'Exactly what I've been saying. No one can kill him. So what's to stop him turning round and killing us after he's killed all of Soul's people?'

'He's on our side, guys!'

'Yeah? The way he looks at us, I think he wants us all dead. Remember he almost killed Celia with those flames from his mouth? Look at us. We're all Whites. What's to stop him executing us after all this is over?'

'Celia believes in him. So does Greatorex. They know what they're doing, Felicity. Our fight's against Soul, not against Nathan. Soul's the evil one.'

'And what's Nathan?'

'Scum.'

'Black blood-sucking, heart-eating scum.'

'Come on, guys. He's on our side.'

'He's not Black anyway; he's half Black.'

'Oh, sorry. Correction! Half-Black, blood-sucking, heart-eating scum.'

Someone laughs.

'Not jealous are you?'

'What? Of him? Pleeeaase!'

'Everyone knows you adore Gabriel. And didn't he turn you down?'

'He didn't turn me down. Do you really think I'd throw myself after some Black Witch?'

'Well, whether you did or not, he's not interested in anyone but Nathan.'

'Yeah, have you seen the way they look at each other?'

'Nathan looks like he wants to kill everyone all the time.'

'Maybe that's his plan. He'll kill everyone, until there's only the two of them left, just him and Gabriel.'

'Correction on the correction. He's gay, half-Black, blood-sucking, heart-eating scum.'

'I heard he had a girlfriend before. A White. Annalise O'Brien. She's Soul's niece.'

'I don't get it is he gay or what?'

'Annalise? Isn't she the one who was being held prisoner at Camp One?'

'Yeah, everyone at Camp One was killed.'

'I heard he killed her.'

'Maybe she caught him with Gabriel.'

Laughter.

'And he killed all Annalise's family. Her brothers were Hunters. He ripped them apart.'

'Yeah, I heard that too. He ate their hearts.'

I don't know why I'm still here listening to this rubbish and I'm about to leave when I change my mind and walk round the corner slowly so they see me, so that they know I've heard everything.

They all go quiet and I say to them, 'As far as I know Annalise is still alive. And for the record I've only killed one of her brothers. My father killed another one. The third one's still alive, but don't worry if I get the chance I'll gladly rip him to pieces. Annalise shot my father. Because of her he's dead. And, yes, he was a murdering Black Witch but he was also a great man and you are so stupid that you will never have a chance of understanding one molecule of his being. And as for me ... mind your own fucking business.' I turn to go then turn back and say, 'I'm not scum but, yes, I'm a fucking blood-sucking, heart-eating half-Black so I suggest you keep out of my way.'

I'm back in the cell. I've been sitting here for a few hours. I keep going over what I said to those trainees, wishing I hadn't said anything or wishing I'd said it better. I go over it all again and again and again.

A silhouette appears in the cell doorway.

'Ah, found you,' Arran says, and sits down next to me. He's been in the camp since I was shot and I see him most days but we hardly ever have time alone together.

'Hi.'

'You've been frightening some of the trainees, I hear.'

Oh, so that's it. They've been talking about me. I say, 'I had an argument with them, but you'd have been proud of me, Arran; I didn't hit them. I was incredibly calm.'

'No wonder they're so scared.'

I smile despite myself.

'They said you threatened to kill them.'

'What?'

'Celia didn't think it was true. She said you'd either do it or you wouldn't. I said I'd find out your side of the story. Want to tell me what happened?'

'Not really.' Then I add, 'They were saying stupid things about me. So I said stupid things to them. I didn't threaten to kill them, but I did tell them to keep out of my way.'

'Ah. A sort of veiled threat.'

Maybe they saw it as that. 'I won't kill them, Arran. However stupid they are.'

'Good. Not that I thought you would.'

'Can we talk about something else?'

'Of course.'

We sit for a while and talk about what he's been doing, which is learning about healing. He ends by saying, 'Van taught me a lot. I've still got loads to learn but she really helped me. Anyway, at the moment there's no one left to heal. They're either alive and well, or dead.' He looks at me. 'I'm not sure if I should count that as a success or failure.'

'When they're all dead, that's failure,' I say. But then I think about it and add, 'No, even then it's not a failure. You do what you can, Arran.'

