Page 56 of Red River

I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze. Slowly, I reached up, pulled the hairband from my braid, and unbraided it, letting my long red waves spill over my shoulders and back.

Archer watched me, his eyes slightly hooded.

Then, finally, I lifted the bow again and started to play a piece my brother Snow had composed. He had been just a kid at the time, but it was beautiful, and I’d never forgotten the notes.

For a while, music filled the room, blending with Archer’s energy, almost reaching out to me, intertwining with mine. He didn’t take his eyes off me for a second.

When I finished, he clapped softly.

"You play beautifully, River. I’ve always wanted to hear you. Sam mentioned many times that you have a real gift, and it’s true."

"Thank you." I felt a treacherous blush creeping up my cheeks. "It’s my brother Snow’s composition. My whole family is musical. Out of my kids, Riley is the most talented—he playsthe violin too. Van dabbles in guitar a bit, and Lake has his keyboard…"

"I must say, I love the violin the most. Guitar and keyboard just don’t have the same vibe." Archer smiled.

For a moment, his expression became strangely pensive. He hesitated, glancing thoughtfully out the window.

"Such talents run in families. I knew one other guy who played the violin. I lived with him briefly—just for half a year. He transferred to our college after a bad breakup. His name was Skye."

Something shifted in his gaze, and he locked eyes with me—intently, as if he were trying to tell me something. I stayed quiet, a strange shiver running down my spine.

"I remember what he told me," Archer continued calmly. "He was inspired to play the violin by his brother. He was barely three years old when he saw him for the last time, but sometimes he’d sneak into his brother’s room to listen to him play—beautifully. He never forgot it, even though he never saw his brother again."

A tremor ran through me, unwanted emotions stirring in my mind.

"What are you trying to tell me, Archer?" I whispered, my voice shaky.

"His name was Skye Nolan."

I clenched my fists involuntarily, nails digging into my skin.

"You met one of my brothers?"

He nodded, not breaking eye contact. "I shared a room with him for half a year. Every time I look at Igor, it’s like I’m seeing Skye. They look so much alike—like twins."

A powerful tremor shook my body, flashes of my past flickering before my eyes. A small boy staring at me with big eyes as I played.

"Livel, play Twinkle?"The question, spoken in a toddler’s voice, echoed in my head.

My breath hitched, and an unwanted tear escaped down my cheek. The memory was sweet and bitter at the same time…

"You lived with my little brother… why didn’t you tell me? Does Sam know?"

He dropped his gaze to the edge of my nest. "No one knows. Even Skye doesn’t know I’ve met you. I suspected it might cause unnecessary drama between both families."

My hands spasmed as my mind swirled. I stood up. For a while, I just took deep breaths, keeping quiet—because he was right. When Thomas was alive, I probably wouldn’t have wanted to talk about it at all.

"Does he still play the violin? Is he a musician?" I whispered, barely audible.

"He plays, but he’s not a musician. He was in the same department as me—computer science. I was in cybersecurity and system administration, and he was a programmer."

Archer’s eyes traced my restless movements as I paced the room, feeling just… awful. Absolutely horrible.

"After you left, one more child was born into your family. You have an alpha brother by the name of Sun. He’s eighteen now."

I closed my eyes, emotions fluttering in my stomach like a flock of wild birds.

"Why didn’t Uncle Van email me about this?"

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