Jem cleared his throat.

‘Everybody!’ He moved to a spot in the middle of the room and all eyes fell upon him. ‘I’d like you to meet our guest and newest member, Lily Knight.’ He gestured for Lily to join him and, limping towards the middle of the room, she felt several pairs of little eyes follow her. From her position by Jem’s side, she could see five children of varying ages. She didn’t know who exactly she had imagined she was about to meet, but a group of children definitely wasn’t on the top of her list of expectations. ‘Now, what do we say?’ he asked them, with the authority of a schoolmaster but the affection of a big brother.

‘Hello, Lily,’ the children chorused with robotic obedience. Lily glanced at each of them in turn, trying to figure out their ages. Two of them, who sat side by side on the largest sofa by the fire, looked about fifteen. Two others, who looked the same age as one another, were definitely under ten, although it was hard to pin exact ages on them. And the last, a watery-eyed boy, could’ve been sixteen or he could’ve been nine. His pursed, shy face was freckled and his wide eyes gave him an air of innocence.

‘Hello, how do you do?’ Lily asked, in what she hoped was her kindest voice. She smiled, trying not to show her anxiety, and then glanced at Jem who gave her an encouraging nod.

‘Take a seat, Lily, and I’ll introduce everyone. Like I said, it’s nothing formal. You’ll fit in just fine here.’

Lily sat, feeling awkward, on a rug by the fire. Jem wandered over to a table and collected teacups, saucers, and a couple of tins that she presumed held tea of some sort. He reached over and unhooked a cast-iron kettle that had been boiling above the fire and poured steaming water into several of the mismatched cups. He passed them around to each of the children, and then handed the largest one to Lily after he’d poured a thick amber liquid into it first. She was thankful for something to hold to keep her from picking at the skin around her fingers. ‘There’s some honey in that,’ he explained. ‘It should ease the pain in your throat a little.’ He then dropped down beside her on the rug, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees with the ease of a child.

‘Introductions!’ Jem clapped his hands together, enthusiasm glowing from his face. ‘I’ll start. I’m Jem Rafferty, I’m eighteen years old, and I don’t know where I’m from. This is my home now.’ He looked to his left, which Lily took as a sign that it was her turn.

‘I’m Lily, I’m also eighteen, and I’m from a little village a long way from here called Alder Vale. I’m in search of my best friend who has gone missing, and before that, I worked as an apothecary with my uncle.’ She gulped, and was glad when all of the eyes in the room moved on to the next person.