“No, I think it’s a great idea.”
“Yes, me, too. I think we should give a switchblade to the kid who runs into doors because she’s so focused on her phone screen. Nothing could possibly go wrong in that scenario.”
“I’m glad you see things my way.”
Fourteen
“Hey, Winters! Do you want to go fishing or do an old-fashioned weapons competition?”
Tate approached our picnic table early the next morning. I wasn’t hungover, but I was grumpy – as I always am in the morning – and I wanted to silence him with a package of sausage down his throat, but wisely remained seated.
Aric returned his friend’s smile. He seemed none the worse for wear after the previous night. He also seemed to have forgotten the fact that Tate’s son was flirting with Sami – and I was mostly thankful for that.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Aric answered, shoving a mug of coffee in front of me. “Let me get breakfast in my wife and figure out where my daughter is, and we’ll go from there.”
“I’m pretty sure Sami is with your parents,” Tate said. “She was playing around with Joshua until really late until finally your father dragged her away. I think they might like each other.”
Aric’s shoulders stiffened as his memory returned. “Joshua?”
“My son.” Tate either missed the dark look as it flitted across Aric’s face or he purposely ignored it. “How cool would it be if they mated?”
Ugh. “Don’t call it that,” I snapped, wrinkling my nose.
“Oh, now she speaks,” Aric muttered, scorching me with a harsh glare. “Last night you thought it was adorable. At least you’re on my side now.”
“I still think it’s cute,” I clarified. “I just don’t like it when wolves use the word ‘mating.’ It freaks me out.”
Tate barked out a laugh as Aric growled.
“I don’t understand,” Tate said. “I thought you would be excited about this.”
“Well, you thought wrong,” Aric said, his tone chilly. “You need to remind your son that my daughter is twelve years old. She’s still a child.”
“Oh, come on,” Tate prodded. “According to legend the first council member married his wife at thirteen. They had thirty-three pups. That’s the legend we all aspire to.”
Thirty-three? Gross. “How did they even have sex after thirty-three births?” I asked, confused. “At a certain point wouldn’t they just get up and walk out of there on their own? That doesn’t even make any sense. If she married when she was thirteen and had a kid every ten months – which is totally unhealthy, by the way, and her hips were probably as wide as dump trucks – then that means she would’ve been having kids until she was like forty-six or something.
“Now, even if you factor in multiple births – which totally wouldn’t have helped her hips – that’s an awful lot of eggs being fertilized,” I continued. “I think that story is as much crap as the one where you were all born out of incest.”
Tate was taken aback. “I … that’s what we believe.”
I shifted my eyes to Aric. “Do you believe it?”
“I think they’re nice stories and I appreciate them for what they are,” Aric replied, choosing his words carefully. “I’ve never believed most legends. Of course, I didn’t believe in mages at a certain point either. You were supposed to be legends, too.”
“But this is different,” I prodded. “Mages could’ve conceivably happened, just like Bigfoot.”
Aric groaned. “Not this again. Bigfoot isn’t real. People who claim they saw Bigfoot really saw wolves. We’ve been over this.”
“Fine, if you want to be that way, take Bigfoot out of the equation,” I said. “Let’s talk about the Loch Ness monster instead. Mages might have been urban myth, but there’s no reason they couldn’t have been real. That’s exactly like the Loch Ness monster.”
“Zoe, I spent an entire week of our honeymoon hanging around Loch Ness so you could see that stupid monster,” Aric said. “What did you see?”
“A lot of your naked rear end, because you like doing it outside.”
“What else did you see?” Aric challenged, refusing to be sidetracked. “Did you see the Loch Ness monster?”
“No.”
“That’s because it’s not real,” Aric said. “Now, I know that mages are real. I’ve met your parents and heard the stories. When I was a kid, though, those legends were the same as fairy tales to us.
“You’re making fun of our legends and saying they couldn’t possibly be true, but you’re a walking mystery yourself,” he continued. “You shouldn’t make fun of other people’s beliefs.”
