"Which was why I expected to hate her," Torian said.
"What's wrong with Ms. Hawthorne?" I asked.
Aspen leaned closer and fake-whispered, "She's a Summer groupie."
"Really?"
"And now you know why I told her to shut it that day," Torian said. "I'm not actually an asshole, Rain."
"Kinda are," Keir said.
"You really are," Hawke agreed.
Torian just laughed. "Ok, maybe a little."
Aspen held up her fingers so close they were almost touching. "Very, very little. I think it's a requirement for baby brothers, though."
"Yes, but you're all missing the big picture," Torian told us. "Our courtiers are looking for the Hunt sign too. We have, what, five hundred spots left to go?"
"Closer to six," Hawke admitted. "Unless you have a way to narrow them down a bit?"
"That's what we've been working on in detention," Wilder said. "Hawke, you only get out of it because you're training with Rain and Keir."
"And having much more fun," Hawke assured him. "But we're going to find this thing, Aspen. It may take a bit, but none of us are going to stop looking until we have it."
She plucked a blossom off her tray and tossed it in her mouth. "I have about a week left on the Bursts. After that..."
"You will stay inside," Torian told her, "until this thing is found. The atrium is big enough."
"We can't grow mistletoe in there!" Aspen huffed.
"I won't let the Huntsman get his hands on you again."
Keir groaned. "And there went his good mood."
"Lasted for almost five minutes," Wilder said. "Might be a record."
"Fuck you both," Torian said around a laugh.
Jack just nodded. "Bitch! Bitch, bitch, bitch! Court-bitch!"
Around the table, my friends fell silent. All of them gaped at Jack with wide eyes and astonishment on their faces. I had to press my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.
"Oh. I forgot to mention, Jack has a new word."
"Bitch!" Jack said again, slinging his beak up and down.
"And," I said, "I'm pretty sure it was directed at you, Torian."
Jack nodded again.
Torian just glanced over, but it wasn't me his eyes fell on. It was Keir. A little smile took over, then he shrugged, turning his attention to his sister. "Guess I can handle that."
"You're not a bitch," Aspen assured him.
"Jack says I am."
"And the bird isn't always right!" Aspen laughed. "Tor, he's a bird!"
