‘What about Bell End and Alice?’ Ivy asked. A curl had fallen across her forehead and Winter itched to brush it away. He put his hands under table instead.

‘Who?’

‘Uh, Bellham. Matthew Bellham and Alice Fairclough. What’s happened to them?’

‘They’ve been released but they’re on probation.’ Ivy scowled. ‘They were acting under orders.’

She snorted indelicately. ‘That’s no defence.’ Privately, Winter agreed.

Ivy got clumsily up to her feet. Winter automatically stood too but she merely gave him a confused look. ‘I’m off to the ladies’ room,’ she declared. ‘I need a pee. Are you coming too?’

‘I was being a gentleman,’ he muttered. She didn’t hear him – she was already bustling through the crowd.

Winter sat down and picked up another glass without thinking. Iqbal smiled. ‘To the Order!’

‘To the Order.’ Winter gulped it down. He glanced behind him; there was no longer any sign of Ivy.

Iqbal leant across the table. ‘What are your intentions?’

Winter blinked back at him. ‘Excuse me?’

‘With Ivy,’ Iqbal said, a sudden sharp focus in his dark eyes. ‘She likes you a lot, you know, but she’s more vulnerable than she lets on.’

Winter’s skin was beginning to itch. ‘I like her too. She’s an extraordinarily talented witch. It’s a real shame she’s not in the Order.’

Iqbal watched him. ‘That wasn’t what I meant.’

Winter looked at him. Ivy hadn’t answered his question properly before. ‘Are you and her…’ he began.

‘No. But she’s a good friend.’ Iqbal turned as someone shouted his name from the other side of the room. ‘I should go. It was nice to meet you again, Adeptus Exemptus Winter. Be nice to Ivy.’ He walked off, just as the woman in question returned. Winter saw him lean his head down towards her ear and murmur something. Ivy’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink and Winter frowned.

She pushed her way back through the crowd to the table. ‘I’ve done my duty and sung my songs,’ she said. ‘And now I want to go home and sleep for three days.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘I think I deserve it.’

‘I think you do,’ he returned. ‘I’ll walk you out.’

It seemed far colder outside than it was when he’d arrived. The cool air hit him almost immediately and he realised that drinking on an empty stomach had affected him considerably. He wasn’t the only one: Ivy swayed alarmingly and banged into him. He just managed to shoot out his arms and hold her upright. ‘Be careful,’ he said gruffly. ‘You’re drunk.’

Ivy gave a peal of laughter. ‘So are you!’ She tugged at the spot on her arm where the binding had been placed. ‘We made a good team, you know. I’m almost sorry it’s all over.’

He folded his arms. ‘Almost?’

She didn’t hear him. ‘You’re a good guy, Adeptus Exemptus Raphael Winter.’ She peered at him. ‘And you really do have the most amazing blue eyes. They’re the colour of the Mediterranean on a sunny day.’ She leant in closer. ‘Or lapis lazuli.’ She pushed herself up on her tiptoes to get an even closer look. ‘You know, in Italy and Spain Prince Charming is known as the Blue Prince.’