‘No, you won’t,’ Shane said, ‘since I’m the logical choice to be doing the scouting. Not afraid of the dark, able to shoot pretty much any kind of weapon, can punch a vampire in the face, have training in scoping out the enemy … and also, I have a pulse, which means I’m not really valuable to the bad guys like one of you might be. So I’ll go.’

Eve held up a hand. ‘You forgot the downsides. Can’t see in the dark, aren’t as bullet-resistant as a vampire, can’t punch as hard—’

‘Hey, I thought you were on my side!’

Eve shrugged. ‘I’d rather you not die.’ She looked down at Michael again, and the implication felt like a dagger in Claire’s guts. She hadn’t, after all, objected to Claire’s going. Michael stirred a little, and made a soft, protesting sound, and Eve hugged him tighter. ‘Hush, honey, it’s okay, it’s okay, nobody’s going to die. You’re all right.’

It broke Claire’s heart to see that. It was her fault, and Eve was right to be angry … Claire hated herself for bringing this whole situation together. She wished she’d never even thought of the stupid damned device.

But it works, the cold science-y part of her brain noted. He’s out of the fight. What if you had it, and pointed it at a vampire attacking you? Any gun can be used in a wrong way, but if you use it the right way it saves lives …

She didn’t want to hear it, not while she was staring down the barrel of the consequences.

‘I want to go,’ Claire said. ‘Please.’ She must have sounded as wretched as she felt. ‘I need to go.’

They both looked at Oliver, who was definitely the one in charge just now; he’d been a general long ago, and he still had the ruthless clarity of one. ‘Shane goes,’ he said. ‘He’s expendable, in the great scheme of things, and presents less of a temptation to our enemies.’

‘Expendable was not the word I was looking to hear to boost my morale, but whatever. Good call.’ Shane was already moving to pick up weapons, including a knife that Myrnin silently produced from within his battered waistcoat and handed over.

‘Wait,’ Oliver said. ‘I’ve not finished. Claire also should go.’

‘Wait a second—’ Shane said, but it was Claire’s turn to nod. She moved in and snagged the knife from Myrnin. ‘Look, if they want anybody, they’d want Claire. She can tell them all about how the device works, right? Doesn’t make any sense to send her in there! I don’t agree about the expendable thing, but at least I don’t have a lot in my brains for them to pick over.’