Then Shireen walked in, her spell winking out as she came into the dim light of the chapel, and the tension went out of Rachel in a slump. “It’s you,” she said, and closed her eyes, her shield vanishing. “Thank God.”

“Hi, Rach,” Shireen said. She sounded tired and her clothes were rumpled and worn, but there was something different about her; she looked alert, more focused, as if she’d finally made a decision. Something about it looked familiar, and as I watched her my memory clicked; this was after I’d met her at the old flats, when we’d spoken for the last time. I’d been readying myself to face Tobruk. Shireen had gone back to the mansion. Now at last I was seeing what had happened after.

“Where have you been?” Rachel said, hurrying towards her. “There’s been so much happening, Richard and Tobruk and . . . Where were you?”

“I’m sorry,” Shireen said. “I had some things to think about.” She paused. “I found Alex.”

Rachel had been about to say something else but stopped. “You did?”

Shireen nodded.

“What did you do?”

“We talked.” Shireen looked away. “About a lot of things.”

“Why didn’t you bring him back? We could have—” Rachel shook her head. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter anymore. Listen. Richard’s going away. I don’t know where, some kind of other world, but he’s going to be gone soon. Really soon. And he’s going to pick his Chosen. It’s just like we guessed, he wants someone to take over after he’s gone, but he’s not going to pick anyone, he’s going to leave it all to us. And Tobruk . . . Tobruk’s gone crazy. You didn’t meet him, did you? No, you would have said.”

“Rach,” Shireen said.

“We have to do something. I’m serious, he’s finally gone off the deep end. I was talking to him and . . .” Rachel shivered. “It’s just the two of us now. Richard’s not going to step in anymore. We can get rid of Tobruk, but—”

“Rach,” Shireen said.

Rachel paused. “What?”

“I’m not going to be Richard’s Chosen.”

Rachel looked at Shireen in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not doing it anymore,” Shireen said. “I’m not staying on as Richard’s apprentice. I’m not living in this mansion and I’m not watching anyone else get killed. I’m out.”

There was a long silence. Rachel stared at Shireen. “Why?” she said at last.

Shireen nodded towards the archway behind Rachel. “Who’s in the dungeons right now?”

“Just that girl.”

“Her name’s Catherine,” Shireen said, and her eyes didn’t leave Rachel’s. “What’s going to happen to her when Richard leaves?”

Rachel looked away.

“Come on, Rach.”

“The ritual needs her as a component,” Rachel said defensively. “It might not kill her.”