As I willed her to betray understanding, she turned up her empty hands. “How can I show nothing?”

“You can hide how you are the same way you’ve hidden other things, can’t you? Only you forgot to hide it from me.”

Julia strode to throw the door wide and stood by it, glaring at me as Roy demanded “What are you saying she hid? When could she even have?”

“I’ve already said, her back. Your shoulders aren’t quite what they should be, are they, Bella? Not entirely formed.”

“Is that how I am, Roy? What would you say?”

I thought this might be less an appeal than a concealed spell or a means of reviving the effects of one, especially since Roy said “I think you’re pretty perfect.”

“No need just to think,” I said. “You can touch them and find out. Nobody will mind.”

Julia made to protest but then aimed just her glare at me as Roy leaned across the stack of books about my aunt to stroke Bella’s left shoulder. When he reached further, the stack tottered, slipping awry. He drew his hand across both shoulders before straightening up. His face looked reluctant to admit an expression. “What is that, Bell? It wasn’t there last time.”

I saw Bella realise as I did that their visits to occult sites had heightened his perceptions. Perhaps she’d been able to block them until now, and her careless invitation had let them in. “I’m sorry if you find me wanting,” she said.

“Happy now, Patrick?” Julia said. “Do you think you’ve gone far enough?”

I feared I might not have, though Bella’s protest hadn’t been quite immediate enough to hide a hint of discomposure. “I don’t care. You’re still you,” Roy told her, but then the hand he’d reached out gestured as if desperate to grasp the air. “Only how did he know?”

“It was the last time you came to me, wasn’t it, Bella?” I saw no point in stopping short now. “Last night in my bedroom,” I said.

“Get out, Patrick,” Julia said. “Get out this minute.”

I watched Roy’s hand sink as though its fingers had grown leaden and slump on the topmost book. Bella widened her eyes to display their depths of innocence, but the charm failed to work. The increased sensitivity she’d conferred on Roy was working against her, and I could tell he sensed some of her falseness. “Yes, get out,” he said.

“Roy, you said you wouldn’t let your father turn you against me.”

“He hasn’t,” Roy said and gave her a feverish stare. “You have.”

“Roy, think of all we’ve done together. Think how close we’ve grown. Are you really going to believe him when—”

“It’s just I don’t believe you any more.”