‘You weren’t supposed to get hurt in the sewer,’ Weathers said. ‘That was for Diall. We got lucky when Price killed him for us.’ Lucky? Well, that was one way of discussing murder although it wouldn’t be my choice.

‘It would have been easier if you’d drowned though,’ Bethany mused, ‘Because then we wouldn’t have to do this.’

Uh oh. ‘Do what?’

Rebecca lifted up her hand, which still contained the herbal mixture. ‘This.’ She flung it at me.

I scrambled to put up a rune to protect myself but it was too late. All I could do was minimise the herbs’ effects. I choked. My chest felt tight and it was difficult to breathe. ‘What?’ I gasped. ‘Why?’

‘You’re not one of us,’ Rebecca sneered, her face looming towards mine. ‘Winter is a good guy. We need more witches like him and fewer witches like you, Diall and Price. You’re the lazy ones. We’re the ones who get things done.’

My hands clawed at my throat; it felt like my windpipe was closing up. What the hell was wrong with me? And why hadn’t Winter burst in yet?

‘The Order needs to be strong,’ Weathers intoned with the zeal of a true convert. ‘You’re weak.’

My knees buckled underneath me and my vision swam. This was not good, it was not good at all.

‘I’d watch your words,’ I heard Winter say suddenly from the door. I closed my eyes in relief. Thank goodness – though I still couldn’t breathe. ‘Ivy’s not weak. She is, however, remarkably reckless.’

And then all hell broke loose. Weathers leapt towards Winter and prepared to throw out a rune while Rebecca scrabbled for more herbs. I spluttered, able to make out little more than blurry shapes. My head was pounding and I was feeling distinctly nauseous. Something flew across the room but it was only when it smashed into the wall on the other side and fell down with a grunt that I realised it was Weathers. Winter sidestepped Rebecca’s batch of flying herbs and muttered his own incantation under his breath. At the same time he took out his own herbs and threw them at her.

Bethany let out a battle cry and launched herself at him. There was a pained shriek as he drew a rune and she dropped to the floor in mid-flight. I collapsed sideways. Good for Winter, a little voice said in my head.

‘You’re an idiot.’

I forced my eyes open. I could just make out Winter’s features. He hissed in irritation and reached into his pocket, taking out a small bag of herbs. He put the tiniest pinch under my nose and I gasped.

‘I can breathe.’ I started to cough. ‘Oh, thank goodness.’ I blinked rapidly and looked round the room. Weathers was still in the far corner, groaning loudly. Bethany and Rebecca were completely prone. I stared. ‘Did you bring down three witches?’ I asked, my voice thready and weak.

Winter sighed. ‘Yes.’

‘In about three seconds?’