“What are the rules?” I ask. My skin prickles with excitement. The worry from a few moments ago is completely forgotten, and all I can focus on is winning.
“You pick the weapon.” He gestures to himself and everything he’s got strapped to his body. “I pick the task. Fair is fair.”
“The bow. I want the bow.” The words spill from my mouth, and he smirks, lifting it over his head and extending it toward me.
“Fin said you wanted one.”
My fingers wrap around the grip and a thrill hums through my body.
“More like Fin wanted me to have one so he could shoot with me. I was teaching him how before…” I trail off.
Neither of us acknowledges Weston taking Fin, and how distraught I was when I discovered he was gone. The last thing I want this morning is to talk about more heavy and confusing things, because now, if I try hard enough, I could probably see Weston and my fight in the cave in an entirely different light.
“What’s the task?” I ask.
He wraps his hands around my shoulders and leads me to the other side of the lookout, facing deep into the forest. The back of my neck tingles as he leans over me, pointing over my shoulder, so close our clothing brushes together.
“See that tree over there?”
I nod tightly, trying to ignore his proximity and the images conjured in my mind from last night.
“Three arrows. Whoever hits the most coconuts wins.”
The tree is deep in the jungle, far off the main path, so anyone passing by the mountain wouldn’t see the flying arrows or falling fruit unless they were right under it.
Weston sets the quiver against the rail and steps away from my back, giving me space to breathe again. He pulls an arrow from the quiver and extends it to me.
“Ladies first.”
“If you think I’m going first, Captain, you’re mistaken.” I step aside so he can take my place in the opening. “Your task, you first.”
He holds out his hand, and I place the bow back in his palm. He moves into position, and I stand behind him, giving him enough space so he can shoot, but not enough that I can’t see the target.
He sets up his shot, turning sideways and nocking the arrow before pulling back the string and taking aim. His form is good, which shouldn’t be surprising based on how well he can handle weapons otherwise. A few moments pass, unmoving, until he releases the arrow. It whizzes from the lookout, straight toward the target tree, before slamming into the trunk, just beneath the coconuts.
A smirk forms on my lips.
“Shit,” he murmurs under his breath, and pulls another arrow, going through the same motions. He looses it and it slicesthrough a coconut, splitting it and sending pieces falling to the ground.
He pulls his last arrow from the quiver and lines it up, taking a moment longer than previously before he lets go. The arrow flies right at the tree, then whizzes just past it, disappearing into the forest.
“Fuck.”
I laugh and step toward him, holding my hand out for the bow. “Are you letting me win, Captain?”
“Gloating doesn’t look good on you, princess. Especially since you haven’t shot anything yet.”
It sure feels good, though.
“You can pull my dagger out now. I’ll be taking it back.” I push past him, and he huffs a laugh as I set up my feet, analyzing the target, the wind, all the other factors that might affect my shot. I try not to focus on anything but the tree, but my skin tingles with Weston’s attention.
Maybe he’ll stop underestimating me now.
Pushing out my breath slowly, I release the arrow, and it slams right through a coconut, knocking it to the ground. I smirk at him over my shoulder as I grab another arrow from the quiver, nocking it quickly and lining up the next shot.
“I’m about to lose this, aren’t I?” he grumbles.
“Don’t feel too bad, Captain.” I pull the arrow back and release, watching as it slams into another coconut, slicing it in half.
