‘Can I help you, love?’ the landlady asked. Her gaze flicked behind Lily, following something. A hooded man passed into Lily’s peripheral vision as he sauntered up to the bar and plonked himself down atop a barrel, waiting to be served. They met eyes briefly and she noticed a glinting, golden pendant hanging from his neck, visible beneath his hefty cloak – the same pendant that had been fastened around the neck of the golden man in Ardnaroch. This couldn’t be a coincidence. Something in his face made Lily feel queasy.

‘Yes please.’ Lily exhaled, turning to the landlady, concentrating on keeping her voice steady. ‘I’m looking for a room for the night, some food, and also I’d like to pay for the stable space I’ve used for my horse. Is that possible?’ The woman seemed trustworthy enough, or at least she was inviting and unintimidating.

‘Of course, dear. I’ll show you up to one of our best rooms and we can discuss everything up there. Shall we?’ She gestured to Lily to lead the way up the staircase on the left wall of the room. Once they ascended the stairs, the landlady led the way along a creaky corridor, opening a door at the end with a heavy iron key. With a firm flourish of her wrist, she gestured for Lily to walk inside.

‘Now then, have a seat, will you?’ Lily unfastened her sopping travelling cloak from around her neck and removed the heavy material from her shoulders, before perching on the edge of the bed, conscious that the rain had soaked through all of her layers. The landlady carefully closed the wooden door and then whirled around. ‘You’re being followed, did you know?’

‘What?’

‘That man, at the bar, he deliberately chose the spot next to you. I watched him seek you out before he committed to coming inside properly.’

Lily’s head was filled with hornets. She felt dizzy, panic rising in her throat. ‘I knew it. I was followed all the way here. He chased me, me and my horse, across the moors. It was…’ Lily’s voice caught in her throat. ‘It was horrible.’

‘Do you want to tell me why a young girl like you is travelling this far out, in the night, alone?’ The kindness had left her eyes, but she didn’t seem threatening – only concerned and suspicious. Perhaps the stories of the Shadow Sect had reached this area too, and she was simply checking that Lily wasn’t deceptively dangerous.

Lily frowned, unsure of how much to reveal. Before she had time to reply, however, the landlady shook her head and sat next to Lily on the bed. ‘I’m sorry, dear. Where are my manners? You’re here looking for sanctuary and I interrogate you. Let’s start again.’ She held out a hand, which Lily shook, gripping the hand tightly and demonstrating that she wasn’t weak or vulnerable (even if she felt it). ‘My name is Lorenna. This is my inn. I hardly have a right to judge you for being on your own when here I am, an old maid,’ she rolled her eyes, ‘with a business to run and a level of respect to maintain. I’ll have that man turned out, don’t worry. You do need to be careful though…’