4. The winner is…
THE WINNER IS…
DAPHNE
Noelle knows the dark woods almost as well as Alex does.
I say almost because I have to point out that we’ve passed the same bush with oddly purple flowers on it twice before Noelle mumbles that she might’ve made a wrong turn when we first left the cabin.
Me? I’m not a woodsy kind of girl. I only noticed because purple is my favorite color, and I’ve never seen a bush growing like that in Central Park.
It caught my attention, otherwise I would’ve had no clue we were walking in circles.
She quickly course-corrects, and a few minutes later we’re sneaking up on the two guys.
Not surprisingly, I’m drawn to Alex first. Despite the chill, he’s wearing a chiton that leaves his sculpted back on display; of course, since he oozes heat even when Apollo is contained.
The sun shining through the cap of leaves over our head glints off of his golden torque and the metallic bands hugging his bare arms. He has his bow in one hand, twirling a gleaming, golden arrow idly with the fingers on his other.
Hunter is standing about six feet away from him. He must feel Alex’s warmth, too, since he removed his cloak. It’s folded up, placed on the ground near his boots. As we spy them, he’s just finished shooting another arrow.
Noelle’s challenge was pretty simple. The two were supposed to go back and forth, making trick shots with their weapons, until we met up with them. As the only non-archer here, somehow I got the gig of being judge for this farce. Dumb, really. Like I’m going to side against Alex, right?
But even though I’m pretty sure all four of us know that Noelle just used a god’s pride to get those two together—leaving me and Noelle to have some girl talk, or some shit like that—they’re taking it seriously.
I can tell from the way Alex’s muscles bunch after Hunter takes his shot, and how much of a smirk finds its way to his voice as he sarcastically congratulates the other man.
Forget the archery. I’m finally getting my first peek at Noelle’s husband without the cloak.
And, sure, I knew his face was something to drool over, but I’ve seen my fair share of pretty men.
Hunter? He’s huge. Not the kind of guy I’d go for myself—I prefer lean yet muscular types like my god—but hell if he doesn’t just have me getting a better look.
I elbow Noelle in her side. She’s half a head shorter than me, so I have to crouch a little to do it. “Whoa. I knew he was big, but damn. And you still don’t want to give me a hint about the rest of him?”
“Let’s just say Hunter’s big all around,” smirks Noelle. “Now shh. I need to concentrate.”
Concentrate?
Moving a few steps away from me, she lifts her bow. A glowing silver arrow appears between her slender fingers by magic—only, it’s not just the arrow that’s glowing. Her eerily pale hand has a shine, too, as she pulls the bowstring back and prepares to let loose an arrow of her own.
It all happens so fast. By the time I part my lips, ready to ask her what she’s doing, she’s already shot the damn thing.
It whistles away, flying right between the two guys. Well, no. That’s not right. It soars, but I’m pretty sure it clips Alex’s arm as it passes him.
I’m right.
Alex lets out a sharp curse. It’s in Ancient Greek so I have no clue what he said—and I’m not about to poke the other Daphne dozing deep inside of me to find out—but the sentiment is pretty damn obvious.
As the arrow finds its home in a tree far in the distance, both men shoot their heads over their shoulders, finding us immediately.
Noelle grins, then stalks forward to meet them. Figuring I might as well, I stomp behind her.
Alex’s hand covers his bicep. “Really?” he drawls, addressing his sister. “I thought your aim was better than that.” He spreads his index and middle fingers, leaving a gap that he peeks at while mumbling, “Zeus knows it was when you puked on my sandals.”
“Holy shit, Alex. Am I never going to live that down?”
“Not all.”
She rolls her eyes. “Figures. I don’t know why you’re complaining, though. My aim’s as immaculate as ever.”
“Oh? So you meant to slice me with your fletch?”
“Owed you, didn’t I?”
Alex chuckles. While I scowl at Noelle—I had no idea that was what she meant before—Alex actually chuckles. “Ah. And I guess I’m never going to live that down, huh?”
