If he was collecting wood, then it looked like the decision to stay in the clearing for another night had been made. Or at least, he’d made the decision to stay there another night, while the others went back to London. Or tried to go back to London. Or, as she’d cruelly predicted, drown in the sea.

And what did that matter? She could do whatever she wanted: she could go in whichever direction she chose. The kid wasn’t going to stop her, not after what she’d said and done. No one was.

He slowed briefly when he saw her and then, by the way he carried on dragging the thick, dead branch over towards the fire, decided to ignore her. He passed in front of her, glancing briefly at her feet.

‘Where is everyone?’ she asked.

He kept on going, and if she was going to hear his answer, she had to follow him.

‘They’ve gone back to the door. Well, Stanislav hasn’t. He doesn’t think they’ll get it to open, but in case they do, he’s going to watch them from the shore.’

‘Your mate doesn’t say much, does he?’

‘No. Perhaps he doesn’t think he has to.’

Which was more than a little pointed, and she could feel herself rise to it. Then it was gone, like a fast car in the street.

‘What happens when they all come back?’

‘Those who want to, will go and see this geomancer. It just seemed stupid to split up now, especially after last night. We know we’re not alone here.’

‘The wolfman seemed friendly enough,’ she said.

Dalip dropped the wood, rubbed his hands free of bark and moss, and immediately started back to where he’d been foraging, again forcing her to go after him.

‘There were seven of us. You don’t know how friendly he would have been if he’d found any of us alone.’

‘That’s not you talking, is it?’

‘Stanislav’s right, though. We don’t know. Even if everything the wolfman told us was true, we still need to check with someone else to make sure.’

He spotted another fallen branch, and diverted towards it.

‘Do you think we can get back home?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. There’s stuff happening that just shouldn’t happen. You know …’ He wasn’t going to say it, so he bent down and started stripping the branch of its smaller twigs.

She said it instead. ‘Magic.’