Chapter 101: Archer

Liam's eyes lifted to the curtain. He stood abruptly. I straightened, following his gaze. A man in a black suit and a fedora walked in. Two tall men followed him. They all had slightly pointed ears.
Liam stepped forward and shook his hand. "Don Archer," Liam said with a respectful nod.
"Brother Baxter. I have urgent business with you. Do you mind clearing the room?"
Archer looked down at me briefly and back to Liam.
"This is Brother Popov's daughter. She will be taking over the Ardor Brothers."
Archer frowned. "It is unfortunate to hear you will be stepping down. I feel we have created a strong relationship between our two factions."
"She will fully support our agreement. If you choose to speak with me on the matter, I will act as her liaison."
I blinked. I was surprised at how diplomatic Liam sounded. He never talked like that in front of the brothers or sisters. He kept his words short and grumbly. But here, he sounded like a true leader. I sat up on the chaise with my back straight and tried to look like I knew what I was doing. I totally didn't. I crossed my legs tightly. My lack of underwear wasn't making me feel very leader-like.
Archer looked me over again. "Until she can prove herself, I think it's best if you and I speak together."
"That is acceptable, but she does not leave my side. She will be here for our entire conversation."
Archer nodded. He took a seat across the table. The two tall men following him stood behind the armchair. I could feel their eyes on me. I focused enough to see their auras. All three of them blazed with strong magic. Don Archer whirled around him. I had a feeling if I made a sudden move, it would be my last.
"Brother Baxter, there have been numerous attacks on your territory. This, as you know, makes us vulnerable. If our allies can't keep the peace, then we look weak."
"We have been in some tussles with The Grange. They abducted one of our sisters. She escaped. I think they are upset."
"Escaped? You didn't do a full-frontal attack and burn their headquarters to the ground?"
A low growl escaped Liam. He cleared his throat. "If we knew where their headquarters were, it is possible that we could have eliminated a problem for both of us."
"I see. So, she escaped. The Grange is attacking you because..." He tapped his fingers together. "They want her back?"
Liam remained silent. He didn't move a single muscle.
Archer leaned forward. "Maybe, because you're an orc, you don't get my meaning. Peace is very important. We cannot be allies with a faction in the middle of a war."
Liam's fists balled at his sides. "We will not give her back."
I set my hand on Liam's closest fist. I wanted to comfort him, to give him maybe a bit of my power, but I didn't want to compromise his ability to think. Hopefully, my insignificant touch was enough.
Archer leaned back in the chair. "I see." His eyes landed on me. "What's so special about you, daughter of Matei? Do you have the same bewitching skill as your father? Are you their new drug, and now that makes you think you can be their leader? Do you have them all wrapped around your little finger here, just like Liam?"
I stared at him a moment, then looked to Liam. Liam was practically fuming. I could feel the muscles in his hands tensing. If I didn't do something soon, Liam was going to break something or someone. I looked back over to Don Archer. Both his men were gearing up with some bright power around themselves.
I took in a deep breath. Either we were going to fight our way out of this and lose some allies, or I need to impress this bozo.
"That may be true." I leaned forward. "Would you like a taste?"
Archer waved his hand in front of him, warding me off. "I do not have time for party tricks. I've seen succubus before, sweetie. Ones way hotter and with way more skill than you can acquire at your young age. You don't have any real power, which means The Grange will crush you." He leaned forward and whispered, "If I don't first."
I set my hand on the box of crystals under the table below where they could see. I sucked the power back inside of me. It vibrated. I was brimming with it. I felt like even the words I would speak would be saturated with it.
"What do I need to do to convince you?" I asked.
"I want to see something truly formidable. The only thing you have to protect you are these dumb brutes that follow you like slaves." He gestured to Liam. "I want to see what you can do for me."
"I won't do anything for you," I said. "I will protect my faction, even if that means going to war with you."
Archer laughed. "Tough words from such a little girl." He looked up to the men behind him. "I like her. She makes me laugh. Keep her alive; take out the rest."
Something in me snapped. I could feel all the power inside me energize, but it was stronger than before. It felt like the pink god power again. It snapped to my fingers and did my bidding without commands. The pink wings materialized and fluttered. I rose above the chaise, looking down at Archer. His eyes lifted as I rose above the table. Liam's eyes widened slightly, but he stood at my side and glowered down at him.
I opened up my left palm and flicked my fingers at him. Pink stands of energy snapped out and connected to him. I moved him like a puppet, like how Mr. Kline had done to me. I wiggled my fingers and made him stand. He turned to his goons and slapped them in the face. A look of shock replaced their stoic expressions.
The men tensed. They realized what I had done. They held their hands out at me. Chairs started flying at me. I didn't flinch. I had so much power, and it was right there at my fingertips. I held my right hand and blocked each attack with a wall of pink sparkly magic. The chairs bounced off and flew across the room. I shielded Liam from a flying table and a few patrons from a lamp that had bounced off my shield.
The wind picked up, cycling around me, pulling the curtains down. It fluttered my dress. I briefly worried if my bits were showing, but I pushed that thought aside. Eyes all around the upper level and even from the dancefloor watched our standoff. The wind pushed furniture around me, but my shield blocked it. Even my wings didn't falter.
I used my puppet strings to clamp Archer's hands around his goonies' throats.
Archer raised his voice. "Enough. Aiden, Aron, stop. Enough. Young miss, please. You've made your point."
The wind died down. I released my control on Archer. The chairs, tables, and curtains returned to their original positions like nothing had ever happened. Archer turned and eyed me suspiciously. I lowered to the floor and cut the power of my wings off with a flick. I sat on the chaise and crossed my legs. Liam still stood at my side.
Archer sat again. "Well, you certainly are more powerful than Matei, or at least you have a few more tricks."
I just glared at him.
"I think we'd like to renew our contract now that there is a new leader of the Ardor Faction." He pulled a paper from out of the air. With one hand, he waved it over the paper. Words wrote themselves on the paper. He slid it across the table to me.
Liam snatched it off the table and read it over. He laid it back down with the signature page exposed then bent to my ear.
"It's an honest contract."
I nodded.
"Deal?" Archer asked.
I nodded again.
He smiled. A knife appeared in his hand. He sliced his finger open. It dripped on the paper and formed his signature. He offered me the knife.
I flicked my hand out. "Reveal," I whispered.
The tattoo of the Aurora Sword in its dagger form slid up my leg and torso then down my arm. It materialized in my hand. I sliced my finger and dripped the blood on the page. The blood turned into a pair of pink wings with a black and white sword crisscrossed through them.
"I'm glad we have a deal. We will send reinforcements to your territories edge to keep The Grange at bay." Archer stood. "It is nice to have met you... You know, I didn't get your name."
I stood. "That's too bad." I held my hand out to him.
He shook it. A small smile played at his lips. I could feel his magic tingling up my arm. I wasn't sure what he was trying to do, but I didn't like it. I blocked it with my magic, forming a wall with my aura. His smile grew.
"Have a nice evening." He turned and left through the curtains with his goons.