Page 32 of Blue Arrow Island (Blue Arrow Island #1)

“Marcus is worth getting to know. I think you’ll find there’s more to him than meets the eye.” She glances at me, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Though what meets the eye is quite nice, too.”

Our eyes meet and I can’t help smiling back. I sniff, pretending to be unbothered. “I hadn’t really noticed.”

Her grin widens. “You’re lovely, Briar. I hope you’ll come see me again soon.”

The door to the underground area is opening. It’s like a massive metal garage door, chains pulling it up for someone to enter.

It’s Niran, a much smaller man limping in beside him.

Ellison leans over and whispers to me. “Everything said in my office is confidential.”

“Good.”

She smiles again and locks eyes with me. “Get to know him. Trust me.”

“Man versus bees,” Niran says as the two men approach. “I think the bees had the upper hand. Or ... wing, I guess?”

Her brows shoot up. “What happened, Seth?”

He groans. “Tripped over a log and they swarmed me. I even got stung on the nipple.”

“You loved it,” Niran quips. “Heard you begging ’em to sting the other one.”

His lighthearted comments leave me with a warm feeling as I exit the tunnel, the snowfall thicker now.

I put my arms out, letting them catch a few flakes. When I was growing up in Washington, we’d get snow, but it never lasted. Mae and I always wanted to build snow castles, but we rarely got enough accumulation to even make snowballs.

“There you are!” Amira runs up to me, breathless. She looks me over from head to toe, her expression concerned. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

She bursts forward to hug me, holding me tightly. “I’m supposed to be sharpening knives, but I had to find you. You’re sure you’re okay?”

I nod and quickly recount last night’s events, her expression unsurprised when I tell her about Marcus shooting Vance.

“My team wasn’t called there last night,” she murmurs. “But I heard about it first thing this morning.”

“I just talked to Ellison and found out some things I want to tell you,” I say softly. “Will you be at dinner at the usual time?”

“I should be. If I’m not, I’ll find you later.” She hugs me again before darting off.

I’m not resting all day, so I need to find Marcus.

When my heart leaps at the prospect of seeing him, I groan inwardly.

I don’t want to be this drawn to a man— any man.

But he’s my best chance of finding the answers I need about this place, so I have to find a way to be around him without letting on how I’m feeling.

My boots slush through mud as I make my way to the ring, assuming that’s where I’ll find Marcus. I pass the kitchen entrance, where Vadim is standing next to a cart of produce, inhaling the scent of fresh basil. His expression is pure bliss.

He waves as I pass, a pang of jealousy hitting when I see another garden worker with him. She probably delivered the produce today. I liked my routine in the garden, but Vance ruined it. At least temporarily. I hope to be back there soon.

When I reach the ring, no one’s outside it. I hesitate outside the closed door before opening it and walking inside.

There are around fifty people inside the ring at various stations. Some are practicing archery, others are using rocks like weights and lifting them, and others are doing pushups in the mud.

Through the swirling flakes, I see Marcus demonstrating archery form to a small group. I get the usual flutter in my stomach, but I ignore it, walking around the perimeter of the training area to reach him.

I watch as he nocks an arrow and takes aim at a target, talking to the people nearby as he does it. He goes quiet for a few seconds and then shoots the arrow, which lands dead center on the target.

A woman claps, but he silences her with a scowl. He glances in my direction, doing a double take when he sees me.

Passing the bow off to a woman, he talks to her for a few seconds before coming over to me.

“How long’ve you been there?” he asks.

“Since before you were applauded.”

He shoots me a quick, halfhearted look of annoyance. “How you feeling?”

“Good.”

“Did you find Ellison?”

Did I ever. I laugh inwardly over the absurd idea of telling him what we talked about.

Not a chance in hell. I just nod.

His eyes land on the sheathed knife at my waist. “You still interested in taking me to the place where you found that?”

My pulse pounds as his gaze locks onto mine. I’m stuck on the word interested . So stuck that I can’t seem to get a single word out of my mouth. “Um, yeah. Sure.”

He dips his chin toward the knife. “You said you’ve been trained. What weapons can you use?”

“Handguns, rifles, knives and ... probably staffs, but it’s been a long time since I used one.”

His brows arch up. “Any interest in being on the security team?”

“What would I be doing?”

“Training, defense of camp, security, perimeter checks.”

