Skulduggery stood by the Bentley, staring out at the huge stretch of meadows and hills that extended towards the woodland at Aranmore Farm, private property where a strong ley convergence was supposed to be located, a possible opening for a gate to the alternate reality.

"No one's picking up their phone- Satya was supposed to call with more coordinates for the ley convergence," Dexter said, frowning as he tried to call her again.

"Try the office," Skulduggery recommended, turning to face him.

Dexter did as asked, holding his phone to his ear. He frowned as the line was answered.

"Shit," He swore. Skulduggery tilted his head. "Automated message," Dexter told him, "The Sanctuary is on lockdown."

"Get in the car," Skulduggery ordered, "If I run enough lights, we can be there within the hour."

"Dead Man is a metaphor," Dexter muttered, getting into the car.

ooooooooo

Satya thanked the cleaver who handed her a walkie-talkie.

"Saracen?"

"Hearing you loud and clear."

"What's going on in the repository?" She faced the heavily bolted door, Anton by her side, a group of twenty cleavers behind them.

"Krav and Rose are in there- Sanguine's still leading Tanith on a chase on the west end of the upper levels," Saracen answered.

"They have to be planning something," Anton said, "Valkyrie couldn't have been the only ticket out of there- Especially since Sanguine let her go. There must have been another plan to get out."

Satya bit her lip, eyes narrowed before she spoke, "Saracen- Hypothetically, if the Grotesquery was unsealed, would it still hold some fraction of power that it did in full form?"

Saracen was silent for a moment, "Shit."

"They're going to bomb this place unless we let them go," Anton said, his voice tight in horror.

"Hopeless, stop the lockdown," Satya ordered.

"You can't, Satya!" Saracen hissed, "We can't let them take the Grotesquery."

"We have Fletcher," She hissed back, stepping away from the cleavers, Anton following her with a sigh. "We maintain some control of the situation- We let them go, we can still get them."

"That's too much of a risk."

"It's a risk we're going to have to take otherwise they're going to blow us all up!" Satya exclaimed, "I'd rather fight some gods then get Valkyrie killed- Or have you forgotten that she's in the building too?"

Silence on the line.

"If you're going to be a little bitch then give the walkie talkie to the Grand Mage," She ordered, barely holding back rage.

"I'm ending the lockdown," She heard Hopeless say. She closed her eyes in relief.

The alarms immediately stopped.

"Get it open," Anton ordered the cleavers, gesturing to the repository doors.

They followed orders with precise movements, reaching the doors and unlocking the heavily locked door.

The doors opened and the cleavers awaited orders.

"Where's Tanith?" Satya said, walking into the repository towards Sanguine who stood with a smug smile on his face.

"Where is she, you sick son of a bitch?" She shouted, raising a gun and aiming at him, stopping about three meters away.

"Don't worry," He smirked, his sunglasses conveying nothing, "She and I had a great time."

"Why aren't you running?" Anton asked suspiciously.

"Drama, of course."

"Search the place," Satya ordered the cleavers, "Account for everything."

"Don't worry," Sanguine said, raising his hands, "We just took the burnt up demigod and left."

"Yet you're still here."

"Oh," Sanguine nodded, "I just wanted to watch your faces when I told you the world was ending."

Satya didn't blink, pulling the trigger.

"Shit!" He kneeled over, clutching his stomach, "You shot me!" He snarled.

"That was for Valkyrie, you son of a bitch," Satya said, turning on her heel.

Anton closed his eyes for a moment before sighing and following her, "Get him stable then lock him in max."