Goldstein lit up. ‘My pleasure. I’m with this group who’ve come from London.’

She was interrupted by a boy of about ten who tugged impatiently at her sleeve. ‘I need to go to the toilet.’ He spoke in an oddly stilted manner and wouldn’t look her directly in the eye.

‘Of course.’ She beckoned another witch from the back of the pack who led the boy away.

‘He’s autistic,’ I said.

She smiled. ‘Yes, in this group they all are. We use magic to boost their development and help them make sense of the world. It’s a slow process but we’re seeing some real results. Yesterday, we had a great bunch of kids in who were all suffering from cancer. We haven’t found a way to beat their disease but we were able to show them the progress we’ve been making in the labs.’

I licked my lips. ‘Wow. That’s … that’s really good.’ The words sounded stupid. Talk about an understatement.

One of the younger children reached out and touched a rose stem, drawing back and howling when a thorn pierced his skin. Goldstein hurried over to him while I turned to Winter. ‘So that’s today’s lesson, is it? That the Order does a lot of good?’ I’d been dimly aware that there were projects like these but I’d never given them much thought.

‘You were only here as a Neophyte for a couple of months, Ivy. Your focus would have been on initiation and basic studies.’ A trace of a smile crossed his mouth. ‘Although I’m pretty certain you skipped the fitness components.’

‘Hey!’ I protested. ‘They were voluntary.’

‘Everything we’ve experienced so far – and everyone we’ve met – has suggested that the Order is big and bad and thoroughly inward-looking.’ His gaze grew more intense. ‘Yes, witches here are ambitious but they have good reason to be. It’s not all murder investigations and stolen objects. The people here aren’t all evil power seekers or downtrodden receptionists. You’ve seen the sordid side because that’s what the Arcane Branch is involved with.’ He shrugged. ‘That’s part of our job description. But you need to understand what we are fighting for. I know things turned sour for you all those years ago, and I know we’re probably not making much of a positive impression on you now, but I promise that most of what the Order achieves is for the betterment of everyone, regardless of whether they are witches or not.’

I met his eyes. ‘Why isn’t this kind of thing advertised more often? If more people knew what the Order was doing, they’d be more inclined to think well of you.’

‘Nothing is secret. Anyone can petition to find out what we’re up to. But good news doesn’t make headlines and, regardless of what you might think, we don’t like to boast.’

My gaze swept across the impressive space. ‘Why are you showing me this?’ I asked. ‘I think I’ve proved that I’ve invested. I’m taking the investigation seriously and not simply hanging onto your coat-tails.’