Page 25 of Taste of Thorns

“Just a bit of snow,” I point out.

Fly chatters his teeth together and rubs his hands up and down his arms. “I think I did a little better in the trial. There were people dressed in white coats, chasing me around with needles. But I never let them catch me.”

“It’s so weird,” Clare says. “I don’t get it at all.”

Clare is super smart. There is no way she isn’t going back to Granite Quarter where she came from. I’m surprised she hasn’t worked it out.

“Our greatest fears,” I tell them.

“Ahhh, right,” comprehension dawns across Fly’s face, “I really do hate needles – that was why I was running so fast. Do you think that means I got any points?”

I shrug. I have no idea how the points system works, except that I think it is most definitely rigged. The last two times I got no points, and this time maximum. It makes no sense.

“I don’t get it,” Clares says, blinking behind her glasses. “I never even got to face my greatest fear.”

“Yes, you did,” I say, smiling at her, “disappointing your parents.”

“Oh,” she says. “Oooooooh. I guess I never even realized that was my greatest fear.” She glances at Fly. “Yours is really needles?”

“Hey, I already disappointed my parents.” He pats her shoulder. “How about you, Briony? Was yours full of several handsome men chasing after you with arms full of flowers professing undying love to you?”

“No!” I say, narrowing my eyes at him and giving him the finger. “It was my stepmom. But I don’t think she is my greatest fear anymore. I’m certainly not afraid of her anymore. Which is weird because she used to terrify me.”

“That’s really great, Briony,” Clare says genuinely. “I guess I should try to stop worrying about what my parents think.”

“Definitely,” Fly tells her, “especially as you’re hanging about with disreputable characters like us.”

“I think they’d be impressed I’m hanging about with the Princes’ thrall. You, not so much,” Clare says without a hint of humor.

Fly looks a little hurt. Clare can be blunt sometimes without realizing it.

“Didyousee the points board?” I ask him.

“No, I came straight here this morning – despite not being wanted,” he adds sniffly. “I didn’t fancy being lost in an avalanche.”

“I do want you here,” Clare says. “You provide quite a lot of body heat.”

“At least I’m good for something.”

“I haven’t seen it either,” I say, fidgeting with the cover. “But I did just see Madame Bardin.” I pause.

“When you say saw her,” Fly leans forward, “do you mean, you spotted her in a window or hurtling along the path?”

“She was looking to grill me,” I glance from one friend to the other, “because I earned maximum points in that trial. I beat the shadow weavers. And she wanted to know how I did it.”

“Whaaaat?” Fly squeals leaping across the bed towards me.

“I beat the sh–”

“I heard you the first time, Cupcake. But how is that even possible?”

“What? You don’t trust in my natural talents and amazing abilities?”

“No,” he says flatly. “Unless all those big strong shadow weavers are actually big fat babies after all.”

“I think it’s way more complicated than that.”

“It always is,” Clare chimes in.