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Sydney roads went, it seemed at first much like any other, lined with the common slew of cheap cafés, hotels, office buildings and underground car parking facilities. Of the latter, there was one ahead on the left, advertised by the usual blue and white P-sign, but beside it lurked a different sort of building altogether.
    ‘What’s that?’ asked Electra, pointing. The motion of her arm caused Laine and Solace to duck, as they, along with Harper, were all squashed together in the middle row of seats. They all leaned forwards, vying for a look.
    The building in question was an old-fashioned house. Built of creamy sandstone and situated behind a wrought-iron fence, it was overshadowed by slender, leafy trees. Smaller than either of its neighbouring structures by far, it seemed marooned in an island of shade, anachronistic and beautiful. Despite its obvious age, it was well maintained and clearly occupied, with a brass nameplate resplendent on the fence.
    ‘The Judge’s House,’ Laine read aloud, squinting. ‘Huh. I wonder what that is?’
    ‘Maybe it’s where we’re meant to go?’ asked Paige, from the back.
    Jess shook her head. ‘No – I can’t get in. There’s a security system on the gate. Anyway, it’s above ground.’ She exhaled. ‘Down we go, then.’
    With a
scff
of rubber on asphalt, the Kombi turned to enter the nearest underground car park. It was a little like being swallowed, Solace thought, watching as the outside light was muted to a dull, fluorescent yellow.
    Once down the slope, a boom gate and its adjacent pay station confronted them. Grumbling, Jess wound down the window and examined the rates, eventually letting out a snort of indignation at the expense.
    ‘Fifteen dollars flat rate!’ she exclaimed. ‘And in coins, no less!’ Imploringly, she swivelled around in her seat, peering back over the gearbox. ‘Any chance, Lex?’
    Without answering, Electra began to glow. In comparison to other times, her aura was soft, but warmer than Solace had expected. For all she’d watched Electra’s Trick before, she’d never been close enough during the process to feel its physical effects.
    Seconds later, Electra was passing a handful of gold coins to Jess, who smiled in thanks and fed the machine. In answer, it made a lengthy grinding noise before finally spitting out a small, square ticket. The boom gate rose, and they drove on.
    ‘Now, the real challenge of parking,’ Harper murmured.
    ‘Hush,’ Jess scolded. ‘You’ll jinx me.’
    For several tense minutes, they drove around in circles, thwarted by row after row of immobile cars. Finally, their thoroughly-frazzled driver spotted bare concrete in a far corner, uttered a cry of relief and made for it with indecent speed.
    With a final, exhausted
clunk
, the Kombi sputtered and fell silent. There followed a moment of weird hesitation, devoid of movement or speech. The pause was broken by Harper, who unbuckled his seatbelt and slid the door open, almost uncertain of what he was doing. Like wildlife freed from the grip of high beams, the others came back to themselves, stretching as they left the van. Duchess leapt out last of all and started washing her paws.
    ‘Well,’ said Manx. His voice echoed against the concrete. ‘Should we start looking?’
    ‘Um,’ said Paige, pointing at the far wall, ‘I don’t think we need to.’
    They began to move away from the van. Solace’s hand strayed to the key in her pocket, stroking it through the leather of her jacket.
    Paige was pointing at a door. Painted deep blue, it looked as if it led to a flight of tairs – not an unreasonable speculation, as the parking continued above ground as well as under. Nothing odd in that. But across the neighbouring wall was a colourful splay of graffiti, depicting – in the sharp, almost hieroglyphic lines of spray-painted art – a stylised hawk, coloured bronze and red, with darkly golden eyes. Fanning out from beneath its wings and claws were the