Page 32 of Living Legend

His mouth popped open to speak, but, wanting the last word, I slammed the door.

Chapter Six

NICK

“Ihonestly can’t believe you agreed to this plan at all. You seemed pretty set in your ways about it before,” I said to my best friend as I sprawled out on the grass. I raised my hand behind my head, resting it on a slanted rock. Reese had taken me aside and told me that he would help in Elise and Dani’s plan. He never let me respond; all questions were halted when he walked into his room and closed the door.

“Things change. I’m allowed to change my damn mind,” Reese stated, flexing his fingers in his leather gloves. Two large wooden circles with colorful red targets stood in the distance. He looked at them and then towards the trees that hit just the tip of the clouds above. The sun was beating down with intense rage, and I plucked my sunglasses from my pocket.

I scoffed. “You don’t change your mind that quickly. That has never changed.”

Reese unhooked his bow and slapped the side of my thigh with it. “I’m a complex individual, what can I say?”

He had told me he wanted to do some target practice, to which I jokingly said that releasing some of his pent-up frustration would do him some good. What I didn’t say was that I would be happy to join him outside and watch him hit a bullseye every time to uplift his ego. That was how it always went. I couldn’t speak much either way, seeing as every time I handed him a sword, he always ended up on his ass. Fair is fair.

“You couldn’t have picked a hotter day to do this.” I could feel the sweat forming at my brow. “I actually envy the demons right now in their room.”

Reese started to get into position but paused, looking down at me. “I wouldn’t envy them in any regard.”

“I just meant we’re out here in the heat, and they’re in the air conditioning, that’s all. Not everything has to turn into a brawl.” I rolled my eyes at his annoyance. It seemed like normal angelic logic to loathe them, but I found myself neutral for the moment. They hadn’t given me any reason to doubt them. Reese saw doubt in almost every breath they took.He was all action and no thought.

Reese mutteredwhateverunder his breath before turning back to the targets. He picked out an arrow from the quiver at his feet. Standing sideways, he pulled the bow up, aligning the arrow along with it. He pressed his feet to the ground, shoulder width apart. His back flattened and he bent his knees as he clasped the arrow and his bow string, pulling back.

This was one thing that Reese did stop to think about.

The sound of the released arrow was sharp as it pulled the wind with it. The arrow flew forward, unrelenting. The target made a small cracking sound as the head of the arrow pierced it right in the middle. Reese pulled another arrow out and proceeded to position himself again. He angled his elbow out behind him, perfectly still. He released the second arrow after a few moments, and I watched as it sailed towards the target, hitting the red middle.

“There’s something you should know about her,” Reese said, taking out another arrow and moving so he could aim for the other target.

I readjusted myself against the rock. “What would that be?”

He placed his arrow against the bow, pointing it towards the ground. He paused, as if wanting to find the right words. “She has compulsion, Nick.”

“Who?”

“The more tolerable one, if that’s a good description,” Reese answered, raising his bow.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Compulsion was outlawed in Heaven’s Gate and all the other realms since before I could remember. My father had always told me it was one of those things you used in the most necessary of times -- it was tempting, too much for one person to handle. The idea of making someone do your bidding, to have them at your mercy… the magic was just too much to resist.

“How do you know this?” I questioned, tipping my sunglasses down my nose.

“She fucking told me, that’s how. The only way she got those powers was from the Queen of Darkness herself.” He released the arrow straight to the bullseye.

“It’s alarming, something we should keep an eye on, but I don’t think she has any reason to use it,” I said, pushing myself up and cross my legs, resting my hands on my knees.

Reese let out a barking laugh that nearly echoed through the trees. “Alarming? Nick, please don’t tell me you’re that stupid.”

I stared at him blankly. I knew he couldn’t see my eyes, but I narrowed them from behind my sunglasses. He picked up another arrow, this time with more force than the others.

“You don’t think she has any intention of using it? You think her little psychopath friend doesn’t plan to murder us all? You think she isn’t going to screw us over in the end?” His voice was like fire, crackling and full of venom.

My heart started to beat harder in my chest at his anger. “I never said any of that. You’re overthinking this entirely, Reese, and you know it.”

“Don’t tell me what I know,” he spat back, raising his bow with enough tension in his body that I’m surprised it didn’t snap in half.

I scoffed. “I won’t, since it doesn’t seem like you know much at all.”

He released the arrow suddenly, and I watched it fly forward, connecting with the back of the first one. The tip thinly cut through his initial arrow, splitting it, taking its place at the bullseye. He threw the bow down and turned around to face me, stomping over with so much frustration that I stood up as he got closer, the wind whipping his blonde hair around his face.

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