I heard footsteps and Jesane gasped as she reached the top of the stairs.

“Get help,” I yelled. “We need more lace!”

The Haunt shook itself, and our binding rippled. Asan snarled. I tore my eyes off the creature for a moment, chancing a glance over my shoulder. Instead of running for backup, Jesane was stumbling down the stairs to assist us. Morwin shadowed her.

The Reverend wasn’t looking at the Haunt. She was looking, with concentration, at Asan.

It was instinct, more than anything else. I withdrew my lace from the binding and flung a protective net over Asan’s shoulders. Morwin’s power hit mine and tore through, but my ropes were enough to weaken the blow. Instead of crashing into the Haunt, Asan only staggered forward before she caught herself.

“Fuck!” she gasped.

Morwin made a small sound of surprise; she had not expected resistance. Her eyes darted toward me, and she recognised the shock on my face. In that instant, I think that she looked scared; she raised her hands like she wanted to deny her actions. Then her neck snapped sideways.

I recoiled. Reverend Morwin collapsed. Jesane’s eyes flew wide and her hands rose to her mouth.

Morwin’s head lolled at an impossible angle.

That was lace, I thought wildly. And it wasn’t mine or Jesane’s, it could not possibly have been Asan’s, which means …

“What’s going on?” Asan demanded. When no one answered, she made a sound of disgust and quickly glanced over her shoulder. She saw Morwin. “Oh shit.”

The Haunt pulled against the net, and its arm strained forward, grasping for Asan. It bared its grey needle teeth in a grin. Saliva dripped from its jaw.

“Saskia…” Rhyanon began. Her voice was faint and her skin bone-pale.

“Stay awake, Hayder.” Asan took another step backwards. She was almost beside me now. Perspiration shone on her forehead. “Olberos, get backup. Now.”

“Yes.” Jesane ripped her eyes away from Morwin’s corpse. The Haunt made a strange keening sound, and the noise appeared to snap her out of her daze. “Yes, Commander.”

“As fast as you can,” said Asan, although Jesane was already running up the stairs.

I shuddered. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? I could hear Jesane yelling for help, her voice echoing through the dark, empty rooms. I fumbled with my lace, panic and shock turning it slippery in my grasp. I could detect none of Rhyanon’s power now, and her eyes had drifted closed. It was just Asan and I.

The Haunt’s scent of decay was heavy in my mouth. I could taste it, dense and metallic, like ancient damp earth, like underground water. The creature still watched me.

“We aren’t going to last,” said Asan softly. “Not long enough.”

“Commander?”

“How much lace do you have left, Raughn?” She edged backwards, so that she stood beside me. “How long could you keep up the binding on your own?”

“I don’t … I don’t know…”

“Guess.”

“A minute? Probably less.”