Page 2 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

Sixoff the back of our battle with the va We left Mr Crepsley’s charred bones in the pit where he’d fallen I’d meant to bury him, but I hadn’t the heart for it Steve’s revelation - that he was the Lord of the Va seemed to matter My closest friend had been killed My world had been torn asunder I didn’t care whether I lived or died Harkat and Debbie walked beside htly in front Debbie used to be rooer - the curse of being a half-vaed one year for every five that passed Alice was a police chief inspector Vancha had kidnapped her e’d been surrounded by police She and Debbie had taken part in the fight with the vaht well A sha

We’d told Alice and Debbie all about the War of the Scars Vampires exist, but not the murderous monsters of ht creatures do - the vampaneze They broke away froo They always drain their victims dry Their skin has turned purple over the centuries, and their eyes and fingernails are red

For a long time there’d been peace between the two clans That ended when the Lord of the Vaed This vaainst the vampires and destroy us But if we found and killed hio our way instead

Only three va to a powerful meddler called Desmond Tiny, who could see into the future) Tere Vampire Princes, Vancha March and me The other had been Mr Crepsley, the vampire who’d blooded me and been like a father to ht was the Vaht and killed hi to his death in a pit of flame-tipped stakes - shortly before he let me know that the person Mr Crepsley killed was an impostor, and that Steve himself was the Vampaneze Lord

It didn’t see a tap onbehind linting as he held up a torch, asking where we thought ere going without him But the tap never came It couldn’t Mr Crepsley was dead He’d never coe, seize a sword and storm off after Steve I wanted to track hih his rotten excuse for a heart But Mr Crepsley had warned e He said it would warp and destroy ave in to it I knew in my soul that there was unfinished business between Steve andI pushed hihts and mourned for Mr Crepsley

Except I couldn’t really mourn Tears wouldn’t corief, my eyes re wreck, but on the outside I was cold, calh I hadn’t been affected by the vampire’s death

Ahead, Vancha and Alice came to a halt The Prince looked back, his wide eyes red fro He looked pitiful in his animal skins, with his filthy bare feet and wild hair, like an overgrown, lost child "We’re almost at the surface," he croaked "It’s still day Will ait here for dark? If we’re spotted ?"

"Don’t care," I mumbled

"I don’t want to stay here," Debbie sobbed "These tunnels are cruel"

"And I have to inform my people that I’m alive," Alice said, then frowned and picked dried blood flecks frooing to explain it to therunted

The Chief Inspector grimaced "Hardly! I’ll have to think up soure had appeared out of the darkness ahead of us, blocking the path

Cursing, Vancha ripped loose a shuriken - throwing stars he kept strapped in belts around his chest - and prepared to launch it

"Peace, Vancha," the stranger said, raising a hand "I am here to help, not harm"

Vancha lowered his shuriken and muttered in disbelief, "Evanna?"

The woers and a torch flared into life overhead, revealing the ugly witch we’d travelled with earlier in the year, while ere searching for the Lord of the Va untidy hair, pointed ears, a tiny nose, one brown eye and one green (the colours kept shifting fro sharp nails and yellow ropes tied tight around her body instead of clothes

"What are you doing - here?" Harkat asked, his large green eyes filled with suspicion - Evanna was a neutral in the War of the Scars, but could help or hinder those on either side, depending on her mood

"I came to bid Larten’s spirit farewell," the witch said She was s

"You don’t look too cut up about it," I reed "I foresaw his deathfor hirowled

"I wasn’t certain, but I guessed he would perish," she said

"Then you could have stopped it!"

"No," Evanna said "Those with the ability to sense the currents of the future are forbidden to interfere To save Larten, I’d have had to abandon the rules I live by, and if that happened, all chaos would break loose"

The witch stretched out a hand, and even though she was ers cupped his chin tenderly "I was fond of Larten," she said softly "I hoped I rong But I couldn’t take it upon myself to spare him His fate wasn’t mine to decide"

"Then whose was it?" Vancha snapped

"His own," Evanna replied steadily "Hechose to hunt for the Lord of the Vaht on the platform He could have walked away frolared at the witch a aze I saw fresh tears splash in the dust at his feet "My apologies, Lady," he muttered "I don’t blame you I’m just so fired up with hatred

"I know," the witch said, then studied the rest of us "You s to tell you, and I’d rather talk on the outside - the air here is rank with treachery and death Will you spare ess "I prouess a few hours can’t make much of a difference"

Evanna looked at Harkat, Debbie, Vancha and lance, then nodded and followed the witch up the last stretch of the tunnels, leaving the darkness and the dead behind

Evanna gave Vancha a thick deer hide to drape over his head and shoulders, to block out the rays of the sun Trailing after the witch, we h the streets Evanna must have cast a spell to hide us, because people didn’t notice us, despite our blood-stained faces and clothes We ended up outside the city, in a small forest, where Evanna had prepared a camp amidst the trees At her offer, we sat and tucked into the berries, roots and water she’d set out for us

We ate silently I foundwhy she was here - if she’d really coone down to where his body lay in the pit Evanna was Mr Tiny’s daughter He had created her bythe blood of a vampire with that of a wolf Vampires and vampaneze were barren - we couldn’t have children - but Evanna was supposed to be able to bear a child by aout to hunt the Vampaneze Lord, she’d confirmed Mr Tiny’s prophecy - that we’d have four chances to kill the Lord - and added the warning that if we failed, two of us would die

Vancha finished eating first, sat back and burped "Speak," he snapped - he wasn’t in thehow many chances you’ve used up," Evanna said directly "The answer is - three The first hen you fought the valade and let their Lord escape The second, when you discovered Steve Leonard was a half-vah you had several opportunities to kill him, they count as one The third chance hen Larten faced him on the platform above the pit of stakes"

"That means we still have a shot at him!" Vancha hissed excitedly

"Yes," Evanna said "Once more the hunters will face the Vampaneze Lord, and on that occasion the future will be decided But that confrontation will not come in the near future Steve Leonard has withdrawn to plot anew For now, you may relax"