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"STOP!" RV screa in his voice made me pause and look back My heart sank - he had Debbie! He was holding her as Steve had, the hooks of his golden right hand pressed up into the flesh of her jaw A couple of hooks had lightly punctured the skin and thin streaolden blades "Drop the knife or I slit her like a pig!" RV hissed

If I dropped the knife, Debbie would die anyway, along with the rest of us There was only one thing for it - I had to try and force a stand-off Grabbing Steve by his long grey hair, I jaainst the flesh of his throat "If she dies, he dies," I growled and I saw doubt fill RV’s eyes

"Don’t play gao or I kill her"

"If she dies, he dies," I said again

RV cursed, then glanced over his shoulder for help The battle was going the way of the vampaneze Those who’d stuained their feet, and now encircled Vancha, Mr Crepsley and Harkat, who fought back to back, protecting each other, unable to advance or retreat Beyond the crush, Gannen Harst and the Lord of the Vaet about the to do with anybody else" I ed a weak smile "Or are you afraid to face ,what he’d been about to say, I put my head back and howled like a wolf RV’s eyes widened with fear at the sound, but then he collected hi won’t save your tasty little girlfriend," he taunted h used to speak that way about Debbie, and for a h the spirit of the dead vahts behind me and concentrated

"Let’s stop wasting each other’s time," I said "You put Debbie aside, I’ll put Steve aside, and we’ll settle this rinned and shook his head "No deal I don’t have to riskDebbie in front of hied towards the exit at the opposite side of the roo?" I shouted,his hooks deeper into Debbie’s jaw, causing her to gasp with pain

I stopped uncertainly "Let her go," I said quietly, desperately

"No," he replied "I’ her If you try to stop me, I’ll kill her"

"I’ll kill Steve if you do"

He laughed "I don’t care for Steve as much as you care for precious little Debbie I’ll sacrifice my friend if you’ll sacrifice yours How about it, Shan?" I studied Debbie’s round, terrified eyes, then took a step back, clearing the way for RV to pass "Wisehis back on me

"If you harm her" I sobbed

"I won’t," he said "Not for the ti I want to see you squirm before I do But if you kill Steve or come after me" His cold, , the hook-handed monster slipped past the va into the gloo Debbie with hi me arid the others to the , my choices were clear I could try to help o after the Vampaneze Lord It took me no time to choose I couldn’t rescue my friends - there were just too many vampaneze and vampets - and even if I could, I wouldn’t have - the Vaotten that when Steve seized Debbie, but nowreasserted itself Across the way, Steve was still unconscious No time to finish hi around the va to take on Gannen Harst and the figure he guarded

Harst spotted ers to his mouth and whistled loudly Four of the varoup looked to hier as he pointed towardsaway froht have tried to fight h them, hopeless as it was, but then I saw Gannen Harst call another two vaave the Vampaneze Lord to theh Gannen Harst swung the huge door shut after thee, circular lock at the centre of it Without the coh a door as thick as that

Gannen Harst stepped up behind the four vaainst the roof of his mouth and the vampaneze came to a standstill Harst looked intohis er to the centre of his forehead, the two adjacent fingers over his eyes, and spreading his thuer out wide "Even in death, lanced around swiftly, taking in the state of play Close to ed Mr Crepsley, Vancha and Harkat were cut inliberally, yet none had sustained fatal wounds They were on their feet, weapons in hand - except Vancha, whose weapons were his hands - keeping the circle of vampaneze and vampets at bay

I couldn’t understand it Given our foes’ superior numbers, they should have overwhel progressed, the- at least six vampets and three va injuries Yet still they fought warily, judging their bloith care, alh they didn’t want to kill us

I reached a snap decision and knehat I had to do I faced Gannen Harst and screamed, "I’ll be triumphant in life!" in defiance, then whipped out a knife and launched it at the vah As the five vampaneze ahead ofwith htly around Mr Crepsley, Vancha and Harkat Now that the Lord of the Vampaneze was beyond reach, I was free to help or perish with my friends A few moments earlier, we’d surely have perished, but the penduluhtly in our favour The pack had been whittled down by half a dozen members - two had left with their Lord, and fourvampaneze and va clansht, and narrowly missed the throat of a vampet to my left The vampaneze and vampet both stepped aside at the saap "To me!" I cried at the trio trapped in the ap could be filled, Harkat burst through, chopping with his axe More vampaneze and vampets drew back, and Mr Crepsley and Vancha hurried after Harkat, fanning out around hi the saht back to back

We retreated swiftly towards the tunnel leading out of the cavern

"Quick - block the exit!" one of the four va forward to bar our way

"Hold," Gannen Harst responded quietly and the vampaneze stopped He looked back at Harst, puzzled, but Harst only shook his head grimly

I wasn’t sure why Harst had prevented hisour one route of escape, but I didn’t stop to ponder it As we backed up towards the exit, lashing out at the vampaneze and vaaining his senses and was half sitting up I paused as we carabbed hiled, but then I stuck the edge ofwith us!" I hissed in his ear "If we die, so do you" I’d have killed him then and there, except I remembered what RV had said - if I killed Steve, he’d kill Debbie

As we cath of chain at Vancha The vaht hiht, h!" Gannen Harst bellowed and the va and dropped back two paces

Vancha relaxed his lock, but didn’t release the valared around suspiciously "What now?" hesweat and blood fro they do would surprise h the va in front of his brother The two didn’t look alike - where Vancha was burly, gruff and rough, Gannen was slim, cultured and s and inclining their heads that was very sied brother