We climbed up above the town and started up Bent Lane, beneath the arch of trees. It was very dark, but my eyes were gradually adjusting. 'Won't they sniff us out?' I whispered.

The Pendle witches had their own defences against detection; seventh sons of seventh sons also had immunity, but these Romanian witches were different. Who knew what powers they might possess?

'Alice will take care of it soon,' Grimalkin told me. 'She will cloak us. Our attack will come as a complete surprise.'

I shivered. It was good to have someone so formidable on our side, but the thought of Alice's power made me increasingly uneasy.

Suddenly we heard something large lumbering along beside us.

'It's a moroi!' said Grimalkin, drawing a blade.

'As long as we stay on the path, we're safe,' I told her. 'Save your blade. I have weapons of my own, but they aren't made out of metal. Judd Brinscall taught me an easier way to do the job.'

So saying, I reached down and plucked two big handfuls of gra.s.s, then tossed them towards the outline of the huge bear. Instantly it dropped down on all fours and sniffed at the scattered gra.s.s.

'It's counting!' I said. 'Romanian elementals are obsessive a it is compelled to count and re-count every blade of gra.s.s. It can't move on until it's finished.'

We left the trapped moroi and continued along the path until the house loomed up before us.

Alice held up her hand, signalling that we should halt. Then she began to mutter a spell under her breath. Instantly a cold shiver ran the length of my spine a a reaction to the dark magic that was being used.

At last Alice fell silent, sucked in a deep breath, then pointed towards the door. 'It's done,' she said softly. 'We are cloaked a hidden from enemy eyes.'

Avoiding the tree that grew up out of the path, we approached the front door. I remembered how Judd had dealt with doors, using his boot to break it down. But this was a house where daemons had lived, and it was shrouded with illusions. Stealth was a better option here. We hoped to take the witches by surprise.

The door was locked, but my special key made short work of it, and moments later we were in the library. It was just as I had first seen it with my master. Above us was the atrium, lined with books right up to that spectacular conical roof. On the ground floor, one book caught my eye immediately. I walked up to the shelf and pointed it out to Grimalkin and Alice. It was the Doomdryte.

'We need to destroy it now,' I told them. 'According to Judd, it's the source of power for the house a it makes the illusions possible.'

'No,' Grimalkin said firmly. 'There is no time. Such a book will be defended by powerful spells. And do you want to alert our enemies? Alice will counter the illusions anyway. Later I will penetrate its defences and then burn this house to the ground.'

'If you do, seize the Doomdryte and give it to me or my master to burn. We have to be sure. We need to see it destroyed with our own eyes!'

'I will do as you ask,' Grimalkin said. 'But first we must deal with our enemies.'

I opened the far door, and instead of steps leading down, we saw a small unfurnished ante-room and, on the far side, another door, which was ajar.

Through the gap, we could make out five witches standing in a large room. The furniture had been pushed back against the far wall so that the floorboards were clear. Two were standing guard, arms folded; one was staring directly at us, so it was fortunate that we were cloaked by Alice's magic. The other three wore expressions of intense concentration and were behaving most curiously. They were crouched on all fours, facing each other, their noses almost touching. Twigs were tangled in their hair, but not randomly; there was artifice in their arrangement. The head of each witch was adorned with a spiky pentacle. There was blood in amongst the hair a evidence that they had been driven into their scalps as part of the ritual to summon Siscoi.

Grimalkin stepped forward, preparing to attack, but then she halted and stretched out her right hand, as if encountering some invisible obstruction. She turned back to face us, clearly annoyed. 'There is a defensive barrier,' she whispered.

Alice came alongside her and stretched out both hands. 'It's strong a very strong,' she said. 'Ain't going to stop us, but it'll take time.' She began to chant under her breath, but she wasn't the only one.

The lips of the three crouching witches were moving too, but no sound could be heard. Instead, something thin and white emerged from each of their mouths a three needle-sharp pieces of white bone. Suddenly the three witches scuttled backwards, moving in tandem, as if controlled by a single mind. Next they spat out the pieces of bone, which fell so that their six points formed a triangle. It seemed impossible that such large objects had been able to fit in their mouths. Immediately this process was repeated, and a second triangle lay on the floorboards touching the first.

