He turned and made his way out, the still-scowling soldier at his heels. As they walked away, Hook-Nose stood where he was, staring at them. Then slowly, meaningfully, he drew a finger across his throat and walked out as well.

Father stared down at the table, shaking his head. His body seemed almost limp. His face was still ashen, and on it was a look Albert had never seen there before—a look of utter helplessness. For some reason, Albert felt a twinge of sadness, looking at that dejected, defeated face with those tired blue eyes, completely bereft of the twinkle he had grown accustomed to seeing in them.

‘Father,’ said June. ‘Father!’

‘All is lost,’ he whispered. ‘Theo is lost.’

‘We can—’

‘We cannot do anything. We are all prisoners in this room now, at least until Damon comes back, and there is no telling what will happen then. We cannot look for her now.’

‘Vail—’

‘Vail will do nothing. He does not understand how important Theo is, and indeed, I doubt he would be capable of understanding. He will not look for her, and without her, sooner or later, we are doomed. Sanctuary is doomed.’

‘Doomed?’ said Colby, looking more than a little perplexed. He wasn’t alone; Kieran and Joe were frowning as well. Albert knew how they felt. Father was shaken, more shaken than he had ever seen him, or anyone had, from the looks of it, but why? And who were the ‘they’ June had been talking about? Vail’s men?

Colby, having received no response from either Father or June, tried again. ‘So why are we all doomed without the girl? Because we need her to find the Code? Is that’s what worrying you, Father? The Code?’

‘No,’ said Albert suddenly. ‘Not the Code. It’s Cillian.’

They all turned to look at him.

‘It’s Cillian,’ he repeated. ‘It was when his name came up that Father got so upset. For some reason, Father, it bothers you a lot more that Cillian has Theo than when we thought the Seekers had her. Why? What is it about him?’

Father still said nothing.

‘See, that’s something I don’t get,’ said Joe suddenly. ‘My Pa used to talk about Cillian pretty often, and the Seekers pretty often, but never at the same time, you know? So what’s he want with the kid?’

‘Contract job,’ said Kieran. ‘’E’s a Renegade, after all. Anyway, not like yer Pa knew everythin’, right? Could be Renegade Seekers, too. Yer never know.’

‘Cillian is no Seeker,’ said Father.

‘And he’s not just a Renegade either, is he?’ said Albert.

They all turned to stare at him.

‘My Pa told me he was,’ said Joe.