Bone Diggers (Paperback out now!)

Bone Diggers - Chapter Eleven

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Daniel's daily archery lessons dissolved into messing around and trying out trick shots. "I can put a candle out with an arrow," he claimed.

"What?" Amilia squinted suspiciously. "No, you can't."

"Yes, I can. My dexterity is high enough." If being part of the thieves' guild had unlocked any special talents, this would be one of the more ridiculous and fun ones among them.

Amilia set her jaw. "Prove it."

"I don't carry a candle on me."

"Uh huh, just what I thought," Amilia said. While Daniel was claiming lofty things, she was still working on merely hitting the target with any sort of consistency. "Better go get a candle to prove it, hot shot."

"Your lack of trust wounds me," Daniel laughed. "I am a man of my word. You stay here, practice more, and I'll be right back." The market wasn't far. It only took a few minutes to run and get one. Frankly, he was just glad the store was automated, because buying a single candle made him feel awfully silly.

When Daniel returned, he made a show of it. Presenting the candle with flare that would make future game show hosts jealous. Amilia laughed, and took a seat on bushels of hay that separated them and the rest of range.

Daniel crouched down to set the candle in front of a target. Once nested enough to stand up on its own, he lit the wick. When he walked back over, Amilia's lips were pursed with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"I don't think I even saw a bow in your home. If you are so good, why don't you use one all the time?" Amilia asked.

"I'm used to fighting in close quarters with Lance. I don't feel comfortable covering from a distance. Now stop trying to distract me. I'm aiming to impress." Daniel readied his shot, breathing out as he let it fly. The arrow whizzed over the candle a few inches, making the flame flicker, but nothing more.

"What was it that you were saying?" Amilia grinned, a laugh threatening to bubble up.

Daniel's face twitched at the still-lit candle and he gave Amilia a second to figure out if that smirk was going to turn into something more.

"I was saying," he started, looking at her the whole time he pulled back the string once more, and without stealing a glance he fired off another arrow. He wouldn't have known if he had been successful or not this time if Amilia's jaw hadn't had dropped open. Now, Daniel was the one smirking. "Dexterity is key."

Footsteps of someone else towards them caught his attention, and he looked up to find Lance coming. "Ah, speak of the devil," Daniel said.

"I've been looking all over for you," Lance said. His brow was pulled tight, but he tried to greet Amilia with a small nod and smile. "Is this where you've been hiding all day?"

"Suppose so?" Daniel glanced up towards the sun to gauge what time it was. They had been out for much of the afternoon, but he hadn't even noticed until now. "What is it?"

"You missed the guild meeting."

"Oh." Daniel puffed his cheeks out thinking for a second how he managed that before exhaling. "Oops."

Lance shook his head like he didn't understand the word. "Gael wants to see you."

"Duty calls," Daniel sighed.

Amilia had been looking from one to the other, curious if something more was going to break out, but when Daniel looked over, she smiled. "Until we meet again?" she asked.

"Soon, I hope," Daniel said.

She pushed herself up to her feet, and bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you for the lesson, and...everything else."