Keira's Fire

Chapter 9

As anticipated, apologizing took quite a while.

After smoothing things over with William, I started with Jeremy, knowing he deserved my penance the most. He stood with his arms crossed, looking stern and didn't change his demeanor the whole time I spoke. I really started thinking that he wasn't going to forgive me. But as I stood awkwardly after finishing my abject speech, ready to walk away and leave him be, he pulled me in for a crushing hug. I knew then that he hadn't really been angry after the initial shock. He was mostly just worried about me.

The others certainly hadn't made it easy on me, though they were all able to relate to my blind rage easy enough. Mostly they were angry at my reaction to the whole thing. They didn't appreciate me acting like a victim when I was the one at fault. But they forgave me almost right away. It was the part where they all seemed to revel in my humiliation that really made the endless apologies unbearable. I'd bested them all at one thing or another over the years, injuring their pride without remorse, so they just loved watching me flounder with unfamiliar penance.

It would still be a while before I was trusted enough to be able to accompany them on raids again, but that was fine by me since I didn't feel I'd be ready to go with them for a while anyway. Until then, I was content to oversee James' and Michael's training.

"You're getting good at that, little brother," I called after Michael managed to hit the target with his arrow.

Michael turned and grinned before jogging the few steps over to me.

"I can't shoot hard enough to make them stick like James can," he complained, throwing a disheartened glance over his shoulder at the two targets in the distance. James' target had a few arrows sticking out of it and some strewn on the ground near it. But every one of Michael's arrows lay on the ground.

"That'll come," I assured him. "Right now, you work on your aim. As you get bigger, you're muscles will grow, and your arrows will be sticking in no time."

"Will you show me?" He offered me his bow.

"This is your time to practice." I tried to brush him off.

"Please? Everyone says you're the best and I've never seen you shoot."

I looked down at the bow and then up to his hopeful face, but I couldn't do it.

"I just don't feel like it right now," I said. "Another day, alright?"

He didn't look thrilled, but he nodded anyway.

"Go practice some more." I sent him back to his shooting line.

"Since when are you afraid to show off?" Stephen said from behind me after Michael was getting another arrow ready to shoot.

"He doesn't need me to show off." I avoided the question.

Stephen raised his eyebrows with that intuitive expression I hated.

"Don't give me that look," I snapped.

"Then don't lie to me." He sat beside me. "He should see you shoot. He idolizes you."

"Then you show him. He looks up to you too."

"That's not the same," he said. "Besides, my doctor says I'm not quite ready to use a bow and arrow yet."

I smiled and shook my head.

"Why are you suddenly scared to pick up a bow?"

I could try to deny it, but I'd never fool Stephen.

"Every time I think about shooting, I keep picturing my failure." I stared at the ground.

"So, your human. So what? You're going to have to get passed that. Keira, the best-"