Venture to Uncertainty (#1)

29 | The Temptation of Uncertainty

Her head snapped to him the moment he opened the door like some kind of deadly cat. "Out," she snapped. Her tone was sharp and her eyes were narrowed down to slits. Although she was standing, she'd taken the weight off her left leg to spare it the work.

Archer closed the door behind him. "Did you cut off some of Bardarian's finger?" he asked. His eyes drew to the blade she was spinning in her fingers—the Captain's blade.

"I'll do the same to you," she said, clearly not in the best of moods.

"I was invited, by you," Archer said.

She tilted her head a little, mind turning.

"You told me to come back when you're sober," he explained. "You're sober now, aren't you?"

She ran her tongue over her teeth, attempting to place their previous conversation.

"You remember that?" he prompted, walking to the side but not breaking her gaze.

"I remember."

"Excellent," he said. He sat down on the bed across from her. "I'm back."

She continued spinning the knife, nimble fingers catching and tossing the blade.

"What's rule number five?" he said, starting simple.

She walked around him with a demoralizing stare, and he was proud to stand his ground. He waited.

"Rule number five," she repeated.

"That's what I said. Well, it's what you said."

She ran her tongue over her teeth. "I said something about rule number five," she concluded.

"You said you can't seem to follow it."

"I didn't mean that."

"You mean everything you say."

She leaned against the wall in front of him. "Not when I'm covered in gallons of blood."

Archer pointed to her. "You only have a gallon of blood in you."

"Some of it was his."

He smiled, admiring her incredibly unique talent of sidetracking a conversation. "That doesn't mean you didn't mean what you said about rule number five," he said, refocusing them.

She spun the knife. "You just want me to have meant it."

Archer frowned at her, breathing out deeply. "I don't even know what it is."

"You have guesses."

He sighed again, leaning back on his hands. "You could just tell me. It might be faster."

She didn't answer.

"Fine," he said, searching his mind for the best way to put it. "I'm guessing rule number five has something to do with not getting close to people, because then they become a weakness for you. You broke it once with Bardarian, and now you're breaking it with me."

"You think yourself to be awfully important."

"No, apparently you think of me to be awfully important." He smiled, making sure to show off his very white teeth.

Her face was calm, but one of her nostrils flared just the tiniest bit. She was furious, and she was not enjoying this.

"I didn't forget the other thing, either," he added. "You kept talking about perfection."

She glanced at the door. Thanks to his clear mind and her weak state, he could actively process those little behaviours he might've missed before. By looking at the door, she was estimating the distance, wondering if she could get to it before him.