Spellbound

Original Edition: Sixteen

"Can I just get one more of those concoctions, Lloyd?" I asked, gulping down the last of whatever mixture of alcohol was in the glass in front of me.

After hearing Lloyd practically confirm at least some of what I'd read in the book, I felt like my head was going to explode, so I did the only thing I could to keep my mind occupied: keep drinking. In my two years I spent at the university, I built up quite the tolerance, but whatever Lloyd was mixing together had quite the effect on me.

"Are you sure, Miss Fox? This will be the fifth one, and most people are falling off the barstool by now," Lloyd cautioned, wiping his hands on a white cloth and tossing it to the bartop.

"Yes, I'm sure," I slurred, leaning toward him and nodding vigorously. "I can handle it."

He glanced at the clock and raised an eyebrow. "You know last call was thirty minutes ago."

I crossed my arms and stuck out my lip in a petulant pout. "But Llooooooyd," I whined. "I'm the owner of this here establishment, so don't you think it's fair I get just one more drink?" I held up an index finger to illustrate my point.

With a sigh, Lloyd turned his back to me and set to work.

"Come on, I think you've had enough," said a warm voice in my ear as strong fingers curled around my bicep.

I jumped in my seat and whirled around to see Archer right in my face, his breath minty and eyes a deep, dark amethyst. I hopped off the stool and pressed myself against him. "How long have you been standing here? Just let me grab my drink, and we can go back to my room." I wiggled my eyebrows and ran a finger down the center of his chest.

Keeping his eye on the bartender, Archer whispered, "I'll come back and get your drink when it's done." His hand engulfed mine, and he led me out of the bar despite my whimpered protest for my abandoned drink.

Archer stopped in the narrow walkway between the lobby and bar and pressed the corner of a painted picture's frame. The wall swung back enough to give us entrance into the secret passages behind it. He guided me through the dark and I stumbled behind him as everything around me tilted and spun.

"Shit," I mumbled as I stepped on his heels and fell against him, gripping his waist to stop myself from hitting the ground. "Sorry, Arch." I righted myself and bunched his shirt in my fist to keep my balance, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes to try and stop the spinning.

"Not a problem. Here." He took my arms, wrapped them around his neck, and grabbed my thighs, hoisting me onto his back. "Just don't vomit on me, please."

I rested my chin on his shoulder and kept my eyes shut, my mouth close to his ear. "I've never been that drunk. I just need to lie down."

"You have also not drunk Lloyd's sleeping potion before. Rest assured; you will be vomiting tonight."

Archer maneuvered through the maze with ease. His steps were nimble, and he didn't so much as grunt with my extra weight added. He was definitely not a normal guy who cried like a big baby when he had to overexert himself in the name of chivalry.

"Do you have night vision or something?" I asked.

A low chuckle left his lips. "No. I've navigated these passages for years upon years. I could lose my sight and never get lost on any inch of this property."

"And exactly how many years would that be?"

"I've always been here. Always."

"Years, Archer. I'm not in a position to do math."

He released my legs, and the wall gave way. The light from the hallway flooded my sensitive eyes, but I could still make out the somber look on his face as he looked back at me and said, "Just over a hundred and fifty years."