‘It’s plain oak, no bigger than a jewellery box, with a lock at the front,’ Jamie relayed, finally opening the door, and the two of them walked out together. ‘He keeps it in the drawer Dame Bolter gave him in her office.’

Lottie smiled up at him, determined not to let anything slip. ‘Sounds very annoying. But it also sounds like you two might be becoming friends,’ she added, testing the water.

‘Maybe,’ Jamie replied, and Lottie’s blood went cold. ‘If he’d stop being such an insufferable tease.’

They walked in relative silence the rest of the way back to the dorm, Lottie pondering everything Jamie had said. Excusing herself once they arrived, she headed to her room to change into some more comfortable clothes for dinner, trying not to dwell on the fact she’d hardly seen Ellie all day. She felt overwhelmed with information, everything floating around her head with no way of pinning it down. The only thing she knew for certain was that she had to get that box and see what was really inside.

With the box still on her mind, Lottie slipped on a sweater, but she paused on her way out, staring at the open bag on her bed.

Lottie grabbed it and pulled out the postcard from her father. Without a second thought she marched over to the bin and let it fall into the trash.

14

It was a Thursday in the first week of October when the weather started to turn. The air was no longer heavy with sweet pollen. Instead a fresh, earthy chill had taken its place. Soon the leaves would turn, the ground would harden and another year would be over.

Jamie had always thought his favourite time of year was winter, when the world was still, calm and orderly. It wasn’t until he’d started to spend more time away from the cold and desolate Maravish landscape that he’d begun to realize that, in fact, summer was his favourite season. He liked how unpredictable it was, the juxtaposition of the storms and heat, the way the days lasted forever, and how the citrine light spread into every dark spot with unstoppable resolve.

Why do you keep looking at me like that?

Jamie glanced up at the phantom sound of Lottie’s voice, his ears playing tricks, to see Raphael staring at him from across their table outdoors. Vampy sat to the side, greedily nibbling at one of the Japanese treats.

‘Jamie,’ Raphael repeated, rubbing the top of the cat’s head. ‘I said, why don’t you look it up? The Milton quote.’

‘Yes, of course,’ he replied, shaking his head clear. ‘One second.’