Omen jabbed at the second button and Temper sprang out of his cell, his knee crashing into Immolation Joe’s chest. The convict reeled backwards and Temper slammed the door shut. It clicked and immediately the flames died in Joe’s hands.

“I’ll kill you!” Immolation Joe screamed, grasping for them between the bars. “I’ll kill you both!”

Temper ignored him, his eyes closed, savouring the magic that was flooding back into his system. Then he looked at Omen again and smiled, and held out his hand. “Nice going.”

They shook.

“Now, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Smiling awkwardly at Immolation Joe, Omen followed Temper to a set of metal stairs. They went down. Footsteps approached and they flattened themselves against the wall. A man walked by. Didn’t see them. When he was gone, they continued onwards, passing through a heavy door that stood open. Leaving the cellblocks behind them, they jogged to the gate at the far end of an unmanned security checkpoint. There were about a dozen stairs beyond it, concrete, and they climbed them and found themselves in a large chamber with a desk and huge doors – the way out.

Omen’s joy was somewhat diminished by the sight of Lethe standing there before them.

37

“I thought we had something,” Lethe said, strolling forward. “But the first chance you get to escape you just grab it with both hands, don’t you?”

“It’d never have worked between us,” Temper said, backing up and keeping Omen behind him. “I’m too clingy.”

Even though he couldn’t see Lethe’s eyes, Omen knew the man was looking at him.

“And this must be the spy from the school,” Lethe said. “Skulduggery Pleasant’s secret weapon. I confess, I haven’t a clue who you are, but I don’t think it matters. Your career has come to a sharp and sudden stop, little spy.”

“Really?” Temper asked. “You’re going to kill him? The kid doesn’t know anything. He doesn’t even know where he is right now. Let him go. I’ll take you on, I’ll give you a fight. But let him go, what do you say?”

“You’ll give me a fight if I allow it,” Lethe said, “which I won’t. The only reason we haven’t killed you already is that we haven’t got around to it. I’m going to rectify that in a moment. The little spy can either watch and then die, or get the dying over with now. Little spy, which do you choose?”

“I … um … I’ll watch Temper die first, please,” said Omen.

“Thanks, slick,” Temper murmured, then addressed Lethe. “May I suggest we hurry this along? My rescue team will be here shortly.”

“You mean to say it hasn’t arrived already?”