King Gnah

23-ARCHER pt 2

ANYA

This embarrassing moment, where everyone misunderstands a situation and decides to call you out and give you the eye, was not on my menu for the evening.

Cairo was still too close to me when he cleared his throat to speak. He gained my attention and addressed everyone in general as I steadily stepped back, "My assistant will give you the clubs' rosters. Please read them carefully and sign to confirm your agreement with our conditions."

Zeus stepped forward and handed us the papers to distribute. I could only imagine what would happen if Kenny were here; he hated this guy.

A/N: Refer to chapter 10 for more info on Zeus.

Zeus announced, "We follow daily routines in the club." He then asked, with a hint of mockery, "Are some of you beginners?" I finally understood why his face looked so punchable—it's all in his facial expressions!

Seth answered this one, "Just us three," he motioned towards Stacy and Willow, too. "Didn't you get your ass whooped last season, though?"

We choked. I almost forgot what a smart ass Seth can be sometimes.

"Okay, pretty face. I'd watch my mouth." Zeus took a menacing step toward Seth, but Cairo stepped in between them.

"You better," Seth hissed.

I saw the air freezing, so I had to do something. After clearing my throat for like the hundredth time that day, I pulled Seth aside, "We have to leave for our, uh...project. Remember?" We needed to get the gem, and the night was in four hours. We had to prepare.

Thankfully, everyone took the hint, and we just started mumbling nonsense as we found our way out. But not me. Nooo.... because Cairo grabbed my arm with such force that if I did not have a magical buffer on me, I would have expected a bruise. But I did hiss to drive the point home.

"Sorry!" He snatched his hand away.

I saw how genuinely scared he looked, and my anger dissipated almost instantly, "I'm just a bit delicate? You wanted to tell me something?" I questioned him.

He did that whole neck-scratching, nervous-looking ordeal before he decided to speak. He nervously looked around, and so did I in utter confusion, before I figured it out. Good heavens, seriously?

My guys were waiting for me by the door, and no one was within earshot, so I spoke freely, "Cairo." he focused his eyes on me as I added, "I know you believe yourself and your feelings, and I get you, I do. But we don't even know each other, and frankly, I'm not even looking for love right now."

That seemed to take him aback, "Well, uhm...thanks for telling me that." Then he sighed. "I thought you were gonna call me crazy for a second there.

I just wanna know you more. Maybe figure out what this all is."

"I'd like that. We have a movie night tomorrow. " You can bring Jay, heard you two were close," I offered and waved him goodbye and left.

I caught up with the rest, and we casually walked to Beckham.

"So, Cairo," John started, and I already knew where this was leading to.

Stacy, of all people, contributed, "he seems nice."

"Nice face, nice self, nice voice...oh, to be Anya," Andy added while Willow just nudged her to shut it.

I had a feeling for quite a while that Willow actually feared me. She always walked on eggshells around me. She might not know it yet, but it's literally encoded in her genes to view the King's clan as superiors. She is an elf descendant after all.

I rolled my eyes at them. "I can't make friends now?"

John scoffed and muttered, "With benefits, you mean?"

I think that was the moment I had a mini snap. My sex life was a touchy subject for me because I happened not to have one. But before I had time to attack John (and I mean physically), I saw Kenny and my redhead cousin on the porch on their way into the house.

I picked up the pace and jogged to the house and walked in to find Kenny lying on the couch and Stefan talking to Tasha in an agitated tone.

"Explain this," I declared, "or someone is going to regret existing." I already knew the answer, but I did not want to overassume.

Tasha stepped back and let her little brother(they were twins) sort it out, "I took Kenny to get the gem. We have good news and bad news."

"Am I supposed to pick?" I scoffed, "This isn't a movie!"

Stefan flinched, then voiced with a hint of guilt, "He-he got the gem and absorbed it." Then he stared at his sister, and a message was passed, "It seems to be showing us something through him, but we have no idea how to translate the message."

I chewed on this. They disobeyed me. Risked Kenny's life and have the gall to come here and plead like kids. Between us all, I'm the kid. I grew up too fast, but the fact doesn't change.

The rest of the crew finally walked through the door.

"Whoa!" I could hear Ray exclaim, among others, "I just wanna know if the hair is really those colours or do you like, have expensive dyes?"

"It's real, thanks." Tasha giggled at her answer. I almost puked. She was such a pick-me.

I went back to business, as Willow and Stacy were curious enough to examine Kenny. Tasha went to stop them. "You seem to have an idea, so spit it." I pressed Stefan.

He fidgeted a little before mumbling some incoherent shit.

"What?" I hissed.

"You have an enemy in your midst!" he yelled.

I froze. What bullshit is this? The barrier is too weak to let non-guardians through. Everyone knows that that was the default setting. Unless...

"That person has to have been on this side of the barrier when it malfunctioned," I thought out loud. "I can think only of one person."

And right on cue, the door knocked, and Caleb opened it to reveal none other than Gale, with Missy on his arm. "Hello, hello. Missy here forgot her makeup it so we passed by," he announced as Missy went to her room. She rarely stays here, so I tend to forget that she actually does.

"Where did you say Missy came from?" I asked Gale.

"I did not say," he replied.

"She's from Cornwall. In the UK." Seth answered like the fanboy he was. But I wasn't interested in those things. I just wanted to prove Gale's hypervigilance to the things he says.

He has to be hiding something.