Page 34 of Blood of Olympus

The half-empty container thudded as it bounced off his head.

He laughed, raising his hands in surrender. “I was kidding! Kind of, but at least it got some sort of reaction out of you.” He picked up the flask, frowning before downing the rest. “First you steal the heart of the woman, now you steal my liquor, too.”

“Please — she was always going to be mine.” I smiled, a little softer this time.

“Ughhh,” he moaned, his eyes rolling back into his head. “Not this again.”

I chuckled. “I can’t help it. I’m⁠—”

“In love, yes, yes, I know.” He laughed. “And I’m glad to see it. Truly.”

“Just you wait,” I grinned.

“To fall in love?” Aros laughed heartily. “I fall in love weekly.”

“You think you do.”

“No, I do. It just never sticks. One day, maybe. But for now, I shall live happily in my conquests.”

Then it was my turn to roll my eyes.

Aros winked. “Trust me, they all live happily in them, too. I could give you some pointers, if you’d like?”

I scowled.

He laughed again, his smile turning devious. “I’ll give you one pointer for every time you miss the target.”

“I won’t miss.”

“I shall pity Nyssa even more then.”

I set my sights on the ruby red bullseye, electricity once again arcing between my fingertips. Extending my right hand, I loosed a bolt. It flew all twenty metres with ease, sinking into the wooden target… six inches to the left of the bullseye.

Aros chuckled; I groaned.

“Lesson one: if she says she’s close, don’t go faster.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Maintain the same pace, the same rhythm… don’t change it up just ‘cause you’re excited.”

I shot again — this time it landed four inches to the right.

“What the hell is the matter with me?” I mumbled.

“Well, it won’t be the fact that you remembered to play with her nipples.” He winked. “Lesson two.”

“Aros,” I sighed.

“Again.”

I glared at that red circle, fuelling all my aggravation into the next strike. “Yes!” I hooted when it landed in the middle.

Nailed it.

Aros whistled as he approached. “Close, but not quite.”

I ran up to inspect the target. “That’s a hit!”