That sounded very pragmatic. “It’s still not possible,” I said. “If those people had thirty-three kids they had to steal some of them from somewhere.”
Aric made a disgusted sound in his throat and focused on Tate. “I’m sorry. Ignore her. She’s crabby in the morning.”
“I think she’s funny,” Tate said. “I can see why you fell for her. She’s beautiful and sarcastic. That’s an awesome combination.”
“Thank you,” I said, flashing my best “I told you so” grin at Aric. “It’s good to know that not everyone here hates me.”
“Who hates you?” Tate asked, confused.
“No one hates her,” Aric answered. “She just … got off on the wrong foot with a few of the women yesterday.”
“What women?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Aric replied, averting his eyes. “Zoe, do you want sausage with your eggs?”
“Yes,” I answered before turning to Tate. “Claudette and Debbie hate me.”
Tate snorted. “I should’ve guessed that.”
“They don’t hate her,” Aric clarified. “They just … don’t really like her. They think she cheated at Hide and Seek.”
“I heard something about that,” Tate said, rubbing his chin. “Did you cheat?”
“I think that depends on your definition of the word.” I wrapped my fingers around the warm coffee mug and offered him an enigmatic grin.
Tate’s smile widened. “Did you use magic to outsmart them? That’s the rumor.”
“I did use magic,” I replied. “I didn’t really outsmart them, though. They’re simply too dumb to realize that.”
“Zoe, don’t make matters worse,” Aric complained. “That’s Tate’s ex-wife. That’s the mother of his children.”
“That doesn’t mean I like her,” Tate said. “She’s the one who’s been pushing Joshua to interact with Sami, by the way. I think she’s either trying to get information or under Zoe’s skin.”
“Oh, well, that backfired on her if she’s trying to bother me,” I said. “I don’t care. Aric is more bothered than I am. Sami is still his baby.”
“Are you saying she’s not your baby?” Aric challenged. “She’s twelve!”
“I heard you the first ten times you said it,” I shot back. “She’s twelve, Aric. She’s not five. She’s old enough to have a crush. It’s okay. It’s not like they’re going to do anything.”
“What would they possibly do?” Aric’s voice jumped so high I thought he turned into a falsetto singer without my knowledge.
“I don’t know,” I replied, frustrated. “They might kiss or hold hands. They won’t do worse than that.”
“Kiss!” Aric’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “No way. That … just no!” He shook his head as he stalked away from the picnic table.
“Where are you going?” I called to his back.
“I’m collecting our child and tying her to me,” he answered. “I can’t believe you haven’t already done it.”
“Okay. Have fun.” I was purposely blasé as I turned back to Tate. “I’d tell your kid to wear a cup for the next few days.”
Tate burst out laughing. “You’re extremely funny.”
“Yes, well, I’m here all week … literally,” I said. “I don’t really care if your kid and my kid like each other. I think that’s a dad thing.”
/>
“I think it’s funny that Aric is overreacting,” Tate said. “You wouldn’t believe how many fourteen-year-old girls he charmed into giving him kisses.”
I could picture that. “He’ll be okay,” I said. “It’s better he gets this stuff out of his system now instead of when Sami really starts dating. It’s always fun to get the first meltdown out of the way.”
“You’re pretty calm considering that’s your only daughter.”
“I taught her how to take care of herself,” I said. “Besides, if anyone tries to get fresh, she has magic hands. All she’s managed to do with them so far is char flesh, but I’m not worried about anyone trying to take advantage of her.”
Tate cringed and shifted on the bench as an uncomfortable mental picture flitted through his head. I purposely put it there so I knew exactly how it played out between his ears.
“I’ll warn my son about her hands,” he said after a beat.
“You do that,” I said, sipping my coffee. “You mentioned a weapons competition when you came over. What is that?”
“It’s just a thing where we shoot at targets with bows and arrows and have the occasional fight with sticks.”
