I don't want to touch those things. With shaking fingers, I pick one up and point it toward the chamber. Instead of going in, it falls to the ground. “Sorry.”
“Don't worry about it.” He fishes it out of the grass and smiles at me. “See, no harm done.”
Some of my nervousness dissipates. I grab another bullet and try again. It slips in without a problem. After I get the other four loaded, he says. “If you're not going to use it right away, put the hammer up. If you're going to shoot it, pull it all the way back.”
He demonstrates then has me try. The gun is heavy. I pull the hammer back.
“Good.” His hand runs along my arm straightening it and sending tingles through my body. “Now aim at one of those haystacks and pull the trigger. When you get good enough, I'll put up a bull's eye for you.”
“Are you sure I should be doing this?”
“There's no one else around. You won't hurt anyone, we're just practicing.”
I bite my lip, lift the gun, and shoot. My arms jerk back and the noise hurts my ears. I yelp. The odor of smoke fills my nose, but it's unlike anything I've ever smelled before.
Zade laughs. “Try again. This time, look at your target. I'll spell your gun so it's easier to see where it goes.”
I scowl. The stacks seem so far away. He casts a tan spell that hovers over the barrel of the gun. I look at the middle of the hay stack and try to shoot.
“It's not working.”
“You have to pull the hammer back.”
“Of course.” I feel foolish.
After pulling the hammer back, I look at the hay stack again and pull the trigger. The sound is just as loud, but doesn't startle me as much. Zade's spell flies from the gun, and flows through the air following the bullet, lowering until it hits the ground. It's only half way to the hay stack.
“Better.”
“That was better?” I groan.
“Don't worry about it, progress is good,” he says. “How many bullets do you have left?”
“Um...four?”
“Good. Always keep it in your mind so you can remember without stopping to think. Now, try again.”
I grip the gun tighter in my hands, aim, pull the hammer back, and fire. This time the spell show's it going farther, but to the right.
“I can't aim this thing.”
“Sure you can, it's just nerves. Let me help you.”
He steps behind me, and wraps his arms around me until his hands are over mine. My skin warms. He smells of the earth and citrus. His breath tickles my ear.
“The gun isn't the enemy here. You've no reason to fear it if you treat it properly. Is it comfortable in your hands?”
Right now, none of me is comfortable, primarily where he's touching my back and arms. Compared to that, the gun is like a brush in my hand. I know better what to do with the gun than with him. “It's fine.”
“Are you sure? You're shaking.”
My breathing quickens. “There's not much I can do about it.”
“True. Go ahead and aim again.”
I point the gun at the hay stack. He lifts my arms a little higher. “Take a breath and hold it.”
When I do, his scent mixed with the smell of the gun-smoke fills me.
“Pull the hammer back and fire.”
It's easier to pull the hammer back. I shoot. The spell shows the bullet plummets just short of the hay stack.
Zade moves away from me, leaving me cold even though the day's warm. “Good job. You're getting better.”
We practice for a while, though he doesn't put his arms around me again. I wish he would, but it's easier to concentrate without them. I've managed to hit the stack a few times when he says we're done for the day.
He hands me a box of bullets. “Keep these somewhere safe.”
I nod.
“You can come out and practice whenever you want. At least once a day. I'll help you when I can. Waverly can give you some tips, too. She's great with a gun.”
Of course she is. “I'll keep that in mind.”
“I'm going to stay out and practice. See you at dinner.”
“Until then.”
I head back for the house, the gun and box of bullets clunky in my hands. Before I turn the corner, I glance back at him. He casts a spell that looks like a bird and shoots at it. The bird wavers and falls apart. He must have hit it. Why does he bother shooting when he can just cast a spell?
I'm not sure, but I can still feel his arms around me. Comforting. Guiding. The metallic smell of my hands stays with me all day, reminding me of him and the threats lingering over him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The next week, I'm sitting in the garden reading Julia's journal. It's much easier than shooting like I've been practicing. It's fascinating to learn about her life. She's unlike any woman I've ever known before. The pain she writes about is as real as I've felt or seen my sisters and mother go through. But instead of her husband being the cause, she speaks of how he helps her through the pain. Then she moves on with her life. She sounds more like a man.
The bench creaks beside me. Zade. My heart quivers. I've been caught. I close the book as quietly as I can, hoping he doesn't notice it's not the Woman's Canon. I give him a small smile. What will happen if he catches me?