FirstpublishedinGreatBritainby

HarperCollinsChildren’sBooksin2017

HarperCollinsChildren’sBooksisadivisionofHarperCollinsPublishersLtd,

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SkulduggeryPleasant DerekLandy

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AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericancopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenon-exclusive,non-transferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookonscreen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,down-loaded,decompiled,reverseengineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyany

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SourceISBN:9780008169022

EbookEdition©ISBN:9780008219581

Version:2017-05-26

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ThisbookisdedicatedtoYve.

Yve,ourfriendshipislikeafinewine:itimproveswithage,isfragrantandebullient,andithasaromasofmulberriesandpencilleadand…

No.No,that’snotit.

Ourfriendshipislesslikewineandmorelikeajourney.Ithastwistsandturnsandsometimesyoulosethesignalfortheradioandfindyourselfdrivingaroundincircles

thankstothecheapsatnavyouboughtfromthatguywiththe…

No,that’snotiteither.

Ourfriendshipislesslikewine,andlesslikeajourney,andmorelikea…a…

Listen,Yve,they’regoingtoprintinthemorningandIhavetogetthisdedicationdoneinthenextfewminutesbutIreallycan’tthinkofanythingthatadequatelydescribesour

friendshipsoit’dbemucheasierifwejustweren’tfriendsanymore.

Reallysorry.

Inthenothingbeforethebeginningtherewasathought.Andthethoughtbecamethebeginning.

Contents

Cover

TitlePage

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Chapter6

Chapter7

Chapter8

Chapter9

Chapter10

Chapter11

Chapter12

Chapter13

Chapter14

Chapter15

Chapter16

Chapter17

Chapter18

Chapter19

Chapter20

Chapter21

Chapter22

Chapter23

Chapter24

Chapter25

Chapter26

Chapter27

Chapter28

Chapter29

Chapter30

Chapter31

Chapter32

Chapter33

Chapter34

Chapter35

Chapter36

Chapter37

Chapter38

Chapter39

Chapter40

Chapter41

Chapter42

Chapter43

Chapter44

Chapter45

Chapter46

Chapter47

Chapter48

Chapter49

Chapter50

Chapter51

Chapter52

Chapter53

Chapter54

Chapter55

Chapter56

Chapter57

Chapter58

Chapter59

Chapter60

Chapter61

Chapter62

Chapter63

Chapter64

Chapter65

Chapter66

Chapter67

Chapter68

Chapter69

Chapter70

Chapter71

Glossary

DramatisPersonae

KeepReading…

TheSkulduggeryPleasantseries

AboutthePublisher

1

Anewbeginning.

That’s what this was. A fresh start. He was going to deliver this one piece ofinformationandthenleave.Hecouldgohome,backtoNewYork,ormaybeChicago,orPhilly. Ireland didn’t suit him anymore.Hewas donewith it – and it, apparently,wasdonewithhim.HewasOKwiththat.He’dhadsomegoodtimeshere.He’dhadsomefun.He’dmadesomefriends.Butanewdaywasabouttodawn.AllTemperFrayhadtodowassurvivethenight.

Thewallupaheadcracked.Bythelightof thestreetlamps, thecracksspider-webbed.Any last vestigeofhope that he’d just be able towalkoutofherevanishedwith thosecracks.Temper had seen this trickbefore.A redneckpsycho calledBilly-RaySanguineusedtojumpoutatpeopleastheypassed,killthembeforetheyblinked.TemperhadmetSanguineonce.Forahillbillyhitman,he’dbeenallright.Whoeverthisguywas,hewasnoBilly-Ray.

Thewall spatouta skinny little runtwhocameathimwithabigknifeandabiggersnarl.Temperignoredthesnarlforthemoment,focusedontheknife,battingitawayandslamminganelbow into the runt’smouth,dealingwith thesnarlalmostbydefault.Theruntwentdown,allflailinglimbsandbrokenteeth,andTemperhurriedon.

Yep. Thingswere going badly.But of course theywere.Nothing everwentwell forTemperFray.

Amotorbike came round the corner ahead of him, its single headlight sweeping thestorefronts,andslowedalmostimmediately.Temperkeptwalking,keepinghisheaddown,his hands swinging loosely by his sides. The guy on the motorbike wasn’t wearing ahelmet,andhewasn’tlookingatTemper.Hewasfocusedontheroad,keepinghisheadstraight.Justaguyonhisbike,that’sall,goingabouthisbusiness.Ashedrewparallel,hisrighthanddriftedintohisjacket.

Temperlunged,shovinghimashepassed,andthebiketoppledandthedrivercriedoutas he fell.Temper kicked the consciousness right out of himand the guy flattenedout.Bendingoverhim,Temper reached intohis jacket, found thegunandpulled it free.Hecheckeditwasloaded,thenflickedoffthesafety.Hisowngunwasonthekitchentableinthehousehe’dbeenstayingin,alongsidehisphone.He’dhavetradedallthegunsintheworld for his phone right now. What he wouldn’t give for a chance to call inreinforcements.

Whathewouldn’tgivetocallinSkulduggeryPleasant.

Hehurrieddownasidestreet.Therewasawomanwalkingtowardshim,silhouettedbythelights,hershadowstretchinglongandthinoverthecobbles.Hecouldn’tseeherface.ItcouldbeQuibbleor,worsestill,Razzia,oritcouldjustbeanothercitizenofRoarhavengoingforalate-nightstrollthroughthecity.Temperheldthegunbehindhisbackandkeptwalking.

Theydrewcloser.Thegunfeltslipperyinhisgrip.Hewentleftandsodidshe,anditwasonlywhen theypassedeachother thatheglimpseda facehedidn’t recognise.Shegavehimacourteousnodandhereturnedit,andtheywalkedonandhebreathedinrelief.

“Excuseme,” thewoman said behind him, and he turned just as a shadow detacheditself fromtheirsurroundingsandsnapped thewoman’sneck.ShecrumpledandRazziasteppedoverherbody.

“Thirteen,”RazziasaidinherbroadAustralianaccent.“Thirteeninnocentbystanders.I’m not saying I’m breaking any records, but you gotta admit that’s impressive.” Shelookedup,smilingbrightly.Beautiful,blonde,alwaysdressedintuxedos,Razziawasalsocompletelyandutterlyinsane.“Youhavebeenanaughtyboy.”

HerhandflashedupandTemperducked,hearingtinyteethsnappingbesidehisear.Heglimpsed theblack tendril retracting intoRazzia’spalmlikeanightmarish tapemeasureandfiredather,butshewasalreadyslidingbackinto theshadows.Therewassomeonebehindher,stridingup.Abaldwomanwithagun.Quibble.

Sheopenedfireandhekickedadooropenandfellinside,morebulletspepperingthedoorframeafterhim.Insidetherewasamanleapingoffacouchandawomanwithtwomugsofcoffeeinherhands,staringathiminshockashebargedpasther.Temperranintothe next room, saw twomen through thewindowand turnedback, took the stairs.Thecouple shouted and raced after him, and now he could hear a baby starting to cry. Heignoredit,hurriedtothemasterbedroom,andthroughthewide-opencurtainsglimpsedayoungmanon the rooftopopposite.Thin,with shockinglyplatinumhair.Nero.Temperblinkedandtheyoungmanwasgone.

“Dammit,”Tempermuttered.

He sprinted to thewindow and thenNerowas beside him, sticking his foot out, andTempertrippedandcollidedwiththewall.Hetwisted,bringingthegunup,butNerowassuddenly rightnext tohim, snatching theweapon fromTemper’shandbeforevanishingagain.

TemperhadafullsecondtogettohiskneesbeforeNeroteleportedbackintotheroom,gunaimedsquarelyatTemper’schest.Thistimehe’dbroughtafriend,dressedinblack,auniformof rubberand leather.Themaskheworecoveredhiswholehead.Notevenhiseyeswerevisiblebehindthosetintedlenses.

“Hey,Lethe,”saidTemper,slumpingbackandofferingafeeblewave.“What’sgoingon?”

Letheobservedhimforalongfewseconds.Whenhespoke,hisvoicewasthatfamiliarhollowedwhisperthatpickedovereverywordwithundisguisedrelish.“Iknewyouwere

nevertrulyoneofus.”

Tempershrugged.“Easytosaywithhindsight…”

“Icouldseeitinyoureyes,”Lethesaid.“Despiteyourprotestations,despiteyourwildclaims,youdidn’thatethemortalsnearlyenough.”

“Well,” Temper said, resting his back against the wall and crossing his legs at theankles, “I’ve always had trouble hatingpeople because they’re different thanme. It’s ablack thing; you wouldn’t understand. Ormaybe you would. Could there be a brotherhidingbeneaththatfreakymaskofyours?”

Therewasmovementoutonthelanding,andLethesteppedasideasRazziasidledin.MemphisandQuibbleshovedtheyoungcoupleintotheroombehindher.

“Lookwhowefounddownstairs,”Razziasaid.“Moreinnocentbystanders.”

“Please,” theguysaid. “I…Idon’tknowwhat’sgoingon,butwe’renota threat toyou,Iswearwe’renot.I’m–listentome,we’rebothArborkinetics.Wehaveachildintheotherroom,pleaseletus—”

“What’s an Arborkinetic?”Memphis asked, his lip curling while he pressed his gunagainsttheyoungwoman’shead.

“Plants,”saidQuibble.“Hetalkstoplants.Makesthemgrow.”

Memphis laughed and said, “Man, that’s dumb,”whichwas rich coming from a guywhodressedlikeElvis.

“Plants,”saidtheyoungman.“Exactly.Wecan’thurtyou.Ifyouletusgo,we’ll—”

Quibbleraisedherguntoshoothiminthehead,butLetheheldupahand.“Ah-ah,”hesaid.“Theymaytalktoplants,butthey’restillsorcerers.They’restillpartofthefamily.Wedon’tkillfamilyunlessweabsolutelyhaveto.”

“Thankyou,”theguysaid.“Thankyousomuch.”

“Hey,” Lethe said, “we’re all on the same side.” The baby started crying again, andLetheglancedatQuibble.“Killthechild.”

Theyoungcouple immediately tried tobreak free,butRazziahit theguysohardhislegsgaveoutandthengrabbedthegirl,heldherinachoke.

Lethe didn’t take his gaze off Quibble. “You’re still standing here. The child isannoyingme.Killit.”

Quibblehadnowgonequitepale.

“I’lldoit,”Razziasaidhappily,butLetheshookhishead.

“No,”hesaid.“IinstructedQuibbletodoit,soQuibblewilldoit.”

Quibbledidn’twanttodoit.“Please,”shesaid,hervoicesoft.“It’sjustababy.”

Letheobservedherthroughthetintedlensesofhismask.“Isee.”

Tearsinhereyes.“Lethe…comeon,please…”

“You,ah,arerefusingtoobey,Quibble?”Letheasked.

Memphis glanced away, refusing to meet Quibble’s eyes. Nero looked bored, whileRazziawatchedwithgrowingenjoyment,completelyoblivioustothefactthattheyoungwomanshewaschokinghadpassedout.

“Ican’tkillakid,”Quibblesaidquietly.

Lethetookamoment.“Oh,dear.”

Shewasdead.Sheknewit.Temperhadseenthatlookbefore,thatdoomedexpressiononaslackeningface.Inhisexperience,therewereonlythreepossibleoptionsopentoherat thispoint.Thefirstwastorun,butLethehadaTeleporteronhisside,whichkindofruledthatout.Thesecondwastogiveup:toacceptwhatwascomingorstartbegging.Butbeggingwasn’tQuibble’sstyle.QuibblewasanOptionThreekindofgirl.

Sheraisedthegun,aimeditstraightatLethe’sface.Immediately,Memphisraisedhis,pressingthemuzzletoQuibble’stemple.

“Don’t,”Memphiswhispered.“Don’tyoudoit.”

“Thisisexciting,”Razziasaid,andclappedherhands.Theyoungwomanslumpedtothefloor,unconscious.

“Thisisunfortunate,”saidLethe.“Very,hugely,unfortunate.”

“Ican’tmurderababy,”Quibblesaid.

“Babies are just people who haven’t grown up yet. You’ve killed loads of people.Loads.”

“Solet’swaiteighteenyearsandI’llkillthisone,”saidQuibble.

“Oh,”saidLethe.“Oh,thisisoneofthose…principlethings,isn’tit?That’s…that’ssad.I’msadnow.You’vemademesad.BecausenowI’llhavetokillyou,Quibble,and…andIwouldprefernotto.”

His hands flashed, stripping the gun fromQuibble’s grip and turning it back on her,pullingthetriggerbeforesheknewwhatwashappening.

Herbody toppledbackwards.Thewailing from theother roomgot louder,andLethehandedtheguntoRazzia.Shelookedatitlikeitwasapieceofrottingfruit,andtosseditaway.

“I’msorry,”LethesaidtoMemphis.“Iknowyouwereclose.”

“Shewasmysister,”Memphissaid.

“Oh,” said Lethe. “Didn’t know you were that close. I feel I have to ask, though,Memphis,andplease,trynottotakeoffence.Areyougoingtotryandkillmeforthis?Toexactrevenge?”

MemphislookeddownatQuibble’sbody.“No,IguessI’mnot,”hesaidatlast.

“Good,”saidLethe.“That’sgood.It’sbest,afterafamilytragedy,thateveryonetriestomoveon,andputthepastwhereitbelongs.Inthepast.”

“Doyouwantmetokillthebaby?”Razziaaskedhopefully.

“Whatbaby?”Lethesaid,andturnedbacktoTemper.“You’recomingwithus,MrFray.Wehavequestionstoask.”

Anothermanenteredtheroom,aguywithabraidedgoatee.Tempertriedtokeephimawaybutonetouchwasallittook,andallthebadthoughtsTemperhadeverhadswirledandswarmedandswampedhismind.

2

When the bad thoughts crept up on her, and they did, they came slowly and quietly,slippinginunbiddentothebackofhermind,andtheretheywaited,patiently,forhertonoticethem.

Sheviewedthemasiffromthecornerofhereye,hesitanttoacknowledgetheirarrivalandpowerlesstomakethemleave.Theystayedlikeunwelcomeguests,fillingthespacethey occupied and spreading outwards. They slowed her down. They dragged on her,madeherheavy.Whenshewalked,herfeetclumped.Whenshesat,herbodycollapsed.Itwashardgettingoutofbedmostdays.Somedaysshedidn’teventry.Sheknewwhatwascoming.

Shewasgoingtodie.Andshewasgoingtobeonherkneeswhenithappened.

Shecouldn’tseeherdeath,butshecouldfeel it.Kneelingdowntochangeacar tyre,she had felt it. Kneeling down to clean up after she’d dropped a plate, she had felt it.Kneelingdowntoplaywiththedog,shehadfeltit.

ThisishowI’mgoingtodie,she’drealised.Onmyknees.

And always, always, after this had occurred to her there came another thought, thethought that it had already happened, that she was already dead, that her body wasgrowing colder and her bloodwasn’t pumping anymore. She experiencedmoments ofpureterrorwhenshebelieved,believedwitheverythingshehad,thatshewastrappedinherowncorpse,thatnothingworkedandthatnoonecouldhearherscreaming.

Andthenshemoved,orshebreathed,orsheblinked,andwitheachnewactoflivingsheclawedherwaybacktotherealisationthatno,shewasn’tdead.Notyet.

Itwasmid-afternoon,anditwascold.Thecoldmeantsomething.Itwasthelastbiteofthebeastcalledwinter,abeastthathadstayedtoolongalready.Shecouldfeelitonherface, onher ears; she could feel it seeping throughher clothes. Itmeant she still had asparkoflifeflickeringinsideher.Thatwasgood.Sheneededthat.Butitalsosignalledaloss of focus, as she found it increasingly difficult to summon the crackling whitelightningtoherfingertips.

Eventually,shejustsatonthetreestumponwhichshe’dplacedthetincansshe’dbeenusingastargets.Threeofthemwerescorched.Twowerebrazenlyuntouched.Still,threeoutoffivemeantthatatleastheraimwasimproving.

She hugged herself. Itwas an old hoody, but she likedwell-worn clothes.Her jeanswerea state, andshe’d forgottenwhatcolourher trainershadoncebeen,but theywere

comfortable,andmoreimportantlytheywereher.Latelyshe’dneededremindingofjustwhothatwas.

Shelookedatthetrees.Lookedatthesky.Gothermindawayfromherthoughts.Herthoughtsweren’tkindtoher.Theyhadn’tbeenforquitesometimenow.Shelookedatthetwigsontheground.Theyweredry.Ithadn’trainedintwoweeks.ArarityforanIrelandstilllockedinwinter’sjaws.Shewatchedabeetlescurrybeneathaleaf,caughtupinitsownlittlelife.Tothebeetle,shemustbeavast,unknowablething,ahazardtobeavoidedbutnotoverlyconcernedabout.Ifagodisgoingtosteponyou,it’sgoingtosteponyou.You’renot going towasteyour little beetle-lifeworrying about somethingyouhavenocontrolover.

Shelookedup,halfexpectingtoseeagiantfootdescending,buttheskywasblueandclearandfreeofgods.Shewaited,nonetheless.

Thenshestood,andtookthetrailbackthroughthetrees.Sheusedtowalkthispathasachild,sidebysidewithheruncle.Theytalkedaboutnatureandhistoryandfamilyandhetold her stories and she did likewise. They competed as to who had the goriestimagination,butevenwhenheconcededdefeat,withalookofmock-horroronhisface,sheknewhewasholdingback.Ofcoursehewas.Gordonwasthewriterofthefamily.

She remembered walking through this woodland with him. She could recall, quitedistinctly,asiflookingataphotograph,theangleatwhichshe’dseenhim.Shewassmallandhewasagrown-up, andhishairwasbrownand thinningwhereherswas longandblack,but theyhadthesameeyes, thesamebrowneyes,andwhenhelaughedhehadasingledimple,justlikeshedid.IthadbeentwelveyearssinceGordonhadbeenmurdered,twelveyears since she’d tumbled into this twilightworldof sorcerersandmonstersandmagic.She’dbeentwelvewhenithappened,notevenateenagerwhenshe’dstartedhertraining. The years, they had thundered by, heavy and unstoppable, a boulder rollingdownhill. Bruises and broken bones and bloody knuckles and screams and laughs andtears.Alotoftears.Toomanytears.

ThehouseGordonhadlefthersatonthehill,visiblethroughthetreesahead.Evenafterithadofficiallypassedintoherownership,shehadbeenunabletothinkofitasanythingotherthanGordon’shouse.Everyroom,andthereweremany,remindedherofhim.EveryGothicpaintingonthewalls,andtheywereplentiful,broughttomindsomecommentorother he had oncemade about it. Every brick and piece of furniture and bookcase andfloorboard.ItwasGordon’shouse,anditwouldalwaysbeGordon’shouse.

Thenshe’dgoneaway.Fiveyearsshe’dspentonasprawlingfarmontheoutskirtsofasmall town inColorado. She had a dog for company, and occasionally company of thehuman variety, but she kept that to a minimum. She didn’t want to be alone with herthoughts,butshedeservedtobe.Shedeservedalotofhorriblethings.

And then she’d come home to Ireland, and realised that in those intervening yearsGordon’shousehadchanged,somewhereinherthoughts.Nowitwasjustahouse,andsoshecalleditbyitsname,fornameswereimportant.Gordon’shousebecameGrimwoodHouse,justasStephanieEdgleyhadoncebecomeValkyrieCain.

Shestartedupthehill,stoppedhalfwaytoturnandlookbeyondherland,tothefarmsthatspreadacrossNorthCountyDublinlikeapatchworkquiltofdifferentshadesofgreenand yellow. Here and there the patchwork failed, replaced by neighbourhoods of newfamiliesandtheroadsthatlinkedthem.Therewastalkofashoppingmallbeingbuiltontheothersideofthestreamthatactedasabordertoherproperty–astreamthatGordonlikedtocallacreekandthatValkyrielikedtocallamoat.Maybeshe’dgetadrawbridgeinstalled.

She climbed the rest of the hill, approaching the house from the rear.Xena saw hercoming and perked up, came trotting over to greet her.With her fingers scratching theGermanshepherdbehindtheears,Valkyrieunlockedthebackdoorandletthedoggoinaheadofher.Sheclosedthedooronceshewasinside.Lockeditagain.

Her phone was on the kitchen table. She had three missed calls. Onemessage. Sheplayedthemessage.Itwasfromhermother.

“Hey,Steph,justcallingtoletyouknowthatI’mdoingaroastchickenforSunday,ifyou want me to make enough for you. I know it’s only Tuesday right now, but I’mplanningaheadand,well, it’dbegoodtoseeyou.Alice isalwaysaskingwhereherbigsisteris.”Sheintroducedalittlelevityintohervoicethere,topassitoffasnobigthing.“OK, that’s all. Give me a call when you can.We know you’re busy. Love you. Andpleasestaysafe.”

Thecallended,andValkyriecheckedwhotheothercallswerefrom,thoughsheneedn’thavebothered.Theywerebothfromhim.

Sheleftthephonewhereitwasandshowered,andwhenshecamebackdownstairsthephonewasringingagain.Sheanswered.

“Hey,”shesaid.

Hisvoice,smoothandrich,likevelvet.“Goodafternoon,Valkyrie.Areyoubusy?”

Shewas standingbarefoot in thewarmkitchen, her hair stillwet andwater tricklingdownthebackofherT-shirt.“Kinda,”shesaid.

“Wouldyoubeabletosparesometime?Icoulddowithyourhelp.”

Shedidn’tanswerforabit.

“Valkyrie?”

“Idon’tknow,”shesaid.“Idon’tknowif I’mready.Givemeafewweeks. Inafewweeks,I’llhavemyselfsortedoutandthenI’llbeabletolendahand.”

“Isee.”

“Listen,Ihavetogo.I’vegotthingstodoandIhaven’tchargedmyphonesoit’sgoingtodieatanymoment.”

“You’llbereadyinafewweeks,yousay?”

She nodded to the refrigerator like it was he himself standing there. “Yep. Givemeanothercallthenandwe’llmeetup.”

“I’mafraidthingsareabitmoreurgentthanthat.”

Shebitherlip.“Howurgent?”

“Me-driving-through-your-gate-right-nowurgent.”

Valkyriewenttothehallandlookedoutofthewindow,watchingasthegleamingblackcarcameupthelong,longdriveway.Shesighed,andhungup.

She stayedwhere shewas for amoment, thenunlocked the frontdoor. It tooka fewseconds, as she had installedmany new locks, and she pulled it open just as the 1954BentleyR-TypeContinentalrolledtoastopoutside.Hegotout.Tallandslim,wearingacharcoalthree-piecesuit,blackshirtandgreytie.Hedidn’tfeelthecoldsodidn’tbotherwithacoat.Hishairwassweptbackfromhisforehead,buthishairdidn’tmatter.Hiseyesweresparklingblue,buthiseyesdidn’tmatter.Hisskinwaspaleandunlinedandclean-shaven,buthis skin, thatdidn’tmatter,either.Hishandsweregloved,andashesethisfedorauponhishead–charcoal,likehissuit,withablackhatband,likehisshirt–hishairandhis eyes andhis skin flowedoff his skull, vanishingbeneath the crisp collar of hiscrispshirt,andSkulduggeryPleasant,theSkeletonDetective,turnedhisheadtowardsherandtheylookedateachotherinthecoldsunlight.

Valkyriewalkedbackintothehouse.Skulduggeryfollowed.

Xenahad takenupherusualspoton thecouch in the livingroom,butwhenshesawSkulduggeryshejumpeddownandranover.Hecrouched,rufflingherfur,allowinghertolickhisjaw.

“Ialwaysfeelvaguelythreatenedwhenshedoesthis,”hemuttered,butletitcontinueuntilValkyrie called her away.He straightened, brushing some imagined dust from hisknee.“You’relookingwell,”hesaid.“Strong.”

Valkyriefoldedherarms,thefingertipsofherrighthandtappinggentlyagainsttheedgeof the tattoo that peekedout from the short sleeveof theT-shirt. “Gordonhadhis ownpersonalgyminstalledinoneoftheroomsonthesecondfloor.”

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Really?I’veneverbeeninthere.”

“NeitherhadGordon,fromwhatIcansee.Theequipmentwasneverused.It’sprettygood,though.Stateofthearttwentyyearsago.IhadsimilarstuffinColorado.”

“So that’s howyou’re spending your time?”Skulduggery asked,walking over to thebookcases.“Liftingweightsandpunchingbags?Whatabout themagic?Haveyoubeenpractising?”

“Juststoppedfortheday,actually.”

“Andhow’sthatgoing?”

Shehesitated.“Fine.”

“Doyouhaveanymorecontroloverit?”

“Some.”

“Youdon’tsoundoverlyenthused.”

“I’mjustrusty,that’sall.Andit’snotlikeIcanaskanyoneforadvice.I’mtheonlyonewiththisparticularsetofabilities.”

“Thecurseof the trulyunique.Butyes,you’reabsolutelyright.Wedon’tevenknowthelimitstowhatyoucandoyet.Ifyou’dlikemetoworkwithyou,I’dbehappytodoso.”

“Ah, I’m grand for now,” she said,watching him examine the books. “Why are youhere?”

Helookedround.

“Sorry,”shesaidquickly.“Ididn’tmeantosoundso…unwelcoming.Yousaidtherewastrouble.”

“Idid.TemperFrayhasgonemissing.”

“OK,”shesaid,andwaited.

“That’s,uh,that’sthetroubleImentioned.”

“Temper’sabigboy,”Valkyrietoldhim.“I’msureheknowswhathe’sdoing.”

“Barely.”

“Well,heseemedreallycompetenttome.”

“Youmethimonce.”

“Andduringthatmeetinghestruckmeassomeoneyoudon’thavetoworryabout.”

“Isenthimundercover.Ithinktheymighthavefiguredoutthathe’snotontheirside.”

Valkyrie satbesideXena,whoseearsperkedup, expectingacuddle. “I can’tdo this,Skulduggery.I’mnotreadytogoback.”

“You’realreadyback,”hecountered.“Youmadethedecisiontoreturn,didn’tyou?”

