Jax’s eyebrows go up, but his eyes skip away and his mouth forms a line. “Thank you.”
I glance down at the bow in his hands. There’s a leather bracer buckled around his left forearm and a quiver of arrows over his shoulder, and his crutches are leaning against a nearby tree.
“Your turn,” I prompt.
He glances at the bow as if he forgot it was there, and then the corner of his mouth quirks up. “Do you remember Lord Tycho?”
“Of course.”
His eyes lock on mine. “Right. Of course.” He pauses, and that tiny smile vanishes. “He taught me to shoot. I’ve been practicing.”
I look past him to discover targets set out in the distance, small panels of wood that have been nailed into tree trunks, with several suspended rings hanging here and there. The ropes look weather-worn, and several of the rings are spotted with rust.
I knew Jax and I had drifted apart, but with as busy as the bakery has been, I hadn’t really noticed how much time had passed. Seeing this seems to drive it home. “You’ve been doing this for a while,” I murmur.
“Not really,” he says casually, and I somehow forgot that low rasp in his voice when he’s uncertain. “I’ve only been out for a quarter hour.”
“No—I meant—” I shake my head. “Never mind. Are you all right?”
He nods, then shrugs, but his shoulders are tight. “They’re going to hold Da for a fortnight.”
I can’t tell how he feels about that. Things feel so awkward between us, and they’ve never been awkward. “Well—I said I’d make sure you had enough to eat—”
“I can hunt for my own food now.” A dark light sparks in his eyes. “But I’ll pay you for anything I take.”
“No! Jax, you don’t—I’m not—” I make a frustrated sound. “Forget it. I’ll leave the basket at the forge. When you need more, you know where to find me.”
I turn and head back out of the woods, my feet loud through the dense underbrush. I don’t know how he makes it through here on his crutches, because there’s hardly a path, but maybe he’s been getting a lot of practice at it.
“Callyn!” he calls, but I don’t stop.
After a moment, he swears, and I hear his crutches striking the ground. “Would youstop?” he snaps. “Clouds above, you know I can’t chase you.”
That makes me stop and turn, just as the sun breaks fully across the horizon, flooding the woods with buttery light. He’s actually pretty good at chasing me, because he’s nearly right on top of me when I turn. I’m not sure what about Jax looks different, but there’s …something. Some element of determination or confidence that never seemed to be lacking, but seems to radiate from him now.
He stops in front of me, and his hazel eyes are shadowed but earnest. “Cal. Whatever I’ve done … whatever happened between us … I’m sorry.”
I frown. He thinkshedid something? He thinks I’m mad at him? “Jax—”
“I know you were anxious about the Truthbringers. But you were right. I asked for too much silver—and they found someone else to hold their messages. I was so relieved when you seemed to be getting more business—”
“Jax.”
“—even though we’re still scraping by for enough to pay the rest of what we owe.” He runs a hand across the back of his neck. “I know I’ve let you down, and I’m sorry. I don’t know how I’m going to keep up with the work when Da is locked up—”
“Jax.”
He breaks off. “What?”
My chest is tight and I can’t fully understand why. But I remember the panic in my gut yesterday, when the magistrate went galloping down the lane. I know I’ve missed my best friend. I stride forward and throw my arms around his neck.
“I’ve missed you,” I murmur.
He keeps hold of one crutch, but hugs me with his opposite arm. “I’ve missed you, too. I’ve had no company but Da, and you know how that goes.” His tone turns dark, and I remember how the magistrate was dragging his father yesterday. I wonder what happened between them.
I draw back to look at him. “But you just said you’ve been spending time with Lord Tycho.”
“Oh! No. Just a time or two.”