“Be lucky I just sliced you. If Hunter hadn’t jumped in front of me, that arrow you shot would’ve got me dead in the forehead.
And don’t tell me that bullshit line like you knew he would take the arrow for me.
Doesn’t change the fact I had to yank it out of the meat of his shoulder. ” She shudders. “The meat.”
Oh. I know what she’s talking about now.
Alex told me about how, when he first met Noelle, he knew she was his twin—just like how he immediately recognized me as his soulmate—but Apollo wasn’t so sure.
He wanted to test Hunter. If the big guy believed Noelle was Artemis, he’d sacrifice his life for her; if he didn’t, then she wasn’t worth any more of Apollo’s concern.
That’s Apollo in a nutshell. He doesn’t care who he hurts to get what he wants which is another reason why I’m so glad that I’m with Alex and not the sun god.
So he shot at Noelle, but his arrow hit Hunter when he did what Apollo thought he might and jumped in front of her. What Alex neglected to mention was what happened after that. He just said Apollo was satisfied, Orion expected no less from him, and his twin… well, she got over it.
From the way Noelle’s whole body is lit up like the lights on a fucking Christmas tree, I’m thinking she hadn’t gotten over it as much as her brother thought.
While Alex continues to stare at the bloody slice on his arm, Noelle waves her hand at me. I just look at her. Huffing softly, she cocks her head in Alex’s direction. When I still don’t understand what she’s trying to tell me, she throws her hands up in the air.
“Hey, Daphne? Is it really that bad? Maybe you should make sure Alex is okay.”
Oh. Oh… I get it now.
I hurry over to Alex. The second my hand lands on his arm, he goes from self-confident archer and teasing brother to one of my exes with a bad case of man flu.
“Ow.”
“Does it hurt?”
Alex nods. A stray lock of white-blond hair falls forward into his grey eyes, but he leaves it there as he glances down at me. “I’ll heal.” Right. Because he isn’t just some regular immortal god. Apart from being one of the Twelve, Apollo is also the god of healing. “But it still hurts.”
“You ready to go home then?” His eyes brighten when I mention home. He loves it when I refer to his golden palace as ours, which is precisely why I did. I run my fingers down his forearm. “I can clean this up. Take care of this cut for you.”
“I think it would be for the best.”
Behind me, I hear a low chuckle. When it’s followed by an oof, then a quick cough, I can bet what happened. We might be laying it on pretty thick, but Noelle must’ve elbowed Hunter in the gut when he started to laugh.
I ignore them. Instead, I tap the top of Alex’s hand. “Come on. I’m ready when you are.”
“Lead the way, my Daphne.”
“Wait!”
We both look over at Noelle. Holding up her hands, she’s already running forward. “Before you go, Daph,” she calls over her shoulder, “you gotta come with me.”
I exchange a glance with Alex. When I shrug, he waves his hand in front of him, a wordless gesture to go on ahead.
I don’t run. While Noelle sprinted awkwardly into the trees, I saunter until I meet her by the tree she’s standing next to. Alex is matching my pace, while Hunter brings up the rear.
“Ah, darlin’,” he murmurs, moving to stand next to her. “Perfect as always.”
Huh?
She points up. Ah. A good foot or so about my head, I see three arrows: one golden, two silver. There were maybe three inches in between the golden on the left and the dim silver on the right, but the glowing silver arrow that Noelle shot is in the exact center of the two.
Turning to me, Noelle raises her eyebrows. “Well? You’re the judge. Who’s the best archer here?”
“Sorry, baby.” I pat Alex on his shoulder. “But she wins.”
He can’t even argue. Then again, the way his warmth ekes out, caressing me when I call him ‘baby’ in front of the other two, I don’t think he gives a shit. In his mind, he probably thinks he did win.
And if all goes according to plan tonight, so will I.
Does that stop Noelle’s expression from turning absolutely smug as her husband gives her a proud squeeze of congratulations?
Not even a little.
“Yeah,” She leans into Hunter. “I figured.”