In Daisy’s spare time she and her group of friends ran a YouTube channel that tried to find evidence for the paranormal. It was popular from what she gathered, and she could understand why—Daisy was so intelligent and fun.

“You would love it really. You’ll need to come ghost hunting with us sometime. We got some strange noises on tape at the weekend.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Daisy picked up her phone and opened her YouTube app. “Look at our trailer for this week’s interview. This man works at the local hospital, and says he sells blood bags to vampires.”

Amelia nearly spat out her coffee. “Vampires? You mean—”

“The blood sucking kind that live forever? Yeah.” Daisy nodded as if it was a completely normal thing to say.

Amelia’s stomach flipped for some reason, and her hand went to her neck. “You believe in them?”

Daisy adjusted her thick-black-rimmed glasses, and said simply, “Uh-huh. I have an open mind. Do you never wonder where all these paranormal myths come from? Vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts—there has to be something in them.”

Amelia never really thought about it that way. She had been brought up in a strict Christian household, so anything paranormal, or pagan, was viewed as evil. “I suppose when you put it like that…My parents believed in witches, certainly—they were forever going on about covens of women meeting in the New Forest National Park, and all their evildoing. I always assumed they were just well-intentioned New Age people.”

Daisy became animated. “Oh no, they are definitely witches. Not evil, but witches. We filmed a show on the New Forest witches for my channel.”

“Good God, you learn something new every day.” Amelia couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling she had. “I’ll need to have a watch of some of your videos.”

“You should. Have you never seen something you just couldn’t explain?” Daisy said.

“No,” she said a little too quickly. “Never.”

Even as she said that, she saw herself standing in the alley in Monaco, watching Byron’s sister fighting like some kind of superhero, and the deep red hunger she had seen in Byron’s eyes.

“Well, I bet you would enjoy the subjects. I’ll email you the link. So? Did Wilder try her luck again this morning?”

Amelia sighed. “Yes, she’s so sweet and persistent. I hate letting her down every day, but I just can’t any more.”

Daisy covered her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It was half a year ago, wasn’t it?”

Amelia nodded. She hadn’t told anyone the details of what happened with Byron, not even her uncle Jaunty. All he and those closest to her knew was that Byron broke it off, and she was heartbroken.