Page 55 of When Wishes Bleed

I studied his target. The shot was impossible. His arrow stood in the way of his goal. “You’d have to split your arrow.”

“I’ve done it before.”

“Under the constraint of time? We only have…” I looked to John, who mouthed the word thirty to me. “Thirty minutes left to spend together.”

“We’ll just have to see,” he answered, determination glittering in his eyes.

He could probably do it. His princely self had probably taken lessons from the greatest archers in the Kingdom. He could probably hit the target blindfolded. But could he hit it if I interfered just a tad? He hadn’t forbidden it…

“You have a deal,” I answered.

A glance at Brecan revealed his displeasure, so I looked back to Tauren. “Good luck,” I said sweetly, moving behind him to get a better view.

He gave me a small, somewhat wary smile, chose an arrow, and positioned himself in front of the target. He nocked the arrow and let it fly. I flipped my fingers to the right, manipulating the arrow’s trajectory, then quickly tucked my hands behind my back. The arrow soared far right of the target.

His mouth gaped open, watching the shaft wobble from the tree trunk it had struck. He shook his head and glanced over his shoulder at me.

I smiled at Tauren’s frustration, but he regrouped. “I’ll choose a better arrow this time,” he promised with a wink.

I nodded encouragingly, and as he searched for one, stifled a laugh.

Brecan smirked approvingly from afar. John lifted his fist to his mouth, covering his smile.

Tauren shot the second arrow. I waved my hand to the left, guiding the arrow into a bush. Tauren looked flustered, but was determined to try again. He flashed a determined smile at me. “This might take a while.”

“You have twenty-six minutes,” I teased, estimating the time left.

I sent his next two arrows into the ground, and the third into the cypress beside mine. “I don’t understand,” he said, grabbing two more arrows and testing their weights on his fingers.

He fired again. I nudged it just a bit. It hit the target, but didn’t strike the map. “That’s better,” he said, breathing a little easier. A sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. The pleasant, mild morning was becoming hotter as we moved toward midday.

Tauren fired again. This time, it struck the map, but in the area of the swimming pool. The next arrow, I directed to strike in the location I estimated Leah’s room to be in.

After that, I sent arrow after arrow to different points on the map, but never allowed him the chance to strike his target again. The moments ticked by and Tauren quickly ran out of time. I couldn’t let him win.

A kiss? A kiss might completely unravel me, and on live telecast, no less. Finally, he lowered his bow.

John gave us a two-minute warning.

Tauren stared at the map and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

I stifled a grin. “What’s the matter, Prince? You started out by hitting the very heart of Nautilus, and now you can’t strike anywhere near it.” I couldn’t help but smile.

The tele-crew began to chuckle at the bewildered look on Tauren’s face. He narrowed his eyes. “What?” he asked the group who’d gathered to watch.

I stifled a giggle.

“What is going on?” he asked again. Then he tilted his head and turned to me. “Oh, I see. You’ve been using a little magic to sway the odds, huh?”

My eyes widened as he crossed the space between us. He clutched my waist, his hands tightening when they found bare skin under the seams. “I think I won the battle.”

“You didn’t,” I argued, breathless from the look of utter longing in his eyes. “You didn’t split your arrow.”

“Only because you kept me from it.”

“If you were truly skilled –”

He put his finger over my lips and my throat dried up, along with whatever it was I was about to say.

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