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  I took a turn round the room, examining the door and walls, but they were pretty solid; even in my daemon form I wouldn’t be able to break down the door. Eventually, I sat down – and with nothing to do but sit and contemplate my fate, I had plenty of time to worry.

  Were my guards all right? When I’d left Kerfuffle, he’d been fighting off two Guardians – I really hoped he had given up as soon as I’d left, but knowing him, he wouldn’t have: he was far too feisty for his own good at times.

  Then there was Jamie: what was he doing? Was he in trouble because of Jinx or me? The thought that they could take his wings for helping us was too terrible for words; I had to force myself to stop thinking about it.

  The hours rolled on and sleep eluded me. It was cold and the floor was hard and I was wound up so tight I felt like something inside me was going to go ping. I tried not to think about Jinx and Persephone together, or to dwell on the scene that had played out as I’d left the room. It was an act, I told myself. It had to be an act. The thought that maybe it wasn’t made my heart ache.

  I counted the minutes and waited.

  A couple of times I heard movement out in the hallway: a weird shuffling sound, and soft moaning, and I hoped Amaliel wasn’t torturing Vaybian. I stood next to the door to listen, but it went quiet. Then I remembered the bokor; it was entirely possible he was residing in the cellars as well. That was more likely – I was certain Vaybian would never allow himself to moan, even if terribly tortured.

  I was sitting against the door and my eyes were finally beginning to droop shut when there was a scrabbling on the other side. My first thought was rats, as it sounded a bit like claws on wood – but it was coming from halfway up the door. Then the handle began to move up and down, first a couple of times, then in a more frantic rattle: someone was trying to get in. Had Vaybian escaped? I got to my feet.

  ‘Vaybian?’ I whispered.

  The rattling stopped abruptly and I pressed my ear right against the wood. I opened my mouth to whisper his name again when a weird crooning sound came from the other side. ‘Luuckkyy! Luuckkyy!’

  I froze, and my heart almost stopped as I remembered the strange hunchbacked figure stalking me through the woods. What was this thing? I felt myself change.

  ‘Luuckkyy!’ it cried again, and I sank to the floor, my back against the door. If the creature did try to break in, I had to be stronger than it – whatever it was, I was certain I didn’t want it anywhere near me. There was something rotten about it.

  After an age during which I hardly dared breathe, it rattled the door handle one more time, then with a pitiful moan, it took off along the corridor. I held my breath, listening hard as the dragging feet receded, and didn’t breathe again until I heard the door at the top of the stairs swing shut with a solid thump.

  *

  Dawn came with the sound of birdsong and a sliver of grey light seeping through the small slit of a window. Gradually the villa and the surrounding area began to come alive. The tinkling of bells and the bleating of sheep or goats in a field nearby would have, on any other day, made me smile. I could hear the cry of seagulls, which wasn’t much of a surprise as Naples sits on the western coast of Italy – and only five or six miles from Mount Vesuvius.

  I got up and started to pace. Where were they all? My guard, the Guardians—? Where was Jamie? If they didn’t get here in time, millions of people could die, maybe even the entire population of Naples and the other villages surrounding the volcano.

  In a moment of clarity it finally hit me: I couldn’t risk the lives of three million people in the hope that Jinx wouldn’t do Persephone and Amaliel’s bidding. I couldn’t risk even one innocent person. I had let my love for Jinx blind me.

  If Jamie and the Guardians didn’t get here in time I would have no choice. If it couldn’t be proven beyond all doubt that Jinx wasn’t under Persephone’s control, I would have to stop him.

  Twenty-Two

  When they came for me I was sitting with my back to the wall, facing the door. I’d been hoping it would be the two humans – I would have tried not to kill either of them, but they had a choice in what they were doing, and weighed against the lives of three million innocents, I think I could have lived with my choice.

  The two humans did come, but they were armed, and Joseph was with them. Jinx was not.