The snowfall is so thick now that even though he’s only a few feet away, I can hardly see him. I don’t like the idea of training all the time, though it would be good for me. Getting to leave camp, though ... I don’t think I can pass that up.

“Could I still do one day a week in the garden?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“We test everyone to help us place them in the right group. You don’t have to do that today, though.”

What better day than today? I’m still sore from fighting Vance off. It’s a reminder of how cutthroat this place is. I don’t know when I’ll see Marcelle and Virginia again, but I will. And when I do, I want to be as sharp as I can. Especially considering the edge aromium gives them.

“I’m ready.”

“You don’t?—”

“You said that already. But I’m good. Let’s do it.”

With a nod, he leads me over to an area where two people are sparring, several others watching from nearby.

“Zara.”

The blond perks up immediately when he says her name. “Yes?”

“You’re gonna spar with Briar. Briar, you choose the weapons.”

He leads me over to a small wooden wall, which has wooden practice staffs, spears and knives. I take a knife.

“You can pick whatever weapon you want,” I tell Zara.

She ignores me and also grabs a practice knife. Marcus speaks into his radio and then tells the people in the sparring ring to finish up.

I size Zara up. She’s lithe, but fit. A few inches taller than me. The snow could work to my advantage. Or not.

It’s been a while since I sparred. Years. But as I take a few practice swings, my dad’s lessons come back to me. One of his most important lessons was never show your hand , so of course the swings are terrible. I’m not even holding the practice knife the right way.

Zara is smirking by the time we’re positioned across from each other, most everyone who was training in the ring now gathered around to watch us.

“This is over when I say it’s over,” Marcus says sternly. “You’re sparring, so no one gets seriously injured. Got it?”

“Yes, boss,” Zara says sweetly.

Kiss ass.

“Yeah, got it.” I don’t take my eyes off her.

“You’ve got this, Briar,” Amira says from somewhere.

“Go,” Marcus says.

Zara is crouching, light on her feet. I raise my right arm up like I’m going to strike with the practice knife, and she moves to block. I drop the knife as I drive the heel of my left hand into her solar plexus, the hit sending a jolt of pain from my wrist to my shoulder.

“Oof.” There’s a collective inhale as she drops to her knees, the knife falling to the ground.

Her palms hit the dirt next. She rasps in a breath, fighting for air. I walk over and put my hands over her shoulders.

“Do you want me to pin her?”

I make out Marcus fighting a smile through the thick blanket of falling snow. “No, you won.”

“That wasn’t a knife spar,” a male voice calls out. “She cheated.”

“She did not!” Amira cries. “Who said that?”

Marcus silences Amira with a look, then says, “Hobbs, there’s nothing wrong with hand-to-hand combat even when you’re holding a weapon.”

“It was a cheap hit. That’s not skill.”

Marcus said Vance had friends here. It’s not surprising to hear someone’s bitter toward me. I should just stay quiet and prove myself.

“You can go next,” I say, doing the exact opposite of what I should do.

“Bring it, bitch.”

I’m able to make out Hobbs, who is stocky and average height, because the people on either side of him move away. Before I can tell him to choose a weapon and join me, Marcus is hovering over him, his gaze murderous.

“Did I hear that right?” He yells directly in Hobbs’s face. “I think you just said you want to fight me. I’m right here, man. Let’s go.”

Hobbs cranes his neck to meet Marcus’s eyes. “You took her word over Vance’s. She’s one of them.”

“Vance lied,” Marcus says, his tone harsh. “And I brought Briar here because I trust her. Why don’t you call her a bitch again? See how many teeth you have left after you do.”

The ring is silent for a few long seconds, no one daring to speak.

“Sorry,” Hobbs mutters, looking away.

“Didn’t quite get that,” Marcus says.

“I’m sorry.”

Zara is back on her feet, still gasping dramatically.

“I think ... something’s ... broken,” she says.

I shake my head. “It was a solid hit to your solar plexus. I would have felt it if I’d broken anything. Give it five minutes, you’ll just be sore by then.”

“Briar.” Marcus nods toward the door to the ring.

I follow him there, more than a few people glaring at me as I go. Not Amira, though. She’s grinning at me like a proud sister. It reminds me so much of Mae that I have to clear a lump of emotion from my throat.

I meet her eyes and nod. Hopefully after this outing with Marcus, I’ll have even more to tell her tonight.