"If you hit me that much, I'd tell everyone all of your secrets."
"Why're you always sticking up for Woods, Violet?"
"Because you never hold back…"
"That's how brothers are," said Zech, poking at the fire with a long stick. "Mine used to beat me all the time."
"How did you get them to stop?" asked Woods, a bit of desperation in his voice.
"Easy. I just beat them back!"
For some reason Alistar thought of the snake that had nearly eaten him in the days that followed his release from Crystellum. "You know, Woods. If you poke a predator, it'll probably attack you. Maybe think some things instead of saying them sometimes?"
Woods nodded along in thought, staring at the ground for a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Jaden's saving up to buy Lily a gift."
Alistar sighed as he watched Jaden chase the heavier boy for a few fleeting seconds before tackling him to the ground and packing snow into the inside of his coat.
