Tila stomped into the darkness. She couldn't see Malachi anywhere. She needed to find him and put everything right. She realised she had lost her temper, again, and taken it out on the one person she was certain had her back through all this.

Tila had no doubt that Ellie meant well, but she was young and as much as she loved her friend, she didn't trust Ellie to have enough backbone to do the right thing. Everything here was a temptation. Everything was a risk. As dangerous as the Juggernaut could be, at least is was a familiar danger. Here it was difficult to read the signs and impossible to know who to trust.

But can I blame her? She's never been anywhere like this. Never even left the Juggernaut. It must be intoxicating, being under the open sky, with the scent of grass and the touch of flowers all around.

Tila glanced up. Only the stars are less impressive here.

I can count on Malachi to do the right thing when I need him. He's never let me down. That's what a couple more years of maturity will do, I guess. Once Ellie grows up I can stop worrying about her constantly. But I never have to worry about Malachi.

She paused and looked back at the pool of light behind her. So why did I leap to his defence? Because I can? Yes, and because I should. Who cares if he can take a hit? Why should it come to that? If I can stop it I should. He's my friend. If only I could find him and maybe apologise and explain this. Once he understands I didn't mean to embarrass him we can get Ellie, get out of here, and plan our next move. Now all I have to do is find him. Shouldn't be too hard.

Tila paused to look around and realised she had been blindly following the path before her. Now she was a long way from the house and deep in the gardens. Chatter from the house carried on the night air and blended with the sound of a nearby stream. The only illumination out here were soft lights, no higher than Tila's ankles, spread along the edges of the path. She knew her eyes would adjust in time, but for the moment the garden was nothing but a sea of black, and somewhere out here was Malachi.

Shouldn't be too hard.