#16 Bows and Arrows
Chapter 1

Adira

“Addie!” A voice rang out through the cafeteria and my head snapped in their direction.

“What?” I grumbled at the man stomping across the room.

“Effie wants you.” He grunts.

“I didn’t realize you were her secruitery now, Bruce.” I mocked him, standing up from my chair and smirking at him.

Bruce rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance, but otherwise ignored me. He was one of the guards who was usually stationed downstairs in the cells. A big, brooding dude who wasn’t someone you usually wanted to mess with.

I walked through the base, making my way towards Effie’s office. She’s been in charge of the Archer’s base for I don’t know how long now, centuries probably. It was just one of those things you didn’t question. She was so good at her job that the Goddess would probably let her keep doing it for eternity.

I knocked on the door and then pushed it open. Effie was sitting behind her desk.

“You summoned me?” I plopped down on the chair across from her desk.

“You know, Addie, very few Archers get away with speaking to me like you do. You should feel honored.” Effie shook her head at me.

I faked modesty,

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Effie scoffed,

“Yeah, right,” She said, “Anyway, I have….”

Effie’s voice was shadowed by a violent racket in my head. I whined loudly and put my head in my hands, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to focus on the noise.

“Addie!” My brother’s voice cried out.

“What is going on?” I cringed at the panic in his voice.

“We’ve been attacked by rogues,” At his words, my heart sank, “Mom and Dad….” His voice trailed off.

“Mom and Dad what, Aidian? What!” I demanded.

“I’m Alpha now, Addie.” He said solemnly and I knew just what that meant.

“They’re….dead?” I gulped.

I was met with silence.

“Aidian, you have to say it!” I commanded.

“Yes, Addie, Mom and Dad are dead. So is Niko. Madge is the only ranked member to survive. We’ve lost nearly a hundred members.” He finally confesses.

My mind went blank and I felt myself sink to the floor.

“Adira! What is it?” Effie called out, but I could barely hear her; I couldn’t focus on what she was saying.

All I felt was pain. The pain of my pack members, the pain of my brother and new Alpha, and my own pain.

“I need you, Addie.” Aidian’s voice broke.

“I’m coming.” My voice displayed a strength that I didn’t feel.

“Love you, sis.” Aidian said before his link faded away.

I blinked my eyes quickly, trying to clear the fog from my brain and my vision. Effie’s office came back into focus. I was kneeling on the ground with Effie hovering right in my face.

“My pack was attacked. My parents are dead.” I forced myself to say.

Effie’s eyes went wide and her face paled,

“Go.” She said immediately.

I didn’t question what she was going to ask me to do before I got the news, I didn’t care. My job was important, but nothing came before my family. I pulled myself off the floor and hurried out of the office, heading straight for my room to pack a bag.

I strapped up, slinging the dark green bow and quiver over my shoulder and watching as it disappeared behind the enchantments; I shrugged into the emerald green cloak that I inherited from the last Emerald Archer.

It was an honor to be named the Emerald Archer, especially when you considered the fact that the last one was the right hand man of the infamous Crimson Archer, a name that has since been retired and will never be used again. Then again, it wasn’t a surprise, either.

I was born to do great things, at least that’s what my parents always told me. As the second born to the Alpha and Luna of the Sparrow pack, I had Alpha blood in my veins and nowhere to go with it. My older brother, Aidian, was always the destined Alpha of our pack; he just had the personality for leadership whereas I had the personality of a warrior.

Needing to replace an outlet for all my pent up power and energy, I went to the Warrior pack in upstate Michigan when I turned 18. Not 6 months later, I was picked up by the Archers.

I haven’t been home since. I was usually put on long term missions which made getting home impossible, but my parents and brother often came out to visit me at the Base in between assignments. I was regretting all of that now.

Wrapped around my thigh was a green leather holster. I made sure my dagger was sharpened to a point and fastened it into the holster. It was half silver and half gold, thanks to the need to defend ourselves against dragons now as well as werewolves. I picked up my leather duffle bag and slung it over my shoulder before heading out of my apartment.

I went straight for the portal room, but before I could make it inside, an urgent link came through. Thinking it was my brother again, I quickly opened it,

“Adira Sparrow, werewolf representative for the Table of the Realms. You are called to duty. Make haste to the Vampire Realm.”

The voice echoed in my head like an enchanted voicemail. I growled and my wolf, Lucille, was whimpering in my head; we needed to be home. But, if there was one thing Lucille and I could agree on, it was our sense of duty.

We were asked to sit on the Table of the 6 Realms by our King and Queen, and there was no other acceptable answer besides, yes. Now, we were being asked to attend an emergency meeting and, again, there was no choice. We would have to attend and our pack would have to wait.

Lucille and I shared a deafening growl before I changed the location on the portal. My last thought before slipping through it was, this better be a quick fucking meeting.