The Flame and the Arrow

by Emigh Cannaday

  Chapter 26

  the jealous boyfriend

  Annika got dressed quickly the next morning and went to help Chivanni with breakfast while Dardis slept in. The sun was shining and the fire was already burning. Zaven sat on a blanket nearby with Nikola, who was sewing a leather chin strap into the side of his helmet to help keep it in place. Justinian was showing Sariel a few sword fighting techniques she didn’t know, and Talvi was shooting targets with Runa and Hilda. So far, he was in the lead.

  “I didn’t notice how bright your hair is, Annika,” Justinian said as she whipped eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl. “I didn’t get a very close look at it last night. I don’t know what they say about redheads on Earth, but here on Eritähti they say redheads are more magical than others, besides being hot-tempered and feisty to boot.” He blocked a strike from Sariel’s sword and laughed. “Though it seems redheads are not the only ones who are so feisty.”

  “I would like to know just who they are, since they’re always saying that,” Annika said, tossing her long red mane before she went back to making pancakes.

  “She is definitely feisty, I’ll tell you that much,” Talvi agreed, shooting an arrow straight into the center of the target.

  “For not being a natural redhead, you do have many characteristics of one,” Nikola observed as he lay back and examined his helmet, admiring his handiwork. Talvi slowly lowered his bow and glared at Nikola as if he were ready to shoot him next. “I mean, such intense red you see on fairies like Chivanni, but on people, it’s not natural,” Nikola said quickly, but it was too late to take back his words. Annika didn’t have visible roots just yet, and there weren’t too many other ways to know her true color.

  “I dye it every other month or so,” Annika said quickly, hoping no one else noticed Talvi’s reaction to what Nikola had just said. “I think it suits me.”

  “It does,” Talvi and Nikola both said at the same time. Their eyes met and the look Talvi shot him might very well have killed him if it weren’t for Nikola’s innocent smile. Sariel, Runa and Hilda exchanged glances as Talvi threw his bow to the ground. He was obviously livid, or he never would have treated his beloved weapon with such disrespect.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to share with the group?” he asked, stepping over to where Nikola was lying. He didn’t bother getting up, and he didn’t seem too threatened either. “Well? Anything at all?”

  “No, I’m fairly certain that was all I had to say,” he said in a calm, unconcerned voice, but he looked Talvi straight in the eye when he said it. Talvi on the other hand was seething, his fists curled at his side. He drew one of them backwards, and Annika winced, hoping that he would be more considerate of Nikola’s face than he had been of his kitchen door at home, but thankfully Justinian had rushed over to them, stepping between the young men just in time to save Nikola’s bone structure.

  “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but enough with it! We have a task to complete together, and we’re only as strong as our weakest link.” He waited until Talvi took a deep breath and realized it was probably pointless to take on a skilled druid and his brawny paladin brother. Justinian stepped back and ordered them to shake hands. Nikola held his out for Talvi to take, but the elf spitefully turned on his heel and walked past the others, stooping to retrieve his bow before he disappeared into the trees.

  “I think we redheads are seriously overrated,” Chivanni said to Annika, looking towards the direction Talvi had gone. “If anybody around here is hot-tempered, it’s that one!”

  “What’s his problem lately?” Zaven asked.

  “I think he’s got a pine needle in his pants,” was Annika’s dry reply, and with that she returned her focus to making breakfast.

  Talvi didn’t come back until everyone had eaten and was ready to leave. He kept them waiting almost an hour, and when he returned, he wouldn’t look in Nikola’s direction unless it was down his nose. He was still sulking when they headed out, and the others rode ahead while he intentionally lagged behind. Annika slowed down Galileo to walk beside him.

  “You know Talvi,” she began with a heavy sigh, “When Vaj attacked me, I was still in the spring.”

  “I’m not an imbecile,” he scowled.

  “So…it’s not very common to take a bath with your clothes on, right?” she persisted, trying to be logical with him. He looked at her sideways, and she could have sworn she heard him say, “You must think me incredibly daft to believe any of what you’re about to say.”

  “I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you’re being drowned while you’re trying to take a bath, the person rescuing you might just happen to see you naked. That’s all that happened out there. I figured you’d put two and two together,” she said quickly.

  “I figured it out long before you thought I did; I just thought he had more class than to mention it in front of everyone,” he said sharply.

  “He didn’t mean to…it was an accident,” she argued. “And no one would’ve given it a second thought if you hadn’t made a big deal about it and acted like the jealous boyfriend.” Talvi bit hard into his lip and looked at her with suspicious eyes.

  “How else shall I act?” he asked. He stopped Ghassan and she coaxed Galileo to stand next to him, still unsure of how skilled he was at reading her exact thoughts, at seeing what she had seen with her own eyes, and felt in the darkest pit of her desire.

  “How else shall I act, Annika?” he repeated. “Would you prefer that I pay no mind to the fact that you and Nikola are both humans of the same age? Would you prefer that I not notice your matching amulets that I really don’t understand, and now you seem to be able to read his mind when even I can’t? Add to this the fact that he killed the vampire that I was only so fortunate to pull you away from, and he saved your life, and he has seen you undressed, and you want me to pay no mind?”

  “He was just in the right place at the right time. I don’t know why you have to act so jealous,” Annika said, trying to make him see her point of view. “If Runa had been attacked, you would have done the same thing.” No sooner had she spoken her words, Talvi looked like he’d just been slapped in the face.

  “If Runa had been attacked, I can assure you, there would have been quite a few things I would have done differently.”