“Ithoughtit’dbeeasierthanithasbeen.Ithoughtit’dbelikeI’dneverleft.ButIcan’t.Somuchhas changed, andnotonlywithme.AfterDevastationDay, after theNightofKnives…somanyofourfriendsaredeadandIdon’tunderstandhowthingsarenow.Ijustneedmoretime.”

Skulduggerysatinthechairopposite,elbowsonhiskneesandhatinhishands.“You’refreezingup,”hesaid.“I’veseenithappen.Inwar.Inconflict.Soldiersseethings;theydothings…Idon’thavetotellyouaboutthehorrorsofcombat,oftakinglives,ofpeopletryingtotakeyours.Withthatkindof trauma, thereisnoeasyfix.There’snoone-size-fits-allsolution.Yougetpastithoweveryoucan.

“ButonethingIdoknow,frommyownexperience,isthatthelongeryouleaveit,theharderitgets.Feariscoldwaterrushingthroughyourveins–ifyoudon’tstartmoving,thatwaterwillturntoice.”

“HowdoyouevenknowIcanstilldothis?”Valkyrieasked.“Physically?”

“Youproved that you couldwhenCadaverousGant and JeremiahWallowwent afteryou.”

“Thatwasfivemonthsago,”sheresponded.

“I’mnotworriedabout thephysical,”hesaid.“Your instinctswillcomeback toyou.Yourtrainingwillkickin.”

Shelookedathim,hereyestohiseyesockets.“Thenwhataboutthemental?I’vebeenthroughalot.Mightnottakemuchmoretobreakme.”

“Alternatively,asyou’vebeenthroughalot,theremightnotbemuchmorethatcouldbreakyou,”Skulduggery said “I’mgoing to needyouwithmeon this,Valkyrie. I’mabetterdetectivewithyouasmypartner,and I’mabetterpersonwithyouasmyfriend.The world is a lot different to the one you walked out on. The Sanctuary system haschanged,Roarhavenhaschanged…sorcerershavechanged.ThereareveryfewpeopleIcan trustanymore,and there’s somethingcoming.Somethingbigandsomethingbad. Icanfeelit.”

“There’salwayssomethingbigandsomethingbadcoming,”Valkyriesaid.“Sometimesit’syou.Sometimesit’sme.”

“Andsometimesyouandmearetheonlypeoplewhocanstandagainstit.You’renotmeant to hide away here,Valkyrie.You’re not built for it.You’re built to be out therehelpingpeople,doingwhatyoucanbecauseyoudon’ttrustanyoneelsenottomessitup.”

“Thatwastheoldme.ThesedaysIcanquitehappilyleavethebigjobstoothers.”

“Proveit,”Skulduggerysaid,gettingtohisfeetandholdingouthishand.“Comewithmefortwenty-fourhours.Ifyoucanwalkawayafter that,I’ll letyougoandwon’taskyouagainuntilyoutellmeyou’reready.”

Shehesitated, then sighed. “OK.But I’mnot takingyourhand. It’s silly and I’d feelstupiddoingit.”

Skulduggerynodded.“See?You’realreadymakingmeabetterperson.Grabyourcoat,Valkyrie–Roarhavenawaits.”

3

Thecitypassedbeneathhim,andhelandedonthelowerrooftop,stumblingslightly.Heturned,hisblackcoatwhippingaroundhim.Noonethere.Noonechasinghim.

Hebreathedoutslowly,hearingtheslightrattlethemaskmade.Hewasgoingtohavetogetused to that sound.Themaskwas snug, andcoveredhiswholehead, and itwasheavy.The carved beakweighed thewhole thing down.He took off hiswide-brimmedhat,examinedit.Helookedequalpartsridiculousandintimidating–buthedidn’tmindthat.Throughouthistory,plaguedoctorshadalwayslookedstrange.

Itwasaclearday,cold,withonlyafewcloudsinthesky,andbelowhimRoarhaven’sstreetswerealivewithpeople.Theytalkedandlaughedandshoppedandcomplainedandwent about their business.He’d forgotten that, sometimes, this could actually be a nicecityinwhichtolive.Funnyhowviolenceandterroranddeathcouldtaintyouropinionofaplace.

He’dlostfriendshere.He’dseenthemdie,seenthelifeleavetheireyeswhileheheldthem in his arms.He’d seendestructionon an almost unimaginable scale.The screamshad burned their way into his memory. The images had seared themselves into histhoughts.

Butthatwaswhyhewashere.Thatwashismission.SebastianTaoputhishaton.HewantedtofindDarquesse.Heneededto.Inaworldgonemad,bringingherbackwastheonlysanethingtodo.

4

DevastationDay, that’swhat theywere calling it now, the dayDarquesse had stormedthrough Roarhaven, levelling its buildings,murdering its inhabitants: 1,351 people haddiedinthosefewhoursatthehandsofanalmost-godwearingValkyrie’sface.

Notjustherface,ofcourse.Beforethemurderandthemayhem,Darquessehadbeenapartofher.Her truename, the sourceofhermagicmade flesh.AndnowValkyriewasgoingbackthere.Becauseofcourseshewas.

TheyjoinedtheM1,thentheM50, thenturnedsouth-eastanddroveforhalfanhour,leavingmotorways and service stations behind them.Xena lay on the back seat of theBentleywithherheadrestingonherpaws.

“Germanshepherdsshedtheircoats,”Skulduggerysaid.“Isshesheddingnow?”

“She’salwaysshedding,”Valkyriereplied.

“Yourdogistheonlydogthathaseverbeeninthiscar,youknow.”

“She’shonoured.”

“Itwasmeantasacomplaint.”

Valkyrieshrugged.“Youhavemefortwenty-fourhours.Shecan’tgotwenty-fourhourswithoutbeingfed.”

“Wecouldhaveleftherwithyourparents.”

“Shedoesn’tknowthem.”

Apause.

Shecouldfeelhimwatchingher.Shekepthereyesontheroadahead.

“WhenwasthelasttimeyouwereinHaggard?”heasked.

Shedidn’tanswer.Shecouldfeelthesharpnesscomingon.

“You’vebeenbackinthecountryforfivemonths.Howmanytimeshaveyouseenyoursister?Three?”

“Let’snottalkaboutthisrightnow,OK?”shesaid.“I’mnotinasharingmood.”

Skulduggerynodded,andValkyriefeltbad,butshewasusedtothatfeeling.

They passed a few signswarning of a flood ahead, then drove by some announcingLOCALACCESSONLY,thenabouthalfadozenPRIVATEPROPERTYsigns,beforeturningontoa

long,narrowroadthatledintotheemptydistance.Anelderlyfarmeropenedarustedgateandallowedthemthrough,mutteringintohislapelastheywent.Theroadseemedtobepockmarkedwithpotholes,somewideenoughtoswallowawheel,buttheBentleyspedoverthemwithoutevenarumble.Justanotherillusiontokeepthemortalsout.

Advancements in cloaking technology meant that not only were magical elementswithinthecloakedarearenderedundetectable,butwhatpassedforanormalimagecouldalsobeextrapolatedandprojectedinrealtime.Skulduggeryhadexplainedallthisonherfirst tripback.He’d talked about themarvelsofwhathadbeenachievedandwhatwasnowpossibleforthefuture.Valkyriehadn’tpaidattention.Herfocusthen,asnow,wastotrytospottheshimmeringairofthecloakingfieldbeforetheypassedthroughit.Butnow,as then, she failedmiserably,andRoarhavenappearedbeforeher inan instant–avast,walled city exploding intobeingwhere amoment ago there hadbeennothingbut deadtreesandlifelessscrub.

TheyslowedastheynearedShudder’sGate.NamedafterafriendoftheirswhohadlosthislifetoatraitorwhosenameValkyrierefusedtosayaloud,thegatewassupposedlytheonly way in and out of the city – although Valkyrie had her doubts about that. TheSupremeMagewasawomanwhounderstoodthemeritsofagoodsecretentrance,afterall.Or,attheveryleast,agoodescaperoute.

The Bentley prowled forward, reflected in the visored helmets of the grey-suitedCleaverswhostoodguard,andtheyjoinedthetrafficthatflowedthroughthecitystreetslikebloodthroughtheveinsofagiant.Here,ontheoutskirts,thestreetsformedatightlypackedgrid,andthetrafficmovedeasily.Buttheclosertheygottothecentre,themoreerraticthedesignbecame,andtheslowertheytravelled.TheywereclosinginonwhathadbecomeknownasOldtown:Roarhaveninitsoriginalincarnation,withitsnarrowstreetsandnarrowhouses.Thecityaroundithadbeenconstructedinaparalleldimension,thendropped here, on top of and around the original. It was amasterpiece of design by itsarchitect,CreyfonSignate,andatestamenttohisgenius,ifnothischoiceofassociates.AlotofbadpeoplewereinvolvedintheevolutionofRoarhaven.Mostofthemweredeadnow.

Thecityhadchangeda lot sinceValkyriehadbeenaway, rebuiltafter thebattlewithDarquesse.Theeasternquarterhadbeenobliteratedinthefighting,butfortunatelyithadbeenmostly uninhabited at the time. Itwas still largely uninhabited, though, evenwithbrand-newbuildingsandroads.Thosewhohadtolivethere,becauseofthemassiveinfluxof residents over the last five years, reported crippling psychic stresses and traumaticdreams. Those sorcerers whose abilities lay on the Sensitive spectrum couldn’t go anyfurthereastthanTestamentRoad,forfearofpermanentneurologicaldamage.

JustonemorethingforValkyrietofeelguiltyabout.

Roarhaven’s population had surged in the last few years. There were magicalcommunitiesallaroundtheworld–someconsistingofnothingmorethanasinglestreet,and some as big as amid-sized town. Therewere even threeMystical Cities that onlyappeared on earth every few decades, places of wonder and absolute freedom. ButRoarhaven…Roarhavenwasnotonlythebiggestsorcerercitythereeverwas,itwasthe

firsttobecomepartofthelandscape.Magescamewiththeirfamilies,andtheysuddenlydidn’t have to hidewho theywere orwhat they could do. Thosewho didn’t find jobsimmediatelyworkedatcreatingthem.Itmayhavebeenacityofmages,butitwasstillacity, and like any city it ran on its businesses. It had its shops and its stores and itsrestaurantsandcafés,andithadcinemasandtheatresandlibrariesandswimmingpools.Ithaditsownfinancialsector,albeitasmallone,anditwasalllinkedto–anddependenton–themortalworldbeyondthewall.ThehighestsalarieswenttothepeoplewhointegratedRoarhaven’sactivitieswiththerestoftheworldwithoutmortalaccountantsorlawyersorpoliticiansnoticinganythingamiss.Roarhaven:theInvisibleCity.

OncetheywerethroughOldtown,thetrafficeasedup.Travelherewasmainlybysilenttramsthathoveredcentimetresofftheground,asanycarsotherthanthosewithSanctuarytagswereforbiddentoentertheCirclezone.

InthemiddleoftheCirclestoodtheHighSanctuary,apalacebyanyothername,raisedthirteenmarble stepsabove street level. Itswallswere thick, formidable, and its towersandsteeplesstretchedfortheskyasifrejoicingintheirownsplendour.Twelveyearsago,theSanctuaryhadbeen locatedbeneathawaxworksmuseum inDublin.When thathadbeendestroyed, ithadmoved toa flat,unimpressivecircularslabofabuilding thathadoncestoodhere.

Now, that slabwas hidden deepwithin thismajestic structure, an imperfection to bepaintedoverandforgottenabout.

A cathedral reared up on the east side of the Circle. This was new, and it worriedValkyrie.Blackandgrey,ithadwideshoulders,anditstowerswerealmostastallastheHighSanctuary’s.Inexchangeforvariousconcessions,includingavowofnon-violence,the Church of the Faceless had been granted legitimacy before Valkyrie had left forAmerica.Disciplesof theFacelessOneshadbeenallowed toworshipopenly from thatpointon.

For centuries, the FacelessOnes had been regarded as littlemore than sadistic fairytales–insanegodsbanishedfromthisrealityaeonsagobytheAncients,thefirstsorcerers– but Valkyrie herself hadwitnessed their attempts to regain a foothold in this reality.Theirexistenceconfirmed,sorcerersflockedtotheirteachings,andChurchnumbershadexploded. Otherwise good people attended this cathedral and the other churchesthroughout the city– and theworld– andprayed to cruelgodswhosevery appearancewould have driven them insane. Valkyrie didn’t understand it, but then she didn’tunderstandmostreligions.Faith,shehadlearned,justwasn’tforher.

TheBentleyslowedtoallowatramtopass,thenmovedontotheentrancetotheHighSanctuary’sundergroundcarpark.ACityGuard,flankedbyCleavers,helduphishand,andtheyrolledtoastop.Hecameforward,eyesontheBentley,anunimpressedcurl tohisupper lip.Thedarkblueuniform struggled to containhis gut, and thebadgeonhischestglintedinthesun.Hehadtwostripescirclinghisshoulder,indicatinghisrank,andhis thick belt, onwhich hung his gun and sword,was polished black leather. TheCityGuardshadn’texistedwhenValkyriehadleft.Therehadbeenasheriff’spositionandthe

Cleavers, of course, but they had been all that were needed to safeguard the streets.Apparently,thosedaysweregone.

Skulduggery rolleddownhiswindow.“CorporalYonder,”he said, “howareyou thisfinemorning?”

“Identification,please,”theCityGuardresponded,hookinghisthumbsintothatbeltofhis.

Valkyriefrowned.“Beingalivingskeletonisn’tidentificationenough?”

“CorporalYonder has always been a stickler for the little rules thatmake lifeworthliving,”Skulduggery said, takingawallet fromhis jacketandhanding itover. “Thoughnotsokeenonthebiggerrules,areyou,Corporal?”

Yonder didn’t answer, just glared at them both before opening up the wallet andexaminingthecredentialswithin.“Stateyourbusiness,”hesaidatlast.

“We’ve come to pick up an ID just like that one,which has been delivered here forcollection,” Skulduggery said. “My partner has finally agreed to accompanyme on aninvestigation.Itistrulyamomentousday.”

Yonder closed thewallet with a flick of hiswrist, but held on to it. “It doesn’t feelmomentoustome,”hesaid.“ItfeelslikeaTuesday.Youcan’tusethecarpark.”

Skulduggery’stonewasamused.“Ican’t?”

“ThecarparkisforSanctuarystaffonly.”

“Ihavejurisdictionhere,doInot?”

“Thewayit’sbeenexplainedtome,”Yondersaid,“is thatwhileyoumaytechnicallyhavejurisdiction,wearenotobligatedtoassistyouinanyway.Soyoucan’tusethecarpark.It’sstaffonly.Also,therearenopetsallowed.”

“Well,”saidSkulduggery,“that’squiterude.Imean,Iwouldn’tcallValkyrieapet somuchasa—”

Valkyriesighed.“Hemeantthedog.”

“Oh,”Skulduggerysaid.“Yes,thedog.Icanassureyou,CorporalYonder,thatthedogwillbestayinginthecar.”

Yonder opened his mouth to argue, then turned, somewhat sharply, and Valkyriewatched a City Guard with three stripes around his shoulder striding towards them.ValkyrierecognisedhimfromhistimeasaSanctuaryoperative.Hisnamewas…dammit,whatwas it?Larrup?Shewas pretty sure itwasLarrup.Hewas saying something shecouldn’thear,butitmadeYonderflushadeepred.Yondersteppedback,jawclenched,asLarrupreachedthem.

“Detective Pleasant,” Larrup said, snatching the wallet out of Yonder’s hand, “myapologiesforthedelay.Youhavebusinessinside?”

“Yes,wedo,”saidSkulduggery.

“Go right in, sir.” Larrup returned Skulduggery’s ID to him, then waved for theCleaverstostandaside.Hebentdown,lookedinatValkyrie.“DetectiveCain,”hesaid.“Goodtohaveyouback.”

“I’mnotback,”saidValkyrie.“I’mvisiting.”

“Yes,ma’am,”saidLarrup.“Goodtohaveyouback,nonetheless.”

Hegave themaquick salute and theBentleymoved forward smoothly, and took therampdown,intotheHighSanctuary.

5

“Explain,”Valkyriesaid,amomentlater.

Skulduggerysteeredthembetweentheaislesofcars.“Explainwhat?”

“Why did the idiot think he could stop us parking here? You do still work for theSanctuary,don’tyou?”

“Yes,”Skulduggerysaid.“Well,no,notreally.”

“Butdidn’tyoutellmethatyou’dbeenmadeCommanderofthosemorons?”

“Idid,andIwas,thoughtheypreferthetermCityGuard,ifIremembercorrectly…”

“Sowhathappened?”

“I quit.” The Bentley swerved into an empty space and Skulduggery turned off theengine.“IfeltIwouldbebettersuitedoperatingoutsidethesystem,asitwere,anditjustsohappenedthat therewasa jobopeningforexactly thatposition.”Theygotoutof thecar.Xenabarelystirredonthebackseat.

“So, if you’re notCityGuardCommander or a SanctuaryDetective,what are you?”Valkyrieaskedastheystartedwalking.

“Centuries ago,” Skulduggery said, “before the Sanctuaries were formed and eachterritoryhaditsownCouncilofElders,magicalcommunitieswereboundtogetherbywayofa loose, internationalagreementofsorts.We’llhelpyou ifyouneed it,providingyouhelpus ifweneed it– thatkindof thing.During this time therewerecertain sorcerers,much like theMarshalService in theOldWest,whodelivered justicearound theworldandenforcedtherecognisedlaw.TheywerecalledArbiters.WhentheSanctuariescamealong,Arbitersweren’tneeded,buttheinstitutionwasneveractuallydisbanded.”

“SothenewSupremeMageinallhermajestymadeyouanArbiter?”Valkyriesaid.

“Actually, it was a lowly Grand Mage who bestowed that honour upon me,”Skulduggery said. “GrandMage Naila. The African Sanctuary has troubles of its ownrightnow,butthey’vebeenkeepinganeyeonhowthingshavebeengoingoverhere.AsArbiter,InowhavejurisdictionallaroundtheworldandI’mfreetoinvestigatewhateverIchoose.”

“Andwho’syourboss?”

“Technically,Idon’thaveone.”

“Howdoyougetpaid?”

“Idon’tdowhatIdoformoney.”

Therewas a lowbuzzing inValkyrie’s ears that she tried to ignore. “But youdogetpaid,right?Whopaysyou?”

He sighed. “Each Sanctuary contributes a proportional amount in order to fund theArbiterCorps.”

“AndhowmanypeopleareintheArbiterCorps?”

“Includingmeandyou?Two.”

“I’mnotapartofit.”

“Yourcredentialswereapprovedtwohoursago.”

“Bywho?”

“Me.”

The buzzing got louder until it filled her head, and then her vision blurred for amoment, then came sharply into focus like a new lens being attached to a camera.Theworld suddenly burstwith colour, a glorious red that overlaid Skulduggery’s body, andValkyriestaggered.

“Valkyrie?”heasked.“AreyouOK?”

Shenodded,awarethatshewasblinkingmadly.“I’mjust…Icanseeyouraura.”

Hetiltedhishead.“Ididn’tknowitwasshowing.”

“Givemeamoment.It’llgoaway.”

“Takeyourtime,”hesaid,butevenbeforehe’dgotthewordsouthervisionhadalreadysnappedbacktonormal.

Shestraightened.“I’mgood.”

“You’resure?”

“Iam.Really.It’shappenedplentyoftimesbefore.”Shesqueezedhereyesshut,thenopenedthem.“Icallitmyaura-vision.Ireallyneedabetternameforit,butwhatever.Ifyou’reinterested,yourauraisavibrantred.”

“Ah,excellent,”heresponded.“Isredagoodcolourforone’sauratobe?”

“Ihavenoidea.MostaurasIseeareorange.Ithinkyou’redifferentbecause…you’redifferent.”

Henodded.“Thatwouldmakesense.”

Theywalkedon towards the farwall,where the concretegroundgaveway tohighlypolished tiles. Skulduggery stood on one, making sure to keep his feet in the centre.Valkyriedidthesameontheneighbouringtile.

“Skulduggery,” she said, “doyou really think that youbeingyourownboss iswise?You’reanincrediblyirresponsibleperson.”

Henodded.“Thatdidworrymeatfirst,yes,butthemoreIthoughtaboutit,themoreaccustomedIbecametotheidea.IthinkI’llbeawonderfulboss,actually,andIcertainlyintendtoleadbyexample.”

The tiles lifted off the ground, and Valkyrie had a moment to steady herself beforeshootingupwardstothesquaresoflightinthedarknessabove.Shestilldidn’tknowwhatwassowrongwiththeregularoldelevatorsjustalittlebitfurtheron.Atleastyouweren’tindangeroffallingoffoneofthem.Thiswas,inherquietopinion,needlesslymagical.

Skulduggery swerved in front of her and her tile darted around him, twirling as itascended.Theypassedthroughtheemptysquaresabove,thetilesclickingintoplace,andValkyrie stepped off, a little dizzily, into the obsidian and marble foyer of the HighSanctuary.

TheCleaversstandingguardremainedimpassive,butthereweresomecuriousglancesfrom thepeoplehurryingby.After amoment,Valkyrie realised theyweren’t lookingatSkulduggery – theywere looking at her. Itwas like they’d never seen a pair of rippedjeansbefore.

AdministratorTipstaffcameover.Anarrowmanwithaneathaircut,heheldastackoffoldersunderhisarmandlookedlikehehadn’tsleptfordays.

“DetectivePleasant,”hesaid,“DetectiveCain,thankyouforbeingontime.”

“We’reontime?”Skulduggeryasked,soundingsurprised.

“I truly appreciate it,” said Tipstaff, “as I am incredibly busy today. While I doacknowledge themagnitude ofDetective Cain’s appointment to theArbiter Corps, I’mafraidwe’llhavetodispensewiththeusualpomp.”

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“There’spompusually?Iwasn’tshownanypompwhenIcollectedmybadge.Therewasasmidgenofcircumstance,butnopomp.Ifeelquite letdown.”

Tipstaff ignored him, and handed Valkyrie a wallet. “Detective Cain, I have beeninstructed to tellyou thateven thoughtheSupremeMagehadnosay inapprovingyourappointment, she supports you one hundred per cent and welcomes you back into thefold.”

“I’m not back,” said Valkyrie, opening the wallet. Beside her name and photographtherewasasigilmadeofsilver,halfthesizeofherpalm.Sheslippedthewalletintoherbackpocket.

“May I enquire as towhat case you areworking on?” Tipstaff asked. “Of particularinterestwouldbeanypotentiallycatastrophicglobalevents.Ourearly-warningsysteminthisregardhasbeenquitelimitedeversincetheNightofKnives.”

TheNightofKniveshad takenplace twoyearsearlier.Atprecisely thesame time infourEuropeancountries,assassinsunknownhadslitthethroatsofelevenpsychicsastheyslept.Howtheassassinshadplottedagainstandthenkilledpeoplewhocouldliterallyseethefutureremainedamystery,almosttwoyearson.

“Ifyouareinvestigatingsomethingofappropriateseriousness,”Tipstaffcontinued,“theSupremeMagehasextendedtoyouourfullco-operation.”

“SupremeMage,”Valkyrieechoed.“GrandMagejustwasn’tenoughforher.ShehadtogoallSupremeonus.”

Tipstaffgaveaquick,politesmile.“Herdutiesareimmense,asyouareprobablyaware.Therewerenoobjections,however,whensheclaimedhernewtitle.”

Valkyrie gave him a small smile back. “Lack of response isn’t exactly a glowingendorsement.”

“Perhapsnot,”saidTipstaff.“Butthecaseyouareworkingon…?”

“Probably nothing,” saidSkulduggery. “I thought I’d bringValkyrie in on somethingnice and gentle, just to ease her back into things.But I assure you, if the potential forcatastropheincreasesbyanysignificantmargin,we’llletyouknow.”

“Thatwouldbemuchappreciated,”Tipstaffsaid,andglancedathiswatch.“AndnowImustdepart.Goodluck,Detectives.”

Valkyrienodded tohimashespunonhisheelandhurriedaway,and in thatmomentshecaughtanotherpersonglancingather.Sheglaredandthemanlookedawayquickly.

“Peoplekeepstaringatme,”shesaid.

“I’msureit’sjustyourimagination,”Skulduggeryresponded,headingfortheexit.

Valkyriefollowedhimasthedoorsopenedintothesunshine.PeoplestrolledacrosstheCircleandafewevenbravedthecoldtoeatlunchatthefountainandthebaseoftheclockmonument.Beyondthem,theDarkCathedralloomed.

“Idon’tlikeit,”shesaid.

Skulduggerydidn’tevenhavetoaskwhatshewasreferringto.“Itisquiteanimposingstructure,ifoneweretobeimposedbystructures.”

She folded her arms. “I don’t like where it is. It looks like it’s challenging theSanctuary’sauthority.IbetElizalovesthat.”

Skulduggery adjusted his cufflinks. “Actually, Eliza Scorn is no longer leader of theChurch.Idon’teventhinkshe’sinthecityanymore.”

“Howawful,”saidValkyrie.“I’mreallygoingtomissher.”

“Shewasquitecharming.”

“IthinkI’llgetoverit,though.”

“Therestofushave.”

“Sowho’sinchargenow?”

“That’swherethingsgetdecidedlylessfun,”Skulduggerysaid.“AmannamedCreedistotakeover.Quiteapiousfellow.Likestherulebook.Isfondofself-flagellation.”

“Ah,” Valkyrie said dismissively, “who doesn’t like to self-flagellate every now andthen?”

“Duringthewar,hedenouncedMevolentashavingstrayedtoofarfromtheteachingsoftheFacelessOnes.”

“HethoughtMevolentwastoosoft?”Valkyrieasked.“Mevolent?Theguywhotriedtotakeovertheworldandkillallmortals?”

“Ah-ah.Heneversaidhewanted tokill themall, just thathewanted tokillsomeofthemandenslavetherest.”

“Andthisnewguydenouncedhim.Hesoundslovely.”

“You’regoingtolikehim,Ijustknowit.”

Theywatchedthepeoplegoby.

“Youdidn’ttellTipstaffwhatyou’reworkingon,”shesaid.

“No,Ididn’t.”

“Anyparticularreason?”

