Deep down, she knew that Alice was her responsibility, but she still dreaded the idea of leaving her home, her forests, her life. She hadn’t even stopped to consider what she would do when, or if, she did find her friend. What if she didn’t want to come back?

What if it wasn’t safe? What if all the rumours were true…?

‘You know the answer to that yourself, love,’ her uncle said sympathetically. ‘I can’t go with you, we’d lose too much business, and if she has gone willingly then it isn’t wise to inform people that she has joined them. If she can be saved, we need to make sure you’ve got as many people as possible on your side when you both return.’ Lily nodded, understanding. ‘What I can do to help though is arm you with knowledge. I can share with you what I know about the Shadow Sect, and maybe you might be able to outsmart them. They will be counting on your generation being ignorant of their crimes.’

Lily grabbed her worn notebook and a pencil, poised to record anything and everything her uncle could share that might help her with this seemingly impossible task. If she was going to do this, she would do it logically, with notes and plans and schemes.

‘The Shadow Sect are a group that leave death and destruction in their wake. They target poor areas and vulnerable girls and young women, hoping that they can mould and shape any early signs of their potential.’

Lily interrupted, ‘But why? There must be a purpose, a … goal or end point that we aren’t aware of, surely?’

Alf shrugged. ‘Perhaps. Whatever it is, they’ve not brought it to our attention; we’ve only ever known of the murders and the kidnappings. If your friend Alice has gone to them willingly then you’d better hope that she shows signs of potential, because it will buy you more time to save her.’

‘But … why would they go to all of this effort just for Alice? No one else has disappeared around Alder Vale … have they?’ Lily felt panic-stricken: she was convinced that the Sect had recruited Alice by mistake.

‘Who knows, but either way I hope she’s thought this through, because it’s going to take you a while to track them,’ Alf explained, his heavy brows shielding his eyes.

‘How do you know all of this?’ Lily asked, for the first time realising that Alf had an awful lot of knowledge for a man who knew of the Sect ‘in passing’.

‘Hearsay, you know. People talk; they love nothing more than a good gossip over their morning tea. All you need is a good pair of ears and a trustworthy position in the community and you’d be surprised how much you can learn. The apothecary is the hub of all gossip, you should know that. There’s not a single thing that happens in this town that you and I don’t hear about.