When this procedure happened for the third time, I realized their intention: to create a five-pointed star, the inner symbol of a magic pentacle.

'Quick!' I hissed at Alice. 'We need to stop this before it's too late!'

She nodded. Despite her power, the combined spells of the Romanian witches were proving a match for her. There were beads of sweat on her forehead. Grimalkin was now gripping a dagger in each hand, tensed for the attack. But she had to wait.

As the fifth bone triangle fell into place, the three witches let out a whoop of triumph. Then, with the knuckles of their left hands, they rapped in unison three times upon the wooden floor. The pentacle of white bone began to glow; it floated upwards, spinning and growing steadily larger as it did so.

The bone pentacle must be the portal. Siscoi was about to use it to enter our world!

At that moment Alice finally broke through the barrier holding us back, and Grimalkin ran forward. The cloak that hid us from the witches' sight gave way at the same instant, and the two guards threw themselves between Grimalkin and their sisters. They were strong and fierce, but neither of them was a match for the witch a.s.sa.s.sin. Blood sprayed upwards as she jabbed and slashed; there were brief screams, and then they were no more.

I was already hard on Grimalkin's heels. Rather than rising up to meet us, the three remaining witches scuttled towards us on all fours, claws and teeth ready to tear us apart. I stabbed downwards with my staff, taking the nearest through the heart, pushing my blade deep into the wood beneath the twitching body.

I looked up. Grimalkin had killed one and was busy dispatching the other, but the spinning pentacle was directly above her. Within it I saw the b.e.s.t.i.a.l, scaly face and arms of the vampire G.o.d, lips drawn back in a snarl to reveal needle-like teeth and long fangs. He seemed to be immersed in a thick, viscous red liquid. What could it be other than his favoured blood? There were many different domains within the dark, each shaped by and suited to meet the needs and pleasures of its owner. What could be more appropriate here than an ocean of blood?

There was a sound like water falling over a great cataract down upon rocks a but it was blood. It surged out through the mouth of the pentacle and crashed down onto the floor of the chamber, directly in front of Grimalkin. Within it we could see Siscoi twisting gracefully, mouth wide open, razor-sharp fangs ready for the witch a.s.sa.s.sin.

FOR A MOMENT my heart was in my mouth. Grimalkin seemed as good as dead. But Siscoi appeared to pa.s.s right through her, before soaring away to disappear through the far wall. He was still in spirit form, I realized, and as yet could do nothing. But he was on his way to the offal pit, where a new host body lay waiting to be possessed. It was less than twenty minutes to midnight.

'We're too late!' I cried.

Grimalkin was standing there, covered in blood, as if transfixed. Even she knew that our cause was lost.

Suddenly I heard a voice in my head. There was no mistaking its owner. It was Mam!

Hesitate and you will all be destroyed. Take the fight to the G.o.d! Deal with him before he emerges! It is your only chance! But only you can do it, son. Only you can slay the vampire G.o.d and hope to survive!

Of course, I could not actually kill one of the Old G.o.ds. What human could hope to do that? But I knew what Mam meant. If I could slay the host, then Siscoi would be unable to use it and the immediate threat would be gone.

'We need to kill the host in the pit before he gets out!' I shouted. Then, without further explanation, I turned and sprinted out of the house, with Grimalkin and Alice at my heels. As we ran down the path, we saw the moroi, snout to the ground, still counting the blades of gra.s.s. Before long, I headed into the trees and realized that there would be no difficulty in finding the offal pit: the beam of dark red light was visible beyond the trees ahead. When I reached it, I saw that the stone lid of the offal pit had been dragged to one side. That would save us time and effort. I threw down my staff and pulled off my cloak. I would use the Destiny Blade and Bone Cutter against Siscoi.

Grimalkin placed her hand on my shoulder. 'No!' she said. 'I will kill him, not you!'

'I heard Mam's voice,' I told her. 'She said that only I can do this deed and hope to survive.'

'I will come with you anyway. I cannot let you face Siscoi alone. Even your mother cannot tell Grimalkin what to do!'

I shook my head. 'No. If I die, you must fight on. You must continue to keep the Fiend's head away from his servants for as long as possible. With Alice's help you may still eventually find a way to destroy him.'