  ‘I would ask you if you slept well, but I’m pretty sure I’d know what the answer would be,’ Joseph said as he stepped into my prison. He gave me a friendly smile, reached inside his jacket and turned his back on me – and there were two short, sharp pops and the two humans crumpled to their knees, their shirts rapidly turning crimson.

  I pressed myself up against the wall. ‘What—? Why—? I—’

  Joseph turned back to me still smiling. ‘You want to stop this, don’t you?’

  ‘I—’

  He reached out his hand to me. ‘Come on, we haven’t much time.’ When I didn’t move he leaned forward and grabbed me by the arm. ‘Look, I’ll help you as much as I can, but let’s get this very clear right now, I’m not about to die for you, or any of the other poor bastards Persephone intends to annihilate. So if you want even half a chance of saving them, you have to move. Now!’

  If there was even a small possibility, I had to take it. I let Joseph lead me out of the room and we hurried along the corridor and up a flight of stairs at the back of the villa. He opened a door and poked his head out, then pulled me along after him.

  ‘Why are you helping me?’ I asked as we crossed a courtyard, me trotting to keep up with him.

  ‘I like it in the Overlands. I’ve got a good life here – I’m special to these people, someone to be feared, and in some cases, venerated.’

  ‘If you were a god you’d be even more special.’

  ‘That’s just it, I wouldn’t be; I’d be one of Persephone’s fucking minions.’ His lips twisted into a grimace. ‘We had a good thing going until her fucking whack-job of a father turned up. She was always borderline insane, but now she’s … well, she’s impossible.’

  We entered a small walled garden, the air scented with rich flowers, and I wished I had more time to appreciate it. I also wished it wasn’t up to me to save the world – I’d’ve loved to be sitting on the stone bench under the orange trees in the centre of the garden, breathing in the heady perfumes with not a care or worry. Instead, I had more cares and worries than any person should have to shoulder alone: three million of them, give or take.

  Outside the garden was a narrow dirt track bordered by olive groves on either side.

  ‘Where are you taking me?’

  ‘Not far now.’

  After a few yards he pulled me off the road and into the trees where a small, beaten-up red car was parked. One tyre was almost flat and the exhaust was tied up with string, barely missing the ground. ‘In just under an hour Persephone is going to take your Deathbringer by helicopter up to the top of Vesuvius. It’s still early, so it’s not yet packed with holiday makers. She’ll wait while he does whatever it is he needs to do to get the party started and then whisk him away before the damn thing blows. You need to get there first to stop him.’

  ‘Won’t she realise you helped me?’

  ‘I’ll tell her you shot the guards and put the gun to my head and made me go with you, but I managed to escape.’

  ‘Where did I get the gun from?’

  ‘You took us by surprise, attacking the first guard as he walked through the door and taking his gun.’ He pulled the gun out of his pocket and handed it to me. ‘It has four rounds left – use them wisely.’ He opened the car door.

  I looked at him and then the car. ‘You’re expecting me to drive that? It’s a wreck.’

  ‘If you don’t, approximately three million people will die. Want that on your conscience because you didn’t want to drive a fucking car?’

  He was right. Anyway what was I afraid of? Driving the damn car wasn’t likely to get me killed. Hanging around outside Villa Persephone p
robably would.

  ‘All right,’ I said, getting in. ‘Which way do I go?’

  ‘Drive to the end of the lane and turn left, then left again at the next turning. The track will lead you out onto a main road where you turn right. Keep following that road until you see the signs directing you up the mountain.’

  I grabbed the door handle and slammed the door shut. ‘Tell me something,’ I said, leaning out of the open window. ‘Do you really think she has enough control over him for this to happen?’

  He stared at me for a few seconds before answering quietly, ‘You didn’t see what they put him through.’ He looked away for a moment. ‘I know you think he won’t be able to go through with it – you hope that the daemon you love is still in there somewhere – but I’d be lying if I told you I thought that was true. He might try fighting her; he might even know what he’s doing and not want to do it, but when she gives him the order he won’t be able to help himself.’ He stepped back from the car. ‘If you really love him – if you truly love him – then I feel sorry for you, because this is just the beginning. If you don’t stop him today, next time it won’t be just a region she gets him to wipe out. Next time it’ll be a whole country.’

