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)
“Ready to learn how to spearfish?”
“Please, teach me, oh wise one,” I teased, bowing to him.
The elf smirked as he turned his attention to the water. “The first step is to stand quietly in the water. Don’t move. Do nothing to disturb the water or the rocks. Allow the fish to become acclimated to your presence.”
“Got it. Let your feet go numb in the cold water.”
“Stand quietly,” he reminded me, but there was a hint of a twist on his lips. “When the fish draw close to you at last, you must quickly choose one, take aim, and stab it. Remember that the water bends the image of the fish, placing it at a slightly different location than you perceive. Aim for the largest part of the fish.”
As he finished speaking, he stabbed at an angle a few feet away from where he stood. When pulled the spear out of the water, a long silver fish wildly thrashed its tail on the end.
“Okay, showoff. You made that look way too easy.”
For the first time, Nylian’s smile was wide and full of pride. “Maybe a little. Orian and I used to do this during the summer when we could escape the…escape our lessons,” he corrected himself, his joy dimming. He pulled the fish off the end and chucked it onto the bank, where it couldn’t flop into the water.
“Well, let’s see what kind of teacher you are.”
“I am an excellent teacher. I am more worried about the student.”
“Pfft…whatever.”
“Lockhart, please remember to not hit your own foot.”
I opened my mouth to argue with him, but closed it with a click of my teeth. As much as I hated to admit it, he was probably right. With my luck, I would stab myself in the foot.
But I was also right. He made this seem way easier than it was. The fish were ridiculously fast, and my aim was horrible. Nylian caught three more fish before I came close to my first.
“So…if Adeline and Jasper aren’t your type…” Nylian began, breaking the silence that had settled comfortably between us. His words caught me so off guard that I overextended my aim and almost fell over in the water. I splashed along, scaring all the fish and catching my balance only when the stream was now above my knees.
I glared at him, water dripping from the tip of my nose and spattering across my clothes. The bastard had the audacity to catch yet another fish despite the noise I was making. He glanced up at me and grinned as he pulled the poor thing off his spear.
“Sometimes, I think you’re trying to kill me,” I muttered. As I got into a comfortable stance while ignoring my wet pants, I stared at the darting fish, waiting for my opening. “I don’t want to talk about my type. Why don’t you tell me about your type?”
This was a question I should know the answer to, but this could be helpful. Maybe what I put in my notes and what was on the page were wildly different and I hadn’t realized it yet.
He should say, I don’t have a type.
“I’m most drawn to genuine people. Interesting people. Brave people who don’t care about the opinions of others.”
What?!?
This wasn’t right. Not at all. I mean, it was a damn good answer, but it wasn’t what I’d been expecting.
“I grew up surrounded by phony people who were only concerned for their own well-being and what my family could give them. It’s rare for me to meet people who want nothing from me. Who want to be near me because they like me, not what I can do for them,” Nylian continued, his words squeezing my heart.
“That must suck,” I murmured without thinking, my brain too busy comparing his words to the list of women he was supposed to put in his harem. Mercy fit that description perfectly. Were things messed up because I’d interfered and kept him from meeting her first?
“But then, I also have a weakness for dark-haired men with a sense of humor and humility. Who are willing to laugh at themselves and stick their neck out for another despite the odds being against them.”
“What?” I screeched. My brain stopped taking in information after it heard “dark-haired men.” The rest was a blur of racing heart and panic.
I spun too quickly to face him, and the rock I had my left foot balanced on gave way. Tumbling and stumbling, I attempted to catch my balance as my arms flailed madly in the air. My spear had gone flying without ever piercing fish scales and was long gone downstream.
Nylian saw the danger I was in and jumped over to save me, one hand extended. I grabbed it before he could plant his feet, and we both went over into the water with a large, icy splash. The stream closed in over my head while the bitter cold bit into every piece of flesh and the air rushed out of my lungs in a burst of bubbles.