'Only the three of us working together can hope to achieve that,' Grimalkin said firmly. 'We need to survive, and in order to do so must stand as one. Alice will guard the entrance to the pit and, if he gets past us, attempt to blast Siscoi with her magic. We two will go down, but I will leave Siscoi to you. The moroi guarded the area above ground; it may well be that other protectors of the host wait below. The stone has been removed.'

I nodded in agreement. Her words made sense.

Alice came to my side and gave me a hug. 'Oh, please be careful, Tom. What would I do if anything happened to you?'

'Be ready, Alice, in case I fail. Above all, stop Siscoi. Don't let him get the Fiend's head,' I urged her.

'I doubt if I can stop him, but I'll try, Tom,' she replied.

I walked to the edge of the offal pit and looked down. Part of me thought that I was probably going to my death, but at that moment I accepted it calmly. It was my duty: this was the task for which my master had prepared me; all my training had been to this end. Sometimes, I knew, in order to protect others, a spook must make the supreme sacrifice.

The light shone up into my eyes, dazzling me, and I was forced to turn away. I would have to avoid looking into it directly.

I glanced up, gave Alice a smile, nodded to Grimalkin and then entered the pit feet first. To one side the opening was broad; I chose the other, narrower side. It was like climbing down a chimney, and I was able to use my knees, feet and elbows to control my descent. But the task was made more difficult by the slime that covered the rocks a the residue of the offal and blood that had been tipped into the pit by the witches. There was an awful metallic smell of blood mixed with a stench of rot, decay and putrid flesh. Bile came up into my throat and I almost vomited. I was forced to halt for a moment until my stomach settled. I regretted not cutting a piece of cloth from my cloak to tie around my nose and mouth, but it was too late now.

A light shower of pebbles and soil fell onto my head and shoulders, dislodged by the feet of Grimalkin, who had followed me into the pit. I continued downwards, and soon, below me, I heard breathing and then moaning, as if there was something huge suffering down there.

At one stage in my descent, the red light was partially obscured by an outcrop of rock far beneath me, so I was able to look down. I did so, and instantly regretted it. Immediately below me I saw a gigantic figure, human in form but perhaps twice my size. It was lying on a rocky ledge, writhing and taking deep shuddering breaths a and it was soon clear why. The huge face was corroded, the eyes empty sockets from which matter was weeping. This was the old, first host a the one Judd and I had damaged by tipping salt and iron down the fissure.

Was this movement the mindless reaction of that empty body, or was it conscious in some sense? I asked myself. Could it feel the effects of the damage like a sentient being? I felt certain that it could.

The minutes were ticking down towards midnight. The new host must lie further down the pit, below this one. I just wanted to complete my task, but something inside me couldn't bear to see such suffering. Once I'd drawn level with the huge figure, I braced myself against the rock with my knees. I wouldn't be able to reach it with the dagger, so I unsheathed the Destiny Blade. I judged the distance carefully, and even though I had to close my eyes at the last moment, I managed to do what was necessary, drawing the blade across the creature's throat. When I opened my eyes again, the blood was gushing down over its chest and cascading into the fissure below.

The huge body convulsed, trembling as if fighting to break free of invisible chains; then it gave a sigh, slumped back against the rock and was still. Whatever life it had possessed was gone. I had performed an act of mercy a but had I also wasted precious time that I needed to deal with Siscoi?

I sheathed the sword and continued down. The rocks were now even more treacherous, coated as they were with fresh blood. At one point, dazzled by the light shining up, I slipped and momentarily lost my grip on the rock face. I froze for several moments, shaking with fear. I'd come close to disaster. Then I gathered my courage and continued my descent.

Soon I reached a wide ledge, where I was able to stand for a moment with my back to the rock and stretch my trembling arms and legs. I could see the next part of the descent below me, but on three sides, shrouded in darkness, were what looked like the mouths of a number of caves. I suddenly realized that Grimalkin had been correct: other ent.i.ties had indeed been placed on guard down here.

I could hear new sounds a the steady approach of boots, deep breathing, and finally growls of anger. A second later my enemies came into view, their eyes a sea of red points of light glittering in the darkness. The situation reminded me of the moment in the cellar when, faced with overwhelming odds, I had fled like a coward.