That sounded … like a young boy’s dream. “Is it just for guys?”
“Why? Do you want to hit someone with a stick?”
That was a tempting thought. “I want Aric to have fun. If that means playing Cowboys and Indians, or whatever crap you guys come up with, I want to be ready to do it the right way. If he likes doing this weapons competition, then we’re going to do it with him.”
“Are you sure?” Tate asked, arching a dubious eyebrow. “Most of the women here are taller and stronger than you.”
That sounded like a challenge to me. “Bring it on.”
“DO YOU know what you’re doing?”
Aric looked worried and frustrated when I grabbed an arrow from the barrel and tried to fix the bow string into the nock.
“I’m fine,” I said, tamping down my irritation. I was doing this for him, I reminded myself. Yelling at him while doing it probably wasn’t the way to go. “I’ve seen The Hunger Games, like, thirty times.”
“Oh, well, as long as you’re basing your weapons skills on reality,” Aric said dryly, shaking his head as Tate’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “It’s not funny. This is so far from funny. She’s deadly without a weapon.”
“Maybe you should just have her blow up the targets,” Tate suggested, the corners of his mouth tipping up. “That will drive the other women crazy and really get them talking about cheating.”
“Don’t tempt me,” I warned, drawing the string back and zeroing in on the target. I let the arrow fly and was annoyed when it went exactly five feet before hitting the ground. I heard the snickers from the women gathered behind us – I knew one was Claudette – but I ignored them and glanced at Aric. “Why did that happen?”
“Because you let the arrowhead dip.”
“I think I want to be done.”
Aric pressed his lips together to keep from smiling before resting his forehead against mine for a moment. “I’ll show you how to do it.”
“I’ll just watch you,” I said, sitting on the bench behind him and glancing over Sami’s shoulder as she typed on her phone. “We’ll make girly noises while you puff out your chest and win, won’t we, Sami?”
Sami jerked her eyes up from her phone. “Huh?”
“Who are you texting?” I asked.
“No one.”
“Who are you texting?” Aric repeated, his tone suspicious as he turned. He scanned up and down the weapons lane, and I had a pretty good idea he was looking for Joshua. “Is it a boy?”
“Oh, gross,” Sami said, making a face. “Don’t do that … dad thing. I’m not texting a boy. I’m texting Aunt Paris.”
“Oh, what’s she doing?” I asked. “It’s too bad she couldn’t come with us. I’ll bet she can fire an arrow.”
“She says the baby eats like a pig … or you,” Sami replied, smiling. “She wants to see me when we can swing it. She says she misses me.”
“I’m sure she does,” I said, playing with the ends of Sami’s hair. “We’ll figure out a way to visit. I want to see the baby, too.”
“Who is Paris?” Tate asked.
“She’s my aunt,” Sami answered.
“I didn’t know you had a sister, Zoe.”
“She’s not my biological sister,” I explained. “She was my college roommate. Sami just refers to her as her aunt.”
“Oh, well, that’s nice.”
“Yeah, it’s swell,” Claudette muttered, shuffling closer to us. I didn’t miss her eyes as they roamed Aric’s muscular biceps while he messed around with the bow. “Is this the roommate who tried to kill you freshman year, or the one who tried to burn you alive sophomore year?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Neither.”
“How do you even know about that?” Aric asked, lifting his chin. “Zoe’s college records were wiped from all searchable databases. I know because we spent a ton of money doing it.”
“I … don’t know what you mean,” Claudette said, averting her gaze. “I’m sure I must’ve heard it somewhere.”
“Your father probably told people on the council,” I suggested. “He’s the one who wiped my record.”
“Yes, but I stressed how important it was to eradicate all of that stuff in case people came looking for you,” Aric said, his eyes dark as he glanced in the direction of the cabins. “Maybe I should talk to him.”
“It hardly matters,” I said. “I don’t care who knows about my past. It’s hardly a secret that I had two murderous roommates – and one I simply wanted to murder.”
