Forever Burning by Evi Asher Read Free Book Online Page A

Archer. “He’s not lying. Scarlet was taken to another plane, somewhere you can never get her.”
    The hyena groaned and stood, shaking his head like a dog would after immersing it in water.
    “Take these misfits back to the temple, and I will deal with your failure later.” Jasmine’s command cracked like a whip.
    The hyena rounded up the wounded, and looked over at Jasmine. She waved her hand, and they were gone in a flash of the blinding white light.
    She turned her attention back to Archer. “What nonsense are you spewing. It will not throw me off her trail. I need the pyro.” Her hands curled to fists at her side.
    “She’s not a pyro, and she’s gone. There is nothing you can do about it,” Archer grated through clenched teeth. He’d had more than enough of Jasmine and her demands. He was a twitch away from vivisecting her, and doing both humanity and all of the Eternals a service.
    “I didn’t come here to listen to you talk bullshit, Archer. Hand her over, and I’ll let the rest of you live.” Her voice was glacial, and a white light had started forming in her clenched fists.
    Erik stepped past Archer. “Scarlet has become a phoenix. She’s been taken to their realm, so stop your bullshit and leave, before we kill you where you stand.”
    “A phoenix?” Jasmine’s eyes glinted with greed.
    Archer took a menacing step forward. “Hold up—what do you know about phoenix?”
    Jasmine answered his question with one of her own. “Can I speak with you in private, Archer?”
    Archer waited, expecting her to rub her hands in glee. What had become of the sweet angel that had once dated Dimi?
    “No, whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of everyone.”
    “Very well. I know about the phoenix, and about their realm, and I can get you there.”
    Archer was stunned into silence for a moment. “What?”
    “You heard me. I can get to their realm, but I need your help. I can’t get there without you.”
    “I don’t know how to get there.” He folded his arms again. She was up to something, and he had a feeling it was more than getting her hands on Scarlet.
    “I smell her all over you, Archer. Do you think I’m an idiot?”
    He leveled a flat stare at Jasmine. “ So . What .” Archer enunciated each word, putting emphasis on them.
    “You have a connection to her, and with that, I can open a doorway between the planes and we can fetch her.”
    “Don’t even think about it, Archer. Nothing good can come from that suggestion. This one is pure evil,” Tate said from just behind Archer.
    Heath nodded his head in agreement. “It would be a deal with the devil.”
    “You.” Jasmine narrowed her eyes at Heath. “You and I have unfinished business.”
    “That’s debatable, little devil. I’m done with you and your ilk.”
    She clenched her teeth and turned to Archer. “I suspect that Scarlet is mated to you, so I know that sooner or later, you are going to come begging me to go get her. As for me wanting her? You can have Scarlet. I’ll take another phoenix for my purposes. Think on it. You have my number.”
    She waved her hand dramatically and disappeared in the white light.
    “She’s such a drama queen.” Erik quipped in a fake effeminate accent.
    As a group, they turned, and in unison said, “Shut up, Erik.”
    Archer was tempted, Jasmine’s words playing on a loop in his head. She wouldn’t take Scarlet. He could have his She back.
    Heath was regarding Archer with a thoughtful expression.
    “There is another way, Arch, so don’t even go there.”
    “What. I didn’t say anything,” Archer snapped.
    “I don’t need my precognitive abilities to see what you were thinking. You didn’t have to say it.” He put his hand on Archer’s shoulder. “We know you want her back, and we will help you get her back—Jasmine, she’s bad news.”
    A chorus of, Yeah and of course we will and you bet your ass came from the rest of the group.
    “Where do we start?” Archer felt