Page 46 of Taste of Thorns

“Then why wasn’t she taken to the shadow weaver clinic?”

“Maybe she was,” Fly says. “There are some things even magic can’t fix.”

“It’s a load of bullshit. This whole system is. Esme shouldn’t have died.” Just like my sister. “There was no need for it. No reason. No justification.”

“Accidents happen,” Clare says.

“You sound like the Madame,” I snap, glaring at her.

“Briony,” Fly says softly, “this isn’t Clare’s fault.”

I take a deep inhale. “I know. I’m sorry, Clare. It’s just so …” I can’t finish my sentence. I don’t have the words to describe how wrong the entire situation feels.

“Esme was so sweet,” Clare says. “One of the nicest people from Granite. And she aced the last two trials. She was right at the top of the points board – just below the shadow weavers.”

The murmuring around me seems to fade away and the canteen all of a sudden feels unbearably hot.

“Top of the points board?”

“Yeah, right behind Linette Smyte. I’m not surprised. She aced everything back home in Granite too. Everyone knew she’d do really well at the academy.”

“You don’t say,” I murmur. “What a coincidence.”

“Coincidence?”

“Yes, coincidence. You don’t think it’s strange that the ordinary student with the most points is the one who ends up dead.”

My two friends both gape at me like I’m going mad.

“Accidents happen,” Fly repeats. “They can happen to anyone.”

I shake my head. “No, something doesn’t feel right about this.”

Just like my sister’s death, I can’t help feeling there’s something strange about Esme Jones’ as well.

Chapter Fourteen

Briony

I’m more cautious going out to visit Blaze that evening than I normally would be. I peer over my shoulder every few steps and my ears are primed for the slightest of noises. Finally, I reach the cover of the forest and spy Fox waiting for me, hidden among the trees.

If I hoped he’d greet me with one of his knee-buckling kisses, I’m sorely disappointed. He’s all business, nodding his head and setting off through the forest with me trailing along behind him.

“Could you slow down?” I whine, “I had circuits this afternoon and my thighs are already burning.”

“We don’t have a lot of time and I want to reach somewhere far away from the academy where we can’t be seen.” He peers down at me and grins. “Come on, keep up, Miss Storm.”

I send a string of curse words his way, calling him a few blue names I learned from my stepmom as he picks up his pace and I’m forced to jog alongside him.

“This is counterproductive. If I’m so worn out, I collapse into a heap, I doubt I’ll be able to summon this magic at all.”

“Nonsense, this is a good warm up,” he says, paying no attention to my complaining.

Before long, we’re joined by Blaze, who flaps alongside me, throwing evil looks Fox’s way and occasionally a bolt of fire – nothing that would do the professor any damage but enough to let him know in no unclear terms that they are definitely not friends.

Finally, we break through the trees into a clearing, the first slope of the hills of the Highlands climbing upward right in front of us, the other peaks looming beyond like sinister giants.

“Here,” Fox says, spinning around and flinging his cloak to the snowy ground. “This ought to do it.”