Nevernight. Jay Kristoff

though his hand was also up his sleeve. She relaxed a touch, allowed herself a smile too. Bad as she was at making them, at least she had one friend within these walls.

      ‘Come on,’ the boy said. ‘We going to evemeal or not?’

      Mia looked after the retreating Jessamine. Glanced around at the other acolytes. The reality of where she was sank home deeper. A school of killers. Surrounded by novices or masters in the art of murder. She was here. This was it.

       Time to get to work.

      ‘Evemeal sounds good,’ she nodded. ‘I can’t think of a better place to start scouting.’

      ‘Scouting? For what?’

      ‘You’ve heard the saying the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?’

      ‘I always wondered about that,’ Tric frowned. ‘Ribcage seems much quicker to me.’

      ‘True enough. But still, you can learn a lot about animals. Watching them eat.’

      ‘… You’re a little frightening sometimes, Pale Daughter.’

      She gave him a wry smile. ‘Only a little?’

      ‘Well, most times, you’re just plain terrifying.’

      ‘Come on,’ she said, slapping his arm. ‘I’ll buy you a drink.’