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“I don’t want to talk about it,” he hisses, never turning to look at me. “We shoot a few arrows and get over to our group practice. Believe me, the less time we spend together, the better it will be for both of us.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” How did I ever find this man attractive? He can’t stand to look at me, let alone take time teaching me the skills I need to survive in the wilderness. Why didn’t he let the vampire drain my blood and save both of us a bunch of trouble?
In the field, he allows the quiver to slide from his shoulder and land with a thud in the tall grass. Arrows scatter. It’s unlike his normal calm and brooding disposition. He bends, scoops up an arrow, takes his stance, and shoots. The arrow pierces a hanging piece of fruit and drives it into the bark of a nearby tree, reducing it to pulp.
Holy mother of badasses. I’m sorry. As much as he’s not my favorite person right now, that was hot, and at the same time, scary.
I pick up an arrow and tap its shaft against my palm. “How many practice sessions do you think I’ll need to do that?”
“About a million.” He hands me the bow but doesn’t make eye contact. His thick lashes cover the hypnotic crystal blue. It’s better, anyway. I don’t need to waste my thoughts on a person who hates my guts.
I set my stance, raise the bow, and nock an arrow. The forest is full of wide trees to hit. It can’t be that hard. The past two times I tried, I instinctually closed my eyes right before releasing the arrow. Bastian had said to keep my attention on the target—to see the head pierce the wood. I pull back on the string, keeping the arrowhead in line with the center of a tree and my eyes wide. When I release, I keep the bow raised and my attention on my target. It splinters the wood and sticks.
A rush of adrenaline hits me, and I throw my arms around Bastian’s neck. “I did it!”
He laughs, but his body is stiff, not reciprocating my hug. “Yes, you did.”
I drop my arms, and he backs away slightly, enough to show me he didn’t want me entering his personal space.
“Again,” he says, lifting another arrow from the quiver. “It’s not enough to hit a target once every ten times. When you have Avrenian’s army marching toward you, you can’t miss.”
I nock my second arrow, set my stance, and focus on a tree to the left of the one I just hit. Adrenaline rushes through me with the high of possibly being good at something. I pinch the arrow tight between my fingers, ready to release.
A cool stream of air brushes along my neckline, breaking my concentration, and I release, sending the arrow high into the canopy above.
“What did you do that for?” I whip around to face him.
He’s so close, I can feel the heat radiating from his body as we’re inches away. I want to step back, but an invisible string ties me to him, and I’m rooted to the ground.
“Distraction.” His lips are so full, making me wonder what kissing them might be like. “If you can’t keep your focus, mentally and physically, you’ve already lost.”
An awkward half-smile crosses his lips as he steps away and gathers the arrows into the quiver. “I think that’s enough for today.”
I lift the bow, blood pumping hard through my veins. The rush of having him so close and hitting the tree a second time makes me feel alive in this strange world. “But I want to try again to see if it was only a fluke or if I’m onto something. Give me another arrow.”
He lifts the quiver to his shoulder, still refusing to look at me. “The others are waiting. We’ll see if you can master your kicks with the same precision.”
Although disappointed, I puff out my chest and straighten my back as we walk through the woods to the Grove. For the first time since entering the wilderness, I’m proud of myself. In Avren, I had plenty of accomplishments, but here it’s like I’m starting over.
Bastian walks ahead of me—never beside me. He’s the Commander, and I’m the inadequate soldier. I thought I had broken through his icy shield, but that’s not the case. Today he has made it clear that we’re not to be friends.
The others already wait in the Grove when we arrive. I want Bastian to proclaim my victory, but he remains tight-lipped. The men scuffle in the grass while the women sit on the logs, chatting.
Susan jumps up to greet Bastian as we approach, but not before taking a moment to rake her eyes down my leather outfit. “Looks like the Kindred Few finally accepted the princess.” She wraps her arms around his neck, where mine had been minutes before, and pulls him into a kiss.
He keeps it short despite her efforts. “It was Evie’s idea. Thought she needed to look the part of our sister.”
Evie. Despite her gruff exterior, maybe the idea of another woman in the house is important to her. Between this and my success with the bow, I’ll check this off as a banner day.
Rafe approaches and circles me, appraising my new garb. “You brought her wrapped as a present for me today, Commander.” Once again, I want to knock the goofy grin from his face.
“Leave her alone,” Bastian all but growls, and my stomach tightens. “I know Susan and Laurel plan to have us all matched, but she’s my sister, and I don’t want her with you.”
Rafe holds a palm to his chest and stoops forward as if in great pain. “That hurts, Commander. After all we’ve been through?”
“Mari will choose who she wants to be with when the time is right, if ever.” The authority in his voice puts a period on the end of the conversation for Rafe, who slinks away from us.
My insides are in turmoil. On one hand, he’s acting like a protective older brother; but on the other, this is coming from someone who just told me he wants nothing to do with me except our obligatory time to train. “I’m ready to fight.”