Skulduggeryshrugged.“Idon’thaveto.Idon’treporttoanyonehere.Ifthey’resmart,they’llkeepoutofmywayandletmedomyjob.Sometimesthathappens.Sometimesitdoesn’t.”

ThemonumentintheCircle,acrossfromthefountain,wasahuge,three-sidedclock,itsinnerworkingsexposedtotheelements.Theclockswereeachstoppedatdifferenttimes,representingdifferentstagesofDevastationDay.ThefirstclockwasfrozenatthemomentDarquesse broke through the energy barrier protecting the city, the second clock wastrappedatthemomentshesetoffthatdevastatingexplosionintheeasternquarter,andthehands of the third clockwere eternally stuck at themomentDarquesse left this reality,believingshehaddestroyedeverythingworthdestroying.

Itappeared,however, thataclockwouldn’tbeaclock,evenoneassymbolicas this,withouttheabilitytotelltheactualtime,sowithineveryfacethereweretheshadowsofhands thatweren’t there. This, Skulduggery had explained toValkyrie upon her return,was a metaphor for life carrying on after catastrophe. They were also pretty accurate,whichwasaplus.

Checkingthetime,Valkyriewaiteduntilnoonewaswithinearshot.“You’vegotmefortwenty-twohoursand thirty-threeminutes,” shesaid,“andTemperFray is stillmissing.What’stheplan?”

“We’re going to need someone to go undercover, I’m afraid. Nothing dangerous, Iassureyou.Atleast,itshouldn’tbe.Ipresumeitwon’tbedangerousintheslightest,butitmight be just a little bit dangerous, if we’re unlucky. Which we usually are, let’s behonest.”

Shelookedawaysohewouldn’tseethedoubtinhereyes,butitwastoolate.

“Everythingallright?”heasked.

“Ican’tdoit,”shesaidsoftly.

“Can’tdowhat?”

Sheclearedherthroat.“Can’tgoundercover,Skulduggery.Ijustcan’t.I’mnot…I’mnotatmybestandI’mnotreadyforit.Idon’tevenwanttobehere,forGod’ssake.I’msorry,Idon’twant to letyoudown,butsurely there’ssomeoneelsewecansend.Therehastobe.”

Hisheadtilted.“Thereis.”

Shefrowned.“Really?”

“I wasn’t going to send you, Valkyrie. You’re far too conspicuous, especially inRoarhaven. No, this will have to be somebody new. Somebody totally unconnected toeither of us. Somebody no one would ever suspect of doing anything remotelyadventurous.Luckily,Ihavejusttheboyinmind.”

6

Theprophecytoldofthefirst-bornsonofCaddockSirrocoandEmmelineDarkly,aboyofintelligenceandstrengthwithacourageousheartwho,inhisseventeenthyear,wouldfacetheKingoftheDarklandsinabattlethatwoulddecidethefateofhumanity.

OmenDarkly was not that boy. OmenDarkly was the second-born son of CaddockSirrocoandEmmelineDarkly,albeitonlybyafewminutes,and,assuch,hegotall theleftovers.

Auger,thefirst-born,wastallandgood-looking.Omenhadyettoreallystartgrowing,andhewasworriedaboutanewrashofpimplesthathadappearedonhischinovernight.Auger’s dark hair looked styled evenwhenmessy, but Omen’s hair, the colour of wetsand,lookedmessyevenwhenstyled.

Therewere other problems, too.Hiswaist, for example.Yes, itwaswider than he’dhaveliked,butmoretroublingwasthatthewayitwasshapedmadeitimpossibleforshirtsto stay tucked in. There were possibly some issues with his feet, too, as shoelacesstubbornly refused to remain tied. But, even beyond the physical, Omen struggled incomparisontohisbrother.Augerwouldhavecometopofhisclassevenifhedidn’tworkhard,butworkhardhedid.Omenhadnevermasteredworking.Giventhechoicebetweenstudyingatextbookordaydreaming,he’dchoosedaydreamingeverytime.Helikedsomesubjects well enough, in particular the languages ofmagic, but he just didn’t have thedrivethathistwinpossessed.Hedidn’thavethefocus.Andhecertainlydidn’thavethenaturaltalent.

Buthewasn’tjealous.ForallOmen’sfaults,andherecognisedthathehadmany,heatleast didn’t blamehis twin for his own shortcomings.His brotherwas a goodguy.Hisbrotherwasagreatguy.Hisbrotherwasthegreatestguyalive, infact,becauseinthreeyears’timehe’dturnseventeenandfulfiltheDarklyProphecyandfighttosavetheworld.Can’tgetanygreaterthanthat.

SoOmendidn’tmindbeingconstantlyoverlooked.Hewasusedtoitathome,andhewas used to it in school. Everyone wanted to hang around the Chosen One. NobodywantedtohangaroundtheChosenOne’sbrother.

Sometimes, in his quietermoments, Omenwould fleetinglywonderwhat lifewouldhavebeenlikeifhehadbeenbornfirst.Hebetitwouldhaverocked.

Butagainnojealousy.Nobitterness.Justeasilyquashedcuriosity.Hedidn’tmind.

HewatchedAugerpassinthehall.AFirstYearkidtrippedanddroppedhisbooks,andAugerhelpedhimpickthemup.Hejokedwiththekidandthekidflushedwithhappinessandwalkedawaywithhisbooksinhisarmsandanewconfidenceinhisstep.TheChosenOnehadthateffectonpeople.

Omenkeptwatching,asaboywithbronzehairandagirlwithawidesmilejoinedhisbrother.Auger’sfriendswerealmostascoolasAugerhimself,havingearnedtheirplaceathissidebynotgivingadamnabouthiscelebritystatus.OmenknewthatAuger,infact,wouldhavesoughtthemoutoncethey’dsatisfiedhismysteriouschecklist.IttookalottobeAugerDarkly’sfriend,andKaseandMahalahadpassedthattestwithouteverknowingthey’dtakenit.

Omenclosedhislockerandslunghisbagoverhisshoulder,thenheadedofftohisnextclass.

This was his third year at Corrival Academy, deep within the heart of Roarhaven’scultural district. Protected from the surrounding streets by four massive walls with amassivetowerateachcorner,theschoolwouldhavebeenthebiggeststructureinthecitywere it not for the Dark Cathedral and, of course, the High Sanctuary. Within thosemassive walls of the school stood the main building of stone and staircases andbalustrades and balconies, and another half-dozen adjunct buildings dotted around thecampusandcourtyards.

Omen liked theplacewell enough,and likedRoarhaven, too. Itwasa lotbetter thanwherehe’dgrownup.ThemagicalcommunityinhishometownnearGalwaywassmalland suspicious of their mortal neighbours. His parents, in particular, were guilty ofharbouring a deep and abiding distrust of anyone bornwithoutmagic. Of course, theydistrustedmostpeoplebornwithmagic,too,sohehadbeengladtoleaveitallbehindandcome here, to the most exclusive school in the world. The fact that he had only beeninvitedtoattendbecauseoftheDarklyProphecydidnotmattertohimonelittlebit.

Omen even liked the uniform.He said he didn’t, claimed he hated it to anyonewhowouldlisten,butitwasactuallyprettycool,allthingsconsidered.Blackblazerwornwithblack trousersor skirt,white shirtand tie.Eachof theYears, fromFirst toSixth,hadadifferentcolour,startingwithyellowandendingwithblack.AsaThirdYear,Omen’stieand the piping on his blazer were both purple. The school crest, a dragon and threeburningtowers,wascapturedinapatchwornontheleftbreast,andtheuniformslookedcoolnomatterthesizeorweightofthestudent.OmenmaynothavewonanyStudentoftheYearprizes(theyusuallywenttoAuger),andhewishedhecouldfitintoauniformasizeortwosmaller,buthedefinitelyfeltthatall-too-raresensationofpridewheneverhedonnedthoseclothes.

Nowhejoinedalineofsmartlydressedstudentsastheyfiledintoclass.Hedidhisbesttotuckinhisshirt,thensatathisdeskandpulledabookoutofhisbag.

“Where’dyougetto?”

Omen looked up.Never’s ash-brown hair was tied back today,whichmeant hewasidentifyingasmale.ThiswasunusualforaTuesday.Normallyhewasashebythisstage

of the week, although Omen knew by now that to assume anything of Never was amistake.BackinFirstYear,shehadstoodupinclassanddeclaredloudlythathewouldnotbeheld toanyone’sexpectationsbutherown.Hesatnext toOmen inmostof theirclassestogether.

“Ihadastudyperiod,”saidOmen.“Wherewereyou?”

“Maths,”saidNever.“Whereyoushouldhavebeen.”

“Wehavemathsnextclass.”

“No,wehadmathslastclass.Peccanthasyoudownasditching.”

“Aw,man.”

“Youshouldreallylookatyourtimetableeveryonceinawhile.”

“Hehatesmesomuch.”

“You’renothisfavourite,ithastobesaid.”

ThedooratthefrontoftheclassswungopenandMissWickedwalkedin.Immediately,thechatterdied.MissWickedwasoneofthoseteacherswhodemandedobediencefromeventheunruliestofstudents.Inhisthreeyearsofattendance,Omenhadneverseenherangry,hadneverheardher raisehervoice, andyet she somehowremained intimidatingdespitethiscalmdemeanour.

Shewastallandbrilliantandblondeandslender,andshehadatongueassharpashercheekbonesandalwaysworepencil skirts andhighheels.Omenwasa littlebit in lovewithher.

“TodaywearegoingtobediscussingNecromancy,”MissWickedsaidinthatprecisewayofhers,whereeverywordwasperfectlyformed.“CananyonetellmethenamesofsomeprominentNecromancersofthepast?”

Handswentup,Omen’sincluded.

“Axelia,”MissWickedsaid.

Omenalmostsighed.AxeliaLuktwas theprettiestgirl inschool,withhairalmostasblondeasMissWicked’sandbigblueeyesandthecutestIcelandicaccentOmenhadeverheard.Omenhad hadmany conversationswithAxelia, conversationswhere he’d jokedandlaughedandmadeincisivecommentsaboutworldevents.He’dbeencharming,funnyandconsiderate,andthefactthatshehadn’tyetfalleninlovewithhimwasapuzzlehejustcouldn’tsolve.Maybethefactthatalloftheseconversationshadtakenplaceentirelyinhisheadhadsomethingtodowithit,orperhapsitwasbecausehehadyettoengageherinanactual,physical,realway.Whateverthereason,girlsremainedamysterytohim,buthewasdeterminedtofigureitout.

He’dstartedpractisinginthemirror.

“MorwennaCrow,”Axeliasaid,answeringthequestionwhilesimultaneouslyprovingthatabettervolunteercouldnothavebeenchosen.“MelancholiaStClair.LordVile.”

MissWickednodded.“LordVile.Themostnotorious.Canyoutellmetheobjectintowhichhepouredhispower?”

“Hisarmour,”saidAxelia.Shewassosmart.

“Very good. Necromancy is death magic. Shadow magic. As such, it is a lot morevolatilethanElementalmagic,orevenmostAdeptdisciplines.Necromancersstoreagoodportionoftheirpowerinanobjectthattheyeitherwearorcarryaroundwiththem.”

“Necromancers are sad little lunatics,” said Jenan Ispolin, his lanky frame loungingback inhis chair. “My father rounded themall upyears ago,dragged themoutof theirlittletempleandkickedthemoutofourcountry.”Jenan’sfatherwastheBulgarianGrandMage,andhissmirkingsonrarely letanyoneforget it.LikeOmen,JenanbelongedtoaLegacy family, where everyone was encouraged to take on the same surname – but,whereastheDarklynamehadsomewhatpositiveconnotations,theIspolinnamebroughttomindbrutalityundertheauspicesoflaw.“That’swhatyoudotopeoplelikethat.”

MissWickedobservedhim.“Peoplelikewhat,Jenan?”

Jenansatupalittlestraighter,andclearedhisthroat.“Uh,Necromancers,miss.”

“Necromancersaresorcerers,thesameasyouorI.Areyougoingtocondemnthemfortheirchosendiscipline?”

“No, miss,” Jenan said, flushing red. “I just meant…when the Death Bringer wasaround,she—”

“Hername,please?”

“Melancholia,miss.WhenMelancholiawasaround,shetriedtokillbillionsofpeople.ThatwastheNecromancerplanallalong.Myfathersaidtheywereallmurderersandhedidn’twanttheminourcountrysohe…hekickedthemout.”

“And what if some of your classmates harbour a desire to join a temple and studyNecromancy?”MissWickedasked.“Howdoyouthink theyfeel rightnow, tohearyouspeakofthemthisway?”

Jenanshrugged.“Dunno,miss.Don’tcare.”

“WehaveaNecromanceronourteachingstaff,hereat theAcademy.Areyoucallingheramurderer,too,Jenan?”

Heshruggedagain.Defiantthistime.

MissWickednodded,likeshehadreachedaconclusionshehadnointentionofsharing.“Isee,”shesaid.

TherewasaknockonthedoorandablushingFirstYearcamein.HehurrieduptoMissWicked,passedheranote,andhurriedoutasfastashislittlelegscouldcarryhim.MissWickedglancedatthepieceofpaper,thenlookedup.

“Omen,”shesaid.

Omensatstraighter.“Yes,miss?”

“Yourpresenceisrequiredelsewhere.”

Acreepingdreadcameoverhim.PeccantmustreallybeonthewarpathifhewastakingOmenoutofclass.“DoIreallyhavetogo?”

MissWickedgaveahalf-smile,andapartofhim,beyondthedread,delightedinbeingabletoamuseher.“Yes,youdo.TakeyourbagandreporttotheSouthTower.”

Omenfrowned.“MrPeccantisn’tgoingtothrowmeoff,ishe?”

“Ihavenomoreinformationthanthat,I’mafraid.You’llhavetotakeyourchances.Offyougo.”

OmenglancedatNeverandgotasympatheticlookinreply.Hestuffedhisbookintohisbag,headedforthedoorandtrippedoverJenan’soutstretchedfoot.Omenwentstumblingand the class erupted into laughter that was immediately curtailed by Miss Wicked’sarchedeyebrow.

OmenlefttheroomanddraggedhimselftotheSouthTower.Peccantmayhavebeenanexcellent teacher,buthewasalsoa terrifyingmanwithanexplosive temper,andOmenhadalwaysgottheimpressionthatteachingwasjustthewrongvocationforhim.Maybesomething like State Executioner would have been more suited to his personality. OrPuppy-Killer.

Despitehis reluctance toarrive,Omenwalkeda little faster.TokeepPeccantwaitingwhenthe teacherwasalready inabadmoodwouldnothavebeenwise.Omentook themainstairsupandcut throughtheCombatArtsblock.NoteveryCorrivalgraduatewasgoingtoworkforaSanctuary,butitwasstillgenerallyacknowledgedthatbeingabletodefendyourselfwasagoodthing,andshouldbeencouraged.Inthisblock,theydevotedequaltimetothephysicalandmagicalsidesofself-defence.Auger,ofcourse,wasthestarpupil.

WhenOmenreachedhisdestination,therewasnobodywaitingforhim.Hewalkedouton to the coveredbalcony that circled the tower.Thewindwaspretty stiff uphere.HelookedoutoverRoarhaven.Fromwherehewasstanding,hecouldseetheHighSanctuaryandtheDarkCathedral,challengingeachotheracrosstheCirclezone.Belowhim,peoplewalkedover thebridge thatspannedBlackLake.Hethoughthesawmovementbeneaththewaterandhepeeredcloser.TheSeaMaidenhadherhomedownthere,somewhereinthatsparklingdarkness.Abeautifulwomanwithlongdarkhair,Omenhadonlyglimpsedheronce,butthathadbeenenoughtoenthralhim.Belowthewaistshemayhavebeenaserpent,butabovethewaistshewasdivine.

“MrDarkly,” aman said from behind.Right before he turned,Omen thought itwasPeccantspeaking,butitwasn’t.

It was Skulduggery Pleasant. Skulduggery Pleasant was standing there, speaking.Beside Skulduggery Pleasant stood Valkyrie Cain. Valkyrie Cain stood besideSkulduggery Pleasant, and they stood there, looking at Omen, and Omen stood there,lookingatthemandtryinghisverybestnottogeekout.

7

“I’myourbiggestfan,”Omensaidbeforehecouldstophimself.

SkulduggeryPleasant’sheadtilted.“Thankyou,”hesaid.HewaswearingthecoolestsuitOmenhadeverseen,andhewasaskeleton.Omenhadknownthis,ofcoursehehad,buttherewasaworldofdifferencebetweenknowingthereexistedalivingskeletonandactually seeing him in front of you. Therewere nowires or strings keeping the bonestogether,at leastnone thatOmencouldsee.Hewas tall,and thebrimofhishatdippedlowoverhiseyesockets.

ValkyrieCain–theValkyrieCain–wasalmostastallasSkulduggery,andprettierthanshe appeared in the photographs he’d seen – and she appeared plenty pretty in thephotographs.Herblackhairwasalittlelonger.Shewasbigger,too.Slim,butbeneathherjacket her shoulders werewide. It wasweird seeing her in jeans. Like shewas out ofuniform.

“MynameisSkulduggeryPleasant.Thisismyassociate,ValkyrieCain.”

“Hello,” Omen said. He sounded reasonably calm, which surprised him. His voicedidn’tbreak,whichdelightedhim.Thiswasagoodstart,buthecouldfeeltheexcitementbubblingupfromhischest.Hehiccuped.“Excuseme,”hesaid.

“Your name was given to us by one of your teachers,” Skulduggery continued.“Apparently,youaresomeonewecouldpossiblytrustwithsensitiveinformation.Weneedyourhelp,quitefrankly.”

Omennodded.Thenfrowned.Thentriedtosmile.Thenlookedconfused.

“Thisworld facesa threat,”Skulduggerywenton,“andwe thinkyoumaybeable tohelpusstopit.”

“Oh,” said Omen, it all suddenly making sense. “No, sorry, you’ve got the wrongbrother.I’mOmenDarkly.YouwantAugerDarkly–he’stheChosenOne.”

“Wehaven’tmadeamistake,Omen.It’syouwewant.”

AfrowncreasedOmen’sforeheadoncemore.“Why?”

“Yourbrotherwoulddrawtoomuchattention,”Valkyriesaid.“FromwhatI’veheard,peoplenoticewhenhewalksby.Weneedsomeonewhodisappearsinacrowd.”

Omensmiledwidely.“Thatdoessoundlikeme.”

“Whatwe’reabouttoaskyoutodoshouldn’tbedangerous,”Skulduggerysaid,“but,ifitturnsoutthatway,yourskillscouldcomeinuseful.”

Myskills?Omenthought.

“Myskills?”Omensaid.

“Yourbrotherhas received thebest combat trainingavailable anywhere sincehewasfouryearsold.Youhelppreparehim,don’tyou?”

“I’ve…I’vetrainedwithhimsincewewerekids,yes.What’sthisabout,please?”

Theycameforward.Omenhadtoresisttheurgetostepback.

“Thereisanorganisation,”Skulduggerysaid,“whichdoesn’thaveaname.We’vebeenhearingrumoursaboutitforyears,ananti-Sanctuary,designedtosowtheseedsofchaosanddiscordaroundtheworldand,ultimately,forceawarbetweensorcerersandmortals–awar that sorcerers, presumably,wouldwin, though notwithout heavy cost.We don’tknowwho’sincharge.Wedon’tknowwhereit’sbased.Wedon’tknowhowmanyagentsithasorhowpowerfulitmaybe.Whatwedoknowisthatit’sbeenworkingbehindthescenes for decades.We have had run-inswith only three peoplewhowe suspect weredirectly connected to it.The firstwas amancalledBubbaMoon,whoclaimed tohavebeenvisitedbya ‘beingofwondermentandawe’,demandingbloodsacrifice.Thenexttwowereacoupleofkillerswithamissiontocomplete–CadaverousGantandJeremiahWallow.”

“Whatwastheirmission?”Omenasked.

“Tokillme,”saidValkyrie.

“Oh.”

“Outofthosethreeindividuals,”Skulduggerycontinued,“allwereAmerican,andonlyGantisaliveandatlarge.Whethertheirnationalityisacoincidenceormeanssomethingmore,Ican’tsayyet.Inthelastthreeyears,however,therumoursI’vebeenhearinghaveintensified.Apparently,theanti-SanctuaryisnowoperatingoutofRoarhaven.”

“OK.”Omentriedsmilingagain.“Istilldon’tknowwhatyouwantwithme,though.”

“An associate of mine went undercover,” Skulduggery said. “Temper Fray. Heinfiltratedagroupofsorcererswhotalkaboutmortalslikethey’revermin.Hebefriendedthem,andstartedgivingmenames.Melior.Smoke.Lethe.Thenhedisappeared.”

Omenstared.“Ishedead?”

Skulduggery tilted his head. “Hopefully not. Before he vanished, Temper becameconvincedthattheanti-SanctuaryhadsomeoneinsideCorrivalAcademyrecruitingyoungandimpressionablestudents.”

“OhmyGod,”saidOmen.“Youwantmetogoundercover.”

“Yes.”

“Eventhoughthelastpersonyousentundercovergotkilled.”

“Tempermightstillbealive,”Skulduggerysaid,soundingirritated.

“Oh,right,yes,ofcourse.Sorry.Butyoudowantmetogoundercover,yes?”

“That’scorrect.”

Omenlookedatthemboth,andcompletelyfailedtostopthestupidgrinfromcrawlingacrosshisface.

“DearGod,”Skulduggerysaid.“Youlookdemented.”

“I’mjustreallyexcited.”

“It’sgettingfreaky,”saidValkyrie.“Quitit.”

“Ican’t.Idon’tknowhow.”

“We’renotaskingyoutotakeanyrisks,”Skulduggerysaid.“We’reaskingyoutokeepyoureyesandearsopen.Areanyofyour fellowstudentsactingsuspiciously?Are theycongregating at unusual times, in unusual places? Your teachers – are they actingnormally?Doanyofthemseemunusuallyangry?”

“MrPeccantisusuallyunusuallyangry,”Omensaidatonce.“Usuallyatme.”

“I’llinvestigateMrPeccant,don’tworry,”Skulduggerysaid,“butI’llneedyoutofocushere,OK?Anybehaviourthatstrikesyouasoutoftheordinary.That’swhatyouneedtobelookingfor.”

“Andthenwhat?”

“Thenyoutellus,”saidValkyrie.

Omennodded.“OK,yeah.Andthenwhat?”

SkulduggeryandValkyrielookedateachother.

“Idon’tunderstand,”saidSkulduggery.

“Like,doIcomewithyou,then?”Omenasked.“DoIstillhavetogotoschool,orwillyougivemeanotetogetoutofclassesorsomething?Imean,I’dusemyreflection,buttheteacherscanalwaystell,andlittlealarmsgooffsometimes.”

Valkyrie held up her hand. “Wait, hold on. We’re asking you to snoop around thisschool.That’sit.That’sallwe’reasking,andthat’sallyou’regoingtobedoing.”

“But…butyoumightneedme.Forstuffafter.”

“Doubtful.”

Omen lookedatSkulduggery. “But sir… I readall aboutyou.All about thebothofyou.YoutookValkyrieonasapartnerwhenshewastwelve.I’mfourteen.”

“Thisistrue,”Skulduggerysaidslowly.“But,asitwaspointedouttomeonlyanhourago, I am a very irresponsible person. I’m trying to change that, truly I am, sounfortunatelyIamnottakingonanymorepartners.Ever.”

“ThenI’ll…I’llbeyourprotégé.”

“I’mnottakingonprotégés,either.”

OmenlookedatValkyrie.“CouldIbeyourprotégé?”

She looked horrified. “What? No. I don’t have protégés. I’m too young to haveprotégés.I’monlytwenty-four,forGod’ssake.Ibarelyknowwhataprotégéis.I’mstillthe kid here. I’m still the… Skulduggery, tell him. I’m the young one in this wholedynamic.”

Skulduggery nodded. “You definitely are the young one. Though technically he isyounger.”

“Buthe’snotaprotégé!Orapartner!He’saschoolboy!I’mthepartner,I’mtheyoungpartner.Istillhavelearningtodo.I’mstill…”Shetrailedoff,thenglaredatOmen.“I’mtheyoungonehere.”

“OK,”hesaid.“Sorry.”

“I feel likewe’ve strayed a little off topic,” Skulduggery said, “so allowme to pullthingsbacktoouroriginalquestion.Irealisethisisalottotakein,butwehavetoknow–OmenDarkly,willyouhelpussavetheworld?”

8

CadaverousGantwasoftheopinionthatthisworldwasnotworthsaving.

Itwaspeopledwithsavageswhorevelledintheirownignorance,whosplashedaboutinthemud and themire like children. Thiswas aTruth he had glimpsed even before hisGreatAwakening,aTruththathadstainedhishandsred,thathadleftbodiesinhiswake,anditwasaTruththatwouldrendfleshandshatterbonesforyearstocome.Cadaverouswouldbetheretoseeithappen.Thishehadbeenpromised.

Sorcerers called them mortals. Cadaverous preferred to call them what they were:cattle. Dead-eyed and unthinking. Bags ofmeat and fountains of blood, unimaginativeanimalsawaitingslaughter.Intheend,theyallsoundedthesame.Theyallweptthesametears,prayed to thesamegods,offered thesamefeebleentreaties.And theyalldied thesame.Everysingleoneofthem.

And therehadbeenmany.Themethodshehadusedmayhavevaried,but thedeathswere identical. Once they’d got past the terror, once they’d realised their fate wasinevitable, they were still surprised by the very act of dying, as if they hadn’t trulybelieveditcouldhappentothem.

Inhismortalyouth,hehadgloried in thehunt.Theyran,screamingandsobbing, theperfectprey,andhepursued,calmanddetermined,theperfectpredator.Whenhismuscleswere strong and his legs were quick, their deaths were explosions of brutal violence.Whenhismusclesweakenedandhislegsgrewtired,theirdeathsweresplendidblueprintsofmeticulousplanning.Hishousewashisweapon,histrapsmereextensionsofhiswill.

Andthenhisheartattack,andthevoice,thewoman’svoice,thatwhisperedtohimandledhimtohisGreatAwakening.

Charles. Charles, open your eyes. Open your eyes, Charles. You are mine. You willcometome.

