The Keepers: Archer. Rae Rivers

but Archer was too quick for him.

      A ball of water bulleted through the air and hit him on the back with a force that sent him reeling against the tree with a rumble of filthy curses. In swift succession, two more water missiles flew toward his accomplices, knocking them off their feet with ease.

      With another swift motion of the arms, Archer readied the water with a fresh supply of lethal missiles and hovered, hoping the dark forces had had their fill of chilly lake water.

      Drenched, panting, knowing when to admit defeat, the men fell silent and glared at him, their bodies heaving breathlessly with unleashed adrenaline. There was a pregnant pause as they sized him up, weighed their options.

      “You can’t protect her forever,” said the first attacker.

      “I will always protect her,” Archer told them, his voice level and unyielding.

      “Then you will both die.”

      Sensing defeat, and without waiting for a response, they rushed for the bushes and vanished.

      Archer dropped his arms, the water crashing into the lake with a loud splutter, and immediately lurched forward. He sank to his knees beside Sienna, silently scanning her body to check for injuries – an action that came as naturally to him as breathing. She seemed confused, disorientated from the vicious slaps she’d received, and her tiny body trembled from the shock of the surprise attack. Seeing her like this fuelled his anger and hatred for the men responsible and something cold and steely wrapped itself around his heart.

      They’d be back. He knew that with every instinct he possessed. Defeating them wouldn’t be a problem – the challenge would be convincing Sienna to accept his help.

      “Are you okay?” he asked, fighting against the urge to pull her into his arms.

      “Don’t touch me!” she shrieked, scrambling away from him.

      Her right hand shot out at the same time the excruciating pain shot through his head – a pain so powerful it threatened to cripple him. His head pounded from the vicious onslaught of heat channelled through her central power – fire. She’d done this before, damn her, and the pain had almost killed him.

      A Beckham witch’s ultimate defence.

      Eyes shut to ward off the pain and holding his head in agony, he sank to his knees with a guttural groan.

      “Sienna,” he said between gritted teeth. “It’s me. It’s Archer.”

      The mental violation and pain stopped the instant he said his name.

      She gaped at him, shock unhinging her jaw. “Archer?”

      “It’s me,” he repeated and struggled to his feet, still holding his head. Damn, she still had the power to fry his brain. He blinked, trying to clear the haze, and looked at her with a harsh frown. “Damn it, Sienna. What the hell was that for?”

      “I thought you were trying to hurt me.” She rushed to him and cupped her hands over each of his. “I thought you were one of them.”

      “Do I look like a bloody warlock’s minion?”

      “I’m sorry. They rattled me, caught me off guard.” She fell silent and inhaled softly. “Archer, you’re here. You found me.”

      “I’m your Keeper and I vowed the day you left that I’d find you.”

      She didn’t reply and frowned when he grimaced. “Are you okay?”

      Worry lined her features and her green eyes flashed with concern. She looked a mess, a complete contrast to her usual poised self. Her hair hung in a dull, dusty, tangled mess around her shoulders. Her right cheek, glowing and swollen, showed early signs of a bruise.

      God, how he’d missed her. It had been so damn long.

      Fire sparked deep in his gut as fresh anger washed over him. The two years he’d spent searching for her had almost driven him to the brink of madness. The constant worry, the daily longing, and the permanent reminders of her back home had been torture. Torn between the urge to hug her and throttle her, a quick nod was all he could manage.

      “I’m sorry,” she said softly, tugging his hands away from his head.

      “Promise me you’ll never try that voodoo mind fry on me ever again.”

      “It’s the quickest defence I have against you, Archer.”

      “You don’t need any damn defences against me, Sienna.”

      “I’m still not agreeing.”

      Stubborn minx. Nothing had changed. He ran his thumb across her swollen cheek and tried to ignore the rush of emotions that flooded him. He’d found her. After two long torturous and empty years, he’d finally tracked her down. The relief was immense and he had to resist everything inside him that ached to wrench her against him and never let her go. “Does it hurt?”

      “He knew how to pack a punch but I’ll live.” Her shoulders fell, and she met his gaze. “They weren’t human, were they?”

      “Not entirely, no.”

      “Did anyone see us?”

      “No. Our secret is safe.”

      As it should be. And when it wasn’t, a little magic would usually rectify even the soundest memory, but only as a last resort. Surrounded by a world of ordinary humans where only a few selected people knew of their supernatural existence, they’d been bound to keep their presence a secret without harming anyone in exchange for being left alone.

      It wasn’t always that simple but that was the agreement, the rule, and breaking it would initiate consequences Archer would rather avoid.

      “It’s been quiet for so long. Why now?” Sienna asked.

      “You’re a Beckham witch,” he replied, annoyed with the question. ‘It’s no surprise they’ve come for you.”

      “That’s not who I am anymore.”

      “You’ll always be a witch, Sienna, and they’ll be back for you.” The image of Sienna surrounded by the three men flashed through his mind, and he frowned. “They surprised you,” he noted quietly. “And you held back from using your powers.”

      “You won’t understand.”

      “Damn right I won’t. You come from a family of powerful witches. Those men were no match for your powers. Why would you hesitate to use them?”

      Her age-old defences fell into place as the wall returned. He’d seen how her emotions had changed from relief to surprise, then horror as she’d realized that he’d finally found her, despite all her efforts at keeping him away.

      Her eyes flashed with disbelief, and she stepped back.

      “Sienna, don’t.”

      “I have to go,” she said, pushing past him, heading for the opening in the trees.

      He caught her wrist in one quick movement. When she lifted her eyes to meet his, he raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? You really think I’m going to let you leave?”

       CHAPTER TWO

      Sienna looked at the man she’d once considered a friend, trying to make sense of what had just happened. One moment she’d been running in the park, the next moment her life had been thrown back into the turmoil she’d tried so hard to get away from.

      And Archer Bennett stood for everything she’d run from.

      A world she was bound by duty and honour to defend, where grief and guilt were constant companions, and an intense, forbidden attraction that had almost destroyed them.

      It was hard to determine which surprised her more