  And with that cheery news I turned on the ignition, put my foot on the accelerator and bumped my way out onto the lane. When I looked in my rear-view mirror I could see Joseph standing in the middle of the dusty lane, watching me drive away.

  Before I went to the Underlands I’d always hated driving – even a short trip to the nearest shopping centre would end with my fingers set into rigid claws. This time was different; the only thing running through my mind was that I was on my way to kill one of the men I loved. I couldn’t even think about what would happen if I failed to stop him.

  Finding the main road was as easy as Joseph had said, and there were plenty of signposts directing me to Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio.

  Although it was early, there were already cars in front of me making their way through the hairpin bends on the twisty road to the top. One thing was for sure: Jinx and I were going to have an audience, whatever happened. I passed a couple of buses already disgorging their T-shirt and shorts-wearing passengers.

  As I drove, now passing souvenir stalls piled high with T-shirts and Monte Vesuvio memorabilia, I kept checking the clock on the dashboard. The minutes were speeding by and I was beginning to wonder whether I was going to make it in time, but just a few yards on, I came to a red-painted snackbar and shop and swung my car into the car park.

  I climbed out of the car and locked it – judging by the state of it, I doubted it would get stolen, but I didn’t really want to have to walk all the way down the mountain if the worst should happen. Then it occurred to me that if the worst did happen, I wouldn’t be walking anywhere.

  I followed the tourists to some wooden kiosks up ahead and then realised I had no money to pay for the parking, or get a ticket to the crater, where I assumed I needed to be, so I turned away and wandered back the way I’d come, trying to look nonchalant. I had no watch, so no way of telling the time without the clock in the car, but I couldn’t have long. I’d have to be a little creative. I noticed a couple of passers-by giving me odd looks as I strolled past them; I suspected I probably looked as guilty as sin. Then I saw a woman grab hold of her small daughter’s chubby little hand and pull her close to her side as she passed me and I realised that with everything else that was happening, I had clean forgotten I was still in my daemon guise.

  I slipped behind a car and changed – I needed to be inconspicuous if I were to get onto the mountain, and if nothing else, the Guardians might feel the power-surge and know I was here. I found the quietest place I could, hopped over the safety railings and made my way down to the crater’s edge. No one started shouting or asking what I was doing, so I just kept going until I joined the official pathway below.

  It was hot and it was dusty. Even through my biker boots the soles of my feet felt over-warm from the heat coming off the mountain. All over the place I could see wisps of vapour rising up out of the ground. Sadly, I didn’t think it would take much to get this baby going.

  Then I heard the sound of rotor blades and when I looked up into the perfect blue sky, shading my eyes with my hand, I could see in the distance a small black dot coming towards me.

  Showtime.

  As the helicopter got closer, people started stepping up to the rails to see it – although why they should have been interested in an approaching chopper when there was such a spectacular view in front of them, I had no idea. I wanted to shout at them to run for their lives, but I didn’t. It was too late for that now.

  The helicopter dropped out of view not far from where I was standing.

  I started to run towards that spot just as it reappeared over the crater’s edge. I looked up, straight into Persephone’s eyes, and she began to laugh. Amaliel was sitting beside her and I guessed he was laughing too. I choked back my anger and carried on running. I would kill Psycho Bitch if it was the last thing I ever did – but first I had to find Jinx.

  Had they dropped him just below the crater’s rim?

  I turned the corner, and there he was, climbing up over the railings and onto the path. I slowed to a trot and then to a walk, and as I felt my anger rippling outwards, I changed back into daemon form. The people on the path beyond Jinx followed him, eyes wide – then they saw me.

  One man put his arm around his wife’s shoulders; another woman crossed herself. They knew something bad was about to happen.

  I walked towards him, my hand delving into my pocket and resting on the gun. Would I use it? Could I use it? My heart was racing, adrenalin pumping through my body. I still wasn’t certain that I could.

