Page 48 of Storm of Shadows

“I’m not stripping,” I tell her, lifting my chin in defiance. “If Odessa’s so desperate to see me naked, she’ll have to try harder at wooing me first. You know, ask me out on a date, buy me some flowers.”

“Is that what you’re hoping the Princes are going to do, Slate scum?” Odessa asks, coming to stand next to her friend. She’s still naked and I notice her bush is just this neat line of curls and her ass is round like a watermelon. If I’m being fair, I can totally understand why she’s pissed that the Princes have chosen me and not her. It makes no sense. “Woo you?” She laughs. “That’s not how it works. You’re scum and they’re going to treat you like scum.”

“Yeah, but they’ll be treatingmeand notyou,” I say, unable to help the words from slipping out, even though I know better.

I’m rewarded with a fist to my face. My second beating of the day. And Fly said being picked out as the Princes’ thrall would keep me safe.

My nose cracks and pain ricochets through my face, tears flooding my eyes.

I blink, my vision multiplies, and I feel blood slide from the mess that is now my nose and drip down the front of my uniform.

“Strip!” Odessa’s friend growls, her fist hovering dangerously close to my face again.

“No!” I say, my voice coming out funny on account of my smashed-up nose.

“I don’t think you understand how things work,” Odessa says, placing her hand on her hip. “The Hardies are the second highest-ranking shadow weavers in the academy and I am their thrall which means I outrank everyone in this locker room. Including you. You have to do as I say.”

“But the Princes outrank the Hardies,” I say, hating myself for resorting to this, but wanting to emerge from this bathroom alive. Because I won’t be like Amelia. I will survive this. I will. “And I am their thrall.”

“Funny,” Odessa smirks, “I don’t see no collar. Do you Helene?”

“No,” her friend says, “I figure they’ve changed their minds about you, come to their senses.”

Odessa titters. “Probably, I mean look at her.” She runs her fingers through her wet hair.

“Maybe the Princes will end up claiming me too. Maybe they’ll share me with the Hardies and I will have twice as much fun.” Her eyes glaze over as if she’s picturing the scene in her mind.

“Errr, Odessa?” her friend says, jerking her out of her daydream. “You want me to strip her clothes off?”

Odessa’s lips curl again. “Ewwww, no. I won’t be able to eat my lunch if I see that thing naked. Come on,” she nudges her friend, “she’s learned her lesson.”

The giant friend smirks at me and I take my opportunity to dart away before she decides to smack me again.

I head for the bathroom, meeting another girl shuffling out of a cubicle as I duck in.

“Oh no, gosh!” the other girl cries out, hands dashing up to her mouth in alarm when she catches sight of my face. She’s small – smaller than me with big round glasses that amplify her auburn eyes and the freckles scattered across her face. “Are you okay?”

“Yes … actually no,” I say, grabbing a handful of tissue for my bloody nose and walking over to the mirror. It’s worse than I thought and I wasn’t expecting it to be pretty.

“Can I help?” she says, hovering around me.

I glance away from my reflection and towards her face. Is she serious? She looks genuine.

“I don’t know. Do you know how to fix a broken nose?” I say.

To my surprise, she nods. “Both my parents are doctors in Granite Quarter. You pick things up.”

“There are a lot of broken noses in Granite Quarter?” I ask. The Quarter is known for its scholars and academics. Unlike the other Quarters, I doubt there are many fist fights.

“You’d be surprised.”

I examine her as I dab at the blood. What are my choices here? Head back to the clinic, wait in line and miss lunch yet again. Or seek out Beaufort Lincoln and ask him to heal me with his magic.

Yep, I definitely won’t be doing that and as my stomach growls hungrily, I decide it’s worth the risk.

“Okay,” I say, “if you would fix it, I’d be grateful.”

“It will hurt,” she says with an apologetic grimace, “and it is going to be swollen and probably every color under the rainbow, but it will be straight.”