‘I was going to go out and intervene, but, and I hate to say it,’ Saskia said, running her hand through her thick blonde curls, ‘my Partizan instincts are telling me there’s no threat. I think they’re just having fun.’

Ellie said nothing. The only indication she’d even heard her was a small twitch in her jaw.

‘We can keep watch over them from here at least,’ Lottie offered, knowing if any of them intervened it would get them in trouble anyway.

‘If Haru isn’t presently trying to kidnap anyone, shall we get on with talking about what we’re going to do with him please?’ Anastacia demanded from her throne at the dressing table. ‘I have to get started on my Balthazar Conch tribute and I have absolutely no idea where to begin, not to mention Saskia’s being watched like a hawk by those miserable security guards. All this is causing me more anxiety than I care for and, if I’m not careful, it’s going to make my skin break out.’

Lottie and Ellie’s eyes met, and like opposing ends of a magnet they quickly flickered away again. There was a tight feeling in the air, everyone waiting to see how Ellie would react, but she was hardly moving, still staring daggers out of the window.

‘We need to make sure Haru and Jamie aren’t ever alone,’ Ellie said at last, and Lottie’s self-preservation burned up in a panicked blaze.

‘Maybe it’s a good thing,’ she spluttered, words tumbling out of her.

A voice in Lottie’s head immediately demanded to know what on earth she was even saying, which the looks on everyone’s faces seemed to mirror.

‘I mean,’ she continued, grappling for some sense, ‘maybe if we can control a small amount of time for Haru to interact with Jamie, we can ask Jamie what they talked about and try to gain some new information – maybe even figure out why they want him?’

Lottie felt like a complete traitor, each word burning her throat like poison, while her brain tried to reason with her that this was for everyone’s good – and might even save Jamie’s life.

‘Wouldn’t that be easier if Jamie was in on it too?’ Saskia countered, with Anastacia nodding along in agreement, and Lottie’s face went hot in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature.

‘Sayuri is counting on us,’ Ellie said. ‘Haru is her Partizan, and she wants to keep his involvement with Leviathan under wraps.’

The room was starting to feel very small, and Lottie squirmed with guilt.

‘I believe that was only because they were using him as an unwitting source to farm information,’ Anastacia said, and every word made the room shrink another inch. ‘That doesn’t apply now.’

‘Not to mention these are completely different circumstances. People are in danger,’ Saskia added.