‘I don’t need to steal. I’m highly respected here these days, Ivy. I’ve come a long way since then. Adeptus Exemptus Winter knows it. He knows that…’

‘Adeptus Exemptus Winter knows what?’

We both turned. Winter was standing there, holding a box and gazing at Tarquin with a hard question in his eyes.

Tarquin swallowed. ‘You know that Ivy will be able to start afresh. That she’s not the same person she was eight years ago and she can wipe the slate clean. It’s very good of you to give her a second chance.’

He just couldn’t help himself. He was so desperate to avoid his name being tarnished that he’d keep up his web of lies and deceit even though no one cared. Certainly not me. Frankly, he’d done me a favour all those years ago. If I’d not been blamed for his actions, I’d never have experienced how good it was to be truly free. I’d have been an Order zealot like the rest of them.

‘Hmm,’ Winter said. ‘Don’t you have errands to run for Adeptus Major Price? I’m sure you’re not here just for yourself.’

Relieved to be given the chance to escape, Tarquin nodded vigorously. ‘I do, Adeptus. I’d better get a move on. Thank you so much. I take my duties very seriously, as you know.’ He didn’t look at me as he said this last part but I knew it was a dig. Then he bowed and scurried away, like the weasel he was.

Winter and I watched him go. As soon as he was out of earshot, Winter glanced at me. ‘Do you want to tell me what that was really about?’

‘Nope.’

‘Hmm,’ he said again.

To stave off any further questions, I smiled brightly. ‘Is that for me?’ I pointed at the box in Winter’s hands.

‘What? Oh, yes.’ He handed it to me; I guessed I’d have to carry it after all. ‘This is everything you’ll need. Take time this evening to go through it carefully. We’ll start tomorrow at dawn in the gym.’

‘Dawn?’

Winter nodded impatiently.

‘Gym?’

He sighed. ‘Part of my job is to make sure you have the skills to do this job. When we are not undertaking missions, I will be training and mentoring you. Believe me, there are plenty of other things I’d rather be doing with my time.’

I didn’t care a jot about Winter’s time; it was the loss of my time that bothered me. What happened to following him around for a bit and throwing in a comment every so often? I didn’t like the sound of this at all. ‘I’m only here for a hundred days. There’s no point. If I were Eve, things would be different but I’m not, so I really think…’

‘Stop arguing. The Ipsissimus was very clear about his expectations. I’m not about to shirk my responsibilities, regardless of who you are. I have to prove to the Order that bindings like this are unnecessary for me because I’ll perform my duties as expected, despite the circumstances. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ His blue eyes darkened forbiddingly. ‘Don’t be late.’