Page 59 of His Greatest Treasure

“You want me to train him.”

“I want to know what he is.”

“He is—”

Madame Trevellian began to speak and it was as though I heard everyone in the room hold their breath. There wasn’t a sound. As she hesitated half-way through that sentence, she commanded the attention of every single person there.

Whatever she was about to say was important. It was what she had been brought here for, I was sure of it. Just that one sentence.

“— very polite.”

The energy in the room sagged.

That was not what she had been about to say.

Around me, the rest of my clan shuffled their feet and looked down, studying their shoes andtheir fingers, rather than look at the hag. Or maybe it was me they didn’t want to look at.

It was an odd feeling, to stand there with everyone’s attention on me. I usually hated being the centre of attention like that but, in this instance, I felt sorry for them.

Whatever was going on, it was upsetting all of them.

From the corner of my eye, I saw my bonds shimmer with light and realised that all of my bonds with my family were glowing brightly. They looked so strange, almost as though they were all growing. They looked harder, like streaks of gold, a bit like Glimmer’s bonds with everyone, which were like blades of steel. My bonds looked suddenly very protective.

More than anything, I wanted to get away and talk to Blaze. I wanted to tell him about my bonds and see what he had to say. He was so clever and he made me feel calm, which helped me to think things through properly.

I had to wait to be dismissed, though. Lord Somerville and Madame Trevellian talked a while longer, arranging that she should train me in the grand hall each morning.

“I will be here to observe,” said Lord Somerville.

“I need to be alone with the boy,” she said.

“That is out of the question.”

“Do you want me to work or not?”

“I will be here.”

That was the last word. Lord Somerville let some element of power into his voice that I’d never heard before, and even the hag didn’t argue with him. She smiled, and I nearly gagged at the sight.

I wasn’t looking forward to the morning.

Chapter 23

Blaze

Alfie didn’t come and see me for two days. I was so used to seeing him every day, often twice a day, that the sudden separation from him sent me flickering back into my flame form. I felt untethered in a way I hadn’t before.

I’d never had a family and I’d always had to rely on myself. It had been hard, yes, and I’d been afraid more often than not.

Yet I’d done it. I’d been sure I could survive.

Ihadsurvived. I’d stayed strong. I’d found this safe territory.

So why did I suddenly feel as though I were more alone than before? I missed Alfie. He’d wormed his way into my heart in a way I hadn’t expected. He’d grown more and more beautiful over the monthsI’d known him, and – I realised with a start – somewhere along the way, I’d stopped thinking about escaping from here. I’d stopped planning how I’d flee if I were seen. I’d stopped feeling afraid.

Now, looking back, I couldn’t even pinpoint the moment when I’d started to trust Alfie to protect me. Somehow, at some time, I’d just handed over the responsibility of keeping me safe to his young hands.

Weirdly, I didn’t regret it. I trusted him completely.

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