Chapter 16

Anna still played dumb, as though she hadn't heard any of his provocative words. She seemed fixated on the massive hunk of wood before her.

Lucian walked alongside her, trailing her slow pace. "Let's cut out the little heroic pretension." He pushed further. "You're never going to get anything done at this pace. At least admit it."

At that, Anna came to a rather abrupt halt, kneeling close to the seven-foot-long log, close to the fringe of frustration and exhaustion.

"Why'd you stop?" Lucian asked the teasing rhetorical question as Anna gave him a look of disdain. "Couldn't you at least try to do something to shut me up?"

There were no words, as there was an intent exchange of eye contact for a few moments.

"I thought as much." Lucian had a wry smile on his face. "You're just too weak, like the rest of your family."

Anna had had it up to that point. She'd been ticked off. A new source of energy seemed to well up from within her as she sprung to her feet with the clenched fist of h