Dr Seymour is standing in front of us, Ursa in her arms, and beside her, laden with guns, are Gideon and Serena.
‘You’ve got to be joking,’ Marquis says.
‘Thank God,’ I whisper as Dr Seymour pushes Ursa into my arms.
‘Did you see, Viv? Did you?’
I push Ursa’s hair out of her face and laugh. ‘I did see. And here’s the boy.’
Atlas smiles and holds out his hand to shake Ursa’s. ‘Nice to meet you, Ursa. I’m Atlas.’
Ursa is already staring over my shoulder with wide eyes. Marquis falls into a low bow, his eyes suddenly wet.
‘Long time no see, little bear.’
Ursa reaches for him and I reluctantly let her go. I stare at Gideon and Serena.
‘Where the hell have you two been?’
‘Saving your sister,’ Serena says, her eyes flashing.
‘It’s true,’ Dr Seymour says, adjusting her broken glasses. ‘Moments after we were locked in the basement, these two burst down the stairs armed to the nines.’
Serena pulls another gun from her back and hands it to me, even though we both know I have no idea how to use it.
‘Come to your senses, have you?’ Atlas glowers at Gideon. ‘Not going to try and kill someone again—’
I put my hand on his arm and he falls silent.
‘Thank you,’ I say to Gideon and Serena. ‘Both of you.’
Gideon sniffs and hands Atlas a gun. ‘Anyone got a plan to get out of here?’
‘It seems I’ve been promoted to pilot,’ Marquis says cheerfully, straightening Ursa’s hair ribbon. ‘Shall we get on with it?’
Loud voices sound from outside.
‘Wyvernmire’s called for reinforcements,’ Serena says.
Dr Seymour nods. ‘There’s another exit through the ballroom. It’ll take us out to the other side of the grounds, where the workshops are.’
There’s a loud screech, then a flash of blue out of the window. Muirgen?
‘Go!’ Marquis says as he moves to bolt the back door.
The whole house shudders and the wall behind the stove falls in.
‘Can we go home now?’ Ursa whines.
The house trembles again and a piece of plaster falls from the ceiling, narrowly missing Marquis’s head. Adrenaline shoots through me as we run down the corridor and burst into the entrance hall as a group of Guardians come through the front door. I raise my gun, my finger feeling cluelessly for the trigger, but they stampede past us and up the stairs.
‘The Prime Minister is being targeted!’ one of them shouts.
We follow Dr Seymour into the ballroom, then out of a small door and into the grounds. I turn to look at the manor. Tiles and rubble are cascading off the roof and behind it the forest is on fire, flames surging up to the very tops of the trees as if to outshine the first tendrils of orange sunrise.
‘Faster, Viv!’ Marquis shouts as he streaks past me, Ursa bouncing on his hip.
Across the lawn in the courtyard, Rhydderch is toweringover the Guardian cars. He swings his spiked tail, slamming into his opponent, a silver patrol dragon named Fenestra, who lets out an agonised roar. Guardians scramble for cover as the dragons fall against the cars, flattening them.
