"Some things never change." They hadn't even got going yet, and already Bryony was forgetting the half-dozen subtle little barbs her mother and Shauna had spent the weekend laying for her. Her hair and her clothes and her weight mattered enormously to her family, but they didn't matter to Marcus - nor to Braith and Dean and Ophelia at the studio. She just needed reminding, sometimes.
Without answering, Bryony nudged her broom upwards and took off into the air, leaving Marcus behind with a rare laugh. In a serious contest there was no way she could outrace him - he was the better flyer, with the better broom - but with a head start she could enjoy trying. She waited until she was up above the topmost point of Flint Manor before she levelled off, pausing to enjoy the view. She had mixed memories of this place. For Marcus it hadn't been the happiest place to grow up, but for her anytime she'd been here she'd been to see him. Knowing Marcus would catch up if she reminisced for too long, she turned away from the house and sped up again.