Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“Why don’t you and Adeline go hunting this time? Work together,” I suggested after we agreed on a location.
“Why?” Nylian demanded, his eyes narrowing on my face.
I gulped. I should have been ready for that question, but I wasn’t. “Because…”
“Because hunting is hard work, and hard work shared between two people is completed even faster,” Jasper chimed in. Sometimes, I loved that kid. He stepped up beside me, the chain on his grimoire jangling softly. “Besides, with the two of you working together, you can kill something bigger, like a deer. With that much meat, we could save some for the next day. Take a break from all the hunting and such.”
Oh, I liked that idea. I was tired of an all-meat diet, though. I’d kill for some vegetables. Even another one of Jasper’s crappy biscuits, but he was all out of flour. At this point, I was praying we’d run across a farm where we could buy a few vegetables or some fruit from a farmer.
“You want something different?” Adeline demanded. “How about we make this a competition? Jasper and me will head into the forest and hunt up something to eat. You and the elf catch something from the stream. Best catch of the night means best hunters.”
“What? No!” This wasn’t what I wanted. Why was this woman so determined to mess up my plans? “How about me and Jasper fish and you and Nylian hunt?”
Adeline crossed her arms over his stomach and frowned. “No way. Jasper can’t swim.” Even Jasper seemed to pale at the mention of fishing in the stream.
“It’s not that deep. I’m sure he’d be fine,” I argued. I couldn’t let go of this chance to give Nylian and Adeline some time alone.
The thief sighed as if I were the densest thing in the forest. “You don’t know Jasper. He’d drown in a puddle if you weren’t watching over him closely.”
“I—”
“No, I like her division of the teams best,” Nylian declared, cutting off my argument. “We must meet at the camp at sunset to present our catches.”
That was all Adeline needed to hear. She gave Jasper’s sleeve a tug, and they were off into the woods, leaving me alone with Nylian for the first time since we’d escaped the ogres.
Now that I was looking at the stream, though, I had to wonder how the hell we were going to catch anything without fishing poles, hooks, and bait. As Adeline and her brother headed off in one direction, Nylian drew his sword and walked into the forest in another direction.
Groaning to myself, I followed the elf. Someone needed to. He was only going to find trouble if left alone.
“How are we supposed to catch fish without poles and bait?” I asked as I trailed after him.
The elf said nothing as he gazed up at the trees. He ambled through the forest, inspecting the trees, before swinging his sword to bring down a sturdy branch about an inch in diameter. He picked up the branch and thrust it at me. “Remove the extraneous branches and the bark; then sharpen the tip to a point. We’re spearfishing.” He finished with a smile that had its own bite. He was not happy with me.
“Okay,” I drawled out, staring at him for an extra second. “Is something wrong?”
“No.”
Well, that was too short and clearly meant yes.
“Why are you mad at me?” I pressed.
Nylian’s sword slashed through another branch with a great whoosh, and I winced. Probably not a good idea to poke at someone who was skilled at wielding a sword.
He jerked the new spear from the brush and stomped to the camp, his lips in a hard, thin line. “Are you disappointed to be stuck with me as your teammate?”
“What?” I croaked as I watched him pass me. That was out of left fucking field. What the hell was he talking about? I jogged to catch up with him and plopped on the ground beside him as we both worked on our spears.
Nylian didn’t lift his gaze from his spear as he worked his dagger along the pole, deftly removing the bark to get it to the smooth, bare wood. “You wanted to stay behind with Jasper. Is he your type?”
My knife slipped off the branch at his question, and I almost lost a finger. When my heart stopped racing, I drove the point of my blade into the dirt. It was safer to have this conversation without a sharp edge to eviscerate myself.
“Where the fuck did you get that? No, Jasper isn’t my type! Have you lost your mind?”
Nylian paused, his eyes not lifting to look at me, but the muscles in his jaw worked as if he were chewing on my words. “But you walk with him and have humorous conversations with him. You tried to hunt alone with him. Why not Adeline? Or me?”