free of Tuck’s grip, his face a mask of helpless fury.

But it was Thorne’s expression that haunted me as the darkness closed in, not anger or jealousy or even that insufferable patience.

For the first time since I’d known him, he looked afraid.