Andsohelefthismortallifebehindandopenedhiseyestothelightsoftheoperatingroom and the sounds of themachines and the doctors and the nurses and the clink ofscalpelsontraysandthesqueakofthewheelsofgurneysandthefarawayvoicesandthechatter and that softwhispering in hismind that said,Charles,welcomeback,wehaveworktodo.

She had brought himmagic in thosemoments of death.Hewas an oldman, but hismagicmadehimnewagain.Hewasstrong,andquick,withanewappetiteforkillingandanewmission.Thewartheyweretobringabout.Thethingstheyweretodo.

Therehadbeenmissteps.Therehadbeenfailures.Hehadsuffereddefeatandsufferedloss.Theboyhehadmentored, theboytowhomhehadbequeathedhisknowledgeandhisinsightandhisphilosophy,whohadgrowntobeamanofsterlingcharacteranddarkpotential, had been delivered a meaningless death at the hands of a mewling, patheticyoungwoman,awomanjustlikealltheothersexceptforthatcrackling,cacklingpowerthatsheheldinherfingertips.

Cadaverous hadwanted immediate vengeance, but the voice in his head commandedhimtowait.Soon,shesaid.Soonyouwillhaveherlifeinyourhands.Freeme,andyouwillhavebothyourrewardandyourrevenge.

Anditwasalmosthere.

Hestoodontheclifftop,lookingouttosea,thecoldwindsnaggingathiscoat.Theothersstoodbesidehimbutnotwithhim.Hewasapartfromthem.Hewasspecial.

“I can’t see it,” said Nero. His voice had adopted the annoying whine that irritatedCadaveroussomuch.

“Ofcourseyoucan’t,”Smokesaid.“It’sgotacloakingshieldaroundit.”

“ButifIcan’tseeitthenIcan’tteleportontoit,canI?”

“Youcanandyouwill,”saidLethe.“Weknowexactlywhereit’llbeinthreeminutes,so,inthreeminutes’time,you’regoingtoteleportoutthere.”Hepointeddirectlyinfrontofthem.“It’sperfectlysafe.”

“Whatifyou’rewrong?”Neroasked.

“We’renot.Wehaveitsschedule.”

Nerohuggedhimselfagainstthecold.“Whatiftheschedule’swrong?We’regoingtobeteleportingintoemptyspace.”

“Itwon’tbeempty.”

“Butwhatifitis?”

“Thenyou’llstartfalling,andyou’llteleportyourselftosafety.”

Nero’seyesnarrowed.“Wait,what?Noone’scomingwithme?”

“It’stoorisky.”

“Youjustsaiditwassafe.”

“Itissafe.Butit’stooriskyforallofustogoatonce.Yougo,confirmit’sthere,thencomebackforus.”

“Soundsprettyeasytome,”Razziasaid,noddingwithconfidence.

“OK,”saidNero,“sowhatifitisthere,butI’portrightintothemiddleofagroupofCleavers?”

“Thenextricateyourselffromthesituation,”Smokesaid,likehewastalkingtoafour-year-old.

Neroshookhishead.“Everyonehereseemstohave this idea that I’mjustamodeoftransport.Listentome:I’mnotacar,OK?I’mnotacaroratrainoraplane.I’maperson.Teleportingsomewhereblindisasurewaytogetmyselfkilled.”

“Trustintheplan,”saidLethe.

“If I get caught or get killed, there is no plan,”Nero countered. “Iwant someone tocomewithme.”

Razziastuckherhandintheair.“I’llgowithhim!”

“Nother,”Nerosaidimmediately.

Razziafrowned.“Whynotme?What’swrongwithme?”

Nero looked around for help.With none forthcoming, he swallowed thickly. “Uh…you’rejust…You’renotverystealthy.”

“Bulldust!ItakeofftheseheelsandIbarelymakeasoundwhenIwalk.Myfeetaretiny.Lookatthem.It’samazingIdon’tfallovermoreoften.”

“Well, it’s not really the stealth that’s the problem,”Nero said. “You just, in certaincircumstances,youtendtogoalittle…crazy.”

Hereyesnarrowed.“What?”

“Attimes.”

“Crazy?”

“Alittle.”

“Igocrazy?”

“No,”Nerosaid.“No,youdon’t.Atall.”

Shesnarled.“Thenyou’llletmegowithyou?”

Neropaled.“Ofcourse.”

“Yay!”Razziasaid,happyagain.

Lethe held up a hand. “Nero may have a point, Razzia. This infiltration requires acertaindefttouchthatyoumaybelacking.”

Razziabitherlowerlipwhileshepondered.“Well,”shesaid,“IsupposeIdogoalittlecrazysometimes.”

“I’lltakeMemphis,”saidNero,butMemphisshookhishead.

“Hell,no,Iain’tgoing.”

Nerolookeddismayed.“Whynot?”

“Youmightget itwrong,man,”Memphis said, runningacomb throughhishair. “OryoumightteleportusintoagroupofCleavers.I’llstayhereuntilIknowthecoastisclear,thankyouverymuch.”

Cadaveroussighed.“I’llgowithhim.”

Neroscowled.“Idon’twanthimtocome.”

“You’vealreadyturneddownoneandbeenrejectedbyanother,”Cadaveroussaid.“It’smeor it’snoone. I’msickof listening toyoucomplainaboutnotbeingappreciatedforwhoyouareorwhatyoucontributetotheteam.That’sallI’veheardfromyouforthelastfewweeks.Ifyou’retooscaredtogoalone,thenIshallholdyourhand.Isthatacceptabletoyou,MrNero?”

“Idon’tlikethewayyou’retalkingtome.”

“Isomehowfailtocare.”

“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” Lethe said, holding up his hands, “there’s no need forhostility.Cadaveroushasmadeakind-heartedoffer.Nero,willyouaccept?”

“Sure,”Nerosaidgrudgingly.

“Beautiful,”Lethesaid.“Razzia:whatisthetime?”

Razzianodded.“Timeisasocialconstructdesignedtoderiveorderfromchaos.”

“Wellput,Razzia.Anddoyouhavethetime?”

“Oh,”shesaid.“No,Idon’twearawatch.Idon’tbelieveinthem.Time’sneverdonemeanyfavours,andthat’sfairdinkum.”

“Isee.Smoke?”

“It’stwelveohfour,”Smokesaid.“Twentysecondstogo.”

Letherolledhisshoulders.“Nero,Cadaverous,prepareyourselves.Therestofuswillstandready.”

CadaveroustookholdofNero’swrist.

“Wedon’tneedtobetouching,”Nerocomplained.

Cadaverousgavehimasmile.“I’mjustmakingsureyoudon’tforgetaboutmeinalltheexcitement.”

Nerotookamomenttorollhiseyesbeforelookingstraightahead,atthepatchofthinairhewasaimingtoarriveat.Asthesecondstickedaway,Cadaveroususedhistonguetopickapieceofmeatfrombetweenhisteeth.Hespatitout.

“Go,”saidSmoke.

Suddenly they were 1,100 metres off the coast and falling towards the churning,freezingsea.Cadaverous’sbodyreleasedaboltofadrenaline.Nero tried tosnatchbackhisarm.Hewasabouttopanic,abouttoteleportaway.Cadaveroustightenedhisgrip.

Andthenhisfeetvanished.

Therestofhimfollowed,almosttooquicktoregister–hisknees,thighs,hips,chest–and then they had dropped through the cloaking shield andColdheart Prison burst into

existencebeneath them,a floating islandof rockonwhichsat thewalls, the fences, thewatchtowersandtheprisonbuildingsthemselves.

Theyteleportedlowerandflipped,sothattheirmomentumtookthemupwardsandthencancelledout.Whentheystoppedrising,Neroteleportedthemoncemore,straightdownto solid ground. They landed gently and crouched, waiting for the alerts to be called.Whentheyheardnoshouts,heardnoalarms,theydaredtoraisetheirheads.

Theywereontheveryedgeoftheisland,perchedontheslipperyrocks.Beforethemwas a fence.Beyond that, another fence.Towers,mannedbyCleavers, stood at regularintervals–eighttowerstoaside.Wallsandmorefencesseparatedtheyardintosectionsfor prisoner recreation and sections for staff. The buildings were big and blocky andimposing.Smallwindowsandfewofthem.Soliddoors.

Themainprisonbuildingwasamassivetowerwithbroadshoulders.Slantedwindowsattheverytopgaveititsscowl.TheinmatescalledthisbuildingtheBrute.

“Fetch the others,” Cadaverous said, the wind whipping away his words. Nerovanished.

AsirritatingasNerocouldbe,hewasalsothekeytotakingthisprison.Solongashisenemieswerewithinacertainrange,hecouldteleportthemawaywithouthavingtolayafingeronthem.Thesigilsandsafeguardsthatkeptoutothersofhisilkhadnoeffectonhim. He was, to all intents and purposes, virtually unstoppable. That reason, and thatreasonalone,wasenoughtokeephimalive.

HearrivedbackwithLetheandtheothers.

“Cleaversineverytower,”Cadaveroustoldthem.“Electrifiedfences.Camerascoveringtheyard.Justaswewerewarned.”

“Andwe’renotyetfightingforourlives,”saidLethe,“whichmeansweareindeed intheoneblindspottheislandoffers.”

“Ourinformationwascorrect,”Smokesaid.

Lethelookedathim.“Youdoubtedit?”

“Idon’tlikespies,”hesaid,pullingatthebraidsinhisgoatee.“Theirsorours.”

“Well,”Lethesaid,“Iforoneamgratefulforourspy.Itbodeswellforwhatistocome.You all know what to do. You all know where to go. We want the Cleavers and allSanctuary personnel dead or gone. This is to be a clean sweep. Ignore the convicts.They’llbegyoutoopentheircells,butwe’renothereforthem.We’rehereforher.We’reheretofindthebox.”

“Andwhilewe’reallriskingourlives,”Nerosaid,“whatareyougoingtobedoing?”

Lethe nodded towards the Brute’s slanted windows. “I’m going to be in the controlroom,”hesaid.“Someone’sgottosteerthisthing,afterall.”

9

Skulduggery and Valkyrie watched as Omen Darkly, his schoolbag slung over hisshoulder, failedutterly to takehis leavewith anything resemblingdignity.He tried twolockeddoorsbeforefindingtheonethatledoffthebalconyandintothetower.Hewaved,blushingmadly,anddisappeared.

“Interestingboy,”Skulduggerysaid.“NotwhatIwouldcallespeciallyimpressive,butaninterestingboy,nonetheless.”

“I don’t know about this,” Valkyrie said. She was getting cold. “He’s a kid,Skulduggery.Weshouldn’tbeinvolvinghiminthisstuff.”

“Perhaps,”Skulduggery said, “but he didmake a valid point. I involvedyou in ‘thisstuff’whenyouwereevenyounger.”

“That’sdifferent.”

“Howso?”

“Thatwasme,”shesaid.“Icouldhandleit.”

“IthinkOmenwillsurpriseyou.”

“Heforgotwhichdoorheliterallyjustcamethrough.”

“Soit’llbeanevenbiggersurprise.”

Shepeeredovertherailing,downontoanemptycourtyard.“He’snotgoingtogetthechance,though,ishe?Hekeepsaneyeoutforthisrecruiterpersonandthat’sit,hegoeshome.”

“Thisisaboardingschool.”

“YouknowwhatImean.”

“That’sallwe’llneedhim todo,yes.But there’sa stubbornness inhiseyes that I’vereallyonlyseenoncebefore.”

“Iwasneverstubborn,”Valkyriesaid,climbingovertherailing.“Ijusthappenedtoberight.”

Sheletgoandplummeted.TheSouthTowerwassixstoreyshighandshewashalfwayto the hard groundbefore the air began to slowher descent. Skulduggery drifted downbesideher,wrappinghisarmaroundherwaist.

“Idowishyou’dtellmebeforeyoujump,”hesaid,“especiallyifyouaren’tevengoingtoattempttouseyourpowers.”

“Ican’tfly,”sheremindedhim.

“You’veflownbefore.”

“I’vehovered.”

“Hoveringisthefirststeptoflying,”hesaidastheytoucheddowngentlyintheemptycourtyard.Hereleasedher.“That’swhatItellpeoplewhoaskfortips.”

“Domanyask?”

“Moreandmore,”hesaid.“Apparently, there’sbeena resurgence inpeoplechoosingElemental magic as their discipline, all because they want to learn to soar above theclouds.”

Thewindhadmessedupherhair,soshetieditbackintoaponytail.“Eventhoughnoneof their Elemental teachers can fly? This doesn’t suggest to them thatmaybe flying ishardertomasterthanitwouldappear?”

“Theydon’tcare,”Skulduggerysaid.“Theyjustwanttoemulatetheirheroes.”

“Youmeanyou.”

“AstheonlyElementalwhocanactuallyfly,yes,Imeanme.Don’tyoumissit?”

“Flying?TheonlytimesI’veproperlyflown,Darquessehadtakenover.Thememory’salittletainted.”

“Isuppose,”hesaid, thentookhispocketwatchfromhiswaistcoatandglancedat it.“There’ssomeoneIneedtotalktobeforeweleave.WillImeetyoubackatthecar?”

“Ah,”shesaid,“Ikindawanttoexplorealittle,seewhat’swhat.”

“Oh.OK.And you’re sure you don’t want to head back to the car andwait formethere?”

“You’reworriedthatmydogwillhavepeedonyourseats,aren’tyou?”

“Thethoughthasoccurredtome.”

“Xena will still be asleep, believe me, and she doesn’t pee in cars. You go talk towhoeveryouhavetotalkto,I’llhaveawalkaroundandI’llmeetyououtfrontin,what,twentyminutes?”

Theysplitup,andshepassedthroughthenearestdoor,foundherselfinacorridorjustasthebellrangandstudentsswarmedout,fillingthespacesandjostlingValkyrieastheysqueezedby.Shesighedwithirritation,keptherelbowsdownanddidn’thitanyone.Afteranotherfewseconds, thecrowdstartedtothinandshecouldwalkwithout trippingoveranyone.

Four kids with green ties stood in a group ahead of her. They started whispering.Valkyrie kept her head down and her eyes on the floor as she passed them.Out of the

corner of her eye she saw them glance her way, and when they were behind her thewhisperingpickedupagain.

Valkyrie turned to face them. “What?” she snapped. “What is it that’s so fascinatingaboutme?What?”

The kids froze. They actually looked scared.One of them snapped out of it, hurriedaway,andtheothersquicklyfollowed.Valkyrieglaredatthemuntiltheyhaddisappearedroundthecorner.Thenshestartedtofeelstupidforoverreacting.

Sheturnedagain,justasayoungwomandressedallinblackstrodeuptoherwithanarmoutstretched.

“Hello!” theyoungwomansaid,andValkyriewasshakingherhandbeforesheknewwhat was happening. “It’s very good to meet you! I’ve heard so much about you,naturally,butit’ssogoodtofinallymeetyouintheflesh!”

ShewasScottish,hadlongredhair,afewfrecklesandthebrightestsmileValkyriehadseeninalongtime.

“You’llhavetoforgivethestudents,”thewomansaid,loweringhervoiceslightly.“It’snotoftentheymeetsomeonefamous.”

Valkyrietookherhandback.Gently.“I’mnotfamous.”

“Ah,well,infamous,then.”

Valkyrietookamomenttoworkitout,thenshesagged.“Oh,right.Darquesse.”

“They’veseenallthepictures,”theredheadsaid,“allthevideos.AndthereareplentyofvideosofDarquessetearingtheplaceup.Theydon’tmeananythingbystaring,reallytheydon’t.”

“It’s fine,”Valkyrie replied.“Amazingly, Ikindof forgot thatpeoplewouldassociatemewithher,eventhoughwesharedthesameface.Justanotherthingtofeelbadabout,Isuppose.”

“Mmm,”saidtheredhead,becausesheobviouslycouldn’tthinkofawaytosalvagethistopic of conversation. Then she brightened again. “I’mMilitsa Gnosis. I teach MagicTheory.”

“You’reaNecromancer?”

“Guilty as charged,” Militsa said, and then suddenly stopped smiling. “Which isprobably not the best phrase to usewhenmost of yourOrder plotted to kill billions ofpeople. If itmakesanydifference, though, Ididn’tknowanythingabout thePassageorwhattheClericswereplanning.”

“Soyou’reagoodNecromancer?”

“Yes,”Militsasaid,beamingonceagain.“Iwasgoingtostoremymagicinaringlikeyoudid,butIdidn’twantyoutothinkIwascopyingyou,eventhoughIsowouldhave

been,soIkeepitinthisinstead.”Shepulledbackhersleeve,revealingathickbracelet.“It’sprettycool,Ithink.”

“Yeah.”

Militsa’ssmilefaltered.“Oh,no.”

“What?”

“I’mbeinglame,aren’tI?”

“Sorry?”

“I’m being so lame right now,” Militsa said, her chin dropping. “You think I’m acompleteidiot,don’tyou?”

“DoI?”

“Youmust.”

“Idon’tthinkso.”

“But I’mbabbling. I’m just a babbling idiot that ran up to you and started babbling.Thisissoembarrassing.WhydoIhavetobesolame?”

“I…Idon’tthinkyou’relame.”

“That’sjustbecauseyou’reaniceperson.”

“I’mnotthatnice,”Valkyriesaid.“Really,I’mnot.I’mquiterude.”

“You’renotrude.”

“Iam,”Valkyrieinsisted.“Beforethisconversationisdone,IbetI’llhavebeenrudetoyoubyaccident.”

Militsalookedup.Hereyeswerehuge.“Youmeanit?”

“Ido.Andyou’renotlameandyou’renotanidiot.You’rejustbeingfriendly.You’reafriendlyNecromancer,whichiskindofunique.”

“We’renotknownforbeingfriendly,I’dhavetoagree,”Militsasaid,brightening.

“Soyou’reateacherhere?”

“Yep.Iguidestudentsthroughtheiroptions,asfaraschoosingadisciplinegoes.Inevermeant to be a teacher, to be honest. It’s not something I ever sawmyself doing, but itcombines two ofmy favourite things – talking aboutmagic and… and, well, readingaboutmagic,Isuppose.Idon’thaveaverywiderangeofinterests.”

“Maybeyoushouldgetoutmore.”

“That’s whatmymum says, but then she’s three hundred years old. I think she hasunrealisticexpectationswhenitcomestome.I’mjustanormalgirl.GivemeagoodbookandasofaandI’mhappy,youknow?”

“Can’tbeatabookandasofa.”

“If I wasn’t a teacher, I’d probably be a researcher, maybe be a part of ProjectTorchlight.Haveyouheardofit?”

“Ihaven’t,I’mafraid.”

“Ah,nomatter.Mypointbeing,IspecialiseintheSource–whichisanotherreasonI’msopumped tobemeetingyou.”Militsahesitated,her eyes sparkling. “Could I seeyourmagic?CouldIseewhatyoucando?”

“Uh…”

“Just a little bit, I swear.You’re incredible tome, that’s all.You’re connected to theSourceofallmagiclikenobodyelse.Yourmagicis…it’spure.Unfiltered.”

“I’mnotverygoodatcontrollingit,”Valkyrieconfessed.

“I’mnotsurprised,”saidMilitsa.“I’vegottheoriesaboutit,ifyou’dliketohearthem.”

“Uh,maybe.I’malittlebusyrightnow…”

“Oh, of course,”Militsa said, laughing at her own stupidity. “Of course you’re busy,you’reValkyrieCain!Butifeveryouwantedtotalkaboutit,justknockonmydoor.Iwillliterally drop everything to talk to you. Literally. Everything.” She brushed her handstogether.“Dropped.”

“OK,”saidValkyrie.“Well,Imightdothat.”

“Orifyoujustwanttohangout,”Militsasaid.“Youhaven’tbeentoRoarhavenmuch,haveyou?Again,I’mnotastalker,I just…I’dhaveheardifyouwereintownalot.Icouldshowyouaround.There’sactuallyaprettygoodartsscenehere.Bizarre, Iknow,but thereyougo.Might be fun, if you’re into that kindof thing.Orwe couldgo for acoffee.Oradrink.Ordinner.Wouldyouliketogotodinner?”

“Nothankyou.”

“Right,ofcourse,you’rebusy,Igetit.”

“It’snotthatI’mbusy,”saidValkyrie.“It’sjustthatIdon’twantto.”

Militsablinked.“Oh.Well,Imean,OK.That’scool.”

Valkyrie’sfacesoured.“AndnowI’mbeingrude,justlikeIknewIwould.”

“You’renotrude,no.”

“It’sjustI’mnotlookingforafriendrightnow.”

Militsablinked.“Ohh.OK.”

“I’msorry.Idon’twanttooffendyou,butI’mtryingtostayawayfrompeopleuntilIgetmyheadstraight.”

“Gotcha,”Militsasaid.“Noexplanationneeded.You’vebeenthroughalotandthelastthingyouneedissomeonetotalkto.”

“Whenyousayitlikethat,”Valkyriesaid,“itsoundsstupid.”

“Not at all. This is totallymy fault – I just feel like I knowyou already. I’ve askedFletchersomanyquestions.”

Valkyrieraisedaneyebrow.“YouknowFletcherRenn?”

Militsalookedsurprised.“Well,ofcourse.He’sateacherhere.”

Valkyrie couldn’t help it – she grinned. “Fletcher? Seriously? What does he teach?Whatdoesheknowwellenoughtoteach?”

Militsagrinnedwithher.“Teleportation.He’sonlygotthreestudents,andonlyoneofthemcanactuallyteleport,buthe’sprettygood.Ithinkyou’dbeimpressed.”

“That’shilarious,”saidValkyrie.“Isheallstrictandstuff?”

“Very.Hehasateachervoice.”

“Oh,wow.”

Valkyrie’s phone buzzed with a message from Skulduggery, saying he’d be delayedanothertenminutes.Assheslippeditbackintoherjeans,shenoticedMilitsaglancingatherwatch.

“Youprobablyhaveworktodo,”Valkyriesaid.

Militsa nodded. “I’m supposed to be teaching a class right now. If thiswas amortalschool,thekids’dbetearinguptheplace,butCorrivalstudentstendtobesoboringlywellbehavedthat they’reprobablycleaning thewindows.Thecoffeeofferwill remainopen,bytheway,foraslongasyouneedittobe.Or,youknow,dinner.Whatever.”

“Thankyou.Really.Iappreciatethegesture.”

“Noproblem,”Militsa said, and beamed another smile. “Itwas so nice tomeet you,Valkyrie.Ihopewecangettoknoweachotherbetter.”

Valkyriesmiledback,andMilitsaturnedwithaswirlofhercloakandwalkedoff.Shewore a cloak. Valkyrie hadn’t known very many people who wore cloaks. Not evenSkulduggeryworeacloak.Whatanoddgirl.Valkyrielikedher.

She left the school,with itsmagnificent arches and grand staircases, andwalked thewidestreets.PlentyoftimetodoublebackandmeetSkulduggery.Therewasaguyonthecorner,barefootanddressedinsackcloth,holdingasignthatwarnedherthattheendwasnigh.Toreinforcethepointhewasmaking,heshouteditatanyonewhowaspassing.

“Theend isnigh!”hescreeched toValkyrie, shaking thecardboardsign.“Theend isnigh!”

“Isn’titalways?”sheasked,andlefthimshakingthesignresentfully.

She made a note of the street names as she went by. Gorgon Street. Titan Street.BellowerRoad.ShecrossedMeritoriousSquareandtookthenarrowerstreetsnow,awayfromthestaring,whisperingpeople.ShewalkeddownBlood-drenchedLane,tookarightontoDecapitationRow.Atleasttheywereeasytoremember.

Shesmelledfoodandhertummyrumbled,soshefollowedthesmellandthenabruptlylost it in a dead end thatwent by the charming name of Putrid Road. She turned, andstopped.

Threepeoplestoodthere–twomenandonewoman–staringatherwithaspecialkindoflookintheireyes.Valkyriehadseenthatlookbefore.Shewaswellusedtothatlook.

Thatlookmeantthat,atsomepointinthenextfewminutes,theyweregoingtotrytokillher.

10

Sebastianwatcheditallfromtherooftop.

Hewatchedthethreeofthemfollowherawayfromthecrowds,awayfromanyonewhomightstepin.HewouldhaveexpectedmorefromValkyrieCain.Hewouldhaveexpectedher tobea lotmorealert.But thereshewas, in jeansandaT-shirt insteadofherusualblack,walkinglikeazombie,justgoingwherethestreetstookher,likeshehadathousanddifferent things on hermind and she didn’t want to think of a single one of them.Hewatchedherreachthedeadendandturn,andfreeze.

Hecrouchedlow,andbithislipbeneathhismask.Hehadhismission.Heshouldn’tbewastinghistimeonthingslikethis.

Belowhim,Valkyriewaitedfor the threepeople tosaysomething.When theydidn’t,shespoke.“I’mnotDarquesse.”

Sebastian’searswerecovered,butheheardherperfectly.

“YoulooklikeDarquesse,”saidthewoman.“Youlookthewayshedidwhenshekilledmyfamily.Exceptyou’renotsmiling.Darquessewassmiling.”

Valkyriehesitated.“I’mnother.”

Themanon the leftwaspackingsomeextraweight,buthe lookedstrong, like thoseclenched fists would hurt. “Darquesse killed my daughter,” he said. “Burned her tonothing.Idoubtsheevennoticedshe’ddoneit.”

“My brother tried to fight her,” the second man said. “I begged him not to, but hethoughtifhecouldsneakupbehindher,whiletheSkeletonDetectiveandeveryonewasdistractingher,hecouldsnapherneckbeforesheknewwhatwashappening.Mybrother,whohadneversnappedaneckinhislife.Heneverevengotclose.”

“I’m sorry for your pain,” Valkyrie said slowly. “I’m sorry for what you’ve beenthrough,andforwhatyourlovedoneswentthrough.ButI’mnotDarquesse.”

“Weknow,”thewomansaid.“Weknowyou’reValkyrieCain.Weknowallaboutyou.WeknowDarquessewasyour truename, andweknowshe inhabited thebodyofyourreflection.Weknowallthis.Everyonedoes.Everyoneknowsthatnoneofitwouldhavehappenedifitweren’tforyou.”

