antler art and horse paintings on the walls
without really seeing them. When we made it to our rooms, Ash said, “Get some
sleep and douse yourself with that Essence. We’ve got a big day ahead of us
tomorrow.”
Feeling grumpy, I said, “I know. I’ll try my
best, but don’t get mad at me if I screw up. I’m not as competitive as you
are.”
Walking quickly to me, he engulfed me in a big
hug. “Lexi, I could never be mad at you about something like that. Let’s just
have as much fun as we can. Okay?”
I stared into his amazingly iridescent green
eyes. “Okay.” I hesitated and said, “You know, Ash, you’re not so bad after
all. Thanks for playing your part. I love ya.”
A wide smile spread across his face and he
raised one brow. “Oh, really? Does that mean you’re gonna unlock the door
between our rooms tonight so I can come over and show you my cowboy hat?”
Tongue-tied, I gave him a playful shove. “I
shudder at the thought.” Stepping into my room, I turned and added, “FYI, the
door between our rooms will be double-bolted and booby trapped.”
He laughed. “Good to have the old Lexi back
again. Sleep tight.”
CHAPTER 5 – LET THE GAMES BEGIN
One shot! That’s all I needed. If I connected
with the bull’s-eye, Ash and I would be on our way to the archery finals. The
target was 100 meters away, 30 more than was standard in the Olympics. Then
again, we Guardians had exceptional strength and better than average accuracy,
so maybe shooting from this distance wasn’t saying much after all. I knew
Jason, Ash, and many of my friends were silently cheering me on. But I also
knew there were many curious eyes, several doubtful eyes, and a ton of eyes
with unrealistic expectations. Being a Dentelle didn’t make me flawless or
superhuman, but in passing comments I’d overheard while at the Ranch, people
seemed to think I would be perfect. I shook off any feelings of self-doubt and
situated myself accordingly.
Standing upright in a comfortable but firm
stance, I nocked the arrow and gripped the string in a Mediterranean draw –
index finger above the string with middle and ring fingers below. I raised the
slender bow, drew my elbow high, and anchored my trigger finger knuckle against
my cheekbone, just below my shooting eye. My dad always said, “Besides
practice, the key to hitting your target is a consistent anchor spot.” Inhaling
ever so slightly, I stared down the spine of the arrow with quiet concentration,
focusing only on the ten point gold center ring.
The tall amber grasses standing between me and
the target remained a hazy blur on the edge of my peripheral vision. The hot
mid-afternoon Montana sun beat down on the open prairie and was probably
responsible for triggering the strange blended scent of hay and Alyssum that
flourished around me. Despite wearing shorts and a tank top, the dry heat was
taking its toll. Sweat trickled down the small of my back, but I ignored the
tickle. So respectfully silent was the large crowd of Guardian spectators, that
for a moment I forgot I wasn’t alone.
Maintaining tension in my back muscles, I held
my draw with confidence and certainty. I could do this. I needed to do this.
Especially after my epic fail in the river kayaking competition. Unbelievably,
I’d lost my grip on the paddle and dropped it in the water about halfway
through our timed adventure. Although Ash was strong and skilled, he didn’t
have enough power to do the work of two – not when we faced steep Guardian
competition. Needless to say, our final time stunk and I felt horrible and
humiliated. Afterwards, I’d overheard several snide comments about what a
disappointment my skills were or how being a Dentelle wasn’t so special after
all. Ash must have caught the comments as well, because he’d suddenly jumped
into action and put on quite a show for everyone around us.
Having swept me up in his arms, he’d said
loudly, “No worries, babe. We all make mistakes.
without really seeing them. When we made it to our rooms, Ash said, “Get some
sleep and douse yourself with that Essence. We’ve got a big day ahead of us
tomorrow.”
Feeling grumpy, I said, “I know. I’ll try my
best, but don’t get mad at me if I screw up. I’m not as competitive as you
are.”
Walking quickly to me, he engulfed me in a big
hug. “Lexi, I could never be mad at you about something like that. Let’s just
have as much fun as we can. Okay?”
I stared into his amazingly iridescent green
eyes. “Okay.” I hesitated and said, “You know, Ash, you’re not so bad after
all. Thanks for playing your part. I love ya.”
A wide smile spread across his face and he
raised one brow. “Oh, really? Does that mean you’re gonna unlock the door
between our rooms tonight so I can come over and show you my cowboy hat?”
Tongue-tied, I gave him a playful shove. “I
shudder at the thought.” Stepping into my room, I turned and added, “FYI, the
door between our rooms will be double-bolted and booby trapped.”
He laughed. “Good to have the old Lexi back
again. Sleep tight.”
CHAPTER 5 – LET THE GAMES BEGIN
One shot! That’s all I needed. If I connected
with the bull’s-eye, Ash and I would be on our way to the archery finals. The
target was 100 meters away, 30 more than was standard in the Olympics. Then
again, we Guardians had exceptional strength and better than average accuracy,
so maybe shooting from this distance wasn’t saying much after all. I knew
Jason, Ash, and many of my friends were silently cheering me on. But I also
knew there were many curious eyes, several doubtful eyes, and a ton of eyes
with unrealistic expectations. Being a Dentelle didn’t make me flawless or
superhuman, but in passing comments I’d overheard while at the Ranch, people
seemed to think I would be perfect. I shook off any feelings of self-doubt and
situated myself accordingly.
Standing upright in a comfortable but firm
stance, I nocked the arrow and gripped the string in a Mediterranean draw –
index finger above the string with middle and ring fingers below. I raised the
slender bow, drew my elbow high, and anchored my trigger finger knuckle against
my cheekbone, just below my shooting eye. My dad always said, “Besides
practice, the key to hitting your target is a consistent anchor spot.” Inhaling
ever so slightly, I stared down the spine of the arrow with quiet concentration,
focusing only on the ten point gold center ring.
The tall amber grasses standing between me and
the target remained a hazy blur on the edge of my peripheral vision. The hot
mid-afternoon Montana sun beat down on the open prairie and was probably
responsible for triggering the strange blended scent of hay and Alyssum that
flourished around me. Despite wearing shorts and a tank top, the dry heat was
taking its toll. Sweat trickled down the small of my back, but I ignored the
tickle. So respectfully silent was the large crowd of Guardian spectators, that
for a moment I forgot I wasn’t alone.
Maintaining tension in my back muscles, I held
my draw with confidence and certainty. I could do this. I needed to do this.
Especially after my epic fail in the river kayaking competition. Unbelievably,
I’d lost my grip on the paddle and dropped it in the water about halfway
through our timed adventure. Although Ash was strong and skilled, he didn’t
have enough power to do the work of two – not when we faced steep Guardian
competition. Needless to say, our final time stunk and I felt horrible and
humiliated. Afterwards, I’d overheard several snide comments about what a
disappointment my skills were or how being a Dentelle wasn’t so special after
all. Ash must have caught the comments as well, because he’d suddenly jumped
into action and put on quite a show for everyone around us.
Having swept me up in his arms, he’d said
loudly, “No worries, babe. We all make mistakes.
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