“But I still don’t get it,” said Amber. “Okay, Jesper killed kids because he was old and weak and they were easy prey, but the Narrow Man is, like, this big supernatural bad guy. So why doesn’t Jesper tell him to go after some of the grown-ups?”

“Maybe because he wants the adults to share the blame,” Milo said. He ejected the magazine and checked it. “If they all agree that this is how it should be done, if this is the price they’re willing to pay for their precious Hell Night, then they shoulder the responsibility.” Satisfied, he slid the magazine back in, then flicked the safety on.

Amber waited until he was done before saying, “We haven’t had a chance to talk about what Jesper said.”

“That old bastard said a lot of things.”

“But he mentioned a Demon – Demoriel. You recognise the name?”

Milo shook his head. “I don’t, but Jesper sounds like he knows what he’s talking about, doesn’t he? Add in the car thing, and it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s this Demoriel who turned me into what I am today. Not that it changes anything. Now that I know his name, I’m not about to go knocking on his door to ask him some questions.”

“Okay,” she said. “Just checking.”

He smiled. “You really thought I was going to abandon you?”

“No,” she admitted. “But I thought I’d give you the opportunity.”

“Mighty kind of you, but you’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

“In that case, I have a plan.”

“I’m sorry?”

“A plan,” she said. “I have one.”

He frowned at her. “Is it any good?”

“I’m not sure.”

He leaned against the car and folded his arms. “Let’s hear it.”

“Well, I was thinking, what do we need to do? We need to get rid of the Hounds, right? We can’t do that alone.”

“Are you proposing teaming up with your parents?”

“What? God, no. No way in hell.”

“Good,” said Milo. “I don’t think that’d be a smart move.”

“Can I tell you my plan, please? Thank you. Here’s what I understand about Hell Night. It’s a blast of power, right? Or it’s a, it’s a needle full of adrenaline, and when it’s plunged into Naberius’s heart – like, metaphorically – his power explodes, and when it explodes it’s siphoned off to recharge the barrier. But it also bubbles up here in town and changes ordinary people into violent, murderous demons. That’s the side effect. That’s what Jesper didn’t expect. But he’s adapted, because that’s what he does. But the barrier is the main purpose. It gets recharged because it needs to get recharged. I woke up just now like this. Normal. No horns. You feel it, too, right? My skin isn’t itching anymore.”