“That’s the spirit.” He picked up Alice’s seat and went to carry it past Valkyrie, but she blocked his way, and looked over her shoulder at her parents.

“Can you give us a second?” she asked. “Please?”

Her mum frowned at her, concerned, but allowed Valkyrie’s dad to move her back a few steps.

Valkyrie turned back to Vex and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Doctor Nye had a warehouse,” she said. “You go in there, you’re dead. Living bodies die, but they’re still … aware. They can still move and think. Let me take Alice in. She’ll be dead, technically she’ll be dead, and you can take ownership of the Sceptre and then I take Alice back outside and she’ll be alive again. I don’t want to do it, I don’t want to expose Alice to that horrible, cold feeling, I don’t want her to experience that, but if it’ll make you let her go …”

“Nye’s warehouse was raided,” Vex answered softly. “All enchantments, such as they were, have been dismantled. It’s just an ordinary building now.”

“Then the coach,” said Valkyrie. “The coach the banshee calls, with the headless driver—”

“The Dullahan doesn’t do favours, Valkyrie. If he takes your sister, you’ll never get her back.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “Besides, as long as I have her, you’ll do exactly as I say. Because if you try anything, I’ll kill her without a second thought.”

He moved by her, exposing his back, leaving himself open and vulnerable, daring her to test his resolve.

But Valkyrie sagged, and simply followed Vex and her parents outside, where the crowd of black-veined people parted to reveal a sky-blue minivan.

“Behold our battle wagon,” Vex said as the side door slid open. There were two rows of seats, plus the two seats up front. Vex climbed into the very back, clicking Alice’s seat into place beside him. “Melissa,” he said, “you can sit in the middle there, and Desmond, you drive. Valkyrie can sit up front with you. She knows where we’re going. If anyone needs to pee before we leave, you better go now. We’ve got an hour’s drive ahead of us and we won’t be stopping.”

67

LIGHTNING

hey drove to Roarhaven.

Valkyrie was all out of leaves and the pain from her broken hand was making her sweat. She wiped her forehead and looked back. In the rear of the minivan, Vex sat with his head down. It was too dark to see his eyes, but his breathing was regular. She was sure he was sleeping. Even so, she didn’t make a move. She’d been around the Dead Men enough by now to know that they never sank into deep sleep. If she tried anything, he’d be wide awake, fully alert and back in control in an instant.