The Change (The Alliance #2)

Chapter 30

Mia

I thought I had run out of tears to shed.

I thought I had no feelings anymore, that whatever happens, happens. I thought I was on the verge of giving up, of accepting fate. I thought I was numb to everything, that nothing could phase me. I thought I was strong, that I could handle things after all of this.

I was not any of those things. I was a fool for thinking I was.

"No. No, this can't be right."

I'm standing there, staring at where I saw Archer last. He couldn't of left, he wouldn't have done that.

"He probably left," Casper says, looking out past the fence. Adam gives him a slight nod. Lydia has joined, and also nods.

"No, he said that we would go together. He said-"

"Mia, do you really think Archer would want you to go?" Lydia says.

"Yes, he said that we were both going to go."

"That's Archer, though. He says all of that, but deep down he didn't want you doing that." Lydia says.

"She's right. We all wanted to risk our lives to help Archer, but he's not that kind of person," Casper says, "he wouldn't want anyone else getting hurt because of him."

"So he went on out without us." Adam whispers.

I can't handle it. This isn't happening. I can't handle knowing that Archer is back in Evelyn's hands. She'll kill him.

"E-Evelyn will do it this time. S-she'll, kill him, she-"

My words don't come easily, but they know exactly what I'm thinking. That was the last time Evelyn let him free. This time there is no way she'll allow him to live.

"Well, we have a bomb. We can still find him..."

"How!" I can't help my sobs. I cover my face with my hands, my eyes stinging with tears. Adam Casper and Lydia leave me be, because they understand. Finding him will be merely impossible.

Archer has accepted his death.

And I can't handle that.

I run to the tent him and I shared the other night. Where we kissed, where I thought I had the old Archer back. Hell, I did have him back.

I sink to my knees, looking at his jacket, the only thing that's in the tent. It doesn't look like it was just laid down. The two sleeves are twisted and placed diagonally, and the main part is twisted and faced in one direction. It's almost as if it's pointed in a direction.

An arrow.

I step up, stumbling from the dizziness. I wipe my tears away, and I can't help but sob in a giggle. I can't help but laugh in pure joy. I step out of the tent, and the others look at me strangely.

"He gave us a direction," I say. "He wants us to get him."

***

"Either we read the arrow wrong, or this place is a hell of a ways away."

"Archer knows what he did," I look at Casper, "this is the right way."

"It's been a good amount of hours. We've got to be getting close." Adam attempts to lighten up the mood, but it's not working.

"So, I don't want to ruin things, but how is this actually going to work? I mean, we have the bomb, cool. But I doubt we can just walk right in and set it." Lydia says.