Page 38 of Evermore (The Never Sky #3)

“I don’t know, Minerva. Maybe because at the end of it, he’s still my brother and I had hoped he’d be honest. But you know what his silence tells me?

He’s not interested in restoring the balance no matter what he claims. He wants me to step back so he can control everything.

Ezra can no longer see beyond himself. He only wants her to die.

And I just want her to live. I want to fucking love that woman in peace but he won’t let it happen.

There are so many prophecies and visions he claims to be true, I don’t trust a single one anymore.

Think about it, we were always told the Huntress would break the balance of power.

That’s done, isn’t it? It’s already happening.

So why’s he still out for blood? He said I would find myself locked in the Forgotten and all the gods’ power would die.

It’s fear mongering. Like his claim that the Huntress will betray me.

” I let out a bitter laugh. “Think about who’s giving us these ‘visions’.

What are his fucking motives? Maybe all of these things were only said to control me and never because they were truth. ”

I lifted my hand and tried to draw my power forward only for it to crackle out.

“One minute, I have the depth of power to turn this fucking realm to dust and the next, I couldn’t tell you the memory of a five-year-old mortal if you godsdamn paid me.

I cannot save her if I’m weakened. I can’t save anyone.

I can’t protect anyone. Eventually, every lesser god will cease to fear me.

And if they have no fear at all, they have every reason to start a war amongst us.

Right now, Ezra and I stand on equal footing as rulers of gods.

What happens when Alastor attacks when my power is weakened?

I’m no longer the Supreme Sovereign. I’m just a fucking failure.

To you, to her, to everyone. For all of existence.

I hate being here in a place where I have no control. ”

“And you think, after all these years, all these lives, you’re going to find a loophole to take her back to Etherium.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you believe she’ll willingly go?”

“You asked me what my end goal was and I answered. It’s her. In whatever capacity I can have her. As long as she doesn’t die by a god’s hands again, her fragile soul will reincarnate. Eventually, I will get her back into Etherium. That’s my end goal. That’s all I want.”

“Sometimes what we want isn’t what’s best for us, my boy. And moreso, it could be impossible. Perhaps you can’t have both things. You can have the girl, but the gods will fall. Or we can keep our power, but your Ever will be lost to you.”

“I know that’s what Ezra claims. He’s lying.

” I looked out the window, remembering that first time we’d spoken of the Huntress.

“He told me there was a path. One path where she could live and the balance wouldn’t break.

Of all the possibilities and choices to be made, there is a path to peace.

He said those fucking words to my face and thought, of all people, I would forget when we learned she was my Ever.

He’s the enemy here, Min. And if you can’t believe that then you’re sitting on the wrong side of this battle. ”

“So, you agree the war has already begun?”

“This war began thousands of years ago. The first time he stood behind Alastor’s daughter and shoved that blade into her heart. He started it. I will end it, and then I’ll pick up the pieces. That’s how this was always going to go.”

Minerva took my hand. “I am sitting on the right side of this battle as long as you don’t go into the Forgotten.

You know as well as I do, the Fates have warned against you going into the Forgotten just as much as Ezra.

You must not. You’ve always been a fool for her, but the moment you turn reckless, I will no longer stand beside you. ”

The threat in those words wasn’t lost on me and she knew it.

I didn’t respond, choosing to dip my chin and look away instead.

There were no wars won without Reason on your side and that was the truth of it.

A war without Reason wasn’t a war at all.

It was ruin, blind and unforgiving, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.

And though I didn’t want to admit it, she was right: the moment I turned reckless, I would already have lost.

“You never told me where we were going,” I said, sometime later, if for no other reason than to break that uncomfortable silence brewing between us.

“Archer’s lurking outside the Vale. He hasn’t left. Hasn’t eaten. Hasn’t slept. For days.”

“Why do you say that as if it’s our biggest concern?”

“Don’t make me hit you with my cane. Use your brain for two seconds and consider what that might mean. Why is he so unshakably devoted to the Huntress?”

I lifted a shoulder. “He has no one else. His whole family is gone. He relied on his sister and she died. He needs that sense of family because he’s had it since before he was born. What is his purpose if not trying to rescue someone he cares about?”

