She paused. “I wasn’t aware that I’d everstopped.”
He gave her a stony look.
She wished she could achieve that level ofwithering scorn and disappointment with just a look.
“What?”
“You’ve been acting like a little bitch sinceI bandaged you up.”
“You call that bandaging? More like amauling,” Shea muttered.
“I let you get away with your littletantrum,” Eamon continued, not responding to her comment. “You’reLowlander. You don’t know better, and normally you’re a damn goodscout. However, you’re Trateri now, and I’m you’re superior. Wordof warning, you’d better sort yourself out and straighten up, orthis life is going to get a whole lot more difficult for you.”
Shea listened, stunned and a little more thaninsulted. She had not thrown a temper tantrum. She didn’t eventhink she’d thrown them at the age where they were considered thenormal behavior for children.
This was the most she’d heard Eamon speak,except maybe when he was ripping her a new one right after thefight. She didn’t know what had set him off this time.
“All I asked is if you needed me to dosomething,” she said in her defense. She hadn’t even copped anattitude. She even made sure her face was perfectly neutral. Sheknew better than to challenge someone’s authority like that.
Eamon’s anger took on a near physicalintensity.
“You know perfectly well what I’m talkingabout.”
She did too. Though, nobody had evercomplained about the non-challenging way she had of challengingsomeone. After all, everything she did was in line with the correctbehavior of a junior addressing a senior.
She gave him a confused expression andfrowned as if she was thinking hard. “I have no idea. I was justtrying to do my job.”
The air got even tenser.
Perhaps pushing him wasn’t the best idea.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Forgetit. Buck, keep the Daisy busy and out from under foot.”
Eamon turned his back on her and movedaway.
Shea stared after him, a little baffled. Thatwas it? After that scolding, that’s all he had. She was expectingmore.
“Sometimes, kid, you’re really not toobright,” Buck said, shaking his head. “It’s pretty amazing givenhow smart you are in other things.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Buck peered down at her, studying, weighing.One corner of his lips tightened. “Yeah, you do. But whatever, ifyou want to make life harder on yourself, that’s your business. Fornow, go help Perry’s men set up tents.”
Mentally shrugging at his dismissal, Sheamoved off to help the others. Clark gave her a small smile when shegrabbed the other end of the pole he was trying to lift.
“Clark,” Eamon called. “Grab one of thehorse’s the Hawkvale brought and saddle up. We’re going to do abrief recon of the immediate area.”
Clark shot her a quick, concerned glancebefore hurrying away without a word. Shea pretended not to hear asEamon called for Sam and Flint as well. She waited for her name tobe called. She felt his eyes rest briefly on her.
“What about me?” Buck asked.
“Stay here. Keep an eye on things.”
There was a slight pause and then a murmuredaffirmative.
Shea worked steadily, not letting herselflinger on one task for too long. She kept her head down and avoidedmeeting anybody’s eyes.
“Thanks a lot, Daisy,” Buck muttered as hebent to help her carry some of the kindling she was gathering forthe fire pit.
