at me. Then she took a deep breath. “This is a huge place,” she said. “Plenty of room for you to walk on the other side of the field.”
“I’d prefer to walk next to you. Seein’ as you’re packing.” I nodded to her gear.
“Why? Lots of people want to kill you?”
“We both know that’s true.”
She nodded her head, like she could believe that. Then she took a step closer to me. She was tall for a woman, but she still had to look up at me. “Listen. Cash. You might’ve fooled my brother with all your glittery things, but you don’t fool me. The moment you found me in that cemetery, I knew you were up to no good. I’m not girlie. I don’t indulge in fantasies—princes and princesses and all of that fairytale shit. And I don’t believe in fucking happenstances. Men like you don’t just show up out of the blue. You plan. You scheme. You maraud. You met me at the cemetery. Then you hired my brother. And now you’re here. Whatever this interest is—” she motioned between us “—stops now.”
I refused to hide my grin. She had been thinking about me. No woman comes to all of those conclusions if her mind wasn’t on it. Her thoughts were on me. I must’ve made some impression at the cemetery.
Stone’s heart was as good as mine.
I watched her walk off, knowing I had rattled her some. A woman like her wasn’t easily shaken, and later on, it would be both a blessing and a curse.
Later.
Think about the curse later.
Deal with it then.
My eyes followed as she got lost in a crowd surrounding the archery competition. These people were novices, all trying their hands at an ancient sport. I noticed they were all men. The last one had just loosed his arrow, actually hitting the bullseye. When the crowd went up in a cheer, he lifted his bow, cheering with them.
I stood back, crossing my arms, getting comfortable.
“What are we looking at?” Raff said, crunching on nuts.
The noise drove me fucking insane. Hearing people chew grated on me like nails on a chalkboard.
He stopped when he noticed the way I was looking at him. “You have issues, Cash.”
“Yeah,” I said. “And killing men who chew in my ear is one of ’em.”
He went to open his mouth again, but I held a hand up. I narrowed my eyes.
Someone must’ve given the archer a cape that covered her hair and quiver. She weaved through the masses, making her way to the front of the crowd. She was tall enough to make people move out of her way with ease. A fucking force of a woman. The kind of woman I always said had good bones.
The MC of the archery games had brought the winner up, holding his arm in the air, while the crowd roared with applause. After a second, the MC made a motion for the crowd to settle.
“Scotty Campbell!” He announced. “You have won the grandest of prizes!” His eyes scanned the crowd until he found the archer. The entire crowd seemed to follow his gaze, all heads turning toward her. “Maeve—” Before he could finish her fake name, she threw the cape to the ground, revealing her gear, and started slaying each of the contestants’ targets.
She made her way, hitting the bulls-eye where the contestants hadn’t, and when she came to Scotty Campbell’s prized shot, her eyes narrowed even further as she pulled back the bow. With a collective released breath from the crowd, she let the arrow fly. Upon impact, it penetrated straight through the other wooden arrow, splitting it in half. The Robin Hood shot. Some people called it a once in a lifetime shot.
“Feck me.” Raff whistled.
The crowd became silent, not sure where to look the longest, at the shot or at her. She turned toward the MC and Campbell, and without a tremble in her voice, said, “I’m the only one allowed to choose my husband!”
The crowd roared again, and the MC messed Campbell’s thinning hair as he cheered along with them.
“That had to hurt his pride,” Raff said, one hand clapping against his arm so he wouldn’t lose his fecking nuts. “She’s savage, man. Truly savage. I didn’t realize feminists were rife in medieval times.”
The archer turned those heavenly eyes on me once again, as narrowed as they ever were, and it wasn’t hard to imagine the arrows protecting the gates of heaven piercing straight through my heart, sending my soul to