Page 146 of Shades of Silver City

“I’ve changed,” he teases.

My nose scrunches and my heart pinches at the thought of Archer changing. I like him just the way he is. “I hope not too much,” I say.

He squeezes my hand in reassurance, and the four of us stride through the tunnels.

“We should stop to fill each other in,” Archer says a few minutes later.

Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Scathe woofs at me.

“Sirius save me,” I mutter, chuckling at the hound. You’re a perv!

Scathe barks again, and I swear he’s laughing.

“Good idea. It’ll give us a moment to rest and recoup,” Godric says to Archer.

A short while later, we end up in what looks like a meeting area. The room is cavernous, carved into the earth, with various wooden beams helping to hold the dirt at bay. A wooden table with matching chairs sits in the center of the space, and we all grab a chair. Scathe sits at my side, his head barely reaching the top of the table.

Without wasting any time, Archer looks at me and says, “I think Arlo is my half-brother.”

I wince at his disdainful tone. The news isn’t any less shocking as it was the first time I heard it. “I know.”

His face remains neutral. “You do?”

“He told me while I was in his little glass prison.”

At these words, fury blazes through Archer’s expression. He runs a hand through his dark-blond hair. “Tell me everything.”

And so I do. When I finish, he returns the favor, telling me everything he’s learned about the Reaper, concluding with the bargain he made.

“You can’t touch him, then,” Godric remarks.

“No,” Archer says. “But you can, surely. We need to get him out of the city. For good.”

“Wait,” I say. “I still feel like we’re missing something here. Why would a powerful fae want to run the city? Why would he run a lab, glamouring faeologists into making a drug that kills people? Maybe he wants to rid the city of human bloodlines and move in his own…fae.”

“That’s not it.” Archer looks deep in thought. “The fae hate the city. They don’t want to live here.”

“Well, Arlo sure seems to want to,” I say.

“No,” Archer says, his eyes glazed over. “Bargains,” he mutters. His posture tightens, and he sits up tall. “Bargains. The humans made a deal with the fae, long ago, according to the books I’ve read. Fae leave the humans alone so long as they stay contained in the city—leaving the Wilds untouched.”

“What exactly does that mean?” I ask.

“It’s a loophole,” Godric says, slamming his hand on the table, causing me to jump.

Archer stands so quickly that he almost knocks his chair over. “Arlo said, ‘I don’t need to destroy the city when it’ll destroy itself.’ He also mentioned something about my ma knowing about his plan.” His eyes flick to Godric, and his jaw tightens.

My mind whirls as I put together the pieces. “He also mentioned something about not causing the dreamdust mayhem at the masquerade…but he admitted to having something to do with the drug. He said that humans often destroy themselves.”

“It’s not coincidental,” Archer says. “He’s bitter about humans being on his family’s old land. He’s hoping they’ll ruin the city themselves so he can take the land back.”

“But what does my dad have to do with all this?” I whisper. “Arlo said that the Scouts killed him for breaking an edict.”

“Tasia,” Archer says, giving me a regretful look. “It’s possible your dad simply got caught in the middle, as a faeologist who had experience with magic.”

“His note implied he was glamoured,” I mutter. “Likely by Arlo. To make the dust.”

Godric hums to himself. “If it was unauthorized, and someone caught wind and reported your dad, he’d be executed for treason.”

---