‘And here’s the famous sister.’ May pulls away and moves over to Laney, leaving me to face Sam.

My guilt stops me from meeting most people’s eyes, but I try a hesitant nod, turning away before he can respond. I escape around the hospital bed, bringing the only chair in the room over so May can sit. She settles herself down and watches us both. Sam comes and stands beside her so I walk back around the bed. Now that Laney is safe I feel much more awkward around him. So weird.

‘Tace, didja tell ya sister all about your adventures?’

I look to Laney who answers for me.

‘She’s not speaking, A … Aunty?’

‘It’s not a question girl, it’s a fact, now that me and your sister have been and healed up old wounds between our mobs.’

I cock an eyebrow.

‘And you can cut out that sarcasm, Miss Muffet. Me and your grandfather will heal it together.’

I lower my eyebrow. I did have hope, just not a lot of confidence.

‘Not talkin ay?’ She eyes me closely. ‘And why not?’

I refuse to look at her, choosing instead to stare at my sister for help.

‘It’s what happened in the cave—’

I elbow her in the side, forcing her to stop.

‘Should I ask Sam to leave?’ May asks.

I hesitate but shake my head.

‘But we can’t talk about it.’

I nod.

‘Well, this is a really friggin annoyin way to talk!’

‘Tell me about it,’ Laney mutters.

I glare at her.

‘Ya not still worried by them things, ay bub?’ Aunty May asks, her hand coming up in the familiar claw clenching move.

I’m glad she doesn’t name them, even in broad daylight I can’t shake the feeling they are close.

‘It’s done now, girl. Finished.’ Her hand flicks out and across. ‘They got what they wanted. If we stay away, don’t break another rule, we should be just fine.’

It’s the ‘should’ that keeps me awake at night. No one knows anyone who’s escaped them so there is no real way of being sure. Pop and Mum had a big fight about it. She insisted he smoke out the house and he did it. But he grumbled the whole time about useless gestures.

Laney lies back on her pillows and falls into an ‘I’m sick and frail’ pose that is so obvious it’s see-through.

‘Sis, could ya get me a drink of water? I’m still so thirsty.’

I glare harder at her, but her dehydration worries me so I grab her water jug and go out into the hallway to fill it with the good cold filtered stuff. It doesn’t take long. As I turn, carefully balancing the water, I almost run straight into a broad chest. My eyes flick up and Sam and I stand there for a while, just looking.