Flashback ( PDFDrive )

session. And she could feel his mind flinch every time her throws
came terrifyingly close to disaster.
But Tarina had been saved each time by her amazing reflexes.
Sophie had never seen anyone who moved the way Tarina did—as if
her bones were made of rubber and could twist and bend and stretch
all kinds of impossible ways.
Even Bo’s jaw dropped during some of the most harrowing near
misses.
Sophie was also pretty sure that the times she’d managed to hit one
of the targets were only because Tarina had let her.
Her troll bodyguard was that good.
And Sophie suspected that was the point of Tarina’s rather daring
exercise.
She didn’t just want Sophie to trust her.
She wanted Sophie to be impressed.
As if the lesson had been designed to say, I trust you. You can trust
me. And here’s why you want to be on my side and have me on yours.
And if that was Tarina’s plan, it . . . kind of worked.
The idea of an alliance felt a whole lot more urgent now that Sophie
had a better understanding of the trolls’ capabilities.
If creatures that powerful felt they needed an ally among the elves,
something big must be happening. And—
Wait—you’re forming a secret alliance with the trolls? Fitz interrupted,
and Sophie’s heart screeched to a stop.
It’s okay, he promised. I’m not going to tell anybody. I know you forgot I
was listening—I even tried to tune you out. But I still caught a few details
and . . . wow.