Mountain nights bring with them a special kind of blackness. Especially on the dawn side of the peak, the sun sets early and it gets dark fast. Without the glow of a city to interfere, it’s easy to mistake any time from late afternoon for that ink-dark pit between midnight and dawn. I woke in this darkness. At least I was wearing a robe this time.

Katherine and Juliette had left, but Marcelo still sat by the window, cast in the light of a lone lamp, reading something pinched from the library. He heard me move, put the book down and dragged his chair over. I hauled myself upright again, suppressing the urge to cough. I felt lighter, sort of floaty, but in much less pain than before. It must have been the pill. I was thankful to Juliette for scrounging a second dose out of Katherine’s tight purse.

‘Glad you’re all right,’ Marcelo half-grunted, in the way that older men often try to express emotion: by shooting out anything that could be construed as affection as fast as possible, like a sneeze.

‘I’ll survive,’ I said without looking at my hand, afraid it might change my answer. ‘Where’s everyone else?’

‘You sort of fainted – not sure if you remember – after you woke up the first time. It’s only been a blink. Katherine and that resort lady just stepped out to find some food for you.’

‘How’s Michael?’

Marcelo shrugged. ‘I was hoping you could tell me that. Crawford is still not letting me in.’

‘I’m surprised you didn’t bust in while he was out rescuing me. The Drying Room would have been unguarded that whole time – it’s only got the slide bolt on the outside.’

‘Wish I’d thought of that at the time.’ Marcelo’s tongue darted out from the side of his mouth. It was hard to pinpoint if it was a tell or if he just had dry lips. The air up here did that quickly. I suddenly realised I was parched, my throat scratchy. I hacked a cough, and Marcelo got up and went into the bathroom, calling back, ‘Besides, we were all a bit tied up with that stunt you pulled down at the lake. Should have charged the other guests for the show – I think you had every set of eyes on you.’ He retook his seat, handed me a glass of water. ‘You’re right, actually. It would have been the perfect opportunity to sneak in and see Michael.’

I drained the glass in a long pull but was still parched when I finished it. Drowning’s funny like that. At least I could talk. ‘So, are you my bedside guardian, or are you just making sure you’re the first person I talked to when I woke up?’