God that can lift it—that’s the useless part—but…” he paused with a small smile. “I think I’ve found a way for you to at least try and get it lifted in another way. I had a conversation ,” Poe stressed the word, “With one of our court seers.”
“How can we try and get it lifted?” Archer asked.
Scarlet could feel the tension coming off him in waves.
“The Unnamed Oracle.” Poe closed his lips as if waiting for a reaction, and he got one so strong, Scarlet was startled by its intensity.
“You’ve gone insane, right?” Archer shot to his feet. “All the blood you drink has made you nuts.”
Poe took the storm of Archer’s anger without flinching. “My sanguine addiction aside, it’s the only other way.”
“Completely, fucking insane. No one that tries to find the Unnamed Oracle makes it back alive.”
Scarlet watched the scene with wide eyes. She was starting to detest being the newbie in this group of Eternals.
“I’ve got the map—stole it, actually. So, I’m in deep shit when I go back to court and my father gets hold of me.” Poe got up and walked to the back of the room, then returned with a rolled parchment, which he tossed at Zane. “Can you make a copy of that, please?”
“You really do want to piss your father off, don’t you?” Zane shook his head.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Poe said with a naughty glint in his eye. “Am I not supposed to copy an ancient secret map? My bad.”
Zane shook his head again and got up to go make a Photostat of the map. “If I get implicated, they’ll make me get a suntan, you know that, right?”
“You never saw the map, Zane, Poe never brought it here. We will all vow it,” Archer assured him.
Zane sighed and left the room.
“This is a suicide mission,” Archer said.
“Yes, but think how much fun you’ll have before you die. How long did you think you could keep the pyro hidden here?” Poe arched a brow. “Before they find a powerful witch to reverse our protection, or Scarlet burns the place down while we’re sleeping?”
Archer turned his face to Scarlet. “He has a point.” He stood and looked at his wristwatch. “You have an hour to pack, Belan , then we get going.”
“We are going to look for this nameless oracle?”
“Unnamed Oracle, and yes, we are. I’ve never been one to wait for the fight come to me.”
Scarlet rose to her feet and started to walk out before turning to both men, “Did it occur to anyone to ask me my opinion? I’m not a child, and I’m no one’s property.”
She understood why Archer felt compelled to help her, even though she wasn’t the pyro in his vision, and she thought he was being a bit over enthusiastic. It still grated her that no one had even asked her opinion. Not that she could voice much of one. She was like a baby in their world, still needing to learn a lot.
“Don’t be a drama queen, Scarlet,” Poe said, “we have your best interests at heart.”
“Do you have a heart, Poe? I mean one that beats,” she spat, and then turned and left the room.
“Ouch, you wound me, pyro…you wound me deep.”
The sound of a snort came from the hallway, and Poe grinned.
“Why do you keep taunting her?” Archer asked.
Poe shrugged. “She intrigues me.” He turned his eyes to the door. “I’d like to get to know her better.”
“Lose that idea in a hurry.” Archer’s voice was low, a growl.
Poe’s head snapped back so he could raise an eyebrow in question.
“My beast says she’s my She, ” Archer admitted with a resigned look on his face.
“No, that’s not possible, she’s not Lycan. Hell, she’s not a Thrope at all.”
“I’m the choir, bro, doesn’t change the fact that my beast is adamant.” Archer sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“Fair enough. I’ll keep my hands off, then, but what are you going to do about it?”
Archer lifted a hand to run it through his hair, and breathed out a sigh. “I don’t
“How can we try and get it lifted?” Archer asked.
Scarlet could feel the tension coming off him in waves.
“The Unnamed Oracle.” Poe closed his lips as if waiting for a reaction, and he got one so strong, Scarlet was startled by its intensity.
“You’ve gone insane, right?” Archer shot to his feet. “All the blood you drink has made you nuts.”
Poe took the storm of Archer’s anger without flinching. “My sanguine addiction aside, it’s the only other way.”
“Completely, fucking insane. No one that tries to find the Unnamed Oracle makes it back alive.”
Scarlet watched the scene with wide eyes. She was starting to detest being the newbie in this group of Eternals.
“I’ve got the map—stole it, actually. So, I’m in deep shit when I go back to court and my father gets hold of me.” Poe got up and walked to the back of the room, then returned with a rolled parchment, which he tossed at Zane. “Can you make a copy of that, please?”
“You really do want to piss your father off, don’t you?” Zane shook his head.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Poe said with a naughty glint in his eye. “Am I not supposed to copy an ancient secret map? My bad.”
Zane shook his head again and got up to go make a Photostat of the map. “If I get implicated, they’ll make me get a suntan, you know that, right?”
“You never saw the map, Zane, Poe never brought it here. We will all vow it,” Archer assured him.
Zane sighed and left the room.
“This is a suicide mission,” Archer said.
“Yes, but think how much fun you’ll have before you die. How long did you think you could keep the pyro hidden here?” Poe arched a brow. “Before they find a powerful witch to reverse our protection, or Scarlet burns the place down while we’re sleeping?”
Archer turned his face to Scarlet. “He has a point.” He stood and looked at his wristwatch. “You have an hour to pack, Belan , then we get going.”
“We are going to look for this nameless oracle?”
“Unnamed Oracle, and yes, we are. I’ve never been one to wait for the fight come to me.”
Scarlet rose to her feet and started to walk out before turning to both men, “Did it occur to anyone to ask me my opinion? I’m not a child, and I’m no one’s property.”
She understood why Archer felt compelled to help her, even though she wasn’t the pyro in his vision, and she thought he was being a bit over enthusiastic. It still grated her that no one had even asked her opinion. Not that she could voice much of one. She was like a baby in their world, still needing to learn a lot.
“Don’t be a drama queen, Scarlet,” Poe said, “we have your best interests at heart.”
“Do you have a heart, Poe? I mean one that beats,” she spat, and then turned and left the room.
“Ouch, you wound me, pyro…you wound me deep.”
The sound of a snort came from the hallway, and Poe grinned.
“Why do you keep taunting her?” Archer asked.
Poe shrugged. “She intrigues me.” He turned his eyes to the door. “I’d like to get to know her better.”
“Lose that idea in a hurry.” Archer’s voice was low, a growl.
Poe’s head snapped back so he could raise an eyebrow in question.
“My beast says she’s my She, ” Archer admitted with a resigned look on his face.
“No, that’s not possible, she’s not Lycan. Hell, she’s not a Thrope at all.”
“I’m the choir, bro, doesn’t change the fact that my beast is adamant.” Archer sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“Fair enough. I’ll keep my hands off, then, but what are you going to do about it?”
Archer lifted a hand to run it through his hair, and breathed out a sigh. “I don’t
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