It didn’t feel like a victory. The planes had gone and the bombing had stopped, but the firestorm was still tearing through the City of London.

And Silver was still dead.

Lily felt as if someone had scraped out her insides and left her hollow. She couldn’t look at her friend’s body. She tried touching one of her arms; it was as hard and cold as stone under the uneven rainbow sleeve.

“Come on.” B62 put a hand on her shoulder.

“We can’t leave Silver. I won’t leave her.”

“Of course not. I’ll carry her.” Once again B62 hauled Silver over one shoulder. “Now go with the boys.”

Lily followed Oz and Caydon back through the door, down the endless stairs, into the magnificent interior of the cathedral – which looked none the worse for having its roof lifted off by a pair of giants.

The ghostly Mr Prout was waiting for them. “Well done, that was marvellous work.”

“We didn’t do anything in the end,” Caydon said. “We weren’t needed – the giants did it.”

“You’re quite wrong, my boy. The very fact that you three were here undermined Alba’s power, and there seems to be some strange affinity between the giants and yourselves. You’re distantly related, of course. They’re carriers of the D33 gene, like you.”

Caydon was startled. “Related – to those morons?”

“That’s a little severe,” Mr Prout said, smiling. “As they’ve shown, they have a strong sense of loyalty – except to their mother, I’m glad to say.”

“Excuse me,” asked B62. “Is there a working portal in this cathedral?”

“Certainly” – the old ghost became businesslike – “if you’re able to operate magic at that level.” He glanced at Silver and sighed. “I’m very sorry about this vampire child. I shall be thinking of her poor parents.”

For the first time since coming here, Lily had begun to believe that they really might be going home. Her heart beat uncomfortably to think of the joy of being back with Mum and Dad and Daisy – but it hurt to remember Cathy and Vaz.

In a sorrowful, battered, sooty group, they followed the gliding figure of Mr Prout along the aisle of the cathedral, to a plain wooden door in the wall. This time they were not returning to their own century down a toilet; this door opened straight out into the fiery night air, yet as each of them passed through it, the time stream caught them and whipped them into the hurricane of history.

 

And then there was a stunning silence, shocking as a blow.

The hurricane died down and they were sprawled across a concrete floor, in a huge space that was lit by sickly electric light.

“I think” – B62 sat up, shaking her head – “I’m pretty sure this is the SMU car park, underneath the MI6 building.”

Oz dragged himself upright. “When?”

“I don’t care,” Caydon said. “As long as the war’s over.”

“We’re back in the right time,” B62 said. “I can see my Renault Clio.”

“Does that mean it’s all OK?”

“Silver!” Lily choked suddenly. With a shaking finger, she pointed at Silver’s body, lying under B62’s jacket. “She – moved!”

“My poor dear,” purred Demerara, rubbing against her legs. “I know it’s hard to believe. When our human owner died, Spike and I were constantly imagining we heard him.”

“I didn’t imagine it!”

Everyone stared at Silver.

From under the jacket came a long, deep sigh.

“She’s still alive!” Oz gasped.

B62 crawled over to Silver and quickly uncovered her face. The vampire’s eyes were closed – but her face was no longer pinched and shrivelled. It was strangely pink and plump, and she looked as if she were sleeping peacefully.

“Oh my G—” B62’s face was now whiter than Silver’s. She scrambled in her pocket for her phone and gabbled into it. “This is an emergency Code Nine for Area Six – I need an ambulance with a vampire crash team NOW!”

Silver opened her eyes and yawned. “Have I been asleep?”

“Silver!” Lily cried. “You’re not dead!”

“Dead? Of course I’m not dead – actually, I feel fantastic.”

She tried to sit up but B62 pushed her back to the floor. “Lie down and don’t move; you’ve been very seriously injured.”

Spike scuttled over to pat Silver’s hair with his paw. “You’ve had a stake driven through your heart and I know how that feels! You want to take it easy for a minute.”

“Good gracious, what a fright you gave us!” Demerara rubbed her furry cheek against Silver’s hand. “I’m afraid your clothes are in absolute shreds, my dear.”

“Maybe the stake missed your heart,” B62 said, wide-eyed with amazement. “But I don’t see how – I saw the terrible wound in your chest!”

“My chest’s fine.” Silver glanced down at the blackened mess of her front, and smiled. “There’s a terrible wound in my jersey – but I can live with that.”

Oz said, “It’s good to have you back, Silver.”

“It’s great,” Caydon said. “I’ve got used to having you around, Major Biggins.”

“Are you really alive?” asked Lily. She had never felt such relief, such happiness; the thought of life without her best friend had been horrible.

“I keep telling you, I’m fine! In fact, I haven’t felt this fine in years! I don’t know where we are but the air down here is lovely. It’s filling me with energy – and I could murder a burger!”

“Me too,” Caydon said. “But, hang on, you don’t eat meat.”

“Don’t I? I really fancy some now. Or some of that cottage pie your gran was cooking the other day.”

“There’s something different about you.” Lily looked at Silver more closely. “You’re sort of younger. Your teeth are smaller. And you’re bleeding – there’s a cut on your hand.”

“Bleeding?” For the first time, Silver was rattled. She looked at the red cut on her hand. “But that’s not possible!”

“Lie still,” said B62. “The crash team’s here.”

On the other side of the underground car park there was a commotion of doors banging and feet running. Four paramedics dashed across the concrete floor, wheeling a stretcher and hefting boxes of medical equipment.

Silver’s parents were with them, their faces white and anguished.

“Hi, Mum,” Silver said. “Hi, Dad.”

“Silver!” Cathy gasped. “What’s going on? They told us—”

“Mrs Biggins, I must ask you to stand well back.” A very smartly dressed man, in a black suit and black bow tie, firmly pushed Silver’s mother aside. He knelt down beside Silver. “Hello, do you remember me? I’m Dr LeStrange from the vampire clinic.”

“Yes, of course I remember you,” Silver said. “You gave me an injection last month. What’s going on? This is getting embarrassing! And why are you dressed like Count Dracula?”

“It’s the evening,” Dr LeStrange said. “I was at a gala fundraising dinner. Take a deep breath, please.”

He listened to Silver’s heart through his stethoscope. He peered down her throat and shone lights in her eyes. He got out a magnifying glass and stared for a long time at the cut on her hand.

“Well?” Cathy asked. “What’s happened to her? Why won’t you tell me anything?”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” The doctor was deadly serious and his eyes glittered with excitement. “It’s quite incredible! Amazing! Stand up, please.”

“OK.” Silver scrambled quickly to her feet.

“I want to test your vampire strength. Go and pick up that car over there.”

Silver went over to the nearest car – B62’s Renault Clio – and tried to pick it up. She couldn’t shift it. “This is weird – I feel stronger than I have in ages, but I haven’t any actual strength!”

Dr LeStrange grinned. “Now walk up this wall, and walk down head first.”

They were all silent now. Silver ran to the wall, and immediately landed in a heap at the bottom. “Ow – I can’t do it!”

“She’s lost her powers!” Cathy whispered. “What does it mean? Is it serious?”

“It’s extremely serious,” Dr LeStrange said. “I’ll need to do some follow-up tests, but there’s no mistaking it. Mr and Mrs Biggins, please prepare yourselves for a shock.”

Vaz whispered, “How long has she got?”

“I’d say about eighty years.” The vampire doctor was smiling. “In other words, a normal, healthy human life span. Young lady, you’ve just made history – you’re not a vampire any more.”