The house was bigger than the one Antonia grew up back in Romania. It had a tall stone wall and a serious-looking iron gate.

'So… The guy who killed all of those people at the British Museum now wants to kill me?' Antonia asked. She didn't feel scared, but she was smart enough to know that it was because of the shock.

They were sitting in an immaculate kitchen that was clearly never used.

'Apparently so. We were not entirely sure until he attacked you,' answered the detective. He was a short man with greyish hair and a slight beer-belly, well into his fifties. He had a nice, deep voice and honest-looking eyes.

'Because he thinks I am the great-great-great-granddaughter of some ancient sorcerer and my blood might open a trap, setting free… What exactly?'

'We aren't sure. According to our civil adviser, if something is in that statue, that's most likely the soul or spirit or whatever of a very powerful sorcerer. We don't know what happens if she gets out, but that's not the point. Because we won't let that happen. Okay?'

He sounded convincing, but Antonia remembered how easily that insane man killed two armed police officers. Still, this seemed different. They told her that the house is so heavily enchanted that it would probably survive a rocket attack or a bomb, not to mention that it was built to be a real fortress with bulletproof windows and thick, fireproof walls. There were ten highly trained policemen all the time around, working in a rotation with another ten. Also security cameras, movement detectors and a panic room, as the last hope, which was told to be completely unbreachable. And if all of that wouldn't be enough, Amal, the girl who saved her at the coffee shop stayed in all the time, never left her alone and even started to teach her how to use attacking spells.

They talked about a lot of things during those practices. It turned out Amal was too young to be in her position, but the Met had only so much sorcerer with fighting experience, and she used to be a soldier, spent almost a year in Afghanistan.

Usually, the tasks like this went automatically to the SRU, but they couldn't be used in this case, because The Priest had a special connection with vampires what made him able to control them. Or something like that, Antonia wasn't sure about the details. The theory of magic wasn't her strong suit.

She wasn't good at the duelling spells either, but the thought that she wasn't completely helpless gave her some confidence.

'I heard that that redhead guy from the news is working with you right now,' Antonia said on the third day, during practice.

'You mean Montgomery?' asked back Amal, knocking her down, then gave a hand to help her get up.

'I guess,' she shrugged and sent a "lullaby", as Amal called it, which was a strong curse making its target fall asleep immediately. She used an extendable baton, which she borrowed from one of the officers. It had a lot of useful spells engraved in it. The lullaby was one of them, but it didn't matter how handy it was, because Antonia had problems with her aim. She cast the spell but it was off and hit the wall behind Amal.

'He and a couple of other civilian advisors are currently working on the case,' the policewoman said. 'I think they are protecting the other target because we don't have enough manpower without the SRU,' she pointed with her baton to a medicine ball, and it flew across the small gym. Antonia was quick enough to dodge it and shot back a simple Movement-based spell which was supposed to push Amal backwards, but she stopped it with the Rune of Denial. 'That was good,' she nodded.

'Thanks. He is the same guy who stopped that magical thunderstorm last year, right? And broke the curse on that cab, too. You know, the one that kept running over people.'

'Yeah, he is the same guy,' said Amal. 'Now heads up!' She used three medicine balls this time, and the other girl made a good enough magical wall to defend herself from them.

'I wouldn't mind if he was protecting me,' she said. 'He is like the strongest sorcerer in the country, isn't he? Maybe he could beat that Priest guy.' She tried to make flames, but only produced a ray of sparks. They didn't even reach until halfway to Amal.

'When you are trying to do fire, you gotta remember the feeling. Feel the hotness,' advised Amal.

Antonia took a deep breath and made a very pale bolt of fire, which died out after a second.

'See, that was better. Listen, my bosses think that you are safe with us. We have eleven officers here, plus six more in three cars circling the street. And honestly, I don't know how big of a deal that Montgomery guy is, but Kevin is pretty badass, once I saw him take on six sorcerers by himself.

Kevin was the short, older officer. Just like Amal, he never left, and mostly just sat at the fake fireplace in the living room and crocheted something shapeless, in a particularly disgusting shade of green. He stated that it was going to be a jumper one day for his husband. He always looked happy and calm, even cheerful, and unlike the others, didn't shiver whenever a random car door was shut outside.

'I know, I know…' said Antonia. 'Still, I would be more relaxed if Montgomery would be here, too.'