  He walked towards me, his hair hanging over his face so I couldn’t see his expression, but when he was a few feet away he stopped and looked up. I wasn’t sure I liked what I saw. His forehead was creased into deep lines and his eyes glittered.

  ‘Why are you here?’ he asked.

  ‘I came to find you.’

  ‘You shouldn’t be in this place.’

  ‘Neither should you.’

  He grimaced and pressed his palm against his right temple.

  ‘Jinx,’ I said, holding out my hand to him, too late realising it was my right hand; the hand I needed to use the gun.

  He took a step towards me, then another. I looked up at the helicopter circling the mountain, but they were too far away for me to see their faces.

  Jinx reached out and touched my cheek. ‘I will remember your name,’ he said. ‘I know now that you are important to me.’

  ‘As you are to me.’

  He winced again. ‘The She-Devil,’ he whispered, his face contorted in pain, ‘she tortures me.’

  ‘Don’t let her make you do this.’ I reached up and ran my fingers down the side of his face.

  There was a sound like rock cracking and I heard gasps from people on the path. I glanced towards the crater. A large plume of steam spurted out of the rock.

  ‘How many?’

  ‘How many what?’

  ‘How many humans here?’

  I had to gulp back the sob I could feel building up in my throat. I had a very bad feeling I knew where his mind was going.

  There was another crack, and I could see something red oozing out of the crater’s centre.

  ‘How many?’ he asked again, still wincing.

  ‘Around three million,’ I told him.

  ‘So many?’

  I nodded. I had no words.

  There was a strong smell of burning rock and the temperature began to climb. Jinx’s eyes went to the crater where I could see liquid fire was gradually rising up from the bottom.

  Then a movement behind him drew my attention: three figures alighted on the path and he must have seen my expression for he spun around to face Jamie, Charles and Peter. Jamie was empty-handed, but both Charles and Peter held crossbows.

  ‘Jinx, let us help you.’ I rested my ha
nd on his shoulder.

  ‘Move away from him, Miss,’ Peter said.

  ‘No,’ I said and despite telling myself that if it came to it I would kill Jinx myself rather than let him cause the deaths of millions, I stepped in front of him, shielding him from the crossbows.

  ‘They will shoot through you if they have to,’ Jamie said, his expression full of anguish. ‘Please get out of the way.’

  ‘No,’ I told him. ‘Give me a chance.’

  ‘I have my duty. I am the Guardian.’

  ‘Guardian?’ I heard Jinx say and he grabbed hold of my arm and pushed me out of the way. ‘You are the Guardian?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jamie said, his shoulders going back and his chin tilting upwards.

  Jinx scowled at me. ‘He is your other lover?’

  ‘His name is Jamie, and he’s your friend,’ I said, stressing the word.

  ‘You love her?’ Jinx asked.

  ‘With all my heart.’

  Jinx gave a small nod and turned his back on Jamie and those two very dangerous-looking crossbows.

  Jinx cupped my face in his hands. ‘I think, if we had had time, you could have saved me,’ he said, ‘but we have no time.’ As if to prove his point there was a rushing sound and another spout of steam covered the rising lava with smoke, making the crater look like a pool of storm clouds.

  ‘Jinx?’

  His lips pressed against mine, softly, and then he pulled away. ‘I love you, my lucky, lucky lady.’ And then he vaulted over the fence and started running down the bank of the crater.

  ‘No,’ I screamed. ‘No!’ and would have bounded after him, but I was suddenly surrounded with feathers as Peter and Charles grappled with me, pulling me back. Then I saw Jamie running; he jumped the fence and took off, swooping down the crater after him.

  For a moment the smoke cleared and I saw Jinx turn back. ‘Lucinda!’ he cried, a triumphant smile on his face, ‘Your name is Lucinda!’ Then he spun around, ran and launched himself forward into the crater, arms outspread. For a moment, as he hung in the air, he looked very much like one of his ravens in flight.