Summer's Solstice

Chapter One

Liv stood in the empty field behind Oliver's house. The bow string stretched taut, her fingers grazing across her cheek. She aimed the arrow at the target 300 yards away. She inhaled slowly through her nose, holding the breath as she steadied her aim. She swiftly released the string and the arrow flew forward. A low whistle was left in its place, quickly offset by a rushed exhale as Liv released the breath she'd been holding. She heard a sharp thwack as the arrow sunk into the target. She didn't think she'd ever get used to her new senses.

"Pathetic," uttered the voice to her left. Liv rolled her eyes and sighed. She turned her attention to the target, focusing in on the arrow, noticing it was still off the mark. She groaned and rolled her shoulders. The spring sun cast a bright light across her back, the heat sinking into her clothes. Sweat trickled down her side and she wiped a hand over her forehead. Despite the still-cool weather, she could already feel that this summer would be a hot one, not that she would be here when summer finally made itself at home.

"It was closer this time, at least," Liv responded. She refused to look at Killian as she pulled another arrow from the quiver strapped across her back. She tensed when he chuckled menacingly. She could feel the smirk he cast at her from her side. Liv continued to notch the arrow as he stared at her. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, bile rising in her throat as she fought back the urge to turn the arrow on him.

"It wouldn't sink home. I'd say my reflexes are too quick for you, but honestly, I could stand here and you'd still miss," Killian drawled. Liv risked a glance at him, noticing his relaxed demeanor. If anything, it pissed her off more- his ability to completely disregard her in every way.

"You know, if you spent half as much time on your training as you do on plotting ways to murder me, your friend probably wouldn't have died," Killian smirked. Liv ground her teeth together, inhaling deeply through her nose. She focused on the target ahead, imagining Killian's face instead of the red bullseye. She released the arrow with her next breath. The arrow sunk in, the metal finding home in the center of the crimson circle. Liv sucked her teeth, raising her brows. She turned to Killian, a saccharine grin spread lazily across her face.

"Killian, I promise you this," Liv's voice dripped like syrup. "If you bring Nathan up again, I will sink an arrow into your throat. Understood?" She threw the bow at him and stormed off toward the house. Unshed tears burned her eyes. She refused to show any weakness in front of Killian. She couldn't stop the anger burning within her. She knew it was true- if she had simply taken action, Nathan would still be here.

Liv continued forward, ignoring the calls from Killian behind her. She stormed through the glass doors off the back patio. She didn't even glance at the pool where Nathan last kissed her. She was trying to forget the night that she chose Keiran over him. It was hard for her, being back in this house. The house still reminded her every day of the last few times she'd seen Nathan. It was agonizing to know she was training in the woods where he took his last breath.

Liv walked through the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door behind her and heaved herself onto the bed. She felt ridiculous. She knew she should have outgrown her teenage temper-tantrums by this point, but here she was. She snatched her headphones from her bedside table and plugged them into her phone. She pulled them over her ears and turned the volume to its highest setting. Liv lay like that for a while, letting the angry songs wash over her and soothe her mood. She felt someone staring at her and scoffed. She didn't open her eyes, refusing to acknowledge the intruder further. She felt the bed dip, and her breathing stilled.

Fingers began to card through her hair. They trailed down to her neck and over her shoulder before moving back up to caress her cheek softly. Liv sighed, and her lashes fluttered open. She looked up into the hazel eyes of Keiran, who smiled down at her. She pulled her headphones off before reaching up to stroke his cheek. They sat there for a moment taking each other in. It had been a few weeks since they'd last been able to see one another. Liv stayed weeknights with her parents, hoping to spend as much time with them as possible before she had to leave, and her weekends were reserved for training with Killian.

Keiran's schedule was as packed, but even when he managed to make time to see Liv, Killian would put a stop to it. He insisted that Liv focus on her training. He had become Liv's least favorite person before long. It wasn't as though he had had much room to trend downward, since she'd despised him pretty much from the moment she met him.

Keiran leaned down to trap Liv's lips between his own. She cupped the back of his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair tenderly. She groaned when she heard the sharp rap of knuckles against her bedroom door, whining as Keiran pulled away. She cast her gaze toward the door, now swinging open to allow Killian entrance. She narrowed her eyes, her face set in a harsh and despondent stare.

"What?" Liv asked impatiently. Killian smirked, nodding at Keiran before facing Liv once more.

"Did I say that training was over for today?" Killian asked, smiling pleasantly at Liv. If it weren't for the dead look in his eyes, one might believe that Killian had been replaced with someone who wasn't a giant asshole.

"No. I did," Liv snapped. She lay back against the bed, willfully blocking out the words being exchanged between Killian and Keiran. She felt Keiran pick himself up off her bed and leave the room. She rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw, waiting for the emotional and verbal lashing she was sure to receive. She could sense Killian walk across the room, her magic branching out past her to map his location. As he reached out to grab her arm, Liv erected a barrier of magic and wind. The papers in her room fluttered to life, swirling around in the tornado surrounding her.

"Don't touch me," she advised, her eyes flying open to regard the tall male with a harsh glare. She struggled as Killian began to push against her barrier with his own magic. The smell of sea salt and sandalwood brushed against her senses. Liv felt her barrier wobble and tremble against his assault.

"I don't care if we break the house, but I'm sure Oliver's family might," Killian called over the commotion.

Liv grimaced. She pushed back against him once more, causing him to stumble. For the first time, she saw the look on his face falter. His normally lifeless, green irises flashed. Liv jumped up from the bed and brushed past him. His teeth were bared in a menacing snarl.

"Where are you going?" Killian demanded.

Liv shrugged. "Oh, you can't smell that dinner is ready?" She called over her shoulder. "Pathetic."