Something had disturbed Lottie and Ellie during the meeting, that much was obvious. Lottie had appeared outside his bedroom door earlier than he’d expected, and he knew her well enough to spot the cloud of gloom looming over her, although there was something else too. She looked as though she were chewing over whatever had happened, trying to pick out some vital piece of information, and, strangest of all, she’d stared at him like he was part of the puzzle.

A thoughtful quiet followed them on the journey back to Rosewood after the two girls filled him in on Ingrid’s cryptic words, Ellie’s parents and their state of denial, and the news about the Flower Festival.

But the truth was there was more to Jamie’s desire for knowledge than the simple need to protect Ellie and Lottie. He wanted revenge.

Ever since he’d let Ingrid go, he’d been overcome by a bloodthirsty longing to find his real enemy: the person who’d caused so much trouble for Lottie. Thinking about how he’d found her in the woods, cut up and so changed from the sweet naive girl he’d met two years ago, his muscles rippled like vipers beneath his skin, eager to be used. He didn’t want petty little fights with pawns like Ingrid and Julius any more; he wanted to find the person who was really responsible, and make them pay.

‘Well.’ Ellie threw her hands in the air, disturbing the quiet they’d established on the final part of their journey to Rosewood.

‘Well what?’ he asked in a low voice, sneaking a peek in the rear-view mirror at Lottie, who was curled up half asleep on the back seat like a house cat. She looked so peaceful and small, a little ray of light in the dwindling evening sun.

‘Aren’t you curious about what Ingrid asked Lottie?’ Ellie tried to match his tone. ‘The one about why you’re a Partizan? Doesn’t that strike you as weird?’

Lottie stirred, her eyes opening so suddenly it was as if she’d been tuned in, waiting for this exact conversation to spring up, like some kind of Leviathan information radio tower. ‘Yeah, it’s strange, right?’ she said, no hint of sleepiness in her voice.

Part of him found it funny how she sat up so quickly, but mostly it made him sad to see her so consumed by the conversation, her moment of peace quickly over.

‘No, I don’t think it’s weird,’ he replied frankly. ‘Should I?’ His lips curved slightly and he was surprised how easy it was to make jokes with Lottie again, only she didn’t smile back. Her brow furrowed. ‘It’s the same question I’ve always heard,’ he added quickly. ‘People want to make me question whether I want to be a Partizan, and I can assure you both it’s not going to work.’