“What? What? Has the tide gone out?”

“Um, not really.”

The failing torchlight shone on a slick of water washing over the lip of the cave from the addit.

“The spring tide,” Alicia whispered.

“Don’t be scared. If we go, we’ll go together. It’s just a journey, okay? We’ll all make it one day.”

“But I don’t want to die. Not yet. Oh, God I don’t want to die.”

“It’s just a journey.” She could feel his hand trembling. “Just another journey.”

The day it was time to leave

And finally, after all the months and years of wandering and danger, they were at the seashore, and their house was waiting for them. It was just as small and perfect and beautiful as they’d dreamed. There was the tiny boat that the brother would fish from, and there was the basket he’d take the fish to the marketplace in, and there was the little veranda where they would sit at night and look at the stars.

The brother laughed and said, We did it! We finally made it! And now I can look after you, the way I always promised.

But when he looked at his sister, she saw that she was crying.

What’s the matter? he asked her.

I can’t stay here with you, she said. I’ve got to travel on, to somewhere you can’t follow me.

Chapter Nineteen: Now, August

“I bet he’ll be late,” said Paul gloomily, neatening his cuffs as he stared at the arrivals board.

“He’s on a train. It’s hardly his fault if he is.”

“Course it will be. Remember that time he was messing with the Emergency Stop handle?”

Ava smiled.

“Or else he’ll be in the buffet car asking if cheese and onion crisps have real cheese in them because he’s allergic to cheese. Well, I’m glad you think it’s funny.”

“Oh, come on. The world’s more exciting with Finn in it.”

“You say exciting, I say slower and less efficient – look, are you sure you’re all right?”

“Of course I’m all right. I wish you’d stop asking. The only thing that’s wrong is you keep asking me if I’m all right.”

“You’ve been a bit strange recently.”

“I have not been a bit strange. You’ve been a bit strange. Asking me twenty times a day what’s wrong if I want to be in a different room to you for five minutes. It’s like being peeled.”

“Peeled.”

“Yes. Like an onion. Layer after layer until there’s nothing left.”

“Don’t say that. I don’t want to peel you.”

“Then stop asking me that all the time! Just talk for hours about nothing like you normally do and leave me in peace. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. Let’s not be that awful couple who have rows at train stations. You don’t want everyone staring at us.”

“You never care if people stare at us.”

“I didn’t say I care, I said you care.”

Paul frowned at the arrivals board. “You promise Finn’s going to be civilised this evening?”