“Ye could have hit me.” Faye pushed up to her feet.
Kinsey rolled her eyes. “I assure ye, I wouldn’t have.”
Faye regarded her sister with suspicion. While Kinsey was good with the bow, her confidence was oftentimes overinflated, resulting in the occasionally missed target. Not often, but it still happened. Faye would prefer she not become the first victim of a wayward arrow.
The clearing was surrounded by forest with enough trees nearby to practice their skills to their heart's content. They were just outside the castle, but it was nice to be away for a bit, a chance to breathe without the weight of her decision squeezing at Faye.
So long as her youngest sister didn’t kill her first.
“Kinsey, that wasn’t kind of ye.” Clara strode toward them, the daggers in the bag at her side clinking. “Although ye are quite skilled.”
“Aye, I am.” Kinsey pulled her bow off her back and plucked an arrow from where several thrust up from the ground in front of her. She pulled it back with her bow, lining up her site, and released the arrow. It flew towards the tree and sailed passed it. A miss. Several inches from her target.
“That could have been me,” Faye exclaimed.
Kinsey turned to her with a grimace. “But it wasn’t. And that’s really what matters.”
“Oh, Kinsey.” Clara touched her fingertips to her forehead and closed her eyes.
Kinsey extended the bow toward Faye. “Ye do better.”
“Ye know I’m not as good as ye.” Faye sighed and accepted the weapon.
“Mayhap I need to feel better about myself now.” Kinsey grinned at her.
Months ago, this would have made Faye irate, but now, she couldn’t help but laugh at Kinsey’s bravado. How much Faye had missed her youngest sister! Even her overconfident impulsiveness and assertive demeanor. Kinsey burned brighter with life than any of them, and it warmed Faye to her very soul.
Faye pulled one of the arrows from the ground and readied her weapon. The bow had never been her weapon of choice. She had always preferred a hidden dagger and her own wits. But Kinsey knew that. They all were familiar with one another’s strengths.
And weaknesses.
As anticipated, Faye’s arrow went wide, flying past the tree and into a distant stream. Kinsey crowed in delight.
Faye propped her hand on her hip. “My lack of skill doesn’t mean that ye still wouldn’t have shot me.”
Kinsey pointed at her with a wide smile. “But, I didn’t.” She shifted her focus to Clara. “I think we’re both ready to be put to shame.”
Clara flushed. “That truly isn’t necessary. I’ve already done some practicing today.”
“Ye know Drake tells us we have to practice often to ensure our skills stay strong,” Kinsey argued.
“Doesn’t he?” Kinsey pressed when Clara did not acquiesce.
She was always trying to encourage their sister to become a mercenary. The idea was laughable. Especially when Clara was such a gentle soul.
Faye felt compelled to come to Clara’s aid. “She’s already done enough. I think even Drake would be satisfied with the amount of time she’s spent throwing her daggers.”
Clara shot Faye a grateful smile.
“Have ye made yer decision about coming home with us?” Kinsey lifted her brows.
Faye’s mouth fell open. “Don’t turn this to me.”
“I’ll do it,” Clara said quickly as she untied the bag of daggers from her belt. “Though I confess, ’tis hard to practice something I don’t think I could ever do to another person.”
Ever the obedient one, she still drew back the daggers one at a time and released them into the tree. They stuck neatly in a cluster in the dead center of the trunk.
Kinsey whooped with pride and threw her arm around Clara. “Ye’re a wonder, do ye know that?”
Clara’s blush deepened.
“But have ye made a decision yet?” Kinsey asked.
This time both of them looked at Faye in expectation.
“Ye should come home,” Kinsey said definitively.
Faye chewed her lower lip. The decision was not simply made. In the time she took to mull over her options, she’d tried to pull back from Ewan in the hopes that if she did choose Castleton, she wouldn’t miss him. At least not as much.
“Kinsey, will ye collect the arrows for another round?” Clara asked. “I think I may try my hand at archery again.”
The grin returned to Kinsey’s face, and she darted off to eagerly gather the fallen arrows.
“Ye hate archery,” Faye said.
Clara offered a helpless laugh. “I do, but I knew this would give us a few moments of privacy.” The wind picked up and blew at her dark hair, lifting the loose tendrils. “We’ll always love ye no matter where ye live. And we’ll always find ways to visit.”
Faye’s breath quickened. “What do ye mean?”
“I mean, if ye want to stay here with yer husband, then we would support yer decision.” Clara lowered her head and looked tentatively at Faye, the way she did when she had something blunt to say.
Trepidation crawled up Faye’s spine. “What is it?”
“Ye need to make a decision. Ye canna keep pushing the answer off.” Clara’s brows pursed with sadness. “’Tis cruel.”
“Cruel?” Faye echoed.
“I have them all,” Kinsey cried out victoriously in the distance. “Ready yer bow.”
“Yer husband greatly cares for ye.” Clara glanced to where Kinsey was racing back to them with shafts of arrows jutting out from both hands. “Don’t let yer stubbornness and fear of love ruin something good.”
Her words were a barb in Faye’s chest. And given the apologetic look on Clara’s face, she knew it. Which was all the more reason why what she said had such an impact.
Faye nodded in understanding and realized she’d known the answer the whole time.
Kinsey stopped abruptly before she reached them and put a hand up to shield the sun from her eyes, and she looked to the east. “There’s a rider approaching.”
Faye and Clara both searched and in the direction of Kinsey’s stare. Indeed, a lone rider raced toward them on a black horse.
There was only one person she knew who rode a horse with a