'Sure, you want him to be here because he is good at magic,' grinned Amal.

'Well, he is handsome, in a way,' she admitted. 'But mostly because he is strong, yeah. Like you wouldn't be happy with him around... '

Amal raised her hand and moved her fingers. 'Engaged,' she said with a proud smile.

Antonia shrugged. 'I have a boyfriend, too. Doesn't mean that we are blind... Tell me about your fiance. Is he a copper too?'

The days were all the same. Antonia got up early, partly because after years of working in hospitality she couldn't sleep until late, and partly because she had nightmares. She made breakfast for everyone who wanted some, so she could feel useful, then read or watched a movie with Amal until lunch. Half of the afternoon was practising, the other half books and movies again. When the evening came she cooked dinner for everyone. Cooking had a soothing effect on her.

They didn't have internet for security reasons, but once she got used to the new daily schedule, Antonia was surprised how little she missed it. The only thing she wanted to use it for was to facetime her parents, but they were in a similar safe house in Bucharest, so that wouldn't work anyway.

The news was hard to come by, and none of them was really good. The Priest hadn't surfaced since the attack at the coffee shop, which meant the other poor soul from the list was safe as well. As far as they knew there was no other incident, but it was hard to tell: London was the capital city of knife attacks. But nobody saw a demigod from the Stone Age passing by somewhere in town, which was kind of reassuring. But the police had no idea where to find the murderer, and Antonia, despite everything Amal told her, had a bad feeling that they also had no clue how to stop him once they did find him.

She started to believe that the safe house was, as advertised, safe because a week went by and nothing bad happened. In spite of everything she saw it seemed so unlikely that she was in real danger. Nobody could have dealt with this many magic-wielding police officers. Not even someone like that Priest. It was just impossible. At least that was what she was telling herself every night before she went to sleep.

Then, on the eighth day, something happened.

'I cannot get in touch with car number three,' said a muscular, tall policeman. He had a long black beard and he wore a turban. Antonia only had foggy ideas about why he had that on, which was something she was ashamed of beyond asking about it. She has lived in London for a while now and she was still lost about the many different cultures she encountered every day. Antonia always intended to catch up on that, but somehow never found the time for it.

'Maybe a communication issue,' said Kevin, putting down his knitting pins. 'Call number two.'

He did so, and they said they didn't see anything suspicious. The third car was also unresponsive, and Antonia felt that her heart was sinking. Cold sweat was dripping down on her back.

'Okay, Amal, get Antonia down to the panic room. Stay with her whatever happens. If I am not there in five minutes, get into the panic room.'

While he was talking, the man in the turban was already on his phone, calling in for backup.

'C'mon,' Amal said, beckoning towards the stairs leading downstairs. 'Have you got your baton?'

Antonia patted the pocket of her trousers. She was carrying her weapon all over the house wherever she went, even to bed, where she put it under her pillow.

They went down to the basement where the gym was. Amal stopped at a particular point of the wall, did something and a door that wasn't visible before, just opened up. The panic room was a luxurious one, with food and water and even a bed. Also, so much magic it didn't need to lighten up, the glowing from the Runes made it bright enough.

'We are in position,' said Amal into her radio after she closed the door of the basement. 'Kevin, what's happening?'

The radio cracked and something hit the house so hard the walls shook and smooth white dust started to fall from the ceiling.

'We lost all three of the cars. The Priest is here, but the defending spells are holding. Backup is on the way, they will be here in ten minutes.'

Kevin told Antonia days ago that the backup meant every police officer available at the moment with magically enhanced weapons. Most of them won't be actual sorcerers, explained Kevin, but they will be more than enough to take out one person.

'How did he find us?' asked Amal. 'I thought it was impossible.'

'I honestly don't care about it right now,' said Kevin. 'Stay ready.'

Amal extended her baton, and Antonia followed her lead. She was so terrified she managed to make a waterfall of sparks unwillingly. Amal took her baton-wielding hand, pushed it down gently and smiled at her.

'Relax. You are gonna be alright,' she said.

The walls continued to shake. Antonia took a deep breath and the sparks disappeared.

'He can't come in, right?' she asked in a small voice.

'I don't know,' replied Amal honestly. 'But even if he can, the panic room will keep you safe until the backup arrives.'

'What do you mean, "me"? You are coming with me, right?'

