Satyendra wondered if he might be able to satisfy his hunger after all. It would make him stronger, able to get much further from the castle in one night. He checked over his shoulder to make sure nobody else was around. ‘It’s a secret.’

‘It is?’ The boy was clearly desperate to know but also a little cautious, having been fooled by Satyendra a few too many times in the past.

‘Yes. Would you like to see?’ Pik nodded and Satyendra beckoned him closer. ‘It’s not far from here. Follow me and I’ll show you, but you have to promise to keep this between us.’

‘I promise.’

Satyendra started walking again, he wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to do to Pik yet, but the excitement was building nonetheless. They went into the courtyard, weaving their way through the vines towards the far corner, probably the most intimate space in the whole castle, cocooned in a weave of plants, held in a box of stone, tucked away, forgotten.

His stash of clothes and tools was here. Waiting for him to collect. He just needed to deal with Pik and he could be away. He had to be careful though. If he made too much noise, it could raise the alarm.

A brief flicker of doubt passed through him. This is too risky. I should just make an excuse to get rid of him and go hungry.

But even as he thought that, he knew he wasn’t going to do it.

‘Is the secret here?’ asked Pik, and to Satyendra’s irritation, his gaze moved naturally to his hidden hiding place.

‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Let me show you.’

He moved a few old bricks and unwrapped his treasures. Pik came to crouch next to him. ‘These look like road-born things.’

‘They are.’

Pik looked from the collection of tools and supplies to Satyendra. ‘Are you going to run away?’

His fingers twitched at his sides. ‘What if I was?’ Whatever he was going to do to satisfy the hunger, it would be soon. The risk mattered less to him with each passing second.

‘I …’ Pik hesitated, as if he didn’t know himself. ‘I’d help you.’

‘What? You’d help me run away on the eve of Lord Rochant’s rebirth ceremony? I find that hard to believe. Isn’t it your duty to stop me?’

‘No. An Honoured Vessel has to sacrifice themselves willingly. That’s what they say.’

‘They say a lot of things.’

‘I don’t want to die,’ came the quiet reply. ‘I don’t see why you would.’

He looked into Pik’s eyes. Could the other boy be telling the truth? Had he misjudged him all this time? He’d assumed Pik’s scrutiny was born of jealousy or the desire to catch him out. What if he’d been turning away from the one person who might have been a friend?