Page 1 of Dreams Of Fate

Chapter One

Archer

“You found me.” I glance over my shoulder at Rome as he walks toward me.

I've been standing on the hill to the side of my cabin, overlooking the valley, seeking calm. The fresh air and trees give me some peace, which I desperately need. Since the nearest neighbor is ten miles away, I am free to be myself, and I don’t have to worry about humans stumbling through my land.

My brother, on the other hand, isn't unexpected.

“It wasn’t hard,” he says and laughs as he reaches me. “My bond is a badass.”

Recently, Rome found his soul bond Mara. She's a powerful witch, and he brags about her spells, proud of the woman he loves.

His blond hair brushes his forehead, and his green eyes show the wisdom of years of experience. He is my best friend, my brother, and he knows me better than anyone. We’ve known each other for 140 years. Warlocks can live forever as long as we continue to use our power and are careful. Our magic keeps our bodies young. Once we reach our twenty-first birthday, our appearance doesn’t change. I love being a warlock, yet when I was younger, I wanted to be human. Giving up my magic had been my greatest wish.

“What about you?” I look away.

“Shit. I could have done the location spell.” He stops beside me. “I wanted to give you the time you needed.”

I feel his gaze on the side of my face, but don't turn to him. “You lasted longer than I thought.”

“Well, Mara agreed with me, but Lace was anxious. She wanted to check on her brother,” he says dryly.

Lace is Mara’s sister, and although it’s difficult for me to trust people, she broke down my defenses. She has become my friend, and I consider her my sister just as I do Mara.

“I should have checked in,” I sigh.

“Yes, you should have. You’ve been ignoring our calls. Mom is worried,” he says quietly.

“I’ll call her.”

“You used your power.” He moves in front of me, and I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “On Jerry.”

“Yeah,” I grit out, grinding my teeth.

Jerry was a bad guy who had been intent on causing problems for Mara and Rome. Mara killed his friend, even though the guy deserved every ounce of pain. Jerry wouldn’t let it go. I found out he was following Mara and Lace, documenting their activities. Rome was in a few of the pictures, and I couldn’t allow Jerry to disrupt their lives with allegations. We keep our lives private, so having the attention of the human police would cause suspicions we don’t need. Once they bonded, I took care of him before he messed up their new life together. I enjoyed giving him a nightmare he couldn’t escape.

“He was in the hospital. Spending his days staring at the wall and flinching. The doctors had no idea what was wrong. They ran every test they could think of with no progress. You’ll be glad to know he passed away, and the cops buried it.” He tilts his head. “Thank you.”

“I don’t need thanks. He wanted to punish Mara, and he wouldn’t give up,” I mumble.

“You protected my soul bond, and I suspect Lace and I.”

I shrug. “You would have done it for me.”

“I would. How long were you dealing with effects?” He narrows his eyes.

“Not long.” I look away.

“Sure,” he snorts.

“I’m fine.” I’m able to function without the nightmare flashing through my mind.

“How did you find this place?” he asks, looking around.

“Googling a cabin in an isolated area worked.” I smile slightly. “Surprisingly, there were several listings. This was in the best shape. I’m renting now, but have the option to buy. Having the land is worth the work I’ll have to put into the house.” Trees surround the small house, and give it shade, and a barrier from anyone driving by.

“Are you going to?” He turns to face the cabin.