Page 137 of Taste of Thorns

“Nini,” he says, as the batter cooks. “Are you sure you want to go through with this plan? Because I will kill Bardin for you if you want.”

“You heard Fox, it’s too dangerous.”

“Fox doesn’t know the full extent of my powers,” he says darkly.

“And risk banishment?” I say. “Again?”

“I’d do it for you.”

“But I want you around, Grumps. Whether you like it or not.”

“I like it,” he says. “I like it a lot.”

He takes a hold of the frying-pan handle and tosses the pancake upwards. It spins 180 degrees and then lands flat back into the pan.

I clap my hands and he does a little bow that makes me giggle again.

Then he’s sliding the pancake onto a plate and starting the process all over again.

“Can I try?” I ask, pointing to the pancake.

“You really do have no patience.”

“I can’t help it!”

“You need to add syrup.” He points towards a tall bottle on the counter. “Go ahead.”

I drizzle the sweet-smelling syrup over the pancake, then tear a piece off and stuff it into my mouth, my fingertips sticky. It’s good, really good. I moan in appreciation.

Then I stand back and watch him cook me another.

It’s funny. I’ve known these men only a handful of months and already I’m finding it hard to imagine a life without them.

I wonder, is that the biggest danger of all?

Chapter Forty-Eight

Fox

Time seeps through my fingers like sand.

I can’t get a hold of it. I can’t make it stop.

It keeps right on flowing regardless, regardless of how much I want to hold it back, to slow it down, to grind it to a halt. Because the faster it flows, the closer it brings us to the next trial, and the nearer we veer, the more I can’t shake the sense that these sands of time will smash us apart.

Time keeps flowing through my fingers, passing by my eyes in a blur. And before I know it, I’m staring down the barrel at tomorrow.

Trial day.

I can’t stand it. I have to see her.

I should be leaving her alone. Tomorrow is the trial and the girl needs all the sleep she can get. But I’m worried about her, worried about this plan of hers, worried about the consequences if it all goes wrong and so right now, while I can, I want her in my arms.

Just one more time.

I wait for her in the shadows, stepping out and intercepting her on the path as she leaves the canteen that night.

“Fox!” she gasps, hand on her chest, eyes wide with shock. “What are you doing here?”