Blue was desperate. As fast as he pulled one grown-up out of the way, another one filled the gap. They were ignoring him, intent on getting at their prey.

‘Help me!’ Blue roared, dragging another diseased body clear. And then he was aware of other kids running up the stairs behind him.

With the backup, Blue was able to batter his way to the heart of the pack where he managed to free some space around the boy. He knew instantly that he was too late, though. The kid was missing an eye and his throat had been torn out. They’d made a horrible mess of his stomach as well.

Blue cursed and started hammering the grown-ups, who were now turning their attention to him. He had to abandon the boy’s body and back away down the steps with the others from his team who’d come to help.

All the other kids were now congregating in the hall below. Blue turned and saw Jackson, the girl who’d been in charge.

‘Where’d Harry Potter come from?’ he called down to her.

‘Oh crap,’ said Jackson. ‘There was a group in the library. I’d forgotten all about them. God knows what’s happening in there.’

‘You need to take your lot and go get them,’ Blue shouted. ‘The rest of us will stay here and deal with these goons. Let’s get this done.’

With the help of the reinforcements, Maxie had managed to clear the grown-ups out of the whale room, and as she led her gang outside she found Achilleus lying on the floor with a worried-looking Paddy kneeling over him. She grunted with shock. It was as if a cold, dark hand had gripped her throat.

Not Achilleus …

She hadn’t always liked the boy – he was rude and a bully, a show-off, and he had a bad mouth on him – but he was the best fighter she’d ever seen, utterly fearless in battle and clever with it. To get this far without losing anyone only to have Akkie wind up dead was more than she could bear. Without Achilleus they were in big trouble.

And then she saw his chest rising and falling.

‘What happened?’ she said.

‘He just fainted,’ said Paddy. ‘Just like that. I think he’s all right, though.’

‘Thank God.’ Maxie sat down next to Achilleus and Paddy, leaning against the wall. Full of tiredness.

‘We better get him back to the others,’ said Big Mick, strolling over. ‘It looks like we got rid of all the grown-ups from round here, but we don’t know.’

‘One second,’ said Maxie. ‘Give me one second of quiet.’

‘Let’s hope this is the last of it,’ said Mick. ‘I’m whacked.’