As I flew I spun in the air, frantic to see what happened to Justin. As soon as my feet left the pole, his arms smacked into it and he was able to hold on, dangling above the pit with terror etched on his face. “Tay!”

Then it hit me: I was falling. My body went rigid. I knew tensing up was the worst thing to do but, damn, this was going to hurt. My hair lashed my face and the wind laughed in my ears as I tried to tuck in my arms and legs. What if I broke something?

The ground smacked into me like a sheet of rubberised lead and my breath flew ahead of me as I rolled.

I barely had time to register my bruised side before the Darkness reached for me, filaments like vines snaking from the pit to drag me back. I barrelled frantically, continuing to roll as far away as I could.

Finally I stopped and twisted. My ears strained. I could hear James and Harley laughing. The collection of blackness was palpitating, but something was holding it back. I looked up. I had landed right beneath the spotlight. Although my sweatshirt was covering the bulb it was casting enough of a glare to keep the shadows at bay.

I rubbed my face with shaking hands then tuned my ears into Tamsin’s whine. “You saw him, didn’t you? That’s why you jumped.” She sprinted to my side and grabbed me by my shoulders. “James wasn’t looking and Harley was messing with his phone, but you were right there. You must have seen him.”

I winced. I’d be black and blue tomorrow. “Let go, will you?” I rolled painfully to my feet. Justin had been right; Tamsin had seen him.

I opened my mouth and the fence rattled. Abruptly Pete’s face appeared. “Taylor, thank God you’re OK.” He was gasping. “The guard’s seen the light; he’s on his way round.”

“Time to go.” Harley tucked his phone back in his jeans and leaped for the chain link.

Tamsin was still standing next to me, her face pale under her thick make-up. I grabbed her elbow and shoved her towards her new boyfriend.

My legs protested as I ran, muscles quivering, but I pushed myself to jump at the fence and groaned as I tried to scramble upwards.

“Taylor!” A voice called from above and I looked up. Pete was offering me his hand. I stretched, and my fingertips touched his. The security guard shouted and next to me Tamsin scaled the fence like a monkey.

Hands grabbed my waist and crumpled my shirt as they propelled me upwards. My palm slapped Pete’s and he dragged me to the top of the fence.

I swung my legs over the link and my eyes met those of the angry guard. “Stupid bloody kids,” he shouted. “You think you’re clever? You want to get killed?”

I pressed my lips together, resisting the impulse to apologise and was about to drop to the ground when movement caught my eye. Justin was scrambling down from the scaffolding, staying as far from the Darkness as he could get.

Who had boosted me up?

My heart thudded as I looked down. The ghost of the old woman touched her cane to her forehead in a kind of salute and moved backwards.

I tightened my gloved hand on the fence. She could have Marked me easily; simple contact with the skin on my waist would have done it.

“I’ll come back.” My dry lips formed the words and she nodded as Pete tugged on my jeans. My ankles complained as I dropped to the ground and staggered back. A stray dog barked at us and scuttled away amongst the bin-bags. Then we all ran down the alleyway in a tight group as shadows boiled at the edges of buildings.

The street was busy. The others slowed to a walk, pulled off their hoods and blended. But when they headed towards the tube, I tugged at Pete’s arm.

“I’m owed a challenge, remember?”

He raised his eyebrows. “You want to do that now?”

My eyes strayed to the shadows that bayed at the edges of the pooled streetlights. “Definitely.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Just somewhere quiet… and well lit.”

“A bar?”

“Quiet.” I reminded him.

“This time of night we’ll be able to find a table.” He rubbed his bald head and raised his voice. “James, alright if we go in here?”

We were passing a Slug and Lettuce. I peered through the doors at the pale wood and the long bar crammed with men and women still in their office-wear. Then I shrugged, Pete was right; the tables at the back appeared quiet.

As I made the decision my mind turned to Justin. I wasn’t sure whether he should be with us for this. But while I considered ducking into the bar after the others, he appeared at a run, ignoring the bodies thronging the street and swishing through arms, torsos and legs, like a swimmer.

When he saw me, he slowed. “Did she Mark you?” He grabbed my arm.

I shook my head and my lips twitched; he was worried about me.

“I saw her touch you and I couldn’t get there in time.” Justin rubbed his hand up and down my arm and his eyes were nowhere near Tamsin. “Are you OK?”

I nodded, trying to show him I was pleased to see him without seemingly speaking to thin air. Then I leaned into him, just slightly and Pete pushed the doors open from the inside. “I thought you wanted to go in here,” he snapped.

“Right.” I let Justin put his arm around me and together we walked through the doors into the bustle and music.

There were three tables left at the back of the room. We took the one furthest from the bar and sat. “I’m getting some wedges.” Harley grabbed the menu. “I’m starving.”

Justin hesitated at the chairs. A few weeks ago it would have been the most natural thing in the world for him to have slouched down with the others. Instead he stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.

Immediately my eyes went to Tamsin, but she didn’t even look in his direction. She may have seen him before, but she couldn’t now.

Our table leaned against a window. The Darkness outside pressed against the glass, but didn’t spill in. I slid our candle closer to my seat. I only had to defend myself against it for a short while longer; the truth was about to come out.

“I get to set a challenge now, right?” I turned to James. “That’s what we agreed.”

James blinked. “Don’t you want to chill for a bit? I’ll admit you were amazing up there.”

I shook my head. “I want a truth. And I want it now.”

28

What do you want to know?

“You want a truth,” James sniggered. “That’s a bit tame, isn’t it? What do you want to know?”

I looked into his eyes, then past, into Tamsin’s. She was still pale under her make-up, still rattled. If anyone was going to tell the truth at this moment, it was her. “I’m challenging Tamsin.”

Tamsin blinked owlishly. “Me?”

I touched Justin’s hand where it had tightened on my shoulder and nodded firmly.

She echoed her new boyfriend. “What do you want to know?”

I took a deep breath. “I want to know what really happened to Justin.”

Pete gasped, Harley’s eyes widened and Tamsin opened her mouth to deny all knowledge – I could see it on her face – but James’ hand trapped hers. “Respect the rules, Tam.” He glared at me from beneath his sculpted brow. “Oh’s one of us now and we’ve got videos of her we can send to the police if we have to.” He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Isn’t that right?”

I stared steadily back at him. “I have no intention of going to the police, whatever I hear.”

“You won’t talk to anyone at all.” He still leaned back, but his tone was threatening.

“No one,” I promised.

James released Tamsin’s hand and straightaway she reached for her napkin and began twisting it in her fingers.

“Tell her.”

Tamsin looked at James through her hair. “Can’t you do it?”

He shrugged. “She challenged you.”

Tamsin shook her head. “I wish I’d never seconded you, bitch,” she muttered.