The Dark Fae (The World of Fae #1)(20)

It didn’t matter one way or another to Alicia. She’d do her best, and maybe, she could win. Or not. At least she’d show she wasn’t afraid of the competition.

“All right.” She’d won several competitions in archery when she was in Girl Scouts, but the fae bows were thinner, more curved and slightly twisted. She wasn’t sure if being human would make a difference, and she was afraid never having practiced on a fae bow would give her a decided disadvantage.

Ritasia went first, and as Lorelei had said, she did poorly. Alicia thought if she lived long enough, she might be able to give Ritasia some pointers at some other time.

Alicia patted Ritasia on the arm. “Good job. Maybe I can practice with you later.”

Ritasia’s face lighted up with impish delight.

Of course if Alicia did poorly…

Lorelei glared at her and folded her arms.

Alicia twisted the bow around in her hands. “I’ve never used a bow quite like this before.”

“Oh? I thought the Neferonians used the same bows as we do.”

“I’ve become quite fond of human bows,” Alicia said. “So I’m not sure how well I’ll do at this.”

“Have you never used a fae bow?” Deveron asked, his voice concerned.

Though she assumed he already knew this. But then maybe he said so to get her off the hook with Lorelei.

“No, I haven’t,” Alicia said.

“Then take a practice shot first,” Deveron said, and she was sure he was trying to rescue her.

Lorelei laughed with dark humor. “Take several. Take a week. We are not doing this for any kind of reward. So be bold.”

Alicia aimed the arrow, but the bow twisted in such a strange way, the missile dropped onto the ground only a few feet away.

Muttered chuckles from Venician onlookers resulted.

Her blood heated. She turned to Ritasia, whose wide eyes and parted lips gave Alicia the impression her poor attempt at archery horrified the dark fae princess. Alicia smiled at her, trying to reassure her it didn’t matter to the human how poorly she’d done. “Well, Ritasia, let me amend my offer. I can show you how to shoot well with a human bow.”

Ritasia nodded with only a smidgeon of a smile. Alicia feared Ritasia was still worried about the outcome of the game.

Alicia handed the bow to a servant, done forever with fae archery competitions.

Lorelei said, “No, you are to shoot against me now.”

“If I won against Ritasia I was to shoot against you. I didn’t get close.”

Lorelei’s lips turned into a vile grin. “Amuse me again then.”

“Very well. Anything to please you. Go ahead.” Not.

Lorelei motioned to the target. “After you, as you are my guest.”

She was giving Alicia no chance to rest her arms.

Alicia took her stance again, but this time she considered what she’d done wrong the first time. Maybe if she twisted the bow slightly to her right and tilted it up higher, she could compensate for the problem she had initially.

She’d have to practice for weeks to get the hang of the strange faery bow.

But with all eyes on her—as she noticed several more courtiers had gathered to watch the competition of the royals—she hadn’t any choice. Shoot the arrow and hope it fell farther than the last few feet at least.

She closed one eye and released the arrow.





CHAPTER 10





Whispered murmurs filled the crowd as Alicia stared at the distance she’d sent the arrow…two feet farther than Deveron’s even. She hated to look at Deveron. Would he be upset with her? She had won several archery competitions. She couldn’t help that. And she had tried to decline playing the game. Lorelei stared at her with such contempt Alicia figured she could have turned her to stone. She offered the bow to Lorelei.

Lorelei shook her head. “No, my arms are too weary to shoot again.”

Deveron rubbed his chin while he considered where her arrow had struck the farther target.

Ritasia looked mortified.

Well, that hadn’t gone well.

“Can we do something else?” Alicia asked, handing the bow to the servant again.

“You will shoot against me,” Deveron said, reclaiming the bow. He didn’t seem at all happy.

Alicia’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Deveron. Was he miffed at her for beating him? When she was a mere human? And even worse, a human female who had never used a fae bow? Heaven have mercy. What a crisis to his dark male fae heritage.

“It was a lucky shot,” Alicia said. “Probably couldn’t do it again in a million years.”

Lorelei’s mutinous expression hadn’t changed. Ritasia still seemed ill at ease.

What? If she bested Deveron again, would they hang her at high noon? Had she done some unforgivable deed?

She supposed she was never to best a male fae at archery. So should she hit short this time to give Deveron the chance to prove his superior male archery ability?

Or should she try her best to beat him again?

He pulled back the string and with everyone quiet as a black void in space, he released the arrow. It smacked the wooden stake target, splitting it in two.

Several clapped and expressed their congratulations.

A servant quickly placed another stake the same distance, but Alicia aimed at one several feet farther out. Competition was competition. She didn’t figure she’d have mastered the bow this quickly, but perhaps it was just that she knew so well how to apply her skills in archery and it didn’t matter the strange shape of bow.