Rai was the first to go down, letting out a resilient yet somehow dignified "oh crap!" as Axel barrelled over her. Luna continued to run, blinking back the tears that welled up in her eyes. James was the one who was stupid enough to turn back.

"Axel! Please sto-" his voice was cut off by an ear-splitting howl followed by a heavy thud. Luna gulped and pushed herself to move faster. She risked a glance behind her and instantly wished she hadn't.

He was right behind her, snarling and twitching, covered in crimson. The sword in Luna's hand was slick with sweat, so much that she almost dropped it. She turned back to where she was going and swore. A blue light was slowly lurching her way, getting brighter and brighter with each second.

Then the Clutch bone came into view and with sickening clarity Luna realised she was going to die.

~

Slowly Quin's eyes adjusted to the darkness. He blinked, trying to concentrate on something, anything.

Nothing.

He tried to move and found his hands bound to the chair he was sitting on. His pulse quickened. "Help! Someone!"

Suddenly he was back when he was a little kid, after the men in masks had come and taken him away, locking him in a coffin where he'd scream and cry and beg but always he would retreat back into silence and darkness.

"Quin, calm down," Someone said. His eyes widened.

"N-Nyx?"

"Yes. Quin. Just keep calm. I need you to create fire," Nyx said calmly. Quin nodded slowly, imagining a small flame just in front of him. The fire sparked to life, casting a flickering light that allowed him to make out the room they were in.

It was small, defiantly made of stone, the grey walls lines with cages that shuddered and shook but were two engulfed by shadow to make anything out. Quin turned back to Nyx.

His hat was gone and he looked pretty beat up; a large gash across his cheek, one on his forehead and his nose was swollen and purple.

"What happened?" Quin gulped, straining against the scratchy ropes that bound him to the chair.

"Varistor did. No idea how he got you, but he jumped me as I was leaving," Nyx spat. "Quin, how big can you make that flame? Maybe we can-"

"Maybe you can what?"

A previously unseen door burst open, flooding the room with light and Varistor strode in, the only thing Quin registered was the lack of a dragon chained to his shoulder. He extinguished the flame. But as Varistor got closer Quin's heart stopped.

"Want to scream child?" Varistor chuckled, leaning in close enough for Quin to smell his rancid breath. He smelt like death. "Go on, you do. This is what the men looked like, didn't they? The ones that killed your mother and father."

And Quin did scream, as he stared into the face made of cracked, dried clay, into those deep, unblinking, black eyes.

~

Luna skidded to a halt as the clutch bone opened its jaw and let out an ear splitting scream.

"Think damn it!" She growled, hitting her forehead with her spare hand. "Think, think, think!"

Behind her Axel snarled, the heavy thudding of his footsteps and the swishing if his tail against the cobbles yet failing to drown out the sound of her own racing heartbeat.

Maybe she could get them to fight each other? But then that would leave the victor to kill her. On the other hand, the winner would be weakened and easy to take down.

"You wander my streets tonight," The clutch bone rasped, its voice deep and monotone as it took a step forwards. It raised one of its scythes, the fire within its lantern head glowing brighter, smoke pouring out of its mouth. "You wander towards your death."

In the distance a muffled scream rang out and Luna choked back a sob. Quin. He was in danger. She remembered the hat outside. Nyx was in danger. Charlie and Jags and Gemma and every person in Grey-Castle was in danger as long as Axel was out and all... Wolfy. With renewed strength she brought her sword up and blocked the Clutch bone's first strike, the force sending her back a few feet.

"Bring it on Skelly!" She snarled with more confidence than she felt. The clutch bone laughed and advanced. Axel did the same, nose twitching as he sprinted towards them.

Luna dodged as the last second, his claws catching her arm, tearing away fabric and skin. She yelled and stumbled, landing in a crumpled heap in a corner. She'd been working for the Hunter's society for six months, and in that time she'd received her fair share of injuries, but nothing like this.

She couldn't stop the bleeding, and when she looked down she was pretty sure she could make out a glimmer of white.

Axel roared and she looked up just in time to watch him slam into the clutch bone, sending both crashing into a nearby house. No cries rang out, suggesting that nobody was inside. Luna scrambled to her feet, her head woozy, and stumbled backwards.

Axel snarled and grabbed ahold of the Clutch bone's head and dragged it to its feet, pulling both if them towards the square. She rubbed her head and ran after them, towards Quin's fading scream.

The clutch bone slammed into the statue of Hatchet, swinging its scythes around and decapitating the statue before slashing Axel's chest. Luna hobbed past, trying not to be seen or caught in the crossfire.

"You! You brought this creature here!" The Clutch bone screamed, pushing Axle off of him before stooping down and spewing embers onto his fur. Axel howled as they caught, orange engulfing his flesh as he thrashed back and forth before throwing himself back at the clutch bone. Luna ignored them, continuing to forge onwards as her arm burned and her head swam.

~

Minx watched Varistor pace back and forth, knife in hand. Beside her Blueberry shuddered and August snarled.

"What's the plan?" Stray hissed, coming up behind them.

"Wait for the others to show up?" August offered. Minx shook her head.

"If they were coming they would have got here by now," She whispered, watching the cage nearest to them shudder and spew out smoke.

"Where's Baby-doll?" Blueberry asked.

"I'm sure she's fine. Probably just got caught it with whatever's going on over there," he gestured to the light of a raging fire somewhere in the distance. "Varistor came up with a way to have us scattered."

Two red eyes appeared at the window from inside the cage, blinking before the dragon inside moved forwards and breathed against glass, writing in dragon tongue with a claw it had managed to wiggle between the bars of its cage.

Hunter's society. Sister and brothers, help us.

Minx smiled, a plan forming in her head. "Guys, I have a cunning plan."