My eyes dart from Raz to the others. More than a dozen demons are at war with Beranabus. Five are focused on Sharmila. Nadia is fending off several more, making the ground explode in front of them, hitting them with bolts of magic, roaring hatefully like I do when I fight.

Two more barrel towards me, tails whipping from side to side, snarling, arms and claws extended.

Driven by desperate instinct, I reach towards two patches of purple and orange light. I clap my hands together, driving the patches hard at each other. They smash together and create a blinding flash of purplish-orangey light. The instinct which told me to try this also tells me to close my eyes—sharpish!

When I look a few seconds later, the demons are down, screaming with pain and confusion, eyes melted in their sockets.

I’m stunned by the power I’ve unleashed. Confidence comes flooding back. Once again I’m Kernel Fleck—defeater of the Demonata!

Then one of the fallen demons scrapes the gooey mess clear of its empty sockets. New globes grow, the demon using magic to construct a fresh pair of eyes. I realise I’ve only slowed the creatures down, not put them out of action forever. Different universe—different rules.

Panic sets in again. The Disciples are doomed. Beranabus is finished. Cadaver set another trap for us and there’s no way out of this one. My choice is simple—perish with the others or save myself.

I don’t think of anywhere specific. I merely scream with all my inner senses—“Somewhere safe!” When nothing happens, I add rapidly, “Earth! A city!” Patches of light pulse around me. Frantic, I push them together, forming a new window as quickly as I can. I don’t look up or think about the demons which might be bearing down on me. Focus on the lights.

I’m working quicker than I did on the needle, learning all the time, feeling power bubble through me. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of a demon lurching at me. I flinch but don’t stop. The demon rushes closer… closer… It’s one of the pair I blinded. Seething for revenge. A few more seconds and it’ll be on me. I should turn to deal with it, but my hands won’t stop moving. There’s nothing I can do.

Then the demon’s knocked aside. It grunts heavily, then screams. I can’t see what’s happening to it and I don’t look. Keep working on the window. Sweating heavily. Mouth dry. Weeping softly.

Something steps up beside me. I cry out, expecting the worst. But it’s not a demon. It’s Nadia. “Hurry!” she hisses. “Get us out of here!”

“I’m trying,” I groan, hands a whir of motion.

Nadia stands with her back against mine, protecting me. I work faster, desperate to be out of here, somewhere real and normal, where demons can’t get me.

The lights pulse together a few times, then turn red. A window opens.

“Nadia!” I shout.

“Good work.” She yells Beranabus’ name, then Sharmila’s.

I look around. I can’t see Beranabus—he’s completely surrounded by demons. Sharmila’s losing her battle too—six of the monsters are on her and although a few are aflame, she can’t fight them off. She’s lost an arm at the elbow. Bleeding from deep wounds. Panting heavily, with the wild look of a horse caught in a thunderstorm.

Raz is dead. A pair of demons have torn his head off. As I watch, they rip it in two then each retreats with half, dipping their foul jowls into his skull, scooping out his brains with their fangs and tongues. I get sick again, though there isn’t much to come up this time.

“Let’s go,” Nadia says, taking my right arm.

“What about the others?” I cry.

“We can’t help them.”

“But…” I stare at her. Although my plan was to flee by myself, now that she’s voiced it, I don’t want to. I don’t care much about the aloof Beranabus, but Sharmila has been a true friend. She tried to stop Cadaver stealing Art. We should help her, free her, take her with us.

“I’m going,” Nadia snarls. “You do what you like.” And, releasing my hand, she ducks through the window, disappearing in an instant.

I hesitate, torn between escape and nobility. Then a demon catches sight of me and slithers across. It has a vulture’s head. There are bits of Raz’s brains dripping from its beak.

Something within me snaps. Cowardice triumphs. And without any shame, I turn my back on the demons—and Beranabus and Sharmila—and dive through the window after Nadia.

A busy city street. Nadia’s lying on the pavement. A woman and child are getting to their feet close by. She must have knocked them over when she crossed into this world. Other people are staring at us and the window of red light, mouths open. Cars are slowing as they pass, drivers and passengers captivated by the spectacle.

“Close it!” Nadia yells. I don’t need telling twice. Before the vulture-headed demon can follow us, I dismantle the window.

Nadia’s on her feet. As soon as the red light vanishes, she grabs me and runs. We race through the crowd of startled bystanders. Nobody tries to stop us.

We turn a corner, race down another busy street. Nadia leads me across the road, weaving through traffic, wincing at the blaring horns but otherwise taking no notice of the cars. Another corner, then another. Finally, in a quiet alley, she stops, releases me, squats beside a wall, leans her head against it, stares up at the clear blue sky—and whoops.

“We did it! You’re a genius, Kernel! You got us out!” She looks at me with happy tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

I smile at Nadia, then frown and look around nervously.

“It’s all right,” Nadia, reassures me. “They can’t track us. We’re safe. We’re alive!”

“Raz isn’t,” I note quietly.

Nadia’s smile dims. “That was a shame. I liked Raz.”

“And what about Beranabus and Sharmila?” I ask, guilt setting in. “We ran out. Left them to the demons. We should go back and—”

“No!” Nadia snaps. “No going back.” Her eyes glitter. I take a step backwards—she looks like she’s going to attack. She notices my fear and relaxes. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. But we’re not going back. We couldn’t do any good if we did.”

“But… the others?”

She shrugs. “Beranabus will probably survive. He’s come through worse. He’ll wriggle free somehow. As for Sharmila…” She sighs. “Maybe Beranabus will save her. Maybe not.”

She stands and looks at the sky. Lightly runs a finger across her cheeks, caressing the spots and acne scars. “It’s warm. Must be late spring or summer. Maybe it’s June. That’s my favourite month. It’s when I was born and when Beranabus took me. I was out walking, a perfect June day, dreaming about my birthday, presents and the future. Looking forward to growing up. I was a plain child, dowdy. But my father said I was an ugly duckling, that I’d turn into a beautiful, glamorous swan one day.

“I was thinking about that—longing for it—when Beranabus spirited me away. Dropped me into the universe of the Demonata. Explained how important I was, all the lives I could save, the good I could do. Offered me no choice. Robbed me of my dreams of a happy future.”

Nadia’s expression darkens. “He shouldn’t have taken me so young. I hadn’t seen enough of the world. If he’d come when I was older, I’d have joined him gladly. But taking me like he did… stealing me like that demon stole your brother… it was wrong. Don’t you agree, Kernel?”

I stare at her uncertainly. Now that she’s mentioned Art, it drives home the fact that I didn’t just run out on Beranabus and Sharmila. I deserted my brother too. Left him in that nightmarish universe. Alone in the hands of Cadaver.

“We have to go back,” I say softly.

Nadia doesn’t hear—or pretends she doesn’t. “I wonder where we are?” she says brightly. “London? New York? Paris? Vienna? The world’s changed so much since I left, I suppose I wouldn’t recognise the cities I visited when I was younger. But there must be parts which are the same. I hope this is—”