Wings

Chapter 18: Covert Caresses

“But…what…how?!” I stuttered, looking at the near perfect shot I had made earlier.

“Don’t ask me,” Liam said, “All I know is that you shot that arrow.”

“We didn’t even notice until Harry and you had left,” Niall chimed in. “It’s absolutely mental that you shot that on your first try.”

“It must have been a fluke,” I countered, “Harry distracted me right as I shot it, I couldn’t have aimed that well; it must be coincidence.”

“Well I dare you to shoot the bow again,” Louis challenged. “I don’t think it was a ‘fluke.’” He air quoted “fluke” with his middle and pointer fingers.

The bow was lying on the floor, still where I had dropped it, the quiver beside it. I couldn’t remember removing the quiver from my body but I must have during those painful moments after snapping myself with the bow string.

“I dare you,” Louis whispered from behind me as he saw me eyeing the bow, his voice teasing as he egged me on.

I threw a hand up behind me, flashing him my middle finger (I knew he’d take it light heartedly), and then stalked over to the bow, my feet falling heavy on the worn floor.

“But this time,” I said as I picked up the archery equipment, “I’m going to use a bracer.”

Niall cackled at my statement, overly amused by my attempt at humor.

Harry, despite being quiet through this whole exchange, was the one to pull a bracer from a crate of leather armor by the door and hand it to me. The gleam in his eye told me he was just as curious as the other boys about my shooting abilities. I couldn’t believe they actually thought I had made that shot. It was pure coincidence. It had to be; I’d never shot a bow before in my life.

I took up the same stance as before, the boys all gathering around me.

“I bet you fifty pounds she hits bullseye,” I heard Louis whisper.

“You don’t have fifty pounds,” Niall countered. “The whole of London doesn’t have fifty pounds.”

“I bet you my imaginary fifty pounds.”

“Shush you two, I’m trying to concentrate,” I told them. Niall responded with a breathless laugh.

I refocused, aiming for the painted red circle in the middle, and drawing my hand back to my check, touching my knuckles to the bone beneath my eye. I took in one long breathe, let it out, and then released the arrow.

It traveled through the air and then slammed into the wood, the tail quivering from the impact, directly beside the first one arrow and on the bullseye.

“What?!” Harry shouted. “Oh my god!”

“You owe me fifty pounds!” Louis cheered to Niall, dancing a small victory jig.

“Wow,” Liam muttered, awestruck.

I just stood there, mouth parted and eyes wide, with the bow still raised in my hands, not registering what had happened. I couldn’t believe I had shot that arrow. I took another from the quiver and aimed, releasing it more swiftly than the last. It hit home, in the bullseye as well.

“You’re a natural,” Zayn said, sounded shocked.

“I don’t even know how this is possible,” I admitted, shaking my head in disbelief as I looked down at the bow in my hands. “I was mediocre at every other weapon and now this…this is insane.”

“It’s mental!” Louis cheered as he skipped around us, excitement radiating from him in waves. “Do you know what this means? You’ll be the absolute best to have on raids!”