‘We’re trying to protect everyone – and not just at Uluru,’ said Nina. ‘The Nephilim can now destroy entire cities.’

‘They won’t know where they are,’ Cheng said.

‘Zan will. He’s helping them. He realised the only way he could save himself from being executed as a traitor was to throw his lot in with the Nephilim – and from what I saw, he’s turned into Gadreel’s own Renfield.’ Blank looks. ‘Dracula’s lackey? No?’

‘I know who you meant, Mom,’ said Macy.

‘Thanks, honey.’

Hui finished her call. ‘Professor Wilde? The plane will be ready to leave in twenty minutes, although it will need to refuel on the way to Australia. I will try to get you anything you need.’

‘Thank you,’ said Nina.

Cheng spoke to his mother, drawing a look of surprise, then dismay from her. She shook her head as she replied.

‘What’s wrong?’ Eddie asked.

‘I want to come with you,’ Cheng announced. ‘Mom is . . . not happy.’

‘I don’t blame her!’ said Nina. ‘She only just got you back safely, and you want to go right back out and face the Nephilim again?’

‘I can help you! I know their language – not as well as Zan, but good enough. If I can talk to them, we might be able to stop all of this before anyone else gets hurt. And if there really is a Shangdi site there, I’ll be able to read any texts we find.’

Nina reluctantly nodded. ‘I’m afraid he has a point, Dr Hui. Being able to talk to Gadreel directly – and not through Zan – might be the only way to stop this from turning into all-out war.’

Hui looked stricken. ‘Cheng, it could be very dangerous. Are you sure?’

‘I have to do it,’ he told her. ‘A lot of this, it . . . it’s my fault. People have died. If I hadn’t told Professor Wilde about the key, they’d still be alive.’

‘It was our plan, not yours! If anyone is to blame, it is me,’ she said, shoulders slumping. ‘I should never have let you become involved.’

‘But I said yes. I made the decision to do it.’ Cheng put a gentle hand on her shoulder. ‘Mom, I have to set things right.’ A glance at Nina. ‘I broke all of Professor Wilde’s rules of archaeology. And,’ he added with forced levity, ‘you wouldn’t want her to give me a bad grade, would you?’

Hui smiled sadly. ‘Very well. But,’ she added, raising a finger in motherly warning, ‘keep yourself safe.’

He nodded. ‘I will, Mom. Don’t worry.’

‘Worrying about my child is my job.’

‘Ain’t that the truth,’ Nina said to Eddie.

He made an mm-hmm sound in response.

Hui hugged her son, then kissed him softly on the cheek. She said something that caused him to blush, then released him. ‘Go to the lifts, I will join you in a minute.’