The Blender’s Bargain – Chapter 16

Garrick

I set the last plate in the drying rack and glance over at Archie’s dad. The poor man looks drained after recounting his tale over dinner. No wonder with his wife vanishing like that. I can’t imagine what he’s going through.

“Thanks for your help, Garrick,” he says with a weary smile. “You didn’t have to do all that.”

I wave him off. “Least I could do after you fed us.” My gaze drifts to the dining room where Archie sits hunched at the table, chin resting on her hand. She’s been quiet since her dad dropped that bombshell about her mom’s potential magical ancestry. I can’t blame her for retreating into her head.

Her dad follows my line of sight, concern creasing his brow. “She’s had one hell of a day, huh?”

“We both have,” I murmur. Though I can’t begin to imagine how Archie must be feeling right now.

Archie’s dad squeezes my shoulder. “I’m glad she has you, son. You seem like a good man.”

The unexpected praise catches me off guard. I’m not sure how to respond, so I just nod. He gives me one last paternal look before heading off to his room. I lean to the side and watch the door click closed far down the hall.

Sigh. What the hell are we even doing here?

I glance at Archie, still zoned out at the table. Part of me wants to go to her, offer some kind of comfort or reassurance, but she’s been so quiet and withdrawn since we arrived. I worry about overstepping.

She needs space to process everything. Fuck. I need space to process things, and I doubt either of us will get it.

With a sigh, I turn away and busy myself with cleaning up the rest of the kitchen. Might as well make myself useful while I mull over this latest insane development. Archie’s mom was descended from ancient Lataran magic users? And now she’s gone missing while researching that very lineage?

My mind whirs as I scrub dishes, replaying the day’s events. Those possessed bikes in Brimlow, the strange anomalies plaguing the city… it’s all connected somehow to whatever Archie’s mom uncovered. Which means Archie herself could possess latent magical abilities, passed down through the centuries.

The thought sends my mind in a circle, wondering, thinking. I’ve seen the capabilities of Ysroth and Arvid. If Archie can tap into that same mystical power…

I shake my head, banishing the thought.

One thing at a time, Garrick.

Right now, she just needs a friend. Someone to lean on through this insanity.

A flicker of movement catches my eye. Archie had gotten up while I was cleaning, and now she’s returned to the table in a bathing suit and robe. She downs the last of her wine and slips out the back door.

Is she going out for a swim?

“That dear woman needs help,” Arvid says. I jump to the side, my heart rate kicking up. I forgot he… it… he was here.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I blow out a long breath and cover my heart with my hand.

“I’m not trying to do anything. It’s you who keeps forgetting that I’m here.” The bitterness in his voice is at an all-time high. “While you both are trying to figure out what’s happening, Ysroth and I are just sitting here waiting.” He whistles like he’s sitting at the station for the next bus to arrive.

I roll my eyes. “Do you remember being human? Like, at all?”

Arvid harrumphs. “I remember.”

“Then give us some slack. We’ve been on the run for two days. Our lives have been upended.” I soften my voice. “I promise. We’ll get right back to the ‘magical fight’ tomorrow. We still need sleep.”

“Sleep? Or a good roll in the hay?”

I close my eyes and push in the center of my forehead. “Both would be nice. But I’m not holding my breath.”

The path down to the lake is lit with solar lights, the jagged flagstones stepping down across the lawn. Bugs buzz in the bushes, and a warm breeze flows over my skin. I love summer. I would love this summer even more if it weren’t for the craziness of our current situation.

I find her down in the lake, a few meters out from the end of the wooden dock. She’s laid back in the water, her face tipped to the starlit sky, her hair fanning out behind her in the water.

My breath catches in my throat and I try to swallow away the thirst crawling up to my heart. She looks so peaceful out here, yet I know inside she’s churning, raging against everything she’s learned in the last few days. My heart aches for the turmoil she’s wrestling with inside.

I should leave her be, let her have this moment of tranquility.

But my feet push me forward of their own bidding, boots scuffing against the wooden planks. Archie turns at the sound.

“Hey,” I say, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “You okay?”

I should go back inside.

Go back inside, Garrick.

She offers me a small, tired smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Getting there, I think.” She dips under the water and comes back up, smoothing her hair back. “Just needed some air.”

I nod. We stay silent for a long moment, the gentle lapping of waves the only sound.

“I… I helped your dad clean up, and he went to bed. Do you, uh… do you want to be alone?” I ask. “I can give you some space if you need it.”

She shakes her head. “No, please. Stay.” She meets my eyes, and something fragile flickers across her face. “I… could use the company, actually.”

My heart clenches at the naked vulnerability in her voice. She’s always been the strong one, keeping her head through crisis after crisis these past few days.

But even Archie has her limits.

She wants me to be with her.

Without a word, I slip off my boots and socks and then strip off my jeans to my underwear. Archie watches as I ease myself into the cool water, wading out until I’m waist deep.

And then I’m next to her. So close, I could touch her.

But I don’t.

She invited me in, but that doesn’t mean I can cross boundaries.

