“Oh, put me down,” I sigh, defeated, going limp and smacking at Jackson’s back as Jesse and Rafe likewise step aside, checking in on each other, speaking softly. “I’m shamed enough by my lack of athleticism, you don’t have to rub it in.” “You did very good today,” Jacks lies, setting me back down
“Oh,” I say, stepping aside quickly so he doesn’t bowl me over as strides out the door. And then I quickly follow as he moves down the hall, doing my best to stay at his side even if it means that I have to do a ridiculous little trot instead of a walk. “Where are we going?” “Outside,” the Captain
“Wow…” I whisper, leaning forward, my hand shooting out to touch the long, slim silver rifle that the Captain lifts out of the bag and sets up straight, balancing it on its two bipod legs so it stands up on its own. At the last second, I pull my hand back, not sure if I should. “Go on,” the captai
“Well, it’s fancy,” I say, gesturing to the gun. “And it has a scope. You point the crosshairs at the target and you shoot – it should work!” He laughs at me again, I think genuinely pleased and entertained. “It’s going to take a long time to get good at it, kid,” he says, smiling at me and pattin
“You’re late!” Faiza says, sing-song, as I push open the door to her office and skitter inside. “I know, I’m sorry,” I say, panting a little as I shut the door behind me, leaning against it as I try to catch my breath. “I had to learn how to put my rifle away, lock it up.” “Rifle?” she asks, rai
I laugh a little, shaking my head at her, not getting it. “Please, Faiza. Explain.” “Look, close-up magic is nerdy as hell,” she says, leaning forward and talking to me seriously now. “But it teaches you a great deal about how to do things in plain sight. And if you can’t even sneak marbles into y
“You can sit there, Ariel’s boy,” Blaze says, waving a general hand towards the wall by the door as Luca follows me into the small gym and pulls the door shut behind him. “You are not to interrupt. Read your book, if you would, or watch. But no talking.” Luca raises his eyebrows at me, I think a l
“I am,” Luca says seriously, pushing up from the floor as he intuits that the lesson is done. “Well then,” Blaze says, looking at him for a long second and then shifting his eyes to me. “Perhaps you can put our Ariel through a different set of paces. See if her dodging skills adapt well to a diffe