***

We made land shortly before dawn, pulling the small lifeboat onto a chilly, deserted beach before clambering over the dunes and jogging towards the Veil. I wasn’t certain about our location but, when I saw the dark, lightning-filled wall of cloud looming ahead of us, I knew that my calculations had brought us close. From the expressions on my companions’ faces, however, our proximity wasn’t a cause for celebration. Each of them had good reason to be nervous.

‘I never thought I’d say this, Uh Integrity,’ Bob quavered, ‘but I’d quite like a joke right about now.’ He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. ‘It’s not that I’m scared for me, you understand. It’s you lot who will suffer. You need your minds taken off the horror that’s about to come.’

May might not have understood Bob’s words but she understood his tone of voice. She gave him a huge grin and stuck her thumbs up. He tutted.

‘We should hold hands,’ I said decisively.

Fergus raised his eyebrows. ‘Are you looking to get close to me? Because I think I’m kind of spoken for.’

‘Ha! No, but when I crossed with Angus he almost got lost in the Veil. It’s safer if we hang on to each other.’

Byron’s jaw tightened. ‘I need to know. Are…?’

‘No.’ I touched his shoulder. ‘We’re just friends. I promise.’

He scanned my face then nodded. ‘Okay.’

‘That’s it?’

‘Trust works both ways.’

I patted my bag then Byron took my hand and squeezed. On my other side, I grabbed Fergus’s hand while he took May’s.

Bob squeaked, ‘Byron? Can I hide under your kilt?’

Byron pointed downwards. ‘Sporran.’

The genie’s face was suddenly wreathed in smiles. He darted down towards the traditional leather purse and zoomed inside.

I took a deep breath. ‘Let’s do this. There’s a prophecy that needs fulfilling.’

Byron grimaced. ‘You know this could all be over in a matter of seconds. They’re likely to slaughter you as soon as they catch sight of you.’

‘Not if we play our cards right.’ I had to believe that; there simply wasn’t any other choice. ‘Remember what I told you.’ They all nodded. I licked my lips, wishing they weren’t quite so dry. ‘And on a count of three. One … two … three.’

Linked together, we stepped forward and plunged inside. Bob shrieked from the depths of Byron’s sporran. I’d never had the comfort of so many others around me on previous occasions when I’d crossed over. Perhaps it was that, or perhaps it was the familiarity of the choking clouds and sense of impending doom, but I didn’t feel scared. Adrenaline shot through me but there was also a pervasive feeling of calm, as if everything up until now had been leading to this point.

I held my breath and kept going, yanking on Fergus’s hand when he started to falter. Then, when it seemed as if we could go no further, we were out the other side and breathing in the dark, dank air of the Lowlands. And there was indeed an entire army of Fomori demons facing us.