I kick my legs out and laze on my back, just like her. We float together in comfortable silence, our bodies swaying with the push and pull of the tiny waves.

Tilting my head, I let the water buoy me up as I gaze at the stars. So many tiny pinpricks of light, burning bright against the inky expanse of sky. They remind me of the cosmic event that set this whole insane quest in motion, that strange celestial phenomenon that somehow unlocked ancient magic.

Magic. Did I ever think I’d see magic in my lifetime?

Nope.

Hey, I may love a good fantasy novel with magic spells and dragons and evil, murdering wizards, but do I want to live that?

No, thanks.

Is that what happened to Archie’s mom, too? Did she uncover some relic or ritual that awoke her own dormant powers?

“Garrick?” Archie’s voice pulls me from my reverie. I turn to find her watching me with those big, soulful eyes. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I reply, paddling closer. “Anything.”

She worries her lower lip, gaze dropping to the water between us. “Do you ever feel… overwhelmed by all this? Like it’s too much?”

She sounds so small, so unsure of herself.

“Every damn day,” I admit with a rueful chuckle. “You know, two weeks ago, my biggest worry was reviewing the new curriculum guidelines for next year. Now I’ve got ancient magicians trapped in household appliances who need my help to stop the world from being overrun by… dark forces?” I roll my eyes as she chuckles. “I don’t know. It’s completely insane. And terrifying. And… exciting as hell.” I can’t keep the grin from tugging at my lips.

Archie snorts, rolling her eyes. “Leave it to you to find the bright side of doomsday.”

But her lips jerk upwards, tension easing from her shoulders. Score one for the court jester.

We lapse into silence once more, letting the gentle currents tug us this way and that. I steal sidelong glances at Archie, admiring the elegant lines of her slender neck, the dusting of freckles across her nose. She’s so lovely, inside and out. And she has no idea.

“I’m worried about my mom,” she confesses. “What if… what if something happened to her? What if she’s…”

She trails off, but I can hear the unspoken fear loud and clear. I reach out without thinking, cupping her chin and tilting her face towards mine.

“We’ll find her,” I say, injecting as much confidence as I can muster into my voice. “Whatever happened, wherever she is, we’ll figure it out. I promise.”

Archie’s eyes shine with unshed tears in the dying light. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I believe in you.” I brush my thumb across her cheekbone. Ah, her skin is so soft. “You’re the strongest person I know. If anyone can unravel this mystery, it’s you.”

She holds my gaze for a long, heated moment before leaning into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed. My heart thunders in my ears as she presses her cheek to my palm, her lips a hairsbreadth from my wrist.

This… this is everything I’ve been longing for.

Is this a dream?

I trace the delicate curve of her jaw with my fingertips. She drifts closer, eyes opening to meet mine with an intensity that steals my breath away.

She’s moving, rising through the water until we’re face to face, chest to chest. My hands find her waist, no conscious thought moving them. I’m on autopilot, pure instinct. She braces herself against me, fingers splayed across my shoulders.

“Archie…” I breathe, every nerve ending electrified by her proximity. But I can’t finish the thought, can’t put voice to the torrent of emotions swirling through me.

Her eyes search mine, shining with the same longing, the same desperate need.

And then her mouth is on mine, soft and warm and utterly perfect.

A broken groan escapes me as I pull her flush against my body, returning her searing kiss with every ounce of want I’ve been holding back. She tastes of strawberries and starlight, and I’m drunk on it.

My hands roam across the sleek expanse of her back as she winds her fingers into my hair, holding me close, closer, as if she could crawl inside my very skin.

Urgency rushes through me.

But all too soon she’s pulling away, eyes wide and stunned. “Oh god, Garrick. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have —”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” I growl, capturing her mouth again in a bruising kiss. She melts against me with a soft whimper, all resistance crumbling. Her legs wrap around my waist, slipping in the water across my skin.

I grip her thighs, lifting her higher, desperate to get even closer. Our tongues twist, tasting, exploring every inch of each other’s mouths. I’ve fantasized about this moment a thousand times, but the reality is a million times better.

A million times hotter.

Her hands roam down my back, nails digging in, and a groan rips from my throat. I can’t get enough of her, can’t get close enough.

I’m drowning in her, and I’ve never been more alive.

The world is reduced to just the two of us. I need her, need to be closer, need to feel her against me, around me, inside me. I angle her head, deepening the kiss, claiming her as mine, and I’m lost.

Lost to her.

Lost to this.

Lost to the fire raging between us.

Her lips are hot against mine, her breathing ragged, and I know she feels it too. This connection, this insane, all-consuming desire.

When we finally break apart, we’re both panting, our chests heaving. Archie blinks up at me, her emotions stripped raw.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” I confess, stroking her damp hair back from her face. “Wanted you. God, Archie… you have no idea.”

She searches my face, lips parted, pupils blown wide. Slowly, a smile blossoms across her features, radiant and hopeful.

“Then take me inside,” she whispers, arms winding around my neck. “And show me.”

I groan again, every fiber of my being aching to do just that. To worship her body the way she deserves, to chase away every last shadow of doubt until she understands how truly amazing she is.

“Let’s go.”