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‘Possibly,’ Arcturus said. ‘They see as we do, to our knowledge.’

‘We need a car,’ I said.

‘I have one,’ a familiar voice said. I turned to see Rohan Mistry. ‘I can’t say I fully understood your instructions, Underqueen, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.’

‘I appreciate the offer, but you’d be wiser to lock yourself indoors and wait this out.’

‘I can summon poltergeists,’ he said. ‘Will they help?’

‘Yes,’ Arcturus said. ‘The Emim are vulnerable to apport.’

‘It’s settled, then.’ Mistry took out a fob. ‘My car will take five people. Where are we going?’

‘Pleione will guide you. Maria, there’s a guzzler parked over there,’ I said. ‘You could hotwire it.’

‘Consider it done.’

She left with the other group. Somewhere on the streets, a siren began to whine, sending a frisson through my body.

‘We should hurry.’ Mistry headed for the entrance. ‘Those are civil defence sirens, installed in case of any threat from Scion. The people know to find shelter when they sound.’

‘You shouldn’t fight,’ I told Arcturus.

‘I can seal the gateways while the rest of you hold off the Emim,’ he said. ‘You can use the pressure from your dreamscape to repel them – but do not overtax yourself, Paige. And do not abandon your body.’

I had made the mistake of dreamwalking into a Buzzer once before, and had only survived because Arcturus had used the golden cord to pull me out of its dreamscape. I never meant to do that again, but I could still play my part. This time, I would be his bodyguard.

Rome was already falling into chaos. A terrible cold filled its streets, rubbing my cheeks raw. It reminded me of the chill of Oxford, which had lingered all year, no matter the season. Mistry ran from the Forum and climbed into a sleek grey car. I got into the back seat.

‘Mistry,’ I said, ‘why are you helping us?’

‘Because you clearly know how to stop this, and I have no idea.’

‘You were the person who put me in touch with President Sala, weren’t you?’

‘I knew she’d want to meet you.’ He started the motor. ‘Where am I driving?’

‘Follow me,’ Pleione said, appearing beside the car. Mistry jumped. ‘I will lead you, summoner.’

Nick and Arcturus joined us. Shaking himself, Mistry peeled after the other three Rephs. ‘Don’t worry if you lose sight of them,’ I told him. ‘I can keep track of them in the æther.’

‘Noted,’ he said.

It was only now I truly realised how fast Rephs could move. Mistry sped up, shadowing Pleione. Errai and Terebell were hot on her heels. Around them, the streets were already overrun with confused people, all hearing a warning that no one had seen fit to clarify.

Above us, the sirens continued to drone. I tried to stop myself from sliding back to that last night in Paris, but my breath came short. Arcturus took my hand, and I held fast, letting him ground me.

In Dublin, Scion had planted soldiers among us, their guns concealed in bags and coats, showing no sign of their allegiance. I should have seen this coming. I had destroyed Oxford and Versailles, and now the Sargas would show us what happened when they didn’t get their way.

An automated voice began to speak in Italian. ‘A military threat to Rome is being announced,’ Mistry told us. ‘This is our established procedure in the event of attack. But these creatures you describe will be difficult to explain, should we survive this.’

Nick drew his jacket back, revealing a pair of pistols. ‘Nashira must not care who sees the Buzzers.’ He took out some ammo. ‘Does that mean she’s ready to reveal herself?’

‘Perhaps,’ Arcturus said. ‘Or perhaps she means to teach the world to fear the Emim first. Then she will present herself as a saviour, as she once did to the government of England.’

‘Not if I have anything to say about it,’ I muttered.

Mistry stopped the car with a jolt as a woman ran across the street in front of us, followed by a crowd of panic-stricken people. His eyes widened when he saw what had scattered them.