Haru was so pleased that it took Jamie a moment to register what he was holding.

‘Are those … cat treats?’

This only seemed to amuse Haru, who gave Jamie a mischievous look. ‘They’re for the little beast you brought back with you from Tokyo,’ he said, tossing it at Jamie who caught it one-handed. ‘The cats at Takeshin always loved that brand.’

Jamie hardly had time to wonder if it was safe for Haru to know about Vampy when Haru read his mind.

‘Don’t worry – I will not tell anyone about your little beast,’ Haru assured him, before stepping round him and blocking the exit. ‘Where will you go when you are old enough to take your sabbatical?’

The question came flying out of the blue, and Jamie was sure he saw Haru’s smile curl a little at the edges, like the sly grin of a fox. Waving him off, Jamie moved to duck underneath him, but Haru didn’t budge.

‘I doubt I’ll ever take one and, quite frankly, I’m surprised you took one yourself. How does Sayuri feel about you leaving her?’ Jamie asked confidently. ‘And for you to pick Rosewood … Why would you want to spend your sabbatical here, another school?’

Haru didn’t even blink. ‘It’s part of the job that we are allowed to take a sabbatical. Or are you suggesting you don’t respect this rule?’

‘No,’ said Jamie, ‘I respect the rules, particularly the one where I make sure my master is secure at all times.’

‘And does your master feel secure knowing you feel that way?’

Haru’s words conjured up an electric cityscape in Jamie’s mind, with static in the air that hinted at a storm. No longer was Jamie in Dame Bolter’s orange-peel-scented room but on a rooftop in Tokyo, his nostrils filled with the smoke from celebratory fireworks. The Goat Man had asked him something similar that night, cornering him with questions they both knew the answer to. Not long after, he had found out that the Goat Man was no demon or mysterious stranger – he was Claude Wolfson.

‘It’s not the same for me.’ Jamie stopped short, surprised that the words had left his mouth at all, and, like a reward for his honesty, Haru finally moved.

Shuffling past his fellow Partizan, Jamie swiftly headed towards the building’s reception room where only a set of glass double doors separated them from the rest of the school.

‘You’re still a Partizan,’ Haru called after him. ‘You’re entitled to time –’

‘I owe the Maravish family for taking me in.’ Jamie stopped and turned to face Haru. He felt his shoulders sag, not realizing how tense he’d been. ‘And that’s why I can’t relax until I find out what Leviathan are planning and I can stop the man responsible for all this. I need to find where he’s hiding.’