Boden’s huff billowed steam. He lifted his crossbow and spent several seconds aiming. When he fired, the bolt zipped past a tree and disappeared into the forest.
Fi laughed. It was cruel, but her sworn duty as a little sister.
“Having trouble, Bodie?”
“I wasn’t made for this,” he grumbled.
“You were made for financial ledgers and aurorabeast snot? Noted.”
He muttered under his breath while fidgeting with the crossbow. Armed with a suitably condescending grin, Fi stepped over to help.
“I’ll get it,” Boden said.
“Sure you will. But you’ve got to fix your stance first.”
“I don’t need your pity.”
“You need every ounce of it.” Fi kicked his legs wider in the snow. “Brace the stock to your chest. Like this.”
She put her hands over Boden’s and nudged the crossbow into alignment. He rolled his eyes. Void have mercy, was this the smug satisfaction he got from lecturing her about budgets?
“I seem to recall coming here to practice on my own,” he argued.
“I seem to recall you being a stubborn little shit,” Fi returned. “Breathe in. Aim. Fire on the exhale.”
“That’s what I’ve been doing!”
“Breathebetter. A real target won’t wait around for you to… what’s wrong?”
Boden fell silent. Ashen. Staring at her. Fi entertained a hope that he might be staring at some monstrosity behind her, but when she turned, there was only an empty field.
She flinched when he cupped her cheek. Slow, cold fingersbrushed her neck, lowering the collar of her coat to…
Fuck.
“Fi…” Boden breathed.
Bite marks. She had bite marks on her neck. Fi had tried covering them with a collar, had banked on keeping her distance from prying eyes.
“Fi.” Boden’s hiss grew urgent. “What are these?”
One morning of peace. Was that so much to ask for?
“Nothing.” Fi willed her cheeks not to burn. She felt herself failing.
“Did Antal do this to you?”
Fi’s energy fled her body. Gone to the Void. Bury her ashes in the frozen ground.
“I said it’s nothing, Bodie.”
“Is hehurtingyou?”
Fi blinked.
Then again.
He thought that…
