Page 34 of Vicious Princess
One breath and the whole world stills around me. My gaze narrows in on the target. The red circle in the middle is all that exists.
My breath travels through my bloodstream. I sense it in every single cell of my being. It’s the most serene state, that split second before I let the arrow go. It whizzes through the air faster than the eye can see and lands right in the center of the target.
My fellow trainees are silent. I lower the bow and look at Daegel. His face reveals nothing.
I turn back to the target and take a step to my right. The next target is smaller. But I know I can make it.
I choose another arrow from the quiver. Draw the string. This new bow…it feels as if it has a mind of its own. The skin of my palm burns where I grip the bone.
The arrow quivers, and I almost lose my concentration. I try again, though.
Draw the string. Breathe in. Breathe out. Let go.
Once again, the arrow lands right in the very center of the smaller target.Take that, assholes.
Without wasting time, I step sideways once again and line up in front of the last, smallest target.
The redhead standing in the doorway pops up in my periphery. Her jaw is so tense, a muscle ticks. When my gaze slides to her hands, fisted from agitation, she hides them.
The last thing I need is an enemy.
I grip my bow harder. But I’m not willing to stand down, to let this spoiled fae brat have her way just to keep the peace.
With anger warming my chest, I lift the bow and draw the string. My palm burns again, as if I’m holding it over an open flame. But I grind my teeth and ignore it.
One last target. Don’t fuck this up.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Let go.
Before I even let the arrow go, I know it’s lost its way. Something is wrong. I curse, but it’s too late.
The arrow whizzes through the air faster than a blink. The redhead screams when it sinks right in the middle of her thigh.
If she hated me before, I’m pretty sure she wants to murder me right now.
“Get her to the mender’s office,” Daegel says calmly to a few cadets who come over to see what’s happening.
Bloom and the giant flank the redhead, and she tosses her arms around their shoulders so they can help her limp out of the training hall.
The three cadets waiting their turn watch me with narrowed eyes.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” I say, walking up to Daegel. I look down at the bow in my hand, now docile. “I swear, I have an affinity, and I didn’t try to?—”
“I know you have an affinity.” He looks between the bow and me. “Is this a new bow?”
I nod.
He takes a step closer. A threatening presence towering over me. “You do not bring a new weapon that hasn’t been broken in to training, Wildarrow. Before you attempt to master your affinity, you must master your bow first. Otherwise, you risk harming everyone around you.”
Heat creeps up my chest, neck, and cheeks. I say nothing.
Daegel’s next words are not kinder. “Do you understand me, cadet?”
“Yes, sir.”