But this time I would not run. I drew Bone Cutter, gripping it in my right hand, wielding the Destiny Blade in my left. Grimalkin dropped down beside me, a blade in each hand, and we met them together. I glimpsed teeth and claws, and the stink of rancid strigoi breath washed over me, but I lunged out with my blades, feeling satisfaction as the dagger found flesh a though it was the dead flesh of a daemon. My sword, with its longer blade, was more likely to be successful: I struck the head from the nearest strigoi; it rolled across the floor and fell into the fissure. At my side Grimalkin was slashing to left and right with deadly intent, slicing heads from bodies and driving our enemies back with a ferocity that surpa.s.sed their own.

The strigoii were fast, but the fighting was at close quarters, hand to hand, denying them much of that advantage. I struck and struck again until the pressure eased. Then Grimalkin spun me towards the fissure and stood on guard, blades raised to meet the next onslaught.

'Climb down now!' she commanded. 'There is little time. I will hold them back!'

I did not argue. It was surely almost midnight. Perhaps I was already too late; perhaps Siscoi had taken command of the host. I sheathed my sword and thrust Bone Cutter into my belt before easing myself down into the shaft and continuing my descent.

As I climbed down, the metallic clashes, grunts and screams of the battle above receded; soon they gave way to a different noise. I could hear breathing again . . . it was the new host. This time it would not be blind. The vampire G.o.d would already have taken possession of it, and at the stroke of midnight would be free to emerge from the pit.

The sound grew louder and louder, until I could actually feel its breath on my face and hands, and smell its rank fetid stink. Then my feet could go no lower; I was standing on the floor of the pit.

I turned and found myself facing Siscoi.

The previous host had been hard to make out because I had been dazzled from below. Now I could see the source of the dark red light. It was emanating from a huge figure, which I could now see clearly; I knew instantly that the vampire G.o.d had indeed taken possession of it. His eyes were wide open and he was staring directly at me.

This host was undamaged. It was seated with its legs stretched out before it, its back resting against the rock wall. The huge body was covered with red scales; sharp talons sprouted from each of its lizard-like fingers and toes. Although even larger than the first host, it was relatively slim and built for speed. The head was hairless and elongated, almost triangular in shape, with a flattened nose, and it had the wide-set, staring eyes of a predator.

How long remained before midnight struck? I wondered. How long before this sluggish ent.i.ty became a ravening beast that moved faster than the blink of an eye?

The answer to my questions came immediately. The G.o.d took a great shuddering breath and moved forward onto his knees, then opened his mouth and showed me his teeth. They were clenched together, the muscles of the throat and jaw bunched tightly. There were four large canines; the rest were like needles a this was not a creature that needed to chew its food. Then the mouth moved, and Siscoi spoke in a deep slow drawl, as if half asleep.

'It is so good of you to come to me,' he said. 'The blood from your puny body will be my appetizer for the feast ahead!'

I did not reply. My answer was to draw the Destiny Blade and move cautiously towards the kneeling figure.

This was my chance to use my gift and slow time.

Concentrate! Squeeze time! Make it stop!

I took another step towards him, struggling to focus.

Concentrate! Squeeze time! Make it stop!

The vampire G.o.d laughed, the sound booming and echoing up through the fissure.

I was desperate now; with the whole of my being I focused on bringing time to a halt. But Mam's gift seemed to have deserted me. If I couldn't employ it soon, my life would be over.

'Do you think your miserable powers will work on me?' demanded the G.o.d. 'I am Siscoi, and I have the strength and speed to counter anything you can throw at me. Do you really believe that my master would send me against you without the means to deal with your tricks? His servants have combined together and placed their powers within me.'

Could he be immune to my gift? Was such a thing possible? The Fiend had been able to manipulate time too, and when we lured him into the pit to be bound by silver spears and nails, only surprise had given me the advantage. If other servants of the dark had similar powers and had somehow transferred them to Siscoi, my situation was indeed hopeless.

But then Mam spoke again inside my head: Despair, and you will be defeated and destroyed. Above all, you must believe in yourself. If you are truly the weapon I have forged to obliterate the Fiend, then you must prove it now. Otherwise all I have done has been for nothing and you are not worthy to be my son!

