The MacQuarrie Chieftain cocked his head. ‘What do you—?’ He broke off mid-sentence, his eyes falling on something behind me. A heartbeat later I heard the engine. I closed my eyes briefly. Too late.

It was a stretch limousine. It glided towards us, halting next to where Morna lay. As the door opened, I raised my voice and spread out my arms. ‘Everyone get back.’ When they didn’t immediately do as I said, I repeated it louder.

Tipsania seemed frozen. Taylor, sensing her dismay, grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards the crowd of MacQuarries for safety. The pair of them had only just moved past me when Aifric emerged. ‘Try anything,’ he smiled at us, ‘Invisibility or Teleportation or goddamned flower arranging, and it’ll be the last thing you do.’

It was hardly the most inspirational of threats. Then again, when three burly guys stepped out after him, each holding a shit-scary machine gun, it didn’t need to be.

I watched them all. The Apportation trick had worked on Ramsay’s knife but I wasn’t sure how much magic it would take to work simultaneously on three guns and, with no practice, it was a dangerous manoeuvre. If it had just been me standing there, I would have tried it without thinking but there were fifty people at my back.

The last person to get out of the car was the Bull. His eyes landed immediately on Tipsania and he let out a choked cry, throwing out his arms as if to run towards her full of fatherly joy. He hadn’t realised that Morna was lying next to him, however, and his foot caught on her outstretched hand. If Aifric hadn’t grabbed him, he’d have gone flying. Tipsania snorted in disgust but I could feel her fear.

Aifric smiled at me, the very picture of dictatorial benevolence. ‘Integrity,’ he boomed. ‘I’m so thrilled that you’re still alive.’ The scariest thing was that I knew he was telling the truth.

‘If you want to call for Bob again,’ Taylor murmured, ‘now would be a really good time.’

If I could have been sure that Bob would hear me and appear in a flash I wouldn’t have hesitated but there were too many variables to consider. I told my thumping heart to quieten down. I wasn’t even close to waving my white flag – but I wasn’t going to rush into anything either.

‘I believed you, you know. The whole death shebang. It was very clever.’ Aifric smiled again. ‘Just not clever enough.’ He paused. ‘Tell me, does my son know you’re alive?’

I prayed that my expression wouldn’t give me away. If Aifric remained ignorant of Byron’s actions, it could only work to our favour. I supposed there was a certain irony: Byron wouldn’t believe that his father was evil and Aifric wouldn’t believe that his son could plot against him. All the same, I didn’t reply. I wasn’t ready yet.

‘What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?’ he grinned, trying to appear disarming. ‘Or are you still pretending to be a ghost? You know it took me some time to work out what my friend the Bull here was referring to when he kept going on about hauntings.’