Page 99 of Emylia

Without a word, Maalikai reached out and caught my hand, fingers threading through mine like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Fire coiled in my chest, wild and hungry.

A smile teased the edge of my mouth.

Gods, he was infuriating.

“Let’s do this,” he whispered, voice low and reverent.

I didn’t trust my voice, so I nodded and let him guide me.

We walked until we reached two hay bales marked with crude targets.

“Your handiwork?” I asked, arching a brow.

He smirked. “Your uncle had me prep it this morning. For when you finish your bow.” He winked.

Cocky bastard.

I nodded, a flutter of nerves in my stomach. “You got wood?”

Maalikai didn’t miss a beat. “Plenty. But let’s start with the ones for the bow.” I groaned. “What? You walked right into that.” He said without apology.

“That’s because I thought you’d have more maturity than an emotionally stunted reindeer.,” I muttered.

Ignoring me, he grabbed three dried lengths of wood. “These are aged three to five years. That’s what we want.”

They looked like logs. Literally.

Just logs.

“We’ll use this one,” he said, motioning to the middle piece. “It’s clean, straight, no knots. We split it with the grain.”

“Okay…” I drew the word out slowly.

He pointed to faint lines. “Rays and vessels. Rays radiate from the center. Vessels run longways. You want to cut with them, not against.”

“Sunbeams and bloodlines. Got it,” I deadpanned. “So basically, science and sorcery are conspiring to make me feel stupid.”

He smirked. “It’ll make sense when you feel it.”

“Are you telling me you want me to feel your wood?” I asked sweetly.

The look on his face was everything.

“What? You walked into that one,” I added with a diabolical smile.

Ignoring me, he pulled tools from his bag and lined them up with military precision. “I’ll use the back of the axe and chocks to split it.”

I crossed my arms, watching him work. Each strike was clean, brutal—practiced like a ritual. The wood groaned and cracked under his hand, splitting open with a thunderous snap.

I hated how impressed I was.

Then I stepped forward, fingers flying as I braided my hair into a single tight plait.

“Let me try.”

He hesitated. “It’s not as easy as?—”

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