“I still don’t like it,” Aric said, fixating on Claudette. “Who told you that stuff?”
Claudette balked at Aric’s serious tone. She clearly wanted to get a dig in at me but didn’t think through her actions before opening her mouth. Sadly, I could relate to that mishap. The struggle is real, people.
“I can’t remember where I heard it,” Claudette said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
Aric glanced at me, unsure. “What do you think?”
“I just said I was sorry,” Claudette exploded. “Why do you care what she thinks?”
“Calm down, Claudette,” Tate chided. “He’s talking to his wife. No matter how bitter about the subject you are, you’re not his wife.”
“Oh, bite me, Tate,” Claudette shot back.
“I don’t think it matters,” I said, opting for honesty. “We covered up my past when we were hiding. We haven’t been hiding for a long time. It doesn’t matter. What happened at Covenant College is almost elementary school stuff compared to what came after.”
“I guess.” Aric stroked the back of my head as he stared at Sami. “Kid, put your phone away. I’m going to show you how to use a bow and arrow.”
Sami seemed surprised. “Mom said that I shouldn’t be trusted with weapons because I’m a walking disaster.”
“That was a joke,” I said, shaking my head. “Your father wants to teach you how to use the bow and arrow. You can at least let him try.”
“Okay.” Sami pocketed her cell phone and handed me Trouble’s leash before moving closer to her father. “Don’t let Trouble run off. I don’t want him to get hit by an arrow.”
“I’ve got him,” I said, lifting the dog off the ground and settling him on the bench next to me. He was getting big, although he still had a puppy face and paws. He loved Sami more than anything, which made me love him. He would be a ferocious guard dog before he was an adult. If something terrible were to truly happen and Aric and I fell … well, Trouble could be a last line of defense if it became necessary. I only hoped it would never become necessary.
I kept half an ear on Aric’s conversation with Sami as he instructed her on the finer arts of bow and arrowing – I’m sure that’s the proper name for the sport – while I went through her text exchange with Pa
ris.
“Don’t read my texts,” Sami ordered. “They’re private.”
I jerked my head up at the admonishment. “They’re boring. There’s nothing worth hiding.”
“It’s still an invasion of privacy.”
“She’s right,” Aric said. “You wouldn’t like it if she went through your texts.”
“That’s because you’re the only one who texts me, and they’re all dirty,” I shot back.
“Oh, gross,” Sami complained, following her father’s instructions and lifting the bow. She aimed at the target, and Aric helped her tilt the bow higher before letting loose. She got a lot more lift than I did, but she didn’t hit the target. “Whoops.”
“That’s okay,” Aric said, brushing her hair from her face. “You can try again.”
“And she’ll probably miss again,” Claudette muttered under her breath.
I didn’t miss the dig, and narrowed my eyes as I glared in her direction.
“Ignore her,” Tate said. “She’s not happy unless she’s upsetting people.”
We had that in common. She was much crueler about it than I was, though. “She’s an idiot,” I grumbled, frowning when she moved to the station next to Aric and grabbed a bow and arrow.
“This is the way it’s done, kid,” Claudette said, raising the weapon and firing at the target. She hit it dead center, earning enthusiastic applause from her gaggle of sheep and a wide-eyed look from Sami. “See. I could give you lessons.”
Sami turned to me, her face white. “I … maybe I shouldn’t do it. I’m not good.”
Aric looked pained by the fear on his daughter’s face. “Sweetie, you’ve only shot one arrow,” he said. “You can’t expect to be good right away. Claudette has been doing this for a long time.”
“A long, long time,” I interjected. “Her crow’s feet tell a certain tale.”
“I don’t have crow’s feet,” Claudette hissed, her expression hateful. “Don’t take it out on me because your daughter is inept.”
Instead of answering, I lashed out with my mind, causing Claudette to take an involuntary step back. She glanced around, confused. She had felt something move her.
Desperate Covenant (Dying Covenant Trilogy Book 2) Page 13
