The evenings were drawing in earlier by the day, and the light already had a murky gloom to it as they entered the forest. They walked silently, eyes flitting in all directions, on their guard.

They were approaching the trap when they suddenly all froze, hearts thumping in their chests with both fear and elation: there was something in it!

“Is it another deer?” asked Edwin.

But Prue had already seen that the long leg sticking out of the net was not that of a deer. Her body slumped with a terrible realization. “Oh no,” she stammered.

The three of them stepped into the clearing and looked up.

They hadn’t caught an animal.

The net gently rotated. A human face pressed against it and slowly swung towards them. “What in all of Medlock is going on?” he rasped.

It was the unmistakable ashen face of Master Sollentude, ten feet from the ground.

“Oh dear,” Prue said breathlessly.

“Well, I guess we know why he didn’t show at the lab today,” Edwin whispered.

“Get. Me. Down … immediately!” he said, his voice furiously quiet.

They rushed to release the trap, with Prue stuttering instructions and pleading to do it as gently as possible. Even so, Master Sollentude landed with a bump.

He stared at them. “The Duval apprentices warned me about you three. Cora said you were up to something in the forest. I’ll be speaking to White and Primrose and you can expect severe repercussions.”

They gathered the trap netting, then were marched back through the thick ferns to the forest edge.

“Leave the equipment there for now and get back to the house, out of my sight,” said Master Sollentude. “You’ve not heard the last of this.”

The three made their way solemnly back to the transport hut.

“We should probably start packing,” Prue said gloomily.

“Do you think?” said Agapantha.

“Look, we don’t know,” said Edwin.

But their sagging shoulders and shuffled steps told each other that it wasn’t looking good.

Not another word passed between them as they rode the pneumerator, then they glumly made their way across the hall.

The bottom of the staircase was barred.

“Had a nice evening?” Cora had a smug, pinched expression which made Prue’s hands clench. She felt Edwin’s paw tap her as though to say don’t.

Prue barged past and stormed up to the bedroom and slammed the door. She was likely to be sent home and she’d barely got started on finding a way to Francis. Moments later, Agapantha gently opened the door.

“Frances, Lavender said there’s tea downstairs.”

“I don’t want any. Tell her I’m not hungry.”

Agapantha closed the door.