Amal shook her head. There was another huge hit, and a window broke somewhere with a loud crash.

'I'm gonna stay out here and buy some time for you. The backup is coming, we just need to keep you safe until then.'

Antonia wanted to say something but an explosion cut her off. Cracks opened on the walls. Something was happening upstairs, there was shouting and screams and thuds.

'Kevin! Report!' said Amal to her radio. There was no answer. From upstairs they could hear the noises of a desperate fight for a couple of more seconds, then there was silence, complete and deep silence, the type that can be at the bottom of the ocean, under the crushing tonnes of water.

'Get in!' said Amal, beckoning towards the panic room.

'Come with me,' begged Antonia. 'Please!'

The detective didn't waste any more time for arguing, she just shoved Antonia into the panic room and closed the hidden door behind her. The girl was alone in the glowing lights of the Runes. She was shaking and out of breath. Her hand trembled, causing the extendable baton to waver. Then she saw the small screen next to the door. It showed the gym outside in black and white. There was no sound.

The man was there, slowly walking down the stairs. His long coat was stained with something, so was his featureless white wooden mask. Where were the others? He couldn't have defeated them all… Not Kevin, that's for sure. And yet, the Priest came, and even though he was an average man, at that moment he looked larger than life.

In the middle of the gym there was Amal, levitating three hand weights at the same time, ready to fight. She shot two at the man's chest, and the third one a second later, aiming for his legs. She didn't even wait to see if they hit their target, she ordered a jumping rope from behind The Priest to tie up his hands, then made half a dozen of fireballs, and ripped out a pipe from the wall and turned the water that burst out into icicles. It was devastating, Antonia couldn't imagine how anyone can survive an attack like that. But the weights never reached their destination, the fireballs met the water and got extinguished, and the rope turned into black smoke. Only the icicles hit the man, but they were completely harmless, bounced off broken as if the Priest's clothes were some kind of armour.

Amal leapt forward. She was about to try to knock down the mask of the Priest's face with her baton. She only made it until halfway, when the black smoke attacked her, flying at her face. For a moment nothing happened, then the smoke started to get in her mouth and nose. She recoiled and dropped her baton. Antonia wanted to look away from the screen but she couldn't and watched with her hand on her own mouth as Amal was shaking uncontrollable. Then she started to bleed from between her lips, nose, eyes and even from her ears. A second later she collapsed, and her trembling stopped.

Antonia wanted to scream, but she knew she had to stay quiet. The panic room was hidden and perfectly safe, The Priest couldn't possibly know where she was. And Amal is going to be okay, she thought, it was just a little blood, sure, she passed out but she will be alright soon. The Priest only managed to escape from the policemen upstairs, and Kevin will be here with them, and probably with the full backup too, at any second now. She just had to stay put and wait.

'I know you are here, Antonia Maria Bogdan,' said the man behind his mask. Even though the girl couldn't hear anything from the fight, she heard him loud and clear, as if he was standing right next to her. 'I can find you… But I don't have too much time. Soon other officers will arrive, and I will have to kill them all, too, just like I did with the ones who were protecting you. Their death is going to be your fault. Unless you are opening the door right now.' He spoke calmly, without any accent, perfectly pronouncing every word a way only someone whose first language wasn't English could talk.

Antonia knew that he was lying. That cannot be true. She watched him slowly walking around, head down, staring at something that looked like a compass. Then he stopped right in front of the wall panel that was hiding the door of the panic room.

'Open the door, Antonia. I promise I will be quick.'

She backed up to the other wall and pointed her baton at the door. He is lying. He cannot get in. And he won't be waiting around for the police…

The Runes on the wall all died out at the very same moment, and so did the small screen. There was darkness and nothing else. Then Antonia felt something on her throat, it was like a gentle touch of a feather. Something warm and thick poured down to her chest. Her head became dizzy, and she dropped to her knees. She smelled something heavy, almost like iron rail on a hot day. She couldn't breathe, and that warm thing now was dripping on the floor and all over her. Then there was light and Antonia thought that there was indeed something in the other end of the tunnel, but it was only the door and the killer coming through it.

'See? I promised it won't hurt,' he said and Antonia, even though she couldn't talk, almost wanted to thank him. Then she fell on the floor, tired of fighting for air she will never get and closed her eyes for a moment. She never opened them again.