SKYE MATHERS

SKYE MATHERS Skye is introduced through her relationship with Sela, but she doesn't want to be introduced only as Sela's daughter. When her mother starts speaking for her in front of the new students, Skye interrupts and introduces herself. Her opening fight also shows a gap between ability and judgment. She has power and wants to use it on her own terms. Sela is trying to teach her restraint and attention, which are harder to demonstrate than simply knocking an opponent down. Then the story puts her at dinner with people her own age, and the confidence looks very different. Wulf and Hailey are absorbed in each other. Violet is on her phone. Skye worries that approaching them will make her look pathetic, so she withdraws despite having wanted their arrival. That combination gives her a recognizable starting point. Being capable in a fight doesn't mean knowing how to join a conversation. She can have a loving mother and still feel misunderstood. The quieter moment when she encounters Ali among the books gives her a possible connection with someone who isn't dominating the room.