Page 106 of Storm of Shadows
“Then you know what I can do!” Her eyes flicker with menace and she shoots her hand up into the sky, lightning racing from her fingertips and towards the clouds.
“Briony!” Fly shouts out.
But it’s too late, Henrietta’s lightning strikes the flimsy kite high above us and it bursts into flames, electricity shoots down the string and straight into my arm.
I don’t even have time to scream. I’m tossed across the grass, and the lights flick out.
Chapter Forty-Six
Briony
I blink open my eyes and stare up into the concerned faces of Fly and Clare.
“Oh Briony, thank the stars,” Clare says, rocking back onto her behind.
“Wh-wh-what happened?” I murmur. My ears are ringing and my tongue moves like a lead weight in my very dry mouth.
“You don’t remember?” Fly says.
A bruise is forming on his right cheekbone and when I peer at Clare, I see she has blood trickling out of her nostrils.
“Last I remember we were flying a kite. But it looks like we were in a fight.”
“Yeah,” Fly says, helping me to roll up and sit. The motion makes me woozy but I’m more concerned about my friends. I can take a beating. Something tells me with two brothers, Fly has encountered more than his fair share too. But Clare? “Henrietta Smyte threw a bit of a hissy fit.”
“What happened?” I say, pulling a tissue out of my pocket and passing it to Clare to dab at her nose. “Is it broken?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “It looks more dramatic than it is. I always get a nosebleed in an emergency.”
My brow wrinkles with confusion.
“We thought you were dead,” Fly clarifies. “You got electrocuted by a kite and flew halfway across the moorland. That’s how many times now, Cupcake?” The side of his mouth twitches.
“Near-death experiences? I lost count long ago.” I reach out and touch the bruise on his cheek. “Did Henrietta do that too?”
“Yeah, I called her a bitch for zapping you with her magic.”
“It was really badass,” Clare adds.
“Yeah, until she struck me with her magic as well. I thought I was going to be fried toast.”
“She did look like she wanted to kill us all,” Clare says, shuddering which makes more blood run from her nose.
“If it hadn't been for that show of magic from the other side of the campus, she may have. I think the shadow weavers are out playing again. She obviously decided it looked more fun than torturing us.”
“I think she may be insane,” Clare whispers. “They say her mother is.”
“I’m pretty certain all shadow weavers are,” I growl.
“Are you going to tell Thorne about this?” Fly asks, pulling me up onto my feet.
“Nope,” I say, peering down at my body. My clothes are black and scorched with soot. Terrific. After all of my things were shredded, Clare donated some bits and pieces to me, but it’s not like I have a lot of clothes to spare.
“I think you should tell Thorne,” Clare says. “He’d put an end to stuff like this.”
“And by stuff we mean, attempted murder,” Fly says.
Clare adjusts her now wonky glasses and nods. “Or you could tell one of the teachers. Students – including shadow weavers – are not allowed to do stuff like this. You’ve read the rules.”
