And then he found it. A tiny knot in the make-up of the spell. He could feel it.

It was Kit. Something there that he could push at. A space where he could reach in and unpick. He sent in a tendril of his own power. It was weaker. He tested it, carefully, subtly. James was still focused on Kit and Zita and on keeping apart from the Captive. All around him hung in tension.

And, slowly, Tom began to take the spell apart.

James did not notice at first. Kit was unconscious now, and Zita was almost there.

There it was. He sent out a burst of his own energy into the spell that made the bracelet and felt it dissolve.

And now the bracelet gave way. With a slow gesture, he pulled at it and tugged it off, brandishing it. James snapped his attention towards him. Those lizard eyes were on him.

And Tom threw the bracelet towards the moat. It arced, and sent back a glimmer of light, before falling into the water.

Jack hesitated. Tom held his breath.

Then everything happened very quickly. Without really thinking what he was doing, Tom raced to the Captive and lifted her up over his shoulder. She was surprisingly light. Leana started barking madly and danced between Tom and Jack.

Tom ran towards the bridge.

The gate was closed.

A ray of light began to pierce through the clouds.

The latch was on. He fumbled with it. A shout came from Jack, hoarse and panicked.

Don’t look back now.

He forced the gate open and stepped onto the bridge.

Almost immediately the Captive cried out in pain.

‘Run!’ she cried, her voice sounding almost like the squawk of a bird. ‘Run, quickly, or I shall die!’ She began to feel heavier.

The bridge was only ten feet long. The Captive was screaming, her weight growing more difficult to bear by the second.

At the other end of the bridge loomed the massed ranks of the Samdhya, and as Tom ran, each step harder and harder, they seemed to merge into each other, becoming a many-headed beast.

The gate at the other end was closed too, but as he reached it, Tanenwod stepped forwards from out of the throng and opened it, standing back to let him pass.

A burst of rage came from Jack. Tom dropped the Captive down onto the grass and was about to collapse next to her, just as a ball of furious energy came crashing into his back, knocking him flat onto his face, and then all he saw was whiteness, and all he heard was his name, in his father’s voice, being called over and over again, and the patter of rain.