Page 77 of The Sins of Noelle

The result was immediate, as a small bird fell to the ground.

Noelle couldn't help but grin as she turned to Cisco. But he didn't seem to share the sentiment. Instead, he was merely shaking his head.

Rising to his full height, he crossed to the clearing, grabbing the rabbit in his gloved hands and bringing it to Noelle.

"I got a rabbitanda bird," she said excitedly.

"You did," Cisco nodded, but his tone did not reflect that.

"You're not happy for me?" she asked apprehensively.

Releasing a heavy sigh, he turned towards her.

"What did I say about patience?" he raised a brow at her.

Noelle frowned. She'd hit her targets. Should she have waited around for them to run from her?

But just as she opened her mouth to voice that question, her brother crouched on the ground, his hands on the rabbit.

"What do you see?" He asked her, turning the furry little thing around.

Noelle's brows scrunched together as she tried to make sense of what he wanted her to see.

There was nothing out of the ordinary with the rabbit except for some blood staining his white coat—blood that didn't fail to arouse Noelle's interest.

Getting to her knees next to her brother, she reached for the rabbit, her gloved hands coming coated in the red substance. Staring at the viscous liquid, she was for a moment thrust back in the past—to the day her entire life had irrevocably changed.

"Noelle," Cisco called her name. Once. Twice. Only on the third time did she shake herself, turning to look at him with question in her eyes.

"Here. What do you see here?" He asked as he pointed to the rabbit's head.

She blinked in surprise, but leaned in to get a better view.

"Nothing?' she asked carefully.

"That's right. Where is your shot?"

Trailing her eyes down the rabbit's body, she pointed to the side where she'd hit him—the place currently leaking more red liquid.

"And what did I teach you?"

Right away, the lesson came to mind.

Killer shot.

"You didn't kill it. You just wounded it, and now it's in agony. All because your attention was divided," he chided in a quiet voice.

Before she could reply, he grabbed the rabbit's neck, snapping it with one twist of his wrist.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, feeling herself chastised.

"It's not bad for your first time. But you disregarded everything I told you."

Her cheeks heated as she nodded, duly reprimanded.

"I'll do better next time," she added.

He gave her a barely perceptible nod before he set about preparing the rabbit.

---