“Tuck said when Thea took Quill back to the Syndicate house, she cried like a banshee. Everyone assumed she didn’t want to leave her new friends, but she was holding on to Archer. Why? They barely know each other.”

“Because she knew he would go looking for Paesha and doesn’t want to be separated from her again. She’s raised the child. Don’t speak to me in circles or like you’re trying to teach me a lesson. If you have something to say, then say it and let’s be done with it.”

Those withered old eyes turned away, staring out the window. “No. Your answers are logical.”

The carriage wheels ground to a halt at the edge of Banshee’s Run, where the streets grew too narrow for anything larger than a cart to pass.

Without a word, we abandoned the anonymity of the vehicle for the shadows of Stirling’s narrow streets.

We found Archer exactly where Minerva said he’d be, lounging against the wall beside the Vale’s hidden entrance like he owned the damn place.

A coin danced across his knuckles as he watched people come and go, the guard turning away more people than he let pass.

“He’s making quite the spectacle of himself,” Tuck muttered.

Archer’s eyes found us before we reached him. He didn’t move from his spot, just kept that coin rolling between his fingers. “Come to drag me to the castle?”

“Depends,” Tuck said. “You done brooding yet?”

“I’m not brooding. I’m waiting.”

Minerva cleared her throat. “And what exactly do you think will change if you stand here long enough? That guard isn’t going to suddenly recognize you as anything but another thug trying to get in.”

“If you’re here about him, save your breath.”

“He’s dying,” Minerva said.

“People do that.”

Tuck leaned against the wall beside him. “Listen, you stubborn ass. You’re not the only one who’s lost family. But you’ve got a chance here that most of us would kill for.”

“Why not use your magic on me then?” he asked, shooting me a look. “You’ve done it before. Fill me up with years of loving memories with a sister, mother and father that would have me crawling to his bedside.”

“Don’t beg for that,” I warned.

“Because you would do it?”

“No, Archer. I’m not going to do that. You’re going to go see what he has to say, and that’s the end of this.”

A group of rough-looking men shuffled past, forcing us to lower our voices. Archer pushed off the wall, moving closer so we wouldn’t be overheard. “I’m exactly where I need to be. The second that guard changes shift, I’m getting in there. I’ve worked it all out.”

“And then what?” Tuck asked. “You’ll face down Alastor alone? Challenge a god with what? A sword and spite?”

“Better than sitting in a parlor twiddling my thumbs.”

“Both of you, enough,” Minerva snapped. “This petty bickering solves nothing. There are things you need to know, conversations that need to be had, but they cannot happen here.” Her eyes fixed on Archer. “Some debts must be paid before they become too heavy to bear.”

“A crown is a heavy debt to bear if you don’t want it. And who are you really ? Another god, sure. But your real title? Let me guess. Goddess of Persuasion and Murder?”

“I’ve told you who I am. But would it help if I said yes?” she countered.

The coin stilled in Archer’s hand. For a moment, doubt flickered across his face. Then his jaw set. “I can’t leave. Not now. Not when I’m so close to finding a way in.”

“You mean getting yourself killed,” Tuck corrected.

“You’re so worried about me. What about everyone else? Who’s watching out for—” He stopped himself, but not before I caught the worry in his voice. “How’s Quill? Is she okay? I knew I shouldn’t have left her.”

Something in his tone made me pause. This wasn’t just courtesy or deflection, there was real fear there. But he hardly knew the girl. “She’s safe. Back at the Syndicate house.”

“With Aeris watching over her,” he said, his voice tight.

“We hear Aeris has been… attentive,” Minerva said carefully.

A commotion at the Vale’s entrance drew our attention.

The guard was arguing with someone, a woman wrapped in a dark cloak. As she turned, the hood fell back, revealing familiar copper locks.

“Thea?” Archer straightened. “What the hell is she doing here?”

Before any of us could move, a group of armed men emerged from the shadows surrounding her. One grabbed her arm, and she lashed out, but there were too many. They dragged her toward the entrance, the guard stepping aside to let them pass.

“Wait,” Minerva hissed as Archer reached for his sword. “Something isn’t right.”

The last thing we saw before they disappeared into the Vale was Thea’s face, and the smile that shouldn’t have been there.

“Well fuck,” Tuck said quietly. “Looks like Alastor’s not the only one setting traps.”