The words drove a dagger into my heart. How could Mam be so cruel? Was I merely a weapon a a thing to be used to bring her victory? And after all my struggles against the dark, how could she suggest that I was not 'worthy'? Apart from my recent flight from the cellar, one lapse in over three years fighting the dark, I'd always done my best, whatever the odds against me. Could she not appreciate that? She seemed so very different from the warm nurturing mother I had known at the farm. A surge of anger filled me. I took a deep breath and directed that anger, not against Mam but against Siscoi.

I began to focus again, and now I sensed time slowing a little. The G.o.d's eyes flickered malevolently, but I took another step towards him, readying my blade. My concentration became even more intense. The G.o.d's eye was moving again, but the flicker had become a sluggish lifting of the upper lids.

And now the ruby eyes of the Destiny Blade began to drip blood. It was as hungry as the vampire G.o.d himself! And then I felt a movement at my waist. Bone Cutter was actually moving, twisting as if gripped by an invisible hand. It wanted to join the battle.

I was about to draw the dagger, but then I saw Siscoi's eyes focusing on the drops of blood that fell from the Destiny Blade. Blood fascinated the G.o.d; distracted him.

Taking advantage of this, I swung the sword towards his huge head. My aim was true, and had the blade struck home, I would have split Siscoi's hairless skull. But my control of time was not perfect. He was still struggling against me, and he twisted his head away as the sword came down.

I cut off his left ear, and it fell slowly towards the rocky floor, spinning like a red-tinted autumn leaf in the damp chill breeze that heralds the approach of winter in the County.

The G.o.d screamed. So loud was his cry of agony and anger that the walls of the pit shook, and small rocks, soil and dust cascaded down.

I took a deep breath and adjusted my stance in the way that Grimalkin had taught me. Once more I tried to focus my mind, but now Siscoi was on his feet, towering over me.

I swung the blade upwards from right to left, aiming for the neck, hoping to sever the head. But now our struggle had entered a new phase; Siscoi's power was waxing while mine was waning. My blade moved slowly, while the clawed hand swept down towards my face in a blur of motion. The G.o.d easily evaded my sword, but I felt a burning pain as his talons raked my forehead. I dropped down onto my knees and he lunged for me again.

Once more I failed to avoid him, though I did just enough to survive. This time he used his huge knuckles, seeking to crack my skull open and knock me unconscious so that he could drain my blood at leisure. As it was, I managed to twist away, but the blow sent me rolling over and over until I crashed into the rock wall.

I struggled to my knees, my head spinning, waves of nausea washing over me. I tried to stand but my legs were too weak to support me. Siscoi could finish me off before I even knew what was happening, but his approach was leisurely. He knew that it was all over now. He had won. My control of time was at an end.

But then I heard another voice. It didn't actually appear inside my head like Mam's had. It was a voice from my memory a the voice of Grimalkin, the witch a.s.sa.s.sin.

Is this the end? Are you finally defeated? No! You have only just begun to fight! Believe me, because I know. I am Grimalkin.

These were the words she had hurled at me over and over again when training me in the use of the Destiny Blade. I remembered that cellar in Ireland where we had first fought a I had been sure she was going to kill me; then, over the period of a week, she had taught me to fight in a way that even the tough, battle-hardened Bill Arkwright could never have matched. She had used these words to goad me on when I had felt too weary to continue.

Once again I recalled her voice: Get on your feet and fight! Kill your enemy now! Kill him before he kills you! Be like me! Be like Grimalkin! Never give in! Never surrender!

I forced myself to my feet and lifted the blade, grasping it with both hands.

I BEGAN TO focus on slowing time again. Sweat and blood were running into my eyes, making it difficult to see. I wiped them away with the back of my right hand, before taking my two-handed grip once more.

Siscoi was staring at me, but time was again slowing. I was moving; he was still. Now I would indeed cleave his skull in two a I could do it. I took a step forward, so that my target was within comfortable range. But then, as I began to bring my blade down vertically, he opened his mouth wide. Once more he was challenging my control of time, exerting his own will.

I glanced at the sharp fangs, but they were not the immediate threat. Something issued forth from Siscoi's mouth, so quickly that I barely had time to react. I ducked to my left, and it just missed my right temple.