“Sensitiveshaddreamsaboutherforyearsbeforesheshowedup,”thesecondguysaid.“Theywarnedyou.Allthattime,youknewwhatwouldhappenifyoukeptgoing.Butyoudidn’twanttogobacktoamortallife,didyou?Youwantedtobeoneofus.Asorcerer.”

“So you let it happen,” the first man said. “You allowed it to happen just like theSensitivespredicteditwould,becauseyouwerehavingtoogoodatimegoingoffonallyouradventures.”

“Nothing to say?” the woman asked, walking forward. Sebastian tensed. “For a girlwithareputationforbeingasmart-mouth,you’reawfullyquiet.”

“Leavemealone,”Valkyriesaid.

“Youshouldn’thavecomeback.”

“Leavemealone.Please.Idon’twantanytrouble.”

Thewomansneered.“Beggingdidn’tsavemyfamily.It’snotgoingtosaveyou.”

Thewomanslappedher.Hard.Sebastian’sowncheektingledinsympathy,butValkyriejuststoodthere.

Obviouslyof theopinion that a simple slapwasn’tgoing todo the job, the firstmansteppedupandswungapunchthatsentValkyriespinningtotheground.SebastianreadiedhimselftojumpinthemomentValkyrieretaliated–butshejuststayeddown,proppedonherelbow,holdingahandtoherface.Thewomankickedherintheshin,endeduphurtingherselfasmuchasshehurtValkyrie.

Slowly,Valkyriestoodbackup.

Thefirstmanlookedat thesecond,whohesitated, thennoddedandclenchedhisfistsalso. These were not warriors, Sebastian saw. These were just ordinary sorcerers.Ordinary,angrysorcerers.

ThesecondmanhitValkyrie,alightpunchtotheshoulder.

“Comeon!”saidthefirstguy.“Harder!”

ThesecondmanstaredatValkyrie,hislipscurlingashecultivatedhisanger,andhehither again, this time in the face.Valkyrie tooka few stepsbackbefore she regainedherbalance.Blooddrippedfromherbottomlip.Stillshedidnothing.

Thepunchwasfollowedbyanother,andanother,fistsfuelledbypent-uprage,bylossandloveandhate,allthatpainfinallyfindinganoutletintheinflictionofpainonanother.Valkyriewasdoubledoverbyashottothebellyandthensenttothegroundagain.Alow,torturedmoanescapedherasshestruggledtobreathe.

And,oncemore,shegottoherfeet.

Thewomanpushedherwaytothefront,clickingherfingersandsummoningaballofflame into her hand. This changed things. Valkyrie shifted her balance slightly as shewatchedthewoman,waitingtoseewhatshewoulddo.Waitingtoseeifshe’dcrosstheline.

Foramoment,thewomanseemedtoreconsider.Sebastianhadagoodviewofherface,andhe saw the conflict there.Theemotion.The flamesdimmed, looked like theywereabouttogoout.

Butthensomething–amemory,anurge,aflashofruthlessness–flaredtheflamesinher hand and shemoved her arm back, preparing to throw, andValkyrie leaped at her,smacking her hand down and driving her elbow into the woman’s jaw. The womancrumpledandthefirewentout.

Thefirstmansnappedhispalmagainsttheairandthespacerippled,butValkyriewasalreadylungingattheotherguy.Sherolledunderhispunchandgrabbedhim,twistedhim,threwhimoverherlegandhewenttumbling.

Thefirstguycharged,tooangrytousemagic.Valkyriemethimhead-on.Shecrashedinto him, using her elbows as a battering ram. He staggered back, clutching his chest,trying to get his breath back. She let him fall to one knee, gasping, and turned to thesmallermanasherose.Again,sheclosedthespacebetweenthem,refusingtogivehimachancetothrowapunchorusehismagic.SheslappedhimsohardSebastianwinced,andwrappedherarmaroundhisthroatashespun.Shekickedouthislegandcrouchedwithhim,tighteningherstranglehold.Hestruggled,triedtopullherhair,butshestayedcalmandjustkeptsqueezing.

Thefirstguywasgettinghisbreathback,andhewasattemptingtostand,clickinghisfingersatthesametime.Anymomentnowhishandswouldbefilledwithfire.

Sebastian leaped,crashing intohimfromabove.Thebigguywentdownas theotherguy lost his battle to stay awake. Valkyrie laid him on his side, turned and observedSebastianashestoodthere.

For a long, longmoment, nothingwas said. Sebastian allowed himself to think thatmaybeValkyriewasoverawed.Maybeshewasintimidated.

“Youlooksodumb,”shesaid.

“DoI?”

“Didyoufly,orjump?”

“Oh,”hesaid.“Ijumped.Iwasupthere.”Hepointedabovehim.“AndnowI’m,youknow…downhere.”

“That’sagoodstory,”Valkyriesaid.

“I,uh,IfeellikeIhaven’tmadethebestfirstimpression.”

“Howcouldyoupossiblythinksuchathing,wearingamaskasridiculousasthat?Doyouhaveaname?”

Sebastiansmiledbeneathhismask.“Names,”hesaid,“arepower.”

“Fine,”shesaid,wipingbloodfromherlip.“I’llcallyouMrBeakface.”

Hestoppedsmiling.“No,don’tcallmeMrBeakface.CallmethePlagueDoctor.”

“MrBeakfaceiseasiertoremember.”

“Pleasedon’tcallmethat.”

Shepeeredcloser.“Areyouanactualdoctor?”

“I’mheretofixthings.”

“Sono.”

Hesighed.“Notadoctorassuch.”

“Andwhyareyouwearingamask?”

“Itcamewiththesuit.”

“Itmakesyourvoicesoundfunny.”

Hefrowned.“Doesit?”

“Youdon’thearthat?Itechoes.”

“Oh,”hesaid.“Idon’tknow.Ididn’tknowitechoed.”

Shesteppedovertheunconsciousbodyatherfeet.“Whatdoyouwant?”

“LikeIsaid,I’mheretohelp.”

“Byarrivingatthelastminutewhenthefightisjustaboutdone?You’rehandy.”

“Imean,fromnowon,”Sebastiansaid.“I’mheretohelpfromnowon.”

“Whatareyougoingtohelpwith?HastheBlackDeathcomeback?”

“Well,no.Butbadthingsarecoming.”

“Whydopeoplekeepsayingthatlikeit’sasurprise?”

“I’mafriend,OK?That’sallyouneedtoknow.”

Shelookedathim.“I’vejusthadthisconversationwithsomeoneelse.I’mnotlookingforanymorefriends.Doyourselfafavourandstayoutofmylife.”

Shewalkedby.Foramoment,hethoughtshewasgoingtolungeathim,totearoffhismask and reveal his face … but she passed him like she couldn’t be bothered withanythinganymore.

“Valkyrie,”hesaid.

Sheturned.Waited.

“Whydidyouletthemhurtyou?”

“Theycaughtmebysurprise,”shesaid.

“No,theydidn’t.”

“Believewhatyouwant.Idon’tcare.”

“Oneotherthing?I,uh,Iwouldappreciateitifyoudidn’ttellanyoneaboutthis.”

Shefrowned.“Sorry?”

“Skulduggery,” Sebastian said. “Anyone else. It would be better if they didn’t knowaboutme.Notyet.”

“Why?”

“Ican’ttellyou.Please,fornow,keepthisbetweenmeandyou.”

Sheputherhandsonherhipsandlookeddown,likeshewascountingtoten.Sheraisedherhead.“Listen,MrBeakface—”

“PlagueDoctor.”

“—I’m not comfortable keeping any secrets from Skulduggery, even the importantones.Iwouldn’tviewmeetingyouasimportant.”

“Valkyrie, please.When I can explainmyself, Iwill. I know it’s asking a lot, but…trustme.”

Shesighed.“Fine,”shesaid,andwalkedaway.

11

Twominuteslater,theBentleypulledupbythesideoftheroadandValkyriegotin.

“Aguyinastupidmaskaskedmenottotellyouheexists,”shesaid,reachingbacktopetXena.

Skulduggerynodded.“Fairenough.”

12

Theydroveeastthroughthecity,parkedandwentwalking.Xena,onaleashbutwithoutamuzzle, investigated every stray scent. Valkyrie hadn’t been to this part of Roarhavensince it had been rebuilt. The apartment blockswere big – the apartmentswithin themsmall.Thestreets,thoughnew,hadalreadydevelopedpotholes.Mostlyuninhabited,withlittle in theway of shops, the fewpeople they passed there either stared atValkyrie inshockoractuallycrossedtotheothersidetoavoidher.

“Thisisnotdoingmyself-esteemanygoodwhatsoever,”shemuttered.

“Maybethey’reafraidofthedog,”Skulduggerysaid.

“They’reafraidofsomething.”

Skulduggerytookoffhishatandplaceditonherhead.“Isthatbetter?”

“Ilookstupid.”

“Noteveryonecanpulloffahatlikethis,it’strue.”

She tugged the brim low, shielding her face as they approached amother and smallchild.ThekidpointedatSkulduggery,ignoringValkyrieandXenaaltogether.Shekeptthehaton.

“Wherearewegoing?”sheasked.

“There’s a bar somewhere around here,” Skulduggery answered. “From what I’veheard,it’srifewithanti-mortalsentiment.”

“Youthinkthebadguysdrinkthere?What’sitcalled?”

“TheMage’sLament.”

“What’shelamenting,”sheasked,wincingslightly,“notrulingtheworld?Bitofalongshot,isn’tit,checkingoutabarthebadguysmightfrequent?”

“Iammerelyawarethatmytwenty-fourhourswithyouareslippingaway,soIthoughtwemayaswell tryafewlongshotswhilewe’re together.AreyoufeelingOK?You’vegonequitepale.”

“I’mfine,”shesaid.“Justhaveaheadachestartingup.”

“Probablyfromallthepunchingyou’verecentlyundergone.”

Sheshrugged.“Peopledon’tlikemehere.Ihavetogetusedtoit.”

“Soyou’renotgoingtoalerttheCityGuard,havethesepeoplearrested?”

“Theyattacked;Idefended.It’sover.Besides, it’snot liketheCityGuardwouldtakemeseriously.They’reprobablylookingforanyexcusetoslaptheshacklesonme.”

“Perhapsyou’reright.IsupposeIshouldjustbethankfulthatthismysteriousstrangershowedupintimetorescueyou.”

“Heliterallylandedontheguy’shead.Hedidn’trescueanyone.Stopsayingthat.”

“Ijustfinditamusingthatyou’dneedtoberescued.”

“Firstofall,Ididn’tneedanythingofthesort.Second,whatareyoutalkingabout?Youusedtorescuemeallthetime.”

“Thatwasdifferent.Thatwasthenaturalflowofevents.I’drescueyou,you’drescueme, it’s howweworked. It’s howwework still.We’re there for eachother, aren’twe?Untiltheend?”

“Isuppose.”

Xena stopped walking, started whining. Valkyrie crouched, ruffling her fur. “What’swrongwithyou,huh?What’swrongwithmybaby?”

Skulduggerylookedaround.“Ithinkwe’regoingthewrongway,”hesaid,andturned.Valkyriefollowedashewalkedbackthewaytheycame,Xenatrottinghappilyaheadofher.

“It’snotlikeyoutogetlost,”Valkyriesaid.

“Ihavemanythingsonmymind.And,judgingbythelongperiodsofsilenceyousinkinto,sodoyou.”

“Idon’thavetobetalkingeverymomentwe’retogether,doI?”

“No,”hesaid.“Butthat’sneverstoppedyoubefore.”

Sheshrugged.“Theworldisascaryplace,andit’sonlygettingscarier.TheAmericanpresidentisanarcissisticpsychopath.Fascism,racism,misogynyandhomophobiaareallon the rise.We’ve ruined the environment.Animals are going extinct faster than I canname them. Bullying is everywhere. Nobody talks to anyone who doesn’t share theirviews.Everyonehates.Everyoneshouts.Everyonecries.Thereis literallynoescapeforthehumanraceunlesssomeonestepsinandordersthemtobebetter.Buttheonlypeoplewhocoulddothataresorcerers,andthatwouldbringaboutthewarwiththemortalsthatCadaverousGant and these anti-Sanctuary nutjobs so desperatelywant. So… y’know.Rockandahardplace.”

“Youthinkcheerythoughts,don’tyou?”

“Can’thelpit.I’manaturallyoptimisticperson.”

TheyreachedtheBentleyanditunlockedwithabeep.

“How’stheheadache?”Skulduggeryasked.

“Fading,”Valkyrie said. “Arewe not sticking around? I thoughtwe had to findTheMage’sLament.”

“I’ve decided that I don’t like long shots. They’re annoying, and rarely work out.Besides,it’sthemiddleoftheday–Idoubtthere’sanyoneinterestingthererightnow.AbetteruseofourtimemightbetotakeadriveuptoCassandraPharos’scottage.”

Xena jumped in the car and Valkyrie got in after her. “You really want to take adetour?”

“YounevergotachancetosaygoodbyewhenyouleftforAmerica,”Skulduggerysaid,shutting the door and starting the engine. “Maybe some of your reluctance aboutcommittingtocomingbackstemsfromalackofclosure.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“Closure.Wow.”

Theypulledoutontotheroadandstarteddriving.“Closureisimportant,”hesaid.“Youmoved to Colorado and assumed that people like Cassandra and Finbarwould be herewhenyougotback.Youneversaidgoodbye.”

“YouthinkIfeelguiltaboutthat?”

“Youdon’t?”

“No,”Valkyriesaid,givinghimbackhishat.“Andtheonlypeoplewhoshouldarethepeoplewhokilledthem.”

ThemorningaftertheNightofKnives,SkulduggeryhadcalledValkyrieinColoradotoletherknowwhathadhappened.She’dspokentohimwhilewrappedinatowel.Thehousewasquietapartfromthefaintsplashescomingfromtheshower.Bythetimeshe’dhungup,thewaterhadbeenturnedoffandtheshowerdoorwasopening.Shesatontheedgeofherbed,tearsinhereyes.Shedidn’tgotothefunerals.

Theyrolledup toCassandra’scottagea littleafter2pm.Valkyriehadmixedfeelingsabouttheplace.Ontheonehand,Cassandrahadalwaysremindedherofthegrandmothersshe’dlostwhenshewasakid.She’dbeenwarm,andfunny,andfascinating.She’dhadstoriestotellabouteachandeveryfacetofherlife.Justtobeinhercompanyhadbroughtagloriousfeelingofbeingwelcome.Ofcominghome.

Butthecottagehadacellar,andinthatcellartherewasafloorthatwasametalgrilleoverabedofcoals.AndwhenthesteamswirledandCassandraplayedhervisionsoutin3D, like holograms, thewarmth vanished, despite the rising heat, replaced by the colddreadofthehorrorstocome.ItwasinthosesteamcloudsthatValkyriehadfirstseentherubbleofRoarhavenduringDevastationDay,andherownface,meremomentsbeforeshewentontokillherbabysister.

ValkyrieletXenaroam,andeyedthecottage.“Whyarewereallyhere?”sheasked.

“Ihaveatheorythatneedstobetested,”saidSkulduggery.“Nomorequestions.Idon’twanttospoilthesurprise.”

Hefoundthekeybeneathanoldpotandopenedthefrontdoor,andValkyrietookadryleaf from the battered packet she kept in her jeans, popping it into her mouth as shesteppedthrough.Thecottagewasjustassheremembered–thecomfysofa,thefadedrug,theguitaronastandin thecorner–but thedreamwhispererswhichhadhungfromtheraftersweregone.Valkyriewasglad.Theywerecreepylittlethings.

“AreyouOK?”Skulduggeryasked.

Theleafhadstartedtodissolveonhertongue,butshechewedtherest togetridofitfaster.Theyweregreatfornumbingpain,beitfromabrokenleg,agunshotwound,oramere headache, but no one had yet bothered to make the damn things taste better.“Another headache,” she said as she wandered over to the guitar. “Nothing to worryabout.”Shepickeditup.

Skulduggery’sheadtilted.“Perhaps.”

She strummed. Badly. “Perhaps what? It’s a headache. People get headaches all thetime.Especiallyafterthey’vebeenpunchedintheface.”

Skulduggerytookasmallbagofrainbowdustfromhispocket,heldouthishandandletitsprinklethroughhisglovedfingers.Itfellasgoldenparticles.“Doyourememberwhatgoldmeans?”

“Goldmeanspsychic.Which is tobeexpected, right?Even thoughCassandra’sbeendeadfortwoyears?”Sheplayedthefirstfewbarsof‘StairwaytoHeaven’,gotitwrongandtriedagain.

“Youarequitecorrect,”heresponded,sealingthebagandputtingitaway.“Thiscottagecontainsanabundanceof residualpsychicenergy,enoughso thatanyonewithSensitivetendencieswouldbevulnerabletotheirinfluence.”

“OK.So?”

“WewerenearingTestamentRoadwhenyougot theheadacheearlier,”hesaid.“ThepartoftownwhereSensitivescan’tgo.”

Valkyrielaughed.“Oh,wow.Thisisyourtheory?YouthinkI’maSensitive?”

“Ithinkit’sapossibility.Thefullrangeofyourabilitieshasyet tobeexplored.Mostsorcerersarerestricted toonediscipline–I’moneof therareexceptions,beingbothanElementalandaNecromancer.Butyou?Youmightbesomethingelseentirely.”

“IthinkI’dknowifIwasapsychic,though.”

“Wouldyou?”Skulduggeryasked,andtooktheguitarfromherhands.Hewalkedawayfrom her, playing ‘Heroes’ by Bowie. “Tell me something – have you experiencedanythingunusualrecently?”

“Youmean apart from you? Listen, I don’t have clairvoyance. I can’t read people’smindsorseeintothefuture.”Shefalteredonthelastword,thenshookherhead.“Thisis

silly.I’mnotaSensitive.”

“Youdon’tknowwhatyouare,”hesaid,turningandstartingtosing.

Xenawanderedinandhesangtoherwhileshesat,headcockedtooneside,andwhenhewasdonehetwirledtheguitarandthrustitawayfromhim,anditfloatedbacktothecornertosettleintoitsstand.Theshowover,Xenagotup,wanderedbackoutside.

“Ididn’tknowyouplayed,”Valkyriesaid.

“Cassandra taughtme,” he responded, and looked around like he’d just realised shewasn’thereanymore.

Valkyrie let the silence continue for a bit, then broke it. “So we’re here,” she said.“RememberingCassandra. Singing. She reallywould have liked that.What’s next?WeheadbacktoDublinandgetmatchingtattoosinhonourofFinbar?”

“Ifyoulike,”hesaid.“But,sincewe’rehere,wemayaswellgodownstairs.”

“Whywouldwewanttodothat?”

Buthewasalreadyopeningthenarrowdoorbesidethecupboard.“Comeon,”hesaid,andwentdown.

Valkyriehesitatedalongmomentbeforefollowing.

Itwasdarkdownthere.Cold.Oldpipesranupthebarewalls.Astraight-backedchairstoodinthemiddleofthemetalfloor.

“I’mnotsurewhatyou’rehopingtoachievewithallthis,”shesaid.

Heclickedhisfingers,summoningflameintohishand.“Your,whatdoyoucallit,your‘aura-vision’isapsychicability.Howdoyouknowthatitdoesn’tgodeeper?Indulgemethisonce.”

“I’malwaysindulgingyou.”

“Thenindulgemeoncemore.”Hedroppedtheballoffiretothefloor.Theflameslitthecoalsbeneathandheatimmediatelystartedtorise.

“Whatdoyouthinkisgoingtohappenhere?”sheasked.“I’msuddenlygoingtohaveavision?Idon’thavevisions.”

“Notyet,buttheenergyallaroundyoucouldtriggersomething,and,ifitdoes,we’llbeabletoseeitplayedoutinthesteam.”

“Orwe’lljustbestandingheregettingacheapsaunathatwillwrinkleyoursuitandruinmyhair.”

“Nothingwillwrinklethissuit,”saidSkulduggery.“Ghastlymadesureofit.”

“We saw him in Cassandra’s vision,” Valkyrie pointed out. “We saw Ghastly withTanith.Wesaw themkissonDevastationDay–onlyhediedbefore thatcouldhappen.Even if I did have a vision, sowhat?Ghastly’s death proves that visions of the futuremeannothing.”

“No,” Skulduggery replied, taking a yellow umbrella from a hook on the wall andpassing it to her. “His death proves that the future can be changed if you knowwhat’scoming.Andwehavenoideawhat’scoming.Wedon’tevenknowwhowe’reupagainst,notreally,sowedon’tknowwhatwehavetoavoid.Try,Valkyrie.Atleasttry.”

Shesighed,thensatinthechair.Itwasquicklyturninghotinhere.Whenthefirstbeadofperspirationformedonhertemple,sheopenedtheumbrellaasSkulduggeryturnedtheredwheel.Waterrushedthroughthepipes,gurglinglikethebellyofaravenousbeast.Thesprinklers started up, tapping a growing applause on the umbrella. Steam rose, gettingthicker,becomingmist,becomingfog.ShelostsightofSkulduggery,butheardthewheelturnagain,andthewatercutoff.Shecollapsedtheumbrella,shookitandlaid iton thefloorbeforestanding.

“Nowwhat?”sheasked.

“Nowfocus,”Skulduggerysaid.“Ordon’tfocus.Emptyyourmind,ormaybefillit.”

“You’reagreathelp.”

“Idon’treallyknowhowthisworks.”

“Hush,”shesaid.

She stood there, eyes fixedon the empty space in frontofher.She tried to relaxherthoughts,but theywere inasbiga jumbleasever.Herheadbuzzed.Theheadachewascomingback.

“Idon’tthinkthisisworking,”shesaid.

Andthensomethingmovedaheadofher.

13

Ashadowinthebillowingsteam.Valkyrienarrowedhereyes.“Didyouseethat?”

“Isawsomething,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Whatwasit?Itlookedlike—”

Somethingflaredinthedistance,asuddenfireorexplosion.Valkyriewalkedtowardsit.

“Careful,” saidSkulduggery, but he sounded so far away. “There’s awall in front ofyou.”

Sheknewthat.Behindthesteamandtheshadows,sheknewtherewasasolidwall.Sheknewshewasstillinthecellar.Sheknewwhatwasrealandwhatwasn’t.

Onlytherewasnowall.Frowning,shekeptwalking,handsoutinfront,andwitheachstepsheexpectedtocomeintocontactwiththewallandyeteachstepbroughtherdeeperanddeeperintothesteam.Sheturned,lookedback.

“Skulduggery?”shecalled.

Hedidn’tanswer.Shecouldn’tseehim.

She heard something, though. Someonewhistling a tune.A familiar tune. Somethingold.Sweetyetsad.‘DreamaLittleDreamofMe.’Itmovedfromrighttoleft.Shewenttoinvestigate,butsomethingaboutthetunemadeherpause,andsherealisedshedidn’twanttoknowwhothewhistlerwas.Shestayedstill,listeningtothetunefade.

Alineofpeopletrudgedoutofthenothingness,walkingrightintoher,dissipatinguponcontact.Shewatchedthem,theirheadsdown,theirfootstepsheavy.Menandwomenandchildren,bagsontheirbacks,bagsintheirhands.Facestiredandanxious.Scared,even.Acontinuousline.Somanyofthem.

Thesteamstolethepeopleaway,andsheturnedandtherewereflamesallaroundher.Atownwasburning.Screamsmixedwithcaralarms.Beforeher,twofigures,sidebyside.SherecognisedOmenDarkly,hisfaceolder,andbleeding.Besidehim,ahandsomeboy,clutchinghis injured shoulder.Shebecameawareof figuresbehindher and she turned,sawtheirformswithoutfaces,felttheiranger,theirhatred,theiraggression.Omenandtheotherboy,hisbrotherperhaps,clickedtheirfingersandsummonedfireintotheirhands.

“You actually think you’re going towin?” somebody asked, and she turned, saw thePlague Doctor a moment before the steam stole him away. She looked back and theburningtownwasgoneandSaracenRuewasdeadontheground,histhroattornopen.

Valkyrie held her hand over her mouth. “Skulduggery!” she called. “Skulduggery,whereareyou?”

CadaverousGantemergedfromthesteam,holdingaragdollinhislefthand,aragdollinabluedress.Hewalkedsoquicklythatsheputoutahandtostophimandhisimagebroke apart, and beyond him she saw Tanith Low, her blonde hair cut to above hershoulders,backingawayfromsomething,fearinhereyes.

She turned, the clouds swirling, and she glimpsedChina Sorrows lying in a field ofbroken glass, blood drenching her blouse, her eyes open and unseeing.Valkyrie turnedawaytoshouts,tojeers,andsawastreamofenergyblastthroughthechestofagirl,sawher fall back, hair covering her face, and whenValkyrie went to catch her the imagesswirledawayandValkyriecouldseeherself,onherknees, tearsrunningdownherface.Defeated.Alone.

Andsheknewshewaswatchingherowndeath.

Valkyrie’s legsgaveoutandshecollapsed.Shedidn’t try togetupagain.Shestayedwhereshewas,hereyestightlyshut,handsoverherears.

“Makeitstop,”shemuttered.“Makeitstop.”

Afingertip,underherchin.

Thiswasreal.Thisreassuredher.Valkyriebreathed,calming,andopenedhereyes,butitwasn’tSkulduggerycrouchingbeforeher,itwasawomanwithsilverhair,andValkyriejerkedaway,fellback,andthewomanlaughed.

“Allthispain,”thewomansaid.“Allthisdeathanddestruction.It’sbecauseofyou,mydear.Allbecauseofyou.”

“You’re…you’renotreal.”

“Iwillbe,”thewomansaid,andsmiled.“Youwillmakemereal.Iknowwhoyouare.Iknow your secret.” The woman stood. “I am the Princess of the Darklands, and I’mcomingforallofyou.”

Her image drifted away on the thinning steam, and Skulduggery plunged through,scatteringitcompletely.

“Didyouseethat?”Valkyrieasked.

“Someofit,”hesaid,helpingherup.“Notall.”

“Her,Imean.Didyouseeher?Thewomanwiththesilverhair?”

“I’mafraidIdidn’t,”hesaid,guidingValkyrietothechair.

