She closed her eyes and held out her hands as if she were drawing at a thread. In between her open palms appeared a golden structure, made up of three spheres. Each glowed with light, and each was attached to the other by a beautiful, intricate web. The spheres revolved gently; within the innermost sphere was a bright light, so bright that Tom could hardly look at it.

Tom felt as if he was looking at things beyond his comprehension. He wanted to know more, but as if in response to his unasked question, the Samdhya closed her hands together, and the structure vanished. A cloud scudded over the sun.

‘We have not much time – I cannot hold you here for long,’ she said.

‘So I must find an object – something enchanted – and it will lead me to the Captive.’

‘You have only a few days before we attack and I must make my sacrifice.’

She prepared to go.

‘Wait,’ said Tom. ‘Your name. What is your name?’

A smile passed over her lips. ‘I am called Tanenwod.’

‘Tanenwod. What does it mean?’

‘It means Raven in the Wood.’

She left. A brown hare, already far away. Feathers on the forest floor. A small animal skull, weathered and staring.

A few minutes later, Tom was back in his room, having reached it by the normal route, the flute in his hand, and Leana looking at him with surprise, her nose twitching and her ears pricked.

Raven in the Wood.

Ravenswood.

She was Margaret Ravenswood.

He ran to find the diary and leafed through it till he found what he was looking for. The day before her wedding. He looked again at the final entry.

He calls to me, on the wind. I hear him everywhere, when I wake, when I sleep.

I can stay here no longer.

There was one final phrase, written carefully, as if she had intended it to be read.

I am changed.

Chapter 14

Balance is harmony. A sphere is harmony. The spheres must balance.

— From the Sayings of the Samdhya, transcribed by Margaret Ravenswood

Three days before the Samdhya would attack the farm; three days before Tanenwod would be sacrificed for the sake of rescuing the Captive. And Tom had no further idea about where to go or what to do, other than that there was a beglamoured object in the house which would lead him to the Captive.

He had to find that object first, so that Tanenwod would not die. So that the house would not be invaded. So that all of them would live. He imagined a set of scales, and in the left-hand side was the suffering of the Captive, and in the right were his life, Kit’s life, Zita’s life, Tanenwod’s life.