We sit for a while and then he waves his arms at the canvas walls, 'All this is for some big attack, I guess.'

So Celia hasn't told him. And I'm going to kill more people and one of them will be Jessica, his sister, my half-sister.

'Arran ...'

'Yeah.'

'Don't hate me.'

'I don't hate you.'

'I mean whatever I do. Please. I know you can't understand me but please ...' And I look at him and he looks back at me the same way he always has done. Meeting my gaze so honestly and openly. He says, 'You're my brother. My kid brother. I can't hate you. Ever.'

I shuffle closer to him and he hugs me and keeps hold of me.

'There is something I was going to tell you ' his voice is really quiet and a bit shaky 'I mean I want to tell you and it's good but ...'

I move back to look at his face and he's smiling a little but also not meeting my gaze.

I can't think of anything other than he's found a girl. Arran has never really had a girlfriend. Or at least not when I was at home with him. And I realize I've no idea whether he's had girlfriends or boyfriends or anyone since I left home.

'So?' I ask, leaning forward and peering at his face. I can't help grinning.

'Well, yeah ... I've got a girlfriend.' He cringes. 'I hate that word. I mean I'm with someone ... there's someone I like and she likes me and ... we're friends, more than friends. It's nice. A bit of a surprise. I wasn't really ...'

I try not to smile too much. 'Anyone I know?' I ask. It has to be someone I know. And then I feel sick. Oh no, it must have been one of the trainees who were talking about me. 'Oh shit! Have I messed it up? I mean if I have I'll ... but she ... I mean you ...' But, really, what is he doing with one of those girls?

Arran looks confused. 'You've not messed anything up. Adele's far too sensible to let anyone mess her up, even you.'

'Adele. The-one-whose-skin-turns-to-metal Adele?'

'She doesn't do that very often with me.'

'She's a good fighter.'

'And that's not really what attracted me to her either.'

I snigger. 'What did attract you?'

'She's kind and thoughtful and funny. And pretty and I like her hair ...'

We sit in silence for another minute while I process that. But I can see why Arran would like her. Adele is smart and attractive. She's also a Black Witch.

I say, 'She's Black, you know. If you have kids they'll be '

'We only met each other a few weeks ago, when you were injured. We're not planning a family just yet!'

'No, but you know what I mean.' I smile at him.

'I know what you mean. Maybe in the future, under the Alliance, there'll be lots of little Half Codes. But, as I said, we've only just met.'

'I hope she makes you happy.'

'Thanks. She does.'

He smiles and looks embarrassed and then he goes quiet and for a few seconds I look at him happily and he looks so cute and innocent and then I realize that he's probably been discussing me with her. I'm the subject of long conversations.

'You want to go back and find her?' I ask.

'No. I want to stay with you.'

And he's got that Arran thing about him. That slow, easy comfortable quietness. A gentleness like no one else has.

After a while he says, 'I still have that drawing you did of you and me in the woods, the one you left with me before my Giving.'

I remember it. Remember drawing it, remember rolling it up and laying it on Arran's bed and leaning over to kiss his head before I left. Only it seems like a different me who did that.

'Do you still draw?' he asks.

'Haven't done for a long time.'

'You should do.'

'You still watch old movies?'

'I wish. When this is over I'm definitely having a day in front of the telly. A comedy marathon: Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, the really old stuff. I love those.'

'You love them all.' And I love being with him.

'I miss those days,' he says.

And I realize something for the first time.

'I don't. I mean, they were great times. And I love you and you're the best brother, and I loved living with you and Gran and Deborah. But now I know that behind it all the Council was watching me, my father wanted to see me but couldn't. Our mother ... There was a lot of bad stuff.'

He nods.

I say, 'And I know you've had it tough. But you're still the same. It's great for you that you are. But I'm not and I was pretty messed up to start with.'

He shakes his head now.

'You've no idea, Arran. So much has happened to me. I'm not the person who used to watch films with you. I wish I was but ... that'll never happen again. Never. I'm different. And I can't go back. I don't want to go back.'

'I know.'

'The fourteen-year-old me was taken, Arran. And he's gone. He can't come back.' Then I feel like I should be more positive so I say, 'When the Alliance wins. When it's over. Then I'm going to live quietly by a river.'

'I can imagine that. You should draw too.'