Page 27 of Ruthless Scoundrel
I’m terrible at fishing. Two hours of attempting to spear fish in the shallows with a pointed stick has me at wits’ end, and stomach-bottom.
“Are you sure you don’t want some of mine?” Jasper asks from the shade where he’s roasting his catch.
I refuse to answer him and scare the fish I’ve got my eyes on. Sunlight shimmers on the surface of the water, trying to blind me as I focus on the blue-scaled creature swimming by my feet. My shoulder aches as I raise my spear for what feels like the thousandth time.
This time I’m going to get it.
I surge downward with my spear and stab into nothing. The water turns murky as the fish kicks up sand in its rapid escape.
“Fuck!” I throw my spear at the shore and wade out of the water.
Jasper’s smile has my teeth on edge.
“Funny to watch the princess starve, eh?” I ask.
He shakes his head with a laugh. “No.”
“What then?” I demand.
He glances up at me from the weave he’s making out of coconut husk. His jovial expression is genuine, and it confuses me and makes my heart soften.
He shakes his head, as if clearing away the thought. “I don’t want to tell you. You’ll get angry.”
I cross my arms to hide the growl of my stomach. “I’malreadyangry.”
He turns his roasting fish with an amused smirk. “I see that.”
My legs are tired, so I plop down in the shade near him. “What were you going to say?”
“You’re stubborn. It’s cute.”
My stomach flutters with more than hunger.
No. Donotlet him charm you.
“How about I useyoufor fishing practice? How cute will that be?”
This makes him laugh. “Adorable.”
My pulse joins in with my stomach fluttering and I growl. “Insufferable.”
I retrieve my spear and wade back into the shallows. It’s hot. The midmorning sun bakes my skin in the most delicious way. I feel my magic reserves fill to the brim, and a calming sense of power comes over me.
Stupid fish is going to get it this time.
Within moments, another one of the blue-scaled fish that Jasper said were safe to eat wanders into my area. I let it get closer and closer, watching the warbling image of it flitting around the rocks by my feet.
My fingers drum on the side of my spear as I raise my arm, relishing the burn in my shoulder.
“Don’t forget about the refraction,” Jasper says. “Shootunderthe fish.”
I suck air through my gritted teeth. I want to tell him, “I know, I’ve been remembering the refraction this whole time,” but if I speak, I could scare the fish.
It turns, exposing the flat of its head to me, and I act. I throw my weight into the thrust and pierce the water with the spear. It hits the fish with a solidchunk, and I gasp in disbelief. The fish wriggles as I pull it from the water with a victorious cry. “Yes! I did it!Me!”
Jasper claps from the shore. “Very well done.”
I hold the stick overhead and roar, “I caught my own fish!”
