To the Stars | Throne of Glass

47

Celaena drew circles in the gravel with her foot. After that talk, meandering through the corridors didn't seem to be particularly appealing, so her legs had taken her outside. The frosty air was bitingly cold. Her ears and nose were red, and fingers near-frozen already.

Celaena didn't want to spend the night brooding. She wanted to lighten up, staunch the flow of horrible thoughts that crossed her mind, wanted to be happy again. But she didn't know how. And she also didn't want to. Rage was... comforting, somehow.

Stones crunched.

'You'll catch your death out here.'

She didn't turn. 'Good.'

Archer draped an arm round her shoulders, and she didn't shake it off. 'Well, I'd rather you waste your time inside so we could at least do some training.'

Celaena couldn't help it; she looked up at him, and gave a small smiled. Leaning into his warmth, she let him lead her back inside.

~

'You've certainly improved,' Celaena grunted. Archer didn't reply, save for a grimace through clenched teeth as she dodged his jab, raising an arm to block the following blow. 'Actually,' she panted,'we'll finish here.' To emphasise, she grabbed his elbow and twisted, locking his arm behind him.

Archer nodded, rolling his shoulder. 'Is it too soon for knives?' Celaena asked. Knives and daggers and swords weren't the only thing she'd been taught. They were her preferred choice of weapons, but Celaena did have quite a bit of experience in wielding spears, staffs, maces and all sorts of things that she would never have thought to have existed. 'I can do knives,' Archer said.

Celaena placed her hands on her hips. 'In the area of cooking, you mean?'

Archer, rolled his eyes, and spat. 'Shut up, Laena.'

She grinned back. 'That was utterly pathetic.' A glob of spit flew through the air, landing in Archer's carefully-styled hair.

He gaped, seemingly almost on the verge of tears. 'You-'

Celaena laughed, and the sound filled her from head to toe with a gentle tingle. Archer was blinking furiously in mock outrage. She sidled up to him, nudging him with her hips. (A/N: im sorry, i hated writing this part too 😭😭)

Wait, what? Celaena was suddenly mimicking Archer, blinking rapidly. She- Celaena- Celaena was flirting, if she didn't know any better. What was wrong with her? But Archer seemed almost pleased, returning a dangerously playful look.

She pinched him.

'No. I will not be seduced by you.' She was trying to convince herself more than him.

'Laena, knives?'

Celaena blinked. 'Oh. Yes.' She drew two blades an handed one to Archer. 'Be careful. It's sharp.' He gave her a flat look, as if to say, Are you rutting serious? She deliberately fluttered her lashes at him.

'Right. Hold it like this. You want to allow full rotation and reach with the blade in hand. Loosen your wrist slightly.' She wrapped her fingers round the hilt of the knife slowly. Archer copied. 'Good.'

~

A dull thud echoed round the hall as Celaena's knife pierced the dummy's eye. A neighbouring thud sounded as Archer's knife found its mark, too. She strolled towards the targets, drawing the blades out with a sharp yank. 'Good. Aim an inch higher when you throw, though. I can see you were aiming for the throat.' His knife had embedded itself in the rubber sternum.

Archer sighed. 'And I suppose you have the right to boss me about because you're all high and mighty?'

The smile dropped, just a bit. But she forced it into a great big beam. 'My aim is excellent.'

He threw her a crooked smile. 'Oh, really?'

Celaena's smile grew, genuine this time, and winked. 'Yes.'

~

Archer moaned, 'Remind me why we're perched on a rooftop in the middle of winter, Laena?'

She shot him a glare over her shoulder, and replied, 'It was your idea.' A rustle, and then Archer was pressing himself into her side, rubbing his hands. She scowled, but didn't dislodge him. A carriage rolled past a few blocks ahead of them. 'You show me how excellent your aim is now.' Archer said. 

Celaena raised the bow, fingers near-numb, gripping the string tightly. 'Just watch, Archer,' she murmured. The string cut into her pads, and she winced as a warm trickle began to run down her hand.

Celaena let the arrow fly.

In the murkiness of the snow and darkness, the shaft found its mark. The carriage trundled on, unaware of the dead passenger collapsed in the velvet seat of the cab. Celaena grinned. 'Ha.'

Archer looked faintly displeased as she stood, and brushed past him. A sharp knock on the head from the top of her bow had him hurrying after her. 'Okay, I may have been wrong, but who's aim is better? You or Sam?'

Celaena sniffed. 'Me.'

~

Archer was still nettled as she threw down her cards. 'I win!' she crowed.

Grudgingly, he set down his own. 'Okay, fine, fine, you did.' He shifted, and the covers slipped. Celaena squealed, grabbing the corner before it vanished off the edge entirely. Her legs were very bare beneath the nightgown she wore; there was no time to change when Archer knocked on her door. 'Stop looking,' she said, glaring at Archer. He blinked, and removed his gaze from her legs as she tugged the covers back into place. 

'Anyway,' she added, 'isn't it getting late now?'

Archer sighed. 'If you want me to go, then say so.'

She grinned. 'Sorry to disappoint, then. Can you go?'

Archer slapped the lump beneath the cover which resembled her foot. 'You are a horrible person.'

Celaena fluttered her lashes. 'And a beautiful one, too.'

'And vain.'

'And clever.'

'Shut up, Laena.'

'Shut up, Archer.'

He threw his hands up in defeat. 'By the Wyrd! You're a stubborn ass,' he called over his shoulder as he left the room. He didn't give Celaena time to throw back a snide remark before he closed the door, leaving her sitting on the bed, mouth hanging half-open.