Sheslumpeddownontoit,herlimbsleaden.“Shespoketome.”

“Toafutureversionofyou.”

“No,Skulduggery–tome.Shewasspeakingtome,now,justafewsecondsago.Shetouchedmychin.Icouldfeelit.”

“That’snotpossible.”

“I know that. But I’m telling you it happened. She said she knewmy secret.Whatsecret?DoIevenhaveanysecrets?ShesaidshewasthePrincessof theDarklandsandthatshe’scomingforallofus.Youdidn’tseeher?Hearher?”

“AllIsawwerethelinesofpeople,thefire,Saracen,andthenChina.You’resureshetouchedyou?”

“Yes,”shesaid.“Imean…I’mprettysure.Icouldfeel–oratleastIthinkIcouldfeel…”Shesighed.“Idon’tknow.Thewholethingwaskindofoverwhelming.”

“Whatelsedidyousee?”

“Tanith.Shewasfightingsomeone–bigsurprise.IsawCadaverousGant,thatPlagueDoctorguy,andOmenandanotherboy–Ithinkitwashisbrother.Youknowwhatthatmeans,don’tyou?Omenstaysinvolved.Wecan’tletthathappen.Askinghimtokeepaneyeoutforsuspiciousbehaviourisonething,butactuallymixinghimupinthisstuff isjusttoomuch.Hethinksthisisallagrandadventure,butwe’regoingtogethimkilled.”

“Didyouseehimdie?”

“No, but that’s hardly the point, is it?We can’t endanger the lives of two innocentboys.”

“I’m afraid we might not have a choice with Auger. The Darkly Prophecy relatesdirectly to aKingof theDarklands–obviously a relation to thewomanyou saw.He’salreadyinvolved,andit’sgotnothingtodowithus.”

“But Omen isn’t. There’s nothing in that stupid prophecy about Omen, right?Skulduggery,promisemeyou’llfixthis.”

“I’llspeaktohim,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Youneedtomakesurehestops.Hehastounderstandthatwedon’twanthishelpanymore.”

“I’llpayhimavisit.”

“Lethimdowngently,though,OK?Heseems…Idon’tknow.Fragile.”

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Doeshe?”

“Youdon’tthinkso?”

“No,actually.Hedoesn’thaveyourstrength,but Idetectedacertaindurabilityabouthim.”

“Hecanbedurableonhisowntime, then,becauseIdon’twanthimto takeonestepfurtherintothisthing.”

“Verywell.”

Hewatchedhertakethepacketofleavesfromherjeans.

“Areyousureyouwantanotherofthose?”

“Myheadissplitting.”

“I’m not surprised.But an over-reliance on painkillers is not something youwant todevelop.”

She folded one, put it in her mouth. “They’re leaves, Skulduggery. I’m not exactlygoingtogetaddictedtoleaves,amI?It’snotliketheymakemefeelgood.Theyjuststopmyheadfromexploding.”

“Non-exploding heads is somethingwewant to encourage,” he admitted, and helpedValkyrieup.

By the timeshe’dclimbed the stairs,her strengthhadcomeback toher.Shesteppedoutsideandthecoldairfrozeherthroughherdampclothes.ShehurriedtotheBentley,letXenainandgotinafterher.

Skulduggeryslippedbehindthewheel.“Congratulations,”hesaid,startingtheengine.“Youhavelookedintothefuture.Youareabona-fidepsychic.”

“Yay,”shesaidwithoutjoy.“I’mnotgoingtostartreadingpeople’sminds,amI?Ifinditunbearableenoughreadingtheirfaces.”

“Idon’tknow,”heanswered.“I’veneverseensucharangeofabilities inonepersonbefore.We don’t know your limits yet.We don’t even know if you have any. This isactuallyquiteexciting.”

“ThenyoucanbequiteexcitedandI’lljustsithereandworry.”

Heturnedhisheadtoherslightly.“Didyouseeanythingelse?”

“Isawenough,”shesaid,andlookedoutofthewindow.

14

TheFirstYearswereplayingbasketballontheoutsidecourt.Omencouldseethemfromhisdesk.Nomagicwasallowed,though,soitlookedlikeaprettydullgame.HewatchedRubic andDuennawalk across the small courtyard, deep indiscussion.Not anunusualsight, the principal and vice-principal talking andwalking, and certainly not enough toarouseOmen’ssuspicions–butwhatbetterrecruiterscouldtheanti-Sanctuaryhavethantheleadersoftheschool?

Omensatbackinhischair.Thelastclassofthedaywasgeography.Theteacher’snamewas Valance. He was an Adept, though Omen didn’t know which discipline he’dspecialised in. So far, there didn’t seem to be anything suspicious about Valance’sbehaviour.Hejusttalkedaboutgeographyalot.

Omen cast a surreptitious eye over his classmates. They all looked pretty normal –boredandimpatientforthelessontobeover.ApartfromChocolate,butthenChocolatelovedgeography.Shewasweirdlikethat.

He smiled tohimself.He liked this.Havinga secret.Havingamission.SkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCainhadcometohim.Not toAuger,not toanyoneelse.Tohim.Thatmeantsomething.Amomentlikethat,hereckoned,amomentthatsinglesapersonout,validatestheirentireexistence,givestheirlifemeaning…Well.Somethinglikethatcouldbethestartofsomethingamazing.

“Omen.”

Omenlookedup.“Wuh?”

“Didyougetallthat,Omen?”Valanceasked,clearlyawarethatOmenhadnot.“Couldyourepeatitbacktome?”

“Uh…”

“Idon’tbelievethat’sapartofit.”

“No,sir,”saidOmen.“WhatImeantwas…Ididn’tactuallycatchit,sir.”

Valancenodded.“Isee.Whichpart?”

“Sir?”

“Whichpart didn’t you catch?Or, toput it anotherway,what’s the last part youdidcatch?”

Omenwishedhedidn’tblushsoeasily.“Uh…”

“Yes,Omen?Wasitthevolcanicashpart,ortheigneousrockpart?”

“Volcanicash,sir.”

“Ah,”saidValance,andOmenknewinstantlythatithadbeenatrap.“EventhoughI’vespenttheentireclasstalkingaboutthehistoryoftheEuropeanUnion,thelastthingyouheardwasme talking about volcanic ash,whichyouwouldhave learned about inFirstYear.WhatYearareyouinnow,Omen?”

“Um,Third,sir.”

“Soforthelasttwoyearsyouhaven’tcaughtanythingI’vesaid?”

Omenloweredhishead.“Iwasn’tpayingattention.”

“Sorry,Omen,whatwasthat?”

“Iwasn’tpayingattention,”Omenrepeated,louderthistime.

“I am shocked,” Valance said. “Shocked and appalled. Could you do me a favour,Omen?Couldyou try topayattention?Couldyoudo that forme?Or,at thevery least,couldyou trynot tobe soobviouswhenyour attentionwanders? I amavery sensitiveeducator,andthiswillnothavedonemyconfidenceanygoodwhatsoever.”

Everyoneelsewasenjoyingthisimmensely.Omenkepthiseyesonhisdesk.“Yes,sir.”

“Thankyou,”Valancesaid,andwentbacktoteaching.

Omencopieddownthenotesanddidhisbesttolistenandlookattentive,untilthebellrang and he joined the others in filing out into the corridor.He dumped his bag in hislockerandwentwalking,handsinhispockets,headdownbuteyesup.

Searchingfortherecruiter.

Hepassedthemaingate,glancedatthestreetbeyond.OnlySixthYearswereallowedoutaftertheschooldayhadended.TheycouldspendtheirafternoonsinRoarhavenandonlyhad tobebackforEveningStudy.Omen, likeeveryoneelse,wasstuck inhereallday,fivedaysaweek.Ofcourse,withhisparentsbeingthekindofparentstheywere,herarelygottogohomeontheweekends,either.Notthatthiswasnecessarilyabadthing.He much preferred walking the school’s empty corridors on a Saturday and Sundayeveningthansittinginhisbedroombeingcriticisedbyhismumanddad.

Hewanderedforhours,spying.HepassedthestaffroomwherethefacultywatchedtheGlobalLinkonTV,catchinguponnewsofallthingsmagicalfromaroundtheworld.Hefollowed students, listening in to snippets of conversation, and trailed after variousteachers,veeringoffwhen theystarted tonotice.Heenjoyed trailingafterMissWickedthemost.Ofcourse,shewasalsothequickesttosensehim,andhisfaceburnedwiththeheatofathousandsunsashepanickedandturnedabruptlyleft.Hewalkedintoawallandstayedthere,likehe’dmeanttodoitallalong.

Hegottothefourthfloorwithoutuncoveringanyevidenceofenemyconspiracies.HesawPeccantcomingtheoppositewayanddivedroundthecorner.Hewaitedthere,back

pressedflatagainstthewall.Studentspassed,ignoringhim.Hedidn’tcareaboutthem.AllhecaredaboutwasthatPeccantshouldpassby,too.

Peccant turned the corner, stopped suddenly and glared. “MrDarkly.”His voicewasdeep,hiseyesnarrow,hisfacelined.Hishairwasgreyandhissuitwastweed.“I’vebeenlookingforyou.”

Omensteppedawayfromthewall,andtriedsmiling.“Yes,sir?”

“Wherewereyouthismorning,MrDarkly?Youweresupposedtobeinmyclass,wereyounot?”

“Igotmixedup,sir.”

“Mixedup?”

“Igotmytimetablemixedup,sir.I’mreallysorry.”

Peccantloomedoverhim.“Andwherewereyou?”

“Inastudyclass,sir.”

“Supervisedbywhom?”

“MissEther.”

“AnddoyouusuallyhaveastudyclasssupervisedbyMissEtheronaTuesday?”

Omenswallowed.“No,sir.”

“WhousuallysupervisesyourTuesdaystudyclass?”

“Uh…youdo,sir.”

“Anddiditnotstrikeyouasodd,MrDarkly,thatIwasnotsupervisingthisstudyclass?Diditnotoccurtoyouthat,maybe,youhadgotyourtimetable‘mixedup’?OrdidyouthinkthatIhadsuddenlybecomeyounger,andawoman?”

“No,sir.”

“Noneofthatstruckyouasodd?”

“No,Imean,yes,Imean…Ididn’tthink,sir.”

Peccant leaned down. “Therewe have it. The crux of the problem.Youdidn’t think.That’showyouoperate,afterall,isitnot?That’showyouworkyourwaythroughlife.”

Omenswallowed.“Yes,sir.”

“Yes, sir,” said Peccant, mocking his voice. “So polite. So benign. I find it hard tobelieve you share even the flimsiest strand ofDNAwith your brother.Evenwhen he’scaught breaking the rules, at least he does itwith gusto. There’s no gustowith you, isthere?”

“No,sir.”

Peccanttookanothermomenttoglareathim,thenstraightenedup.“Youhavedetentiontomorrow.Bethereontimeoryougetdouble.”

PeccantstrodeawayandOmenstoodwithshouldersslumped.

“Hehatesyou.”

OmenlookedupasFilamentSclavistrolledover,handsinhispocketsandanamusedsmileonhisface.

“Ihaveseenhimtakeadisliketopeoplebefore,”Filamentsaid,“butthatwas…whatis the word, for the thing? That wasmalicious. It was as if he were gaining personalsatisfactionfromit.”

Omendidn’tknowwhattosay,sohejustsaid,“Yeah.”

“YouareOmen,yes?Auger’sbrother?MynameisFilament.Howisitgoing?”

“Goingfine,”saidOmenwithoutthinking.“Well,Imean,apartfromthedetentionIjustgot.”

“Thatdoessuck,yes,”Filamentsaid.HewasonlyaFourthYear,buthelookedolder,abouteighteen.Hewas tallandstrongandhandsome, likeanItalianversionofOmen’sbrother.The only other thingOmenknew about himwas that hewas amember of theEternityInstitute,aself-helporganisationthathadpostersupallovertheschool.“Doyouplayanysports,Omen?”

“Me?”Omenasked,eventhoughitwasobviousthatitwashimFilamentwastalkingto.“No,Idon’t.Neverreallyunderstoodit.”

“Youhave,um,neverunderstoodanysportinparticular,orjustsportsingeneral?”

“Ingeneral,”saidOmen.“Couldneverwrapmyheadaroundthe,y’know,thepoint.”

Filamentgrinned. “So, if I suggested thatmaybeyou try to join the rugby team,youwouldhavenointerest?”

Omenfrowned.“I’dgetsquashed.”

Filamentlaughed.“Youwouldnotgetsquashed.”

“Iwould,though.Thoseguysareallhuge.”

“Not all of them.Not evenmost of them, actually. I am not huge, am I?Yet I playrugby.Therearesomepositions,infact,wherebeingasmallerplayerisanadvantage.”

“Yeah,”saidOmen,“fortheoppositeteam.Soyoucansquashthem.Idon’tthink,ifIdidtakeupasport,thatrugbywouldbeit,tobehonest.”

“Ah,verywell,”saidFilament.“Weplayagainstmortals.Wepretendtobelikethem,pretend to be a normal school, andwe are not allowed to usemagic, obviously…andsometimeswedowell,andsometimeswegetourasseskicked.IjustthoughtthathavingaDarklyontheteamwouldboostmorale.”

“I’mreallynottheDarklyyouwant.MaybeifyouaskAuger…?”

“Ihave,”saidFilament,laughing.“Hewasreallyniceaboutit,buttherewasnowayhewouldeversayyes.Heisprobably toobusyhavinghisadventures,yes?Hey, is it true,

whathedidlastyear?Hestoppedthathumansacrificeguy?”

“It’strue,”saidOmen.“Atleast,Ithinkit’strue.Hedoesn’treallytalkaboutthatstuff,noteventome.”

Filamentshookhisheadadmiringly.“Itmustbesomelifetolive,huh?”

“Mustbe.”

“Anditmustbealottoliveupto,asthetwinbrother.”

“You’d imagine so,”Omen said, “but I trynot to try toohard. I’dhate todisappointanyone.”

“That is probably wise, Omen.” There was a shout from down the corridor, andFilamentwaved,thenturnedback.“Sohey,itwasverygoodtomeetyou.Ihavepassedyouloadsoftimes,butneverhadareasontosayhi.So…hi.”

“Hi.”

“Andifyoueverchangeyourmindabouttherugby…”

“Theonlywaythat’dhappenisafteraconcussionplayingrugby,so…”

Filamentlaughed.“Verywell.Iwillseeyouaround,then,Omen.”

Thedinner bell rang, andOmen tookone of the smaller staircases down.Neverwassittingwithhisotherfriends,soOmensataloneandwatchedpeopleas theyate in theirgroups.TheSixthYearboysscaredhim,sohedidn’tspendtoolonglookingatthem.TheSixthYeargirlsintimidatedhim,sohedidn’tspendtoolonglookingatthem,either.TheFifth Year girls intimidated him, too, and so did the Fourth Years, so he pretty muchstayedawayfromthegirlscompletely.

HiseyessettledonJenanandhisfriends.Theysatatthetableatthefarsideofthehall,smirkingtoeachotherbecausethat’swhattheydid–theysmirkedandfeltsuperior.Itwastheirfavouritepastime.

Itwasn’tabigdeal,slaggingoffmortals.Omendidn’tlikeit,butitwaseverywhere,ithappenedineverypartoftheschool,allthewayupthroughtheYears.Evensomeoftheteachers indulged in it for a cheap joke and an easy laugh.But Jenanandhis friends–LapseandGall,SabreandDisdain–theircommentsweremadeofharderstuff,ofsharperwords.Theirjokeswerejagged,edgedinbitterness.IfarecruiterwastostartrecruitinginCorrival,JenanIspolinwouldbetheobviousplacetostart.

Andtheywereallpartofahistorystudygroup,Arcanum’sScholars,formedbyMrLilt–apassionateteacherwho,nowthatOmenthoughtaboutit,neverhadagoodwordtosayabout anymortal.Lilt sat at the staff table, chattinghappily to oneof theCombatArtsinstructors.

PartheniosLilt.Omen’sfirstsuspect.

Excitementflaredinhisbelly,astheidearegisteredwithhimthathemightactuallybegoodatthis.

15

“I’m terrible at this,” Valkyrie said, closing the fridge door. Xena cocked her headquizzically.“Doingmyowngroceryshopping,”Valkyrieexplained.“Humanisnogoodatbeinghuman.”

Xenaofferedawhineofagreement.

“Don’tworry,”Valkyrietoldher.“I’vegotplentyoffoodforyou.That’sallyoucareabout,isn’tit?Aslongasyou’refed,that’sallthatmatters.”Sheopenedapouchofdogfoodandemptieditintothebowlonthefloor.“UnlessIcanmicrowavemyselfsomeofyours.Itdoesn’tlookthatbad…”

Xenadidn’tseemimpressedwiththatnotion.Shecrowdedherbowl,shieldingitfromviewassheate.

“Fine,”Valkyriesaid,shruggingintohercoat.“I’llbebackinafewminutes.ProtecttheplacewhileI’mgone,OK?Andnoparties.”

Xenaignoredher.

ValkyriegotinthecaranddrovethefifteenminutestotheSuperSaverinHaggard.Shepickeduptheessentials,loadedinatreatortwoandtookittothetill.Asshewaswaitingtopay,shesawhermotherperusingtheshelves.Valkyriestayedverystill.

Hermotherlookedaround,eyeslow,smilingasAlicecameintoview.LittleAlice,withthosedimplesand that ever-present smile, showinghermumwhichboxof cereal she’dlike.Valkyriehandedovercash,didn’tbotherwith thechange, justgrabbedhergrocerybags andwalked quickly out of the store. To be spotted was to be hugged, was to beshoweredwithloveshedidn’tdeserve.TobespottedwastoseetheexcitementandloveinAlice’s eyes – eyes she had seen flutter closed five years earlier,whenValkyrie hadkilled her in a misguided attempt to save the world. The fact that she had clumsilymanagedtorevivehermomentslaterdidn’tchangethefact.Killingwaskilling.Murderwasmurder.

Valkyrieloadedthebagsintothebackofthecarandgotoutofthere.

Shewashalfwayhomewhen thephone rang. Itmadeher jump.ShepressedAnswerandSkulduggery’svoicefilledthecar.

“Wehaveaname,”hesaid.

“Sorry?Anameforwhat?”

Therewasapausefromtheotherend.“Yousoundlikeyou’reinabadmood.”

Shesighed.“I’mjusthungry. Ihaven’teatensincebreakfast.And thefact that Inowhavevisions hasmademehugely grumpy. I don’twant to see the future, Skulduggery,especiallyifthefuturelookslikethat.I’mbarelyholdingittogetherasitis.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

Herhandstightenedonthewheel.“Imeanthestress.”

“You’resure?”

“Yes.Thestress.Youknowthis.Italkedaboutthis.”

“You did. But for a moment it sounded like you’ve been going through more thanyou’vebeenlettingon.”

“No.Justthestress.Sothisnameyou’retalkingabout–anameforwhat?”

“Forasuspect.”

“Wait,wehaveanameforwhoever’sbeenrecruitingfromCorrivalAcademy?”

“Wemayhave.”

Hereyesnarrowed.“Andwheredidwegetthisname,Skulduggery?Whogaveusthename?ItwasOmen,wasn’tit?Itwas.ForGod’ssake,Ithoughtweagreedonthis.”

“We do,” Skulduggery said quickly, “and I was planning on talking to him in themorning, breaking it to him in person, and then a short while ago I received his textmessage.Ididn’texpecthimtocomeupwithanamesoquickly,tobehonest.Imean,it’sprobablynothing.”

“It’sundoubtedlynothing,”saidValkyrie.“He’shadhalfadayofbeingundercoverandhe has a name for us already? Either Omen is imagining things or he’s the greatestundercoveragentinthehistoryoftheworld.”

“Youmayberight.”

“Sowhoisit?”

“Whoiswhat?”

“Thename.”

“Oh.PartheniosLilt,ahistoryteacher.”

“And why does our super-spy think the history teacher is a recruiter for the anti-Sanctuary?”

“Thehistoryteacherdoesn’tlikemortals,foronething.”

“Idon’tlikemortals.”

“Youdon’tlikeanybody.”

“Thatdoesn’tmakemetherecruiter.”

“PartheniosLilt leadsa studygroupcalledArcanum’sScholars,a reference toRebusArcanum,asupposedlylong-deadexplorerintoRealmsUnknown.That’swhathecalled

them.Withcapitallettersandeverything.”

Valkyrie stoppedat a crossroadsas ahuge tractor, festoonedwith lights, rumbledby.“Whyishesupposedlylongdeadandnotactuallylongdead?”

“Weneverfoundthebody.”

“AndwhatdoeshehavetodowiththisLiltguy?”

“Nothingas faras Icansee,”Skulduggerysaid.“That’s justwhatLiltcallshisstudygroup. Six boys, three girls in all.Omen doubts they do any actual studying – he saysthey’rejustnotthetype–sothequestionthenbecomeswhatisPartheniosLiltteachingthosestudents?”

The tractor trundling away,Valkyrie easedoutover the crossroads and continuedon.“AndOmenthinkshe’srecruitingthemfortheanti-Sanctuary.”

“Yes, he does,” said Skulduggery. “I’ve looked into Mr Lilt. I’ve just had a fewminutes,butalreadyI’mfindingthingsthatleadmetobelievehe’sledavariedlife.”

“He’sasorcerer.Thatshouldn’tsurpriseyou.”

“HeauthoredareportfortheFrenchSanctuaryonNeotericsorcerers,nearlyfortyyearsago.Heactuallycoinedtheterm.”

“Thenheshouldhavedoneabetterjobbecauseitmeansnothingtome.”

“Neotericsaremageswithoutrecogniseddisciplines,”Skulduggerysaid.

“LikeWarlocks.”

“Notreally.Usually, they’repeoplebroughtupoutside themagicalcommunity.Theydon’tknowtherules,sotheymaketheirown,andtheirmagicadaptstotheirpersonality.”

“Sosorcererswhodidn’tknowtheyweresorcerers,”Valkyriesaid.

“I suppose that’s a fair assessment. Fromwhat you’ve toldme, Cadaverous Gant isprobably a Neoteric. When his magic manifested, it fitted itself around his warpedsensibilities and resulted in his unique power. They are relatively rare, thankfully, butusually unstable, unfortunately, sowe keep an eye out for them.Most incursions occurbecauseaNeotericsorcererhaslostcontrolandamortalisrighttheretowitnessit.”

“Jeremiah Wallow was probably a Neoteric, too,” she said, the car going over thehumpbackbridgeonthewaytoherhouse.

“Verylikely,andLiltmayhavehadcontactwiththemboth.Valkyrie?”

“I’mhere.”

“DidyouhearwhatIsaid?”

“Yeah.Hemayhavehadcontact.SoOmenmightberight.”

“It’sapossibility. I’mheadingback toRoarhaven.TheHighSanctuaryhasacopyofthe Neoteric Report and I want to reacquaint myself with it. Can you meet me theretomorrow?”

“Sure,”shesaid,ifthenightmaresthatsheknewwerecomingdidn’tdragherdown.Ifshecouldgetoutofbedinthemorning.Ifshecouldevenconvinceherselfthatshewasn’tdead.

“IseverythingOK?”Skulduggeryasked.“Yousound…distracted.”

“I’mfine.”I’mnot.“Justhungry.”Justnuts.“SeeyouinRoarhaven.”

Sheendedthecall,passedtheheavygatesanddroveuptoherfrontdoor.Shegotout,breathedinthecoldairandleanedagainstthecarforamomentwithhereyesclosed.Shewasn’t going nuts. She wasn’t insane. She was as healthy as ever. Everything wasperfectlynormal.

Whensheopenedhereyesagain,Darquessewassittingonherfrontstep.“You’relate,”shesaid.

16

“Surprise,” saidNever, taking the seatbesideOmen in theDiningHall and flicking thehairoutofhereyes.“Someoneisactuallysittingbesideyouforbreakfast.Wonders–willtheynevercease?”

Omenfrowned.“Peoplesitbesidemeallthetime.”

“Rarelybychoice,though.Admitit,Omen,you’redelightedtohavesomeonetotalktothisearlyinthemorning,aren’tyou?”

Omendidn’tanswer.Buthewas.

“However, the truly amazing thing,”Never continued, “is that I’m sitting beside youeventhoughyou’vebeenavoidingmeallday.”

“It’s…firstthinginthemorning.”

“Don’tdenyit,Omen.Whenyoudenyatruth,akittendies.”

Thedininthehall–chatteringvoices,clinkingutensils,theheavytreadoffeetandthetortured scrape of chairs – had not yet reached deafening proportions, so, whenNeverleanedinandloweredhervoice,Omencouldhearherperfectly.

“You better tell me what’s going on and you better not lie. You’re a terrible liar. Ialwaysknowwhenyou’relyingbecauseyourearsgored.Areyougoingtoeatthat?”

“It’smybreakfast,”saidOmen.

“Iknow.Areyougoingtoeatit?”

“I’meatingitnow.”

Neversighed.“Thenareyougoingtofinishit?”

“Probably.Where’syourbreakfast?”

“Inmystomach,whereallbreakfastsbelong.CanIhavethatsausage?”

“Theoneontheendofmyfork?No.It’smine.Look.”Omentookabite.“See?”

Never turned her head, so she was looking at Omen out of the corner of her eyes.“You’redefinitelyactingweird.”

“No,I’mnot,”saidOmen.“I’mactingnormalbecauseIamnormal.”

Neverflickedherhairagain.Shelikedflickingherhair.Itwasoneofherthings.“Youcouldn’tbenormalifyoutried.Notwithyourfamily.”

“Well,Idon’tknowwhatyouwantmetosay.ButI’mnotactingweird.”

“Youwerewalkingaroundyesterday,peeringateveryoneandtryingtolistenintotheirconversations.”

“No,Iwasn’t.”

“Whatever.” She used the air to lift a bread roll from the basket. Even thoughteleportationwashernaturalgift,andshewastheonlyoneinMrRenn’sclasswhocouldactuallyteleport,Neverwasprettygoodateverything,Elementalmagicincluded.ShewasdefinitelybetteratitthanOmen.

Omenhesitated.“Doyou,uh,doyouthinktheynoticed?”

“Who?”

“Everyone.”

