Leira [Completed]

Chapter Twenty-One

"To get over the past, you first have to accept that the past is over."

—

LEIRA'S POV

I was sent home by my group of friends the next day, after the memorable days in the cabin.

Kai handed me the portrait of me she was working on and astonishment was an understatement of what I felt. The drawing was extraordinary and it was unbelievable that Kai drew it with nothing but a pencil and eraser. The girl had a talent that would bring her far in life.

I entered the forest and was greeted by an unexpected sight.

Five men were each tied to a tree with a plate of bread and a small cup of water. The fact that they were not awfully wounded caused a smile to reach my face. Andrew kept his promise and I was to decide the men's fate.

These guys wanted to take me away against my will. Only God knows what horrendous state I would be in if Andrew did not show up.

Three of the guys were asleep while the other two were pressing themselves against their tree, peering back at me with fear.

I was not certain what I yearned to do with them, but it definitely would not end in death.

I entered my home to obtain my bow, craving to make up for the days of practice I missed.

Arriving back at the area with the five males who were piteously restrained and frightened, I decided it was harmless to have some fun. I wandered quite a distance away and rested the arrow on my bow. I drew the string back and felt it touch my lips and nose before aiming.

The tattooed man, who I was directing my aim towards, flinched and looked away as speedily as the deuce.

"Calm down, you'll be alright," I reassured. "I'm Leira A'rodasi, Andrew Spencer's daughter. I don't miss."

With the words lingering in the air, the arrow pierced through the air and landed on the bark of the tree, just a few inches from the man.

Just then, the lanky man awoke from his slumber and began to chant a series of prayers and apologies.

I switched to my bow again, pulling the string back and aiming it just above the head of the slender guy. However, I did not have the opportunity to release my hold on the string immediately.

"What are you doing?" a voice rang. I loosen the grip on the string and watched as it penetrated where I predicted it would. Like a whirlwind, I looked behind me.

Maddie had her jaw hanging and an expression that displayed how aghast she was. The glint of fear that flashed in her eyes made my heart drop.

"Maddie, this is not what it looks like," I tried to convince. It appeared unbelievable and I found myself unable to produce words. What could I possibly say to persuade her to think I was not the villain? There were five guys, tragically tied to a tree with a few of them companied with arrows just centimetres from their bodies. The tallest man in the group had tears streaming down his cheeks and the burly man was shaking in fright.

"Aren't they the guys who—" Maddie stammered. Her eyes skimmed the area before they reached me. "Ariel, what is this? How did you learn how to use a bow? Why do you even have such a weapon in your possession?!"

There were thousands of ways I could answer her questions but it all came down to two choices—truth or lie.

"Untie them! What's wrong with you?" my sister shrieked, rushing towards one of the guys.

"Wait, Maddie. Not yet," I said, stopping her. Regret filled my chest in an instant. I should not have uttered a word; I sounded like a sociopath.

"What did you do to them?" she cried.