“How do you know I’m still lacking? You haven’t been around the last week.”
“Fine then, show me.”
He handed her a quiver of arrows, and when she’d strapped it on, a bow.
“I had duties.” A bit snappy, as Harken warned, Keegan shoved his hands in the pockets of his duster. “I’d have come back sooner if I could have.”
“I know.”
She started to reach back for an arrow, but he caught her face in his hands, laid his lips on hers. Then searched her face.
“Were you there, or was the dream mine alone?”
“I was there.”
He rested his forehead on hers. “All right then.” And stepped back. “All right then. Now show me your great skill.”
She nocked the arrow, took her stance, slowly and smoothly drew back. When she loosed the arrow, it nipped the outer ring of the target.
“I didn’t say great,” she muttered.
“By all the sweet goddesses, you’ve eyes. Use them.”
“Nothing’s wrong with my eyes. And you’re just… crowding me.” She waved him back. She tried again, and hit the other edge of the target.
“I watched a little not yet eight do better, and on her first go. Steady your arm, woman. Adjust your stance.”
“Steady your arm. Adjust your stance,” she repeated.
She’d missed him, she reminded herself. She’d wanted him back.
She went through another six arrows and managed to hit halfway between the edge of the target and the center twice.
“Just save it,” she snapped at him. “I do better with Morena. You can ask her. It’s you.”
“It’s me, is it?”
“It’s you standing there glowering at me.”
“Sure the one coming at you to do you harm will wear the most pleasant of smiles as he cuts you down.”
She wouldn’t need a damn bow and arrow to stop an attacker, she thought. She had other ways.
Other ways, it dawned on her.
She took some calming breaths, then readied another arrow. She thought of the point, thought of the center.
Bull’s-eye.
She sent Keegan a smug look as he frowned. “Glower at that,mo chara.”
“Anyone can have a bit of luck. Do it again.”
She did, then a third time, nesting the arrows point to point to point in the target center.
Enjoying herself now, she reached back for another. Keegan stilled her hand.
“You’re using power.”