“Thatyouwerespyingonthem?Naw.”Shedroppedthebreadrollback.“Peopletendtoignoreyou.It’sagiftyouhave.Sowhatwereyouupto?”

“Ican’ttellyou.”

Neverglared.“Sincewhendowekeepsecretsfromeachother?”

“Wekeeploadsofsecretsfromeachother,”Omensaid,frowning.“Literally,loads.”

Sheshrugged.“Weshouldstopthat.Afriendshiplikeoursisafriendshipthatreliesononehundredpercenthonestyatalltimes.”

“ThenisittruewhatIheardaboutyouandRasureCross?”

“Onehundredpercenthonestyfromthismomenton,”saidNever,smoothingdownherskirt.“Hey,didyouhear?SkulduggeryPleasantwashereyesterday.”

Omenstuffedsomeeggintohismouth.“Yeah?”

“Chocolate said shewas in French and she happened to glance out thewindow andtherehewas.”

“That’scool.”

“ShesaidValkyrieCainwaswithhim.”

“Right.”

Never’sfacehadalreadysoured.“Ithoughtthey’dsplitup.”

“I,uh,Idon’tthinktheywereevertogetherinthatway…”

“YouknowwhatImean.Ithoughtshe’dgoneofftoliveoutherlifeinAmerica.That’swhatIwashoping.Sheprobablymissedthelimelighttoomuch,hadtocomebacktogeteveryonetalkingaboutheragain.”

“OK.”

“ChocolatesaidthatshelookedjustlikeDarquesse.”

“Well,obviously.”

“Yeah, I know. I just expected her to look a little different from all the videos, youknow?You’dthinkshe’dhavedyedherhairadifferentcolourorsomething.It’slikeshe’sproudofwhatshedid.”

“Ah…Idon’tthinkthat’sfair…”

“She’swalkingaround thesamecityshehalfdestroyed,Omen.Whatelsewouldyoucallit?Andwhyareyoudefendingher?”

“Becauseitwasn’ther,wasit?ItwasDarquesse.”

Neverhadthatlookonherface.

“Stop,” Omen said quickly. “We’re not talking about this again. We have differentopinions and I know how angry you getwhenwe talk about it, so let’s not, OK?Nottoday.Ihavetoomuchonmymind.”

Shestaredathim.“Youhavewhat?”

Heblushed.“I,uh,Ihavealottothinkabout.”

Neverlaughed.“Youhavetoomuchonyourmind?OhmyGod.”

“PleaseforgetIsaidthat.”

“Iwillnever,everforgetyousaidthat.OhmyGod,yousoundjustlikemymother.”

Hesagged.“You’renotgoingtoletthisgo,areyou?”

“No.I’mnot.Atall.Mum.”

Omensighed,andswallowedthelastmouthfulofhisbreakfastbeforeputtinghisknifeandforkonhisemptyplate.“I’mgoingtogogetreadyforclassnow,becauseatleastinclassnoonelaughsatmequiteasmuchasyoudo.”

Nevergrinned.“Betyoudon’tevenknowwhatclasswehave.”

“Actually,Ido,”saidOmen.“Wehavehistory,withMrLilt.”

“Amangetsinhiscar,”saidPartheniosLilt,perchedontheedgeofhisdesk.“It’snight.The drive home is going to take him an hour. His favourite TV show starts in fortyminutes.Hestartsdriving.Hegoesalittlefasterthanhereallyshould.Itstartstorain.Hiswindscreenwipersaren’tthatgreat.Theroadisslippery.He’stired.Hehasn’tsleptwell.He’sthinkingaboutanargumenthe’shadwithhisboss.Hegetstoasharpbend.Heskidsandcrashes.Whatcausedtheaccident?”

The class was silent. Lilt looked around, eyebrow raised expectantly. After a fewmoments,MeganEpithetputupherhand.

“He’sneverheardoftheInternet?”

Liltfrowned.“Sorry?”

“Hecanwatchhisshowonlinewheneverhewants,”Megansaid.“Hedoesn’thavetohurry.”

“Ah,”saidLilt.“No,Ithinkyou’remissingthepointalittle.”

“Thesharpbend,”saidNever.“Ifit’dbeenastraightroad,hewouldn’thavehadtoturnandhewouldn’thavecrashed.”

“But he’s taken that bend every day for twenty years and he hasn’t crashed beforetonight.Canyoureallysaythebendistheproblem?”

“Therain,”saidsomeoneelse.

“Thespeed,”saidanother.

Lilthelduphishand.“I’llputyoualloutofyourmisery.There isnoone thing thatcausedtheaccident.It’sacombinationofthings.Eachfactor,onitsown,didn’tmakehimcrash.Butputtogether…thecrashlooksinevitable.AndsoitwasforWorldWarTwo.Reparations.Theriseofnationalism.Appeasement.Europe’sreluctanceto—”

ThedooropenedandJenansteppedin.Liltglancedattheclock.

“Threeminutesleftofclass,MrIspolin.”

“Yeah.”

“‘Yeah’?”

Jenanstraightened.“Yes.Sir.”

“Areyougoingtotellmewhereyou’vebeen?”

“IwascalledintothePrincipal’sOffice.”

Liltsighed.“Misbehavingagain,Jenan?Whatdidyoudothistime?”

Jenanscowled.“Didn’tdoanything.”

“I’m sureyoudidn’t. I’m sureMrRubic invitedyou in for a friendly chat about theweather.”Liltwavedhimtohisseat.“Goon,youmayaswellsitdown.Trynottocauseanymoredisruption.”

JenanwenttohisdeskandLiltchewedhislip.“WherewasI?”

“WorldWarTwo,”saidMegan.

“Yes, thank you. And what were the Sanctuaries doing during all this escalatingtension?Werewegettinginvolved?No?Whynot?”

“TheScandzaAccord,”Jenansaidasheslouchedintohischair.

Liltnodded.“Youareonyourwaytoredeemingyourselfalready,Jenan.”

The thoughtoccurred toOmen thatnamingLiltasa suspectwasone thing,but ifhereallywantedSkulduggeryandValkyrie’sapprovalhe’dbebetteroffgettingsomeactualproof.Hesmiled,likingthatideaimmensely.

“CansomeoneremindmewhattheScandzaAccordis?”Liltasked.“Omen?”

God,no.Notagain.Omensatupalittlestraighterinhischair.Heknewtheanswer.Heknewhedid.Itwasthere,intheclutterofhismind.Hejusthadtofindit.“It’sthe,uh,thething.”

Afewpeoplelaughed.

“Thething,Omen?”

“Theagreement,”Omensaid,blushing.“Theagreement thatSanctuarieswouldneverinterfereinmortalaffairs.”

“Theofficial agreement,”Lilt corrected.“Itwasunofficialpolicy forcenturiesbeforetheElderCouncilsoftheworldthoughtit’dbeagoodideatoputitdownonpaper.So,ifweweren’t togetinvolvedandpreventawarandaHolocaustthatkilledmillions,whatwerewetodo?Anyone?”

“Observeandprotectthemortalsfrommagicalthreats,”saidNever.

“That’sright.”

“Babysit,”Jenanmuttered.Thatgotafewlaughs.

“Let’snotbemean,”Liltsaid,barelysuppressingasmile.

Thebellwent.Liltstood.

“Nohomeworktonight,”hesaid,“butyoustillhavetheessayonArchdukeFerdinandtohandintomorrow.Nolessthansixpages.Iwantsomeeffortputintothisone.”

Omen and Never squeezed out of the room, joining the throng of students in thecorridor.“DoyouknowhowtojoinArcanum’sScholars?”Omenasked,tryinghisbesttosoundcasual.

Neverfrownedathim.“Why?”

“Mymumhasbeenonatmetodobetter,”Omensaid.AFifthYearbargedintohimonhiswaypast,nearlyspunhimround.Hewinced,rubbinghisshoulder.“Ithoughtastudygroupmightbeagoodwaytogetahead.”

“A study group is a great way to get ahead,” said Never, brushing a strand of hairbehindher ear, “but not that one.Youknowwho’s in it, right? Ispolin andhis cronies.Whythehellwouldyouwanttojointhem?”

“Ah,theycan’tbeallbad.”

“I’msuretheyhavetheirgoodpoints,”shesaid,“butbeingdecentpeopleisnotoneofthem. Omen, you’re a great guy. Why would you ever want to be part of somethingthey’reinvolvedin?”

“Ijust…JenanmissednearlythewholeclassandLiltdidn’tevenbataneyelid.Icouldreallydowithhavingateacheronmysidelikethat.”

Neverstoppedwalkingandturnedtohim.“IsthisbecauseofPeccant?Omen,Liltisn’tgoingtostanduptoPeccantforyou.NobodystandsuptoPeccant.ExceptmaybeMissWicked.”

“Still,though…”

“Andyou’veseenwhattheyhavetowear.You’veseenhowdumbtheylook,withtheirlittlemasks.”

“ThesecretsocietyArcanumwaspartof,theyworethosemasks.”

“Iknowthehistory,Omen.Unlikeyou,Iactuallypayattentioninclass.Buteventhatannoysme.Wearingthemasksimpliesagrandoldtradition,right?Thisschoolislessthanfive years old. It has no traditions. This isn’t Yale. They aren’t the Skull and BonesSociety.”

“Thewhat?”

“My point is: do you really want to wear the stupid mask and go to their secretmeetings?”

“Secret?”

“Secret,”saidNever.“Asinbehind-closed-doorssecret.”

“IthoughttheymetintheWestLibrary.”

“Notforages.Iswear,doyoupayattentiontoanything?Thesedaystheymeetinoneofthebackroomsofthefifth-floorlibrary.”

“Huh,”saidOmen.“Andtheyclosethedoors?”

“Yes,theydo.”

“Everwonderwhattheytalkabout?”

“Oh,Iknowwhattheytalkabout.”

“Youdo?What?”

Neverrolledhereyes.“History,Omen.Theytalkabouthistory.”

“Oh,”hesaid.“Oh,yeah.”

Highheelsclackedbehindthem,andOmenonlyrealisedthatthecorridorhademptiedastheyturned.

“Whereareyoutwosupposedtobe?”MissWickedasked.

“Chemistry,”saidNever.

“I’mnotsure,”saidOmen.

“Never,runofftochemistry,there’sagoodgirl.Omen,findoutwhereyou’regoingandgothere.”

“Yes,miss.”

Shemovedon,andOmensmelledherperfumeasshewent.

“Catchyouontheflip-flop,”saidNever,andsaunteredaway,herskirtswishing.

“WhatclassdoIhavenow?”Omencalledafterher.

“Lookupyourtimetable,”shecalledback.

“Where’smytimetable?”

“Inyourbag.”

Omenfrownedathisemptyhands.“Where’smybag?”

“Youleftitinhistory,”Neversaid,anddisappearedroundthecorner.

“Dammit,”saidOmen.

17

“Crap,”saidValkyrie,thecoffeespillingontohersleeve.Theguywhohadbumpedintohergloweredlikehewasexpectinganargument,butValkyriejustturnedaway,tooksomenapkinsandleftthecaféwithoutsayinganythingelse.Afewyearsagoherwordswouldhaveslicedthroughhimuntilheapologised,maybestartedcrying,butthatparticularfirewasn’tburninginsideheranymore.Shedidn’tknowifit’devercomeback.

Shegottohercar,putthecupintheholderanddriedherselfoffasbestshecould,thendrovetotheHighSanctuary.SheshowedherbadgetotheCleaverandheallowedherintothecarpark.ShepickedaspotbesidetheBentleyandgotout,zippinguphercoat.Itwasanother coldday.She showedherbadge to theCleaver andheallowedher into thecarpark.ShepickedaspotbesidetheBentleyandgotout,zippinguphercoat.Itwasanothercoldday.

Takinghercoffeewithher,sherodetheelevatorup,ignoredthelooksshegotandmadeherwaytotheRecordsDepartment.Skulduggerywastheonlypersonhereatthishourofthemorning. He was wearing another three-piece suit – darkest blue this time, with awhiteshirtandbluetie.Hishatwasoffandhetappedatacomputer.Athickfilelayopenbesidehim,spiral-bound.Entirelineswereblackedout.

“Thisit?”sheasked,flickingthroughthepages.

“That’stheNeotericReport,”hesaid,stilllookingatthescreen.

“What’swiththeblacklines?”

“Sensitiveinformation,toosecretforthelikesofus.”

Shesat,tookasipofcoffee.ItwasherfirstfromaRoarhavencafé,anditwasamazing.Shewasn’tsurprised.Ofcoursethecoffeewouldbeamazinghere.Sorcerersloveddoingthingsbetterthanthemortals.“Sotellme,”shesaid.

Skulduggerytappedalittlemore,thenturnedinhisswivelchair.“Ithinkwehaveoursuspect.”

Shefrowned.“Omenwasright?”

“Hemayhavegoodinstinctsforthiskindofthing.”

“Butwedon’tcarehowgoodhisinstinctsare,dowe?Becausewe’recuttinghimloose,right?”

“Absolutely,”Skulduggerysaid.“ButIthoughtit’dbeniceifIcouldtellhimthathishunchwasrightbeforeIessentiallyfiretheboy.”

Valkyrieshrugged.“Supposethatisanicethingtodo.Whathaveyoufound?”

“ThenamesofsomeoftheseNeotericsorcerersPartheniosLiltdealtwitharethesamenamesthatTemperFraypassedontomeasanti-Sanctuaryoperatives.Twoinparticularstand out –RichardMelior andAzzedineSmoke.Muchof the information about thesetwohasbeenclassified,but,fromwhatIcangather,MeliorissomethingofaVitakineticandSmokehastheabilitytocorruptthosehetouches.”

“Whatdoyoumeanbycorrupt?”

“Control,” said Skulduggery. “According to this, if he touches you, you essentiallybecomeapsychopath,andyou’recompelledtoobeywhateverorderhegivesyou.”

Shefrowned.“That’sadangerousskilltohave.”

“Yes,itis.Thecorruptionlastsforapproximatelyforty-eighthours,butalotofdamagecanbedoneintwodays.Aswebothknow.”

“Soifwe’regoingupagainstsomeonewhocouldbasicallybrainwashusand turnusagainsteachother…”

“We’dbetternotlethimtouchus,”Skulduggeryfinished.“Oryou’dbetter.Idon’thaveabraintowash,asitwere.”

Valkyriegrunted.“Andthehealer?”

“DoctorRichardMelior,”saidSkulduggery.“Apractisingsurgeoninamortalhospital–JohnsHopkinsinBaltimore,incaseyou’reinterested—”

“I’mnot.”

“—whosepowergoesbeyondthatofregularVitakinetics–thoughinwhatway,Idon’tknow.Wemighthavea leadonhim.Smokewouldappear to liveuptohisnamesake.Ican’tfindatraceofhiminthedatabase.ButMeliordivideshistimebetweenBaltimoreandhismodesthouserighthereinRoarhaven.Isaywedropby,seeifhe’shomeandaskhimwherethey’rekeepingTemper.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Youhaveaquery?”

Shedidn’tknowhow toput thisgently. “Youhave taken into account thepossibilitythatTemperFraymightbedead,right?Theymighthavekilledhimwhentheycaughthimandjustdisposedofthebody.”

“I have taken that into account,” said Skulduggery, “but I’m not overly fond of thepossibilitysoI’mchoosingtopretenditdoesn’texist.It’saremarkablycheeringsolutiontoanotherwisedepressingsituation.”

“Pretendingsomethingdoesn’texistisapracticaloutlook,isit?”

“Ineversaiditwaspractical,justthatitcheeredmeup.”

“AndthisMeliorguy…We’vebothseenVitasusethesameenergytohurtpeopleaswellastohealthem.Canthisguyhurtus?”

“If you’re asking if things could get dangerous… that’s always a possibility. I seeyou’restillnotwearingthearmouredclothesGhastlydesignedforyou.”

“Theyweregettingalittlesnugaroundtheshoulders.”

“Snugornot,they’vesavedyourlifeonmorethanoneoccasion.”

“IfIdecidetocomebackfulltime,I’llweartheblack,Ipromise.”

Hisheadtilted.“Ihaven’tpersuadedyouyet?”

“Not yet,” said Valkyrie. “But your twenty-four hours aren’t up for another—” shecheckedherwatch“—hundredandfifty-sevenminutes.”

“Ah,”hesaid,“plentyoftime.”

“SowillwebegoingafterMeliorwithanarmyofCleaversorwhat?”

“Notreally,I’mafraid.ThatwouldmeanhandingoverauthoritytotheCityGuard,andwewanttostayasfarawayfromthemaspossible.”

“Sowe’regoinginalone?”

“Don’tsayitlikethat.”

“HowshouldIsayit?”

“Idon’tknow.”Hestood.“Sayitwithalittlemoreenthusiasm.”

“Sowe’regoinginalone,”shesaid.“Yay.”

Skulduggeryputonhishat.“Muchbetter.”

18

TheytooktheBentleytotheNarrows,intheSouth-EastDistrict.Thebuildingsalongthewallweresmallerthanthoseinthemiddleofthecity,andherethestreetswerethinandwinding.SkulduggeryparkedandheandValkyriewentwalking.The shadecastby thetightlypackedbuildingsrobbedthemoftheirshadows.Onlyatmiddaydidsunlighteverhaveachancetowarmthepavingstones.

They passed a mother and her children, all of whom stared at Skulduggery as theypassed,andignoredValkyrie.Itwasanicechange.

They got to Richard Melior’s house. The upper bay window was open. Withoutbreakingstride,SkulduggerywrappedanarmroundValkyrie’swaistandtookthembothoff their feet.Theydriftedup and through thewindow, touchingdown in thebedroom.The bed was unmade. The door to the ensuite was open. From inside, the sound ofsomeonebrushingtheirteeth.

Spitting.Ataprunning.Theclinkasatoothbrushwentbackintoitsholder.

Amancameout,dressedinjoggingbottomsandaT-shirt.Hisfeetwerebare.Hisblackhairwasshort,hishaircutexpensive.Hisbeardwastrimmedclose.Hestaredatthem.

“DoctorMelior,”Skulduggerysaid.“Goodmorning.I’mgoingtohavetoaskyounottomakeanysuddenmoves.”

Meliordartedforthedoor,butValkyrieshovedhimtowardsSkulduggerywhograbbedhim,spunhimaroundandsenthimstumblingtothewall.

“Thatwould count as a suddenmove,”Skulduggery said. “Myname isSkulduggeryPleasant.ThisisValkyrieCain.We’dliketoaskyouafewquestions,ifyouhavethetime.We’relookingforafriendofours.Male,aboutyourheight,African-American.HisnameisTemperFray.Ibelieveyouknowhim?”

Meliorlickedhislips.“You…youcan’tbehere.”HewasAmerican.

“Wewon’tbelong.”

“Youcan’tjust…youcan’tjustcomeintomyhouse.Youneedawarrantora—”

“You’rethinkingofmortals,”saidValkyrie.“You’rethinkingofcops.We’reneither.”

“Getout,”Meliorsaid,shakinghishead.“I’mtellingyoutoleave.Leavenow.”

Skulduggerypickedupa framedphotographby thebed,ofMeliorandamanwitharemarkablysquarejaw.“Thisisnice,”hesaid.“Yourhusband?SavantVega,isn’tit?Ishe

in?Couldwespeaktohim?”

Melior’seyesnarrowed.“Itoldyoutoleave.”

“Calmdown,Richard.”

“They’llknow.Theyknowyou’reherenow.You’vegottoleave.”

“Notuntilyoutelluswhatyouknowoftheanti-Sanctuary,”Valkyriesaid.

Meliorpressed theheelsofhishands intohis templesandscrewedhiseyesshut.Hisfacewasredandhewasmuttering.

“What’sthat,Richard?”Skulduggeryasked.“Wecan’thearyou.”

Valkyriefrowned.Itwasn’tonlyMelior’sfacethatwasgoingred.Itwashisneckandhis armsandhis feet, too.Hiswholebodywas flushedand trembling.Hewasburningfromwithin.

“Skulduggery…”Valkyriemurmured,suddenlywishingthatshewasathomewiththedog,havinganicequietmorning,farawayfrompeoplewhowantedtodoherharm.

“Let’snotresorttoviolence,Doctor,”Skulduggerysaid.“Ifwefeelweareabouttobeattacked,Imustwarnyouthatwewilldefendourselves.”

Melior’seyessnappedopen.“Youbroughtthisonyourselves,”hegrowled.

SkulduggerygrabbedValkyrie,pulledherbehindhimasheraisedahand.Therewasawhump,likeasuddenexplosionofflames,andawaveofenergyhitSkulduggery’sshieldof air and threw them both backwards. Valkyrie tumbled out through the window, theworldtiltingcrazily,andthenalltoosuddenlythegroundcrunchedintohershoulder.Shewouldhavecriedout ifshe’dhadanybreathleft inherbody.Sheturnedover, tryingtosuckinairassheclutchedherleftarm.

Skulduggerysatupbesideher.“AreyouOK?”

Sheshookherhead,andmanagedtodrawinasinglebreath.Hehelpedhertoherfeet.

Shedidherbesttoignoretherisingpain.“Didn’tthink…Vitascouldattacklikethat…”

“Thisoneappearstobespecial.”

Melior’sdooropenedandMeliorstormedout.Hewaswearingtrainersnow,thelacesnotyettied,andwasshruggingintoajacket.

Skulduggerydrewhisgun.“Stayrightthere,Richard.”

Meliorbarkedoutamirthlesslaugh,andsixpeopleappearedaroundhim.

Atfirst,ValkyriethoughttheywereallTeleporters–they’darrivedatthesameinstantandnoneofthemhadbeentouching–butthatnotionfellapartthemomentoneofthem,thewoman in the tuxedo, extendedher right arm.Herpalmopenedandablack tendrilshotout,itsbarbedteethclosingroundSkulduggery’sgun,yankingitfromhisgrip.Shesmiledwidely,hertonguebetweenherteeth.

Theman beside her had a black, braided goatee. The guy next to him had an Elvishaircutandworeapurplesuit.

ToMelior’s rightwere threemen.Theone furthestawaywasdressed inan ill-fittingsuit and he wrung his hands nervously. Beside him was a handsome young man withshockinglybleachedhair.Helookedlikeawashed-outsupermodelwitharock-starsneer.ValkyriejustknewhewastheTeleporter.

Thesixthmemberofthegroupwasdressedheadtofootinblackrubber.

“Mr Lethe,” Skulduggery said, brushing dust from his jacket. “Good to finallymeetyou.”

Themaskedmanheldupafinger.“JustLethewilldo,”hesaid,hisvoicedistorted.“It’sverygood tomeetyou, too,Detective. I’veheard somanystories.Somanywild tales.You’vehadquitethelifeofadventure,haven’tyou?”

“It’snotoveryet,”Skulduggerysaid.

Lethechuckled.“Ifearitmaybe,actually.AndbesideyoutheSwatheofDestructionherself,ValkyrieCain.Nowyourdeath,Valkyrie…yourdeathwillbespecial.”

Valkyriestayedquiet.Hershoulderwasdislocatedandthepainwasmakinghersweat,andshecouldn’tbebotheredengagingwiththiscreep.

“Let’s not get aheadof ourselves,” saidSkulduggery. “Weonly camehere to chat toRichard.We’velostafriend,yousee,andwewere—”

“Oh,”Letheinterrupted.“YoumeanTemper.Yes,weknowTemper.He’salive,incaseyouwerewondering.Wehaven’tkilledhimyet,oranythinglikethat.We’reallsorcerersofsomedescription,afterall.We’refamily.Notmonsters.”

“That’sgoodtohear.”

“And,ifwekillfamily,welikeittobeanoccasion.Wewantit tobememorable.Tostickinthemind.We’renotgoingtokillhimjustbecausehe’sanenemy,orbecausehebetrayed us.Hewasprobablyonlyobeyingorders, right? Infiltrate thegroup.Gainourtrust.Leadtoourdownfall.Thatsortofthing.”

Skulduggerynodded.“Thatsortofthing.Exactly.”

“Wasityou?”Letheasked.“Didyousendhimin,Detective?I’msorry,canIcallyouSkulduggery?”

“Ofcourse.”

“Didyousendhimin,Skulduggery?Didyousendhimintospyonus?”

“Idid.”

“Thatwassneakyofyou.”

“We were only returning the favour. You and your group have been pretty sneakyyourselves,whatwith—”

“No,”saidLethe.

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“I’msorry?”

“Youdon’tget to steer theconversation,Skulduggery.You’renot inchargehere.Weare.”

“Verywell.It’sallyours.”

“Howgraciousofyou,”Lethesaid.“You’vetakenariskcominghere.Abigrisk.Abigmistake.Skulduggery,Iknowyou’vebeenCommanderoftheSupremeMage’spersonalGestapo here in Roarhaven for the last few years, and the stories I’ve heard about thethingsyou’vedone in that time…Shocking.Simplyshocking.ButIfearyoumayhavelostyouredgenowthatyou’rebackas theDynamicDuo.Thingshave…well, they’vechangedsinceyou’vebeenaway.Theworldhaschanged.It’ssharper.It’snastier.It’scut-throat.Iwouldhavelovednothingmorethantohavewatchedyoubothembarkonmoreadventures,towatchyoubothfighttopreservethestatusquoyetagain…butI’mafraidIcan’tallowit.”

“Youhaveyourplans,”saidSkulduggery.“It’sunderstandable.”

“Notmyplans,”saidLethe.“I’mjustapawn.We’realljustpawnsinthegreatgame.”

“Andtheobjectiveofthegame?”

Letheshookhisheadagain.

“Whatistheanti-Sanctuary?”Skulduggeryasked.“Whatisitreally?”

“It’sbeyondyou,I’mafraid.Idoubtyoucouldfathomhowweseetheworld.We’renotlikeyou.We’renot…content.You’rescaredofusandofcourseyou’rescared.Wearesomethingyoudon’tunderstand.Wearethefuture.”

“CanItalknow?You’vehadyoursay,Ithinkit’sonlyfairthatIhavemine.”

Lethewalkedforward.“There’snothing fairabout thisworld,Skulduggery.Wedon’talwaysgetwhatwewant, dowe?Forexample, Ibetyouwant towalkaway from thisencounter,isn’tthatright?Ibetyouwanttolive,yes?Butyou’renotgoingto.”

