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‘That only happened once! You’ll remember that on your deathbed, I dare say’

‘I probably will, if I live long enough to die on a bed which is distinctly less probable with you around And I know all about enjoying myself’

‘Yes, spending hours cleaning a broken piece of pottery Scintillating’

‘No, not that’

They’d reached the top of the hill and she barely stopped in ti into darkness There was so in his tone that told her he’d reached the end of his teely it made her want to smile He’d scared her a little these last couple of days—he’d been soee she’d remembered

In the darkness she could only rooves by hisat the tip of the little cliff with the substantial bulk of this dark, angry giant loo over her felt distinctly unwise

This is Edge, she reassured herself He won’t hurt you Not like that at least

But then what did she know? Eight years and losing one’s faed a person She knew that What she didn’t knoho he had become

‘Edge’

‘You think I’m as useless and dull as those broken pieces of pottery you used to make fun of, don’t you?’

‘No Edge, I didn’t mean’

‘Yes, you did Lord Hedgehog, Stay-Away-froled my name It is rather ironic that you were the one who saddled e only to then contort it into allI am’

‘Edge, no I only said such things because I was upset you never wanted ’

That was a little tooof his eyes, the tight line of his h her She’d learned nothing in eight years All her hard-earned poise was as fli she tried to ness

She didn’t end up in a heap at the bottom of the hill as she deserved Instead it orse He hauled her against his apart For a moht around her she could feel the hard pressure of his hipbone against her stos

‘Now you’ll say I told you so,’ she gasped

‘No, I’ll say you owe ain’

‘It wouldn’t have been so bad this tih’

His hands softened, sliding down her back, and she sank back froainst the inside of her thighs

‘Shall I let you go and see?’ His voice was lower, taunting She sed She was shaking and not with fear