But I hadn’t missed. I was too good of a shot and had too good of a reason to aim true. I either had to take the risk, or lose Maddox forever.
And so I’d quickly settled my arms on a rock, aimed and fired. Once, twice. The kick of the shots was powerful, but familiar. I’d shot cans first with Charles, then rabbits. Eventually I’d moved onto bigger game to put on the dining table.
But this moment was defining for me. While Maddox had grown up fighting with Neron as friends, I’d learned how to shoot alongside Charles. With him. When he’d died, I’d become obsessed, practicing as often as possible as a way to escape my loss. My past was what had saved Maddox, had taken the life from Neron faster than the blood seeped from the wounds. I’d used my past to ensure my future.
Nothing, nothing wo
