Agapantha pulled Prue into the parlour. “Are you all right, Prue? Is Edwin all right?”

Prue smiled. “He’s fine.” She crossed her fingers tightly at her side. “And I am too.” She had so many mixed emotions: the weight of responsibility in pressing the button, the constant pain in her chest over Francis, relief that the stag-men were gone, worry for Edwin, and she didn’t even know where to start when she thought about Craftsman Primrose. He’d been a ghost all along. No wonder he felt so strongly about personifate rights. But she still had so many questions.

Lavender popped her head around the door. “I’m so glad you’re safe. You can update us on the details later, but Master Woolstenbury sent a note over asking if you would visit her at the factorium the moment you return.”

Prue glanced at Agapantha.

“It’ll be fine, I’m sure,” Agapantha said.

*

The factorium looked magnificent, as though frozen in time. It seemed like the previous evening hadn’t happened; the stag-men bodies had been removed, and a fresh layer of snow had reset time.

Prue looked around, but Edwin was nowhere to be seen, so she trudged through the snow to the factorium and went straight to Master Woolstenbury’s office. She took a long breath, then knocked.

“Come in.”

Prue opened the door and Master Woolstenbury was sitting at her desk waiting for her. She entered nervously.

“Take a seat, Prudence.”

Prue winced at hearing her true name.

“Yes, word has got back to me.” Master Woolstenbury raised an eyebrow.

Prue sat down. The leather on the seat creaked.

“Apprentice Snow-Moon informed Master White that your parents were quite safe and the last stag-man has been dealt with.”

Prue nodded, relief flooding through her that Edwin had returned safely.

“Good.”

There was an awkward silence as Master Woolstenbury observed her with steel eyes. A wood-pigeon cooed outside.

The knot in Prue’s stomach twisted.

“I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for the Guild, and for me.”

Prue frowned; she wasn’t expecting a thank you after all the rules she had broken.

“Things have become clear through the night – the Sovereign Chancellery guards caught up with Finblewick, who was waiting on the forest edge and was missed by the blast. He filled in the missing pieces.”

Prue sat forward.

“You understand that Governor Watson-Wentworth wants to keep the whole incident as quiet as possible. Such things would only be fuel for the ASL and RfP.”

Relief rapidly turned to disappointment. Could it be that Master Woolstenbury wasn’t going to tell her anything about Charles Primrose?

“But I feel that those in the Guild need a truthful overview, and you at least deserve the full details.”