Skulduggery observed him. “Seven against two,” he said. “And, as you canundoubtedlytell,Valkyrieinjuredherselfinthefall.”

“It’snotsevenagainsttwo,”saidLethe.“It’srightagainstwrong.It’smeagainstyou.Ifyouwin,youwalkaway.Ifyoulose,youdie,andwetakeValkyriehere.”

“Isee,”Skulduggerysaid.“Well,thatseemsreasonable.”Hetookoffhishat,handedittoValkyrie.Shesteppedback.

“Beforewebegin,”Skulduggerysaid,“canIaskwhatyourmagicalabilitymightbe?”

Lethechuckledagain.“Youcanask.”

19

LethewentathimandSkulduggerylethimcome.

Hestartedwithakick thatSkulduggeryswayedawayfrom.Hespunwithabackfistthatgotnowherenear.Nexthesprang,twirlingintheairlikeaCleaver,andSkulduggerydodgedback.

Valkyrie’sleftshoulderwasonfire.Sheglancedawayfromthefight,toLethe’sfriends.Allofthem,apartfromMeliorandtheguyintheill-fittingsuit,weregrinning,enjoyingthespectacleasLetheleapedandlashedoutandSkulduggeryjustkeptoutofhisway.ItlookedlikeitwouldonlybeamatteroftimebeforeoneofLethe’sattackslanded.Theywereanticipatingit.Thiswassporttothem.

ButValkyrieknewbetter.

Lethewasgood,ofthattherewasnodoubt.AsquickandagileasaCleaver,hethrewina loadofextramoves thatalmostcaughtSkulduggeryout.ButSkulduggerykeptoutofreach,watchinghim,observinghim.Understandinghim.

Andthen,oncehe’dabsorbedenoughinformation,Skulduggeryacted.

HesteppedinsideawildhookandflippedLetheoverhiship.

Lethehitthegroundandrolled,cameuptohisfeetinonesmoothmotion.Hebouncedonhistoeslikeaboxerforamoment,andmovedbackinagain.

Skulduggerystayedwherehewas.

Lethe spun with a kick and Skulduggery stepped forward, tripped him, and Letheexecutedaone-handedcartwheeltoavoidhittingthegroundasecondtime.

Hisfriendscheeredandclapped.Theyhadnoideawhatwasabouttocome.

Lethe changed tactics. He stopped with the spinning and the whirling, and came instraightandstrong.Hishandsflashed.Skulduggerycoveredup,didn’teventrytoblockthestrikes,butwhenhegotcloseenoughhereachedout,grabbedLetheandpulledhimintoanelbowtothejaw.

Lethestumbledaway.Hisfriendslaughed.

AquickshakeoftheheadandLethereturnedtothefray.HepunchedandSkulduggerygrabbed him again, headbutted him, kicked his knee and slammed him to the ground.Lethethrashedandsquirmed,managedtorollaway.Hetumbledbackwardstohisfeet.

Now it was Skulduggery’s turn to move in. A left jab and a right hook sent Lethestaggering.WhenLethethrewapunchinreturn,Skulduggerygrabbedhiswrist,wrenchedit,andonlyLethe’sagilityallowedhimtospinoutandfreehimself.

Skulduggery hit him again, and again. Lethe wobbled and dropped to one knee.Valkyrieexpectedtheotherstorushinatthispoint,buttheystayedwheretheywere.Thecheeringhaddieddown,buttheywerestillgrinning.

SkulduggerystoodoverLethe.“Where’sTemper?”

LetheheldupahandforSkulduggerytowait,likehewantedtocatchhisbreath.

“That,”hesaidatlast,“wasagoodone.”

Hestoodupslowly,groaningashedidso, thenhedropped low,slammingafist intoSkulduggery’sribs.

Skulduggerygruntedandstumbledback,andLethestraightened.

“Soit’strue,”saidLethe.“Evenwithoutflesh,evenwithoutnerveendings,youdofeelpain. That’s interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever killed someone as interesting as you,Skulduggery.”

Lethe stepped in with what looked like a kick. Valkyrie was fooled. So wasSkulduggery.Hewent tomove inside thearcof thekick,butLethewas ready forhim.The kick was nothing but a feint, and Skulduggery slid straight into the elbow thatknockedhimback.Lethe followed itupbygrabbingSkulduggeryandhittinghim threetimesbeforeflippinghimtotheground.

Valkyriestared,herentirebodycold.

Skulduggerycaughtaboottothefacethatsenthimsprawling.Hegottoonekneeandsnappedhispalmout.Theair rippled,butLethehadalreadymovedupbesidehim.Hegrabbed Skulduggery’s wrist and brought his elbow down and Skulduggery’s forearmbroke.

Skulduggery cried out in pain and fell back. His gloved hand hit the street, bonesspilling.Lethekickeditaway.

Valkyrie started forward, but the woman in the tuxedo intercepted her, slapping herdislocatedshoulder.Shecriedoutandthewomansmiledather.

“We’re giving them a fair go, remember? One on one. To the death.” She wasAustralian.“Thingsarealwaysmoreexcitingwhenthey’retothedeath,don’tyoureckon?Hopscotch–tothedeath.Dance-off–tothedeath.Fighttothedeath–tothedeath.”Sheshruggedhappily.“It’sfun.”

Clutchinghisflappingsleeve,Skulduggery triedgettingup.Lethe leaped,spunin theairandcamedownontopofhim,pinninghiminplace.

“Can you lose consciousness?” Lethe asked, hitting him. “You’ve got no brain toconcuss,somaybenot.Butit’sfuntrying,isn’tit?”

Lethe hit him again, then reached down, forcing a hand into Skulduggery’s mouth,takingagrip.“Itoldyou,”hesaid.“Theworldisadifferentplace.”

LethewrenchedandSkulduggeryscreamedasLethepulledhisjawboneoff.

ValkyriegrabbedtheAustralianandsentwhitelightningcoursingthroughher,andsheshotbackoffherfeetandValkyriespun,raisingherarmtoLethe.

Buteverythingwasmovingsofast.Letheblurredandherlightningwastooslow.Shetriedwhippingthelightningafterhim,butheblurredback,duckingunderit.Impossible.Nobodywasthatfast,notevenwithmagic.

AndthenLethewasmovingatnormalspeedagainandValkyriesteppedback,tryingtoworkoutwhat thehellhad justhappened.Suddenly theguywith thebleachedhairwasstandingrightinfrontofher.Hehither,squareonthechin,andherheadrockedbackandherlegsgaveoutandshewasontheground,lookingupatthecloudlesssky.

“Youshouldn’thavecome,” theTeleporterwas saying.“Should’ve foundsomewhereelse tohide.Nowwe’vegotyou.”Hegrinneddownather.“Bet today isn’t turningouthowyouhoped,huh?”

“Don’tgloat,Nero,”saidLethe.“It’snotcool.”HelookeddownatSkulduggery,whowassittingup,hisbrokenarmcurledagainsthim,hisgoodhandclutchingathisdamagedskull.“I’vedamagedyou.Richardcouldputyoubacktogetherquiteeasily,Iimagine.Hemightevenbeabletodomore,giventime.That’swhywehavehim,afterall.Tobreathelifeintothelifeless.ButasinterestedasIwouldbeinseeingthat,fromapurelyacademicpointofview,I’mafraidIcannotallowit.Youaretheenemy.Youmustdie.Richard,canyoukillhim?”

Meliorhesitated.“Yes,”hesaid.“Probably.”

LethebeckonedhimoverwithSkulduggery’sjawbone.“Then,byallmeans,haveatit.”Hetossedthejawboneaway.

Melior hesitated, but with a nudge from the goateed man he started walking over.Valkyrie tried getting up, butNero stomped on her shoulder and she screamed and fellback.

AndthenFletcherRennappearedinthemiddleofitall.

Eventhroughtear-filledeyes,Valkyrierecognisedhim.Tall.Good-looking.Blondhairstillridiculous.

Fletcherturned,takinginthescene.Forthefirsttime,Letheandtheothersdidn’tseemsoconfident.FletcherwinkedatValkyrie.

“Idon’tknowexactlywhatisgoingonhere,”hesaid.“AllIdoknowisthattwodozenCleaversareontheirway.Youcantrytoleaveifyouwant.Idon’tcare.ButI’mtakingValkyrieandSkulduggery.IfIwereyou,Iwouldn’ttry—”

Hestoppedtalking.

Valkyriesatup.Atfirst,shethoughtFletcherwasfrozen,butno,hewasstillmoving.Justveryslowly. Incrediblyslowly.Thenervousguy in the ill-fittingsuithadhishandsraisedandhiseyeswerenarrowed.Hewasdoingthis.She’dseenitbefore,orsomethinglike it. Jeremiah Wallow had been able to slow time whenever he attacked, so as toprolongthepleasureofthekill.Itseemedtohertobetheperfectpowerforserialkillerseverywhere.

“Nero,”saidLethe,“Ithinkit’sonlyfittingthatoneTeleportershouldkillanother.”

“As you command,” Nero said, taking a long knife from his jacket and walking upbehindFletcher.

Hissingwiththepain,Valkyriegottoherkneesandletlooseastreamoflightning.Shemissedtheguyintheill-fittingsuit,butdidmakehimduckaway.

“—tostopme,”Fletchersaid,movingnormallyagain.

“Behindyou!”Valkyriecalled,andFletchervanishedjustasNerowenttostabhimintheback,appearingbesidehimaninstantlaterandslugginghimacrossthejaw.

NerostumbledandFletcherteleportedtoSkulduggery’ssideandtheybothdisappeared.A moment later, he was pulling Valkyrie to her feet and then they were indoors, in ahospital,andFletcherletgoofherandteleportedagain.

TwoorderlieswerehelpingSkulduggeryontoabed.AnotheronecameforValkyrie.Reverie Synecdoche hurried in from another room, eyes wide in alarm. Fletcherreappeared,hishandsfullofSkulduggery’sdiscardedbones.

“Here’stherest,”hesaid,andNeroappearedbehindhim.

“No!”Valkyriecried,andFletcherturnedandNeroplungedtheknifeintohisbelly.

20

“Ouch,”saidOmen,stickinghisthumbintohismouthandsuckingit.

Neverdidn’tevenlookupfromhertextbook.“What’dyoudo?”

“Papercut,”saidOmen.

“I’msureyou’llsurvive.”

Thedetention hallwas empty except for them. Itwould have been empty except forOmenifNeverhadn’tdecidedtokeephimcompanyatthelastminute.

“You’rehidingfromsomeone,”Omensaid.

“No,I’mnot,”Neverreplied.“IjustthoughtI’dmakeastartonmyhomework,that’sall.HowfarareyouthroughPeccant’spunishment?”

Omenchecked.“Almosthalfway.”

“You’dwanttogetamoveon.”

“It’sreallydifficult.”

“That’swhyit’scalledapunishmentandnotatreat.”

Omencheckedwhathehadlefttodo,thenlookedup.“Never…”

Neverdidn’tanswer.

“Never…”

“What?”

“Canyoudoitforme?”

Neverturnedthepage,keptreading.“No.”

“Butyou’resomuchbetteratmathsthanIam.”

“Mycatisbetteratmathsthanyouare.”

“Butit’llonlytakeyouafewminutestogetthroughtherestofthis.”

Neversighed.“Omen,Ihatesoundinglikeateacher,oraparent,orjustageneraladult,butifyoudon’tdoityourselfyou’llneverlearn.”

“It’smaths,though,”saidOmen.“I’mnotgoingtoneedmathswhenIleaveschool.”

Neverclosedherbook,andraisedhereyes.“Whatareyougoingtobe?”

“WhenI’mdonewithschool?Idon’tknow.”

“Thenhowdoyouknowyouwon’tneedmaths?”

“Becausewhatever I’mgoing tobe, itwon’tbeamathematicianoranaccountantor,y’know,someonewhodoesalotofsums.Iknowhowtoaddandsubtractanddivide…that’s all I need toknow.What else is there?What else is important? Is calculating theangleofsomethingreallygoingtobethatnecessaryinmyeverydaylife?Isit?”

“I’mnotdoingyourworkforyou.”

Omenloweredhisheadtothedesk.“ButIhateit.”

“YourememberbackinFirstYear,whenwebecamefriends?Yourememberhowthathappened?”

“Ofcourse.Westartedtalking,andwejustgotalong.”

“No,that’snothowithappenedatall.Iwaschatty,amusingandeffervescentandyoubarelysaidawordtoanyone.Iwasincrediblypopular–doyourememberthat?Ihadjustmadea stirring, inspiring speechaboutmyownparticular rules that Iwantedpeople tofollowregardingmygender-fluidity.IlistedthepronounsIwaspreparedtoacceptandthetimes at which I was prepared to accept them. I let people know that everyone wasdifferentandthatmyrulesmightnotbethesameas theirrules.Iwasinteresting.Iwasengaging.Fromthatmomenton,Ihadmypickoffriends.Doyourememberallthat?Doyou?”

“Irememberyoutalking…”

“But,eventhoughIhadmypickoffriends,I’dwatchyouinclassandthinktomyself,ThisOmenkidmightbecool.Youwerealwaysontime,younevertookyoureyesofftheteacher,youalwaysworkedsohard…Howdidthatguybecomethisguy?”

Omendidn’tsayanything.

“Thatwasn’tarhetoricalquestion,”saidNever.

“Itsoundedlikeone.”

“Whathappenedtoyou,Omen?”

“Idon’tknowwhatyouwantmetosay,Never.”

“Isitaparentthing,or…?”

“Idunno.Imean…Idon’treallyexaminewhyIdothings.”

“Obviously.”

“Butyouknowhowtheyare.Mumonlycallswhenshe’swonderingwhyAugerisn’tansweringhisphone.Dad…well,Dadnevercalls.I…IsupposewhenIstartedhereIthoughtIcouldbecomesomeonenew.Like,someonethey’dapproveof.”

“And?”

Omenshrugged.“IrealisedIcouldn’tdoit.Itriedworkinghard,butnothingchanged.Iwasn’tsuddenlythesmartestkidintheclass.Iwasstillme.”

“Howharddidyouwork,though?Imean,howlongdidyougiveit?”

“Ages,”Omeninsisted.

“Andwhydidyoustop?”

“Well,like,itwasreallydifficult.”

Neversighed,andlookedawayforamoment,gatheringherthoughts.“There’snothingactuallywrongwithyou. Imean,youknow that, right?Yourparents areobsessedwithmakingsureAugerisreadytofighttheKingoftheDarklands,whoeverthehellheis.Soyeah, you get ignored. But you’re still a worthwhile person. You’re decent, you canoccasionallybefunnyandyouhaveagoodheart.It’swhypeoplelikeyou.”

Omen’seyeswidened.“Peoplelikeme?”

“Probably,yeah.”

“Wow.Doyouknowwho?”

“No.Wedon’thaveaclub.Wedon’thavebadgesorgotomeetings.I’mjustassumingotherpeoplelikeyoubecause,well,becauseIcannotbetheonlyone,IsweartoGod.”

“Thanks,Never.You’recool,too.”

Shefrownedathim.“Iknow.”

Thedooropened,andAugersteppedin,smilingwhenhesawOmenlookingup.

“What’dyoudothistime?”Augerasked.“Hey,Never.”

“Hi,Auger,”Neversaid,givingalittlewave.

“Imissedaclass,”Omensaid.“Byaccident.Don’ttellMumandDad.”

“Dude,ifItoldthemhalfthestuffyougotintroublefor,you’dneverbeabletoleavethehouse.IthoughtMissEthersupervisedonWednesdays.”

“I’mtheonlyoneindetention,”Omensaid,“soshetoldmetogetonwithitandthensheleft.”

“Never,whatareyoudoinghere?”

Nevershrugged.“Keepinghimcompany.”

Augersmiledanotheroneofhisdazzlingsmiles.“You’reaclassact,youknowthat?”

“Yes,Ido.”

“WhydoyouwantMissEther?”Omenasked.

Auger gave a quick one-shouldered shrug. “Nothing important. Just have to checksomethingwithher.Homeworkstuff.Anyway,tryandstayoutoftrouble,youtwo.”

Andthenhewasgone.

NeverlookedatOmen.“Whatdoyouthink’sgoingon?”

“Ibethe’sonanotheradventure,”Omensaid.

“Metoo.Likethetimewiththesubstituteteacherwhoturnedouttobeaserialkiller,orall thatpossessionstuff lastyear.Hey,youthinkhe’lleverinvitethetwoofusalong?Imean,youarehisbrother,andwearebestfriends.”

“Arewe?”

“Aren’twe?”

“Well,”saidOmen,“you’remybestfriend,butamIyourbestfriend?”

Neverthoughtaboutit.“Probablynot,”sheadmitted.“Butyou’reupthere.Topfour.”

“Four?”

“I’mverypopularwithalotofdiversegroups,”Neverexplained.

“Four,though.”

“Maybefive.”

“Ah,forGod’ssake.”

“Oneof thesedays,”saidNever,“theChosenOnewillask forourhelp,andwewillproveourselvesandthenwe’llbepartofhisgang.Wouldn’tthatbesomething?You,me,Kase,MahalaandAuger,savingtheschool,savingthecity,savingtheworld.”

“Ah,Idon’tknow,”Omensaid,slouching.

Neverarchedaneyebrow.“What’swrongwiththat?”

“Nothing.It’sjust…I’veseenhimsavetheschoolandsavethecity,andinafewyearsI’ll see him save the world… and it’s not really that glamorous. He gets hurt. Like,seriouslyhurt.Alot.Lastyearhealmostdied.”

“Iheardaboutthat.”

“Idon’tknow.Havingadventuresisfineandeverything,butI’vebeenaroundthisstuffmywholelife.Itstartstowearthinafterawhile.”

“Yeah,”Neversaid,“maybe.Ormaybeitwearsthinwhenyou’rewatchingit.Maybeifyouwerehavingthoseadventuresyourself,itwouldn’tseemquiteasbad.”

“Yeah,”Omensaidquietly.“Maybe.”

Never’sphonebeepedandshecheckedit,thenslidherbookintoherbagandstoodup.“OK,I’moff.”

Omenfrowned.“Whowasthat?”

“Whowaswhat?”sheasked,walkingtothedoor.

“Whowasthatmessagingyou?”

“Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.You’retalkingcrazy.Stoptalkingcrazynow,youhear?Allthatcrazytalkwilllandyouinthecrazyhouse,youcrazybiscuit.”Andthenshewasgone.

Omenstayed inhisseat foranother tenminutes,spectacularlyfailing tocomplete theworkthatPeccanthadsetforhim.Oncetheallottedtimewasup,hehurriedtohislocker,dumpedhisbagandclimbedthestairstothefifthfloor.

Heslippedintothelibrary.Loungingaroundintheseatingarea,JenanIspolinandhisfriends congregated and chatted – loudly. The librarian, a bald old man with anastonishinglywhitebeard,likeaskinnySantaClaus,wasasleepbehindhisdesk.

Omendartedbehind thebookcasesasmoreArcanum’sScholars joinedthegroup.Hegotintoapositionwherehecouldpeekwithoutbeingseen.

“Didyouhear?”ColleenStint said, talking inher usual breathless fashion. “Didyouhearwhathappened?”

Jenantookhistimelookingather.EveryoneknewColleenfanciedhimlikemad,andOmenwassurethatJenandespisedherforit.

“What happened to what?” Jenan asked, like he couldn’t be bothered hearing theanswer.

“WhathappenedtoSkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCain,”Colleensaid.

Omencreptalittlecloser,makingsurehecaughtallofit.

“TheywereintheNarrows,”Colleencontinued.“Wenttoarrestsomeone.Justthetwoofthem,like.NoCleaversorback-upornothing.”

Jenansatstraighter.“Theydead?”

“No,”saidColleen,“butclosetoit.Theygotthecrapkickedoutofthem.”

“Everyone’stalkingaboutit,”saidByronGrace.“TherewasaTeleporterandamaninblack,andhewentupagainstPleasantand—”

“Kickedthecrapoutofhim!”Colleenfinished,shootingaglareatByronfordaringtointerrupt.“Like,threwhimabouttheplace.Iheardhepulledtheskeleton’sheadoff.”

Jenansatforward.“Seriously?”

Colleenfoldedherarms.“That’swhatIheard.”

Jenantookamomenttoabsorbthenews.“Wellnow,”hesaid,“lookslikewechosethewinningteam.”

Afewofthemlaughedatthis.Omen’sfrowndeepened.

“Youthinkit’sthem?”Lapseasked,toostupidtoputthingstogetherbyhimself.

“Of course it is,” said Jenan. “We’ve been told for ages that they’re a force to bereckonedwith, right?Whoelsecoulddosomething like that?This is it,boysandgirls.Thisiswhereitallkicksoff.”

“Abouttime,”mutteredGall.

Byron tooka seat, likehewasexhausted,hisbagspillingopenon thegroundbesidehim.“Wedon’tknowforsure,”hesaid.

Jenanshothima lookthatboiledwithhostility.“WhatdidI justsay?There’snooneelsewhocoulddosomethinglikethat.Theguyinblack?IbetthatwasLethehimself.”

“Yeah,”saidByron,“maybe.”

Jenanstood.“Whatthehelliswrongwithyou,Grace?Yougoingsoftallofasudden?”

Byronpaled.“No.”

“You’re full of the big talk when all we’re doing is planning,” Jenan said, “but themomentitturnsrealyourspineturnstojelly.Isthatwhat’shappening?”

Byronshookhishead,butdidn’tanswer.

“Everyone, listen up,” Jenan said, looking round. “These aren’t games we’ve beenplaying.This isn’tdress-up.This isreal life,baby.Theplanhasbeenset inmotion.Wehaveallbeensetinmotion.Weweretoldtheyhadbigplansforus.Well,thisiswhereitstarts. If you’re having doubts now, at this stage… I’m sorry to tell you that you’vemissedyourchancetobackout.You’reherenow,andthatmeansyou’rein.Noexcuses.Doeseveryone,andImeaneveryone,understandthat?”

Nodsallround.EvenByron.

Jenanretookhisseat.“Good.”

Thelibrariansnortedandwoke,raisinghishead.“Quietdownthere!”

“Sorry,”saidJenanwithoutevenlookingathim.

Thelibrarianwentbacktosleep.

Omen’sgazefelluponByron’sopenbag,andthegoldenmaskthatpeekedout.

Hewishedhisbrotherwashere.Augerwouldnotonlyknowwhattodo,buthe’dalsobeabletodoit.And,ifitwentwrong,he’dbeabletogetoutofit.Omen,though,wasthescrew-upofthefamily.Omen’seffortsweredoomedtofailure.Heknewthis.

Andyet,ifwhatColleenhadsaidwastrue,thestakeswerehigh.Andhighstakesmeantchancesneededtobetaken,nomatterhowill-advisedtheymightbe.Andthischancewasincrediblyill-advised.

Omencrouched,heldouthishandandtouchedtheair.

Hevisualisedinterlockingblocksfromhisfingertipstothebag.Pushingwaseasier.Hecouldhavepushedthebagoverwithouteventrying.Butpulling…thatwaswherethingsgot tricky.He’ddone itbefore, though.Not inclass, andnot inexams.He’ddone it athome.Augerhad takenhim through it.Omenhadbeencalm, then.He tried tobecalmnow.

Soheignoredtherapidbeatofhisheart,andthejaggedspikesofadrenalinethatmadehishandtremble,andhefocusedontheimaginaryblocks…andthemaskmoved.

Jenanandtheotherskepttalking.Noonenoticedthemaskliftingitselfoutofthebag.

Omenlaiditgentlyonthecarpetandleftitthereforamomentwhileheshookouthishand.Hetookadeepbreath,reachedoutagain,focusedonhookinghisfingersintotheairjustrightandpulled.

Themaskmovedslowlyacrosstheground.

Bitbybit,itgotcloser.Foraterrifyingfewseconds,itwasoutintheopen,andOmenlost his grip. He’d allowed hismind to wander, to imagine what Jenan and the otherswoulddoiftheycaughthim.Wouldtheykillhim?Itseemedridiculous,thatabunchofhisclassmateswouldactually try tokillhim,but, if they reallywere involvedwith thisanti-Sanctuary thing, killing a witness might not be something they would baulk at.Certainly Jenanwouldn’t hesitate to throwOmen off the balcony.That’d be somethinghe’dprobablyenjoy.

Omen pushed such thoughts from his mind, reached out again and pulled the maskcloser.Nowitwasunderasmalltable,blockedfromtheviewoftheothers.Itwasgoingwell. It was actually goingwell. It was actually going towork. Omen smiled, and hisfingersmovedwithtoomuchenthusiasmandthemaskshotofftheground.Hesnatcheditfromtheairasitspedpasthisface,fallingbackwardsandlyingthere,eyeswide,waitingtoheartheshoutsofalarm.

ButJenanandtheotherskepttalking,andOmenlethimselfbreatheagain.

SomeonenewcameinandOmengotup.

“Good, good,” he heard Parthenios Lilt say, “everyone’s here. Let us move to lesssalubrioussurroundings.Ceremonialmaskson.”

Omenstayedhidden,clutchingthemaskwithbothhands.

“Uh,”heheardByronsay.

“Isthereaproblem,MrGrace?”Liltasked.

“My…mymaskisn’tinmybag,sir.”

Thelibrarywentveryquiet.

“MrGrace…”Liltsaid.

“Iputitinthere,sir,”saidByron.“IknowIdid.Itmusthavefallenoutor…”

“Mr Grace, these masks are a symbol. These masks mean something. They meantsomethingtoRebusArcanumandtheymeansomethingtous.”

“Yes,sir,”saidByron.

Liltsighed.“Ihaveaspareinmyoffice,ontheshelfnearthewindow.Goandfetchit.”

“Yes,sir,”saidByron.“Thankyou.”

Omenheardhimhurryout.

“We’llprobablyhavetokillpoorByronbeforetoolong,”Liltsaidsadly.Thenhistonebrightened.“OK,everyone,intothebackroom.Wehavemuchtodiscuss.”

21

Cadaverous preferred the silence. The others – Lethe and his gang ofmisfits – hadn’treturned to the prison yet, so he didn’t have to suffer through the banality of theirconversation.Therewasnoone there toengagewith