Page 39 of Marked

I notched the arrow, and under my breath, whispered, “Three, two, one.”

On cue, Ace released an arrow at the same time I did. The arrows flew, whistling through the air with the sharpened points catching the light. They both struck their targets, with sickening thuds.

The night bunnies scattered.

Having already pulled and notched another arrow, I released the string and reached for a third. I fired that one, too, and then drew another and another. With my heart rate elevated, I forced the arm holding my bow to lower to my side even though the magic wailed in my blood to keep shooting.

More.

The power flowed through my veins, demanding I continue, demanding I shoot them all until none remained.

I took a deep breath and released the magic. My body shook, my limbs trembled. Letting the power go seemed harder and harder each time, but then again, I always managed. Maybe this quiet battle was all in my head.

Ace studied me, expression unreadable.

“What?”

“You took out five in the time it took for me to shoot two.”

“Did you forget your earlier defeat in our little competition so quickly?”

He shook his head. “Those were fixed targets. These weren’t.” He swallowed, the moonlight catching the bob of his throat. “Could you have cleared this whole field?”

I opened my mouth to lie and promptly shut it. I didn’t like Ace much, but something inside me didn’t want to lie to him. He might’ve been gone all these years, but some things didn’t change. Not only did he value brutal honesty, but he could always tell when I lied.

“Yes,” I admitted.

He pressed lips together and nodded. “All right, Mouse. Let’s get our dinner.”

I shook my head. “You get them.”

“Why me?”

“You’re the new guy.”

He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders back as if physically preparing to fight me. Instead, he held out his bow. “Hold this.”

With a wave of my hand, I directed him toward the clearing while I stood back, trying not to appear too smug.

The moon’s silver glow bathed the clearing, casting graceful shadows among the trees and forest floor. The night air hung heavy with the fragrance of damp earth and pine needles, still moist from recent rainfall. I leaned on a nearby tree, my arms crossed over my chest, Ace’s bow resting on the bark beside me.

Ace grumbled as he stomped over the dense moss toward the night bunnies we’d shot. He managed to glare at me over his shoulder each time he had to bend to pick one up.

Movement at the edge of the clearing caught my attention. A massive mountain lion emerged from the shadows like a phantom from a nightmare. Magic whispered along the moss with each step it took toward us. My breath caught in my throat. Before I could warn Ace, the mountain lion lunged.

It happened so fast.

The predator smacked into Ace with an audible thump, sending them both crashing to the ground. Ace swore and they rolled on the forest floor.

With my heart racing, I dropped Ace’s bow and drew my own weapon. I needed to get a clear shot and they were moving around too much.

Why did the feline attack Ace? They didn’t normally hunt humans and there was a forest full of easier prey all around us.

I tracked their movement, but I couldn’t get a clean sightline on the mountain lion. Maybe I should grab my dagger and jump into the clearing? I had a better chance of helping Ace from here, though. I just needed a clear shot.

My breathing scraped my lungs and my hand itched to grab the hilt of my dagger as I watched Ace fend off the attack down the straight line of my arrow.

With a growl, Ace pushed the feline away from him. In mid-air, she twisted her body, landing between me and Ace. She hissed and moved to the side, her ears pinned back, her sharp teeth barred, as if protecting the northern section of the field.

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