‘And as for the danger your mum was in years ago …’ says Vince, ‘well, you don’t need to worry about that, Tulsi, because you will not be going.’

From the big top comes Dad’s piercing whistle, Morse code for V, which is dot-dot-dot-dash.

‘Anyway.’ Vince turns to his mother. ‘I came to tell you that Dave will be asking you to leave later today.’

No! He can’t. I need her!

‘Don’t count on it,’ Sylvie says with a small smile. ‘I’ve been talking to Zanni and Claudie just now and I showed them a few tricks, and they love the idea of me doing an act.’

‘Is that so?’ says Vince. ‘Well, I’ll be having a word with them.’

‘Admit it, Vincent, you need me.’

Vince is silent for a few moments. Then he says, ‘No, I don’t need you now, but I needed you when I was boy. You disappeared and left Merry to look after me for days at a time. Where were you then?’

‘I had a plan, Vincent. A vision for something splendid.’

‘It didn’t turn out very splendidly, did it? You very nearly destroyed our circus and came close to killing Merry.’

What?

Vince turns to walk off, his shoulders slumped, but turns back. ‘I know you’re here for your own reasons, Sylvie. You’re here to get something.’ He looks at me. ‘She’s not a suitable person to teach you magic, Tulsi. And she’ll be sapping your energy. Watch out for it.’

Sapping my energy? Is that why I feel sick when Sylvie touches me – is that her sucking energy from me? I stare at Sylvie and wait for her to deny it.

She’s pale and thin-lipped. ‘Wait here,’ she says, and marches after Vince.

Around the back of the van, Kit grabs my arm. ‘Are you okay?’

I shake my head. An awful murkiness is swilling around in my belly.

‘Do you trust her?’ asks Kit.

‘I don’t know,’ I say. I need Sylvie and I actually kind of like her but I’m not sure I can trust her. My head hurts from trying to work out what Vince and Sylvie aren’t telling me. What could she have done to Mum that came close to killing her? Is it even safe for me to be around her?

Kit picks a leaf from my hair. ‘You know, Tuls, I’d do anything if there was a chance of getting my dad back. Anything. Even if it was dangerous. Even if my mum forbade me.’

‘I know.’ Me too.

Dad whistles for me again.