Free Once Broken (Dove Creek Chronicles) by H. Henry Page B

. . Shouldn’t add too much weight or throw off your aim.”
    I looked up at the table and saw his crossbow with the same modifications. “What made you think of doing these?”
    “We were fighting in close quarters last night, ganged up on. It wasn’t like usual. We need a way to use our bows without having to put them down. Unless you wanna take sword fighting lessons from Hugo.”
    Gabe grinned and I smiled back. “Nah, we should leave the swordplay to him.” I stopped and ran my hands over the new string on my bow before looking over at Gabriel. “Thank you.”
    “Don’t mention it.”
    “Speaking of being ganged up on last night. All those vamps . . . At what point do you think a higher power steps in to help?”
    “What do you mean? Divine intervention?”
    “Well, yeah. I guess so.”
    “Remi, you can’t be that naïve.”
    “Naïve?”
    “The Amasai weren’t put together in hopes that we would receive divine help against the demons. We were assembled because people don’t receive divine help. We get the werewolves . . . That’s it.”
    “Oh, well . . . I just thought. Never mind,” I said, feeling more crestfallen than I would have expected.
    “Hey, you wanna fling a few arrows before we head inside?” He nodded toward the firing range at the other end of the barn. I could tell that he was only trying to cheer me up, but I needed the practice, especially with the new additions to my bow.
    I nodded. “Sounds good.”
    I left the bench to go retrieve a quiver from the rack that held various kinds of ammunition: My arrows, Gabriel’s bolts, shotgun shells loaded with silver shot, an array of sharpened stakes. We were well-prepared folks.
    Gabe followed suit before pacing off fifteen yards from the three targets lined up against the far wall. We had to practice longer shots outside, but that would do for testing our newly improved weaponry. The pair of us stood shoulder to shoulder, me on the left so that my elbow wouldn’t be right in Gabe’s face.
    “Ladies first.”
    I hefted the bow and hooked the release to the string. The weight was only slightly more than I was used to and I didn’t feel anything amiss with the balance, just as Gabriel had assured. I drew my left hand back to my cheek and took aim. The arrow whistled as I triggered the release, and buried itself just off center of the bullseye.
    “Nice shot,” Gabriel said.
    “Thanks. Not bad.”
    We both went on, taking turns until we had empty quivers and targets that resembled pincushions. It was no small thing, having my own bow back. I was more grateful than I knew how to express, but somehow, I think he knew that.

 
     
     
     
     
    chapter five
     
    Despite the soaring temperatures the August afternoon had walloped us with, all I could think about when I left work that evening was a hot bath. I only have one bathroom in my apartment (honestly, how many would one woman need?), but it’s decently spacious and boasts a fairly sizable tub. It’s wonderful to sit and soak in, though I rarely have the time to take advantage of it. On this night, though, I had no plans other than luxuriating in steaming hot water for a while and then maybe catching up on all the old Star Trek episodes I had stored up in the DVR. It was a little quiet for a Saturday night, but quiet was a rarity and I was planning to enjoy every last moment of it.
    For a little while at least, everything went according to plan. By the time I stepped out of the tub, my hair was deep conditioned, my skin washed and exfoliated, and my nails were gleaming. My complexion was pink from the heat and I smelled like I had just left a sultana’s bathing house; I was more relaxed than I had been in several days.
    Then the doorbell rang.
    I had no idea who it would be, so I cursed mildly under my breath and hurriedly wrapped myself in my green cotton robe. I shivered slightly as I opened the door from the warm and humid bathroom and stepped out into the rest of the air