Page 66 of Shades of Silver City

Silver Edict #3

“…anyone found harboring fae or conspiring with fae will be executed without trial.”

CHAPTER 16

ARCHER

Istare at my front door and run a hand through my hair. What did I get myself into?

“You good?” Godric calls from my driveway.

I turn, giving him a nod. He stands next to his SUV with one hand on the door.

“Yeah,” I say. “Thanks for the ride.”

He’s been pestering me about Tasia—or rather, chastising me about letting her stay in my house—since I brought her here yesterday. As my oldest and most trusted friend, I respect his opinion. His concerns aren’t unfounded.

I still haven’t told Tasia the truth about her father. She’ll think I’m using her, keeping her close to learn what her dad knew, which is exactly what Godric wants me to do.

It’s what I should do, if I were a smarter man maybe, but I can’t bring myself to use her like that.

In my eyes, she’s not Claude Foster’s daughter. She’s just Tasia. A cute, foulmouthed bartender with a sassy attitude and an inclination to get caught up in things bigger than her.

I never meant to lie to her, but at the end of the day, a lie of omission is still a lie.

“Hey.” Godric steps up next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You can stay with me if you need to.”

Shaking my head, I finally reach for my doorknob. “I’m good.”

“You didn’t have to bring her to your house.”

“She had nowhere else to go.”

He raises a brow. “Are you sure you aren’t going soft on me?”

“She had nowhere else to go,” I repeat, voice flat.

“A girl like her will drive you insane. When you need a break, you know where I live.”

“What do you mean ‘a girl like her’?” I challenge.

Chuckling quietly, he withdraws his hand. “All that ass and sass? You’ll either end up in her pants or in an asylum by the time you two are done with”—he gestures toward my door—“whatever the hell this even is.”

“Watch your mouth, brother,” I growl, getting into his face. “Don’t talk about Tasia like that.”

He smiles, looking as smug as ever. “That’s what I thought.”

I grunt, backing up. I should’ve known he was trying to provoke me. It’s his favorite thing to do these days. “There’s nothing going on.”

“You might have the power to smell death, but I can scent sexual tension a mile away. And you two are rife with it.”

“Considering you’ve been around us for a whole five minutes, I have to disagree with that sentiment.”

“Five minutes is all I needed.” He smirks. My jaw aches from how tightly I clench it. “You’re already this wound up, and it’s only gonna get worse. Might as well fuck her and get it over with.”

“For the love of Gods,” I hiss, rubbing my forehead. “Sofia would love your mouth these days, brother,” I add sarcastically.

“I bet she would,” he taunts, winking.

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