Page 26 of Dead Serious Halloween Special

Oh no, I have time to think before it cracks me straight in the forehead and I see stars.

“Are you really the best the humans of the Old World have to offer?” Puck says in disappointment.

“Fuck off,” I mumble. “At least I don’t look like a buffalo’s ball sack.” Wincing, I lift my still bound hands to my forehead and feel a welt in the shape of The Gospodar’s lock.

“NO!” Blackbeard bellows, his dark eyes wide when he sees the book lying next to me. He starts to stomptowards me, literally treading on his own fallen men, the intent in his eyes unmistakable. I set the rope back on the blade and begin to saw frantically at the remaining threads.

Suddenly, Death appears directly in Blackbeard’s murderous path. “Excuse me,” Death says politely. “Are you the one who cursed my beloved into an enchanted sleep?”

“Who are you?” Blackbeard growls.

“I’m Death,” he says simply. The tone of his voice literally chills my blood as he nods in Chan’s direction. “I’mhis boyfriend.”

Death’s hand shoots out and grabs Blackbeard’s throat, then squeezes. The pirate captain’s mouth falls open as he tries to gasp in a breath. Black veins appear at the edges of his throat, and his hands scramble uselessly against Death’s grip.

Blackbeard’s eyes fill with fear as he watches Death explode into a huge, black, smoky mass undulating and crackling with microbursts of power. The black veins keep spreading across the pirate’s face, and his fingers tear at what is now a roiling black rope of smoke tight around his throat. The sky boils and churns above us, the wind ripping at the sails and pushing everyone off their feet.

And amidst the chaos is a man calmly sipping a goblet of wine and looking like he could be Death’s twin, not a hair so much as flickedout of place by the wind. He glances up into the violent maelstrom swirling above the ship, then back down at Blackbeard, who lets out one last screech of thwarted rage and explodes in a cloud of black glitter.

Death’s twin sets his goblet down and applauds in delight. “Oh, yes! It’s all in the showmanship,” he says to Olivia, who stands beside him and is gripping the foremast to stop herself from being blown off the deck by the turbulent wind. “No one takes pride in their craft any more. It’s so exquisite to see one of the masters at work. Truly inspiring.”

“Tristan!” Harrison yells above the howl and shriek of the storm. “The book!”

I yank my wrists apart, the last of the ropes giving way, and grab The Gospodar. Kneeling up, my ankles still bound behind me, I open the book and lift it up.

“EVERYONE IN THE BOOK! NOW!” I yell.

Suddenly, the bodies strewn around the deck lift up, tumbling around as they head towards the book and dive into the pages. Fairies, toadstools, wolves, bears, whip through theair, shrinking as they approach the book and are sucked into its pages.

My fingers cramp from holding on so tight as I watch pumpkin carriages, ticking clocks, a huge golden tree with pink leaves, a beanstalk, and a gingerbread cottage all sail towards me.

“Ahhhhh!” I close my eyes,yelling loudlyas I fight to hold up the book, which grows heavier and heavier. Then suddenly the book slams shut, and I’m surrounded by silence. I’m sitting in the middle of the empty road, my ankles no longer bound, breathing heavily and clutching the locked book. Next to me, still in his cage, is Puck, looking grudgingly impressed.

The ship is nowhere in sight. Aidan stands next to Nick, his arms wrapped around Nick’s waist, and Nick’s rest on his shoulders.

Sam helps Harrison to his feet and Danny steps up beside me and gently sweeps my hair out of my eyes, wincing at the egg-sized lump I can feel growing on my forehead.

Death has now reverted to his human form and holds Chan in his arms, who’s smiling smugly, his baseball bat propped on one shoulder and his arm slung around Death’s neck. Dusty stands next to them looking amused.

“Nice job.” Olivia rises and dusts off her jeans. “This is Hades, by the way.”

I stare at the God of the Underworld for several long seconds. “Why does he look like Death?”

Chan snorts loudly, and Death looks slightly bashful.

“If you don’t mind, Tristan?” Olivia holds out her hands for the book, and I hand it over with relief.

“Oi, witch.” Puck rattles his cage. “Aren’t you going to let me out of here?”

“No,” she says irritably and picks up his cage. “You and I are taking a little detour to the fairy realms, and you’re going to explain to Oberon how Blackbeard nearly escaped.”

“Argh. Do I have to?” Puck whines. “He gets so shrill when he’s angry.”

“’Fraid so, little man.” Olivia looks at each of us in turn. “Nice to see you all again, despite the circumstances.” Then she looks directly at Harrison. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten that we need to have a conversation,” she says, her expression serious. “There’s something going on in that bookshop of yours, something that wasn’t there last time I was here.”

“What?” Harrison frowns. “What’s there?”

“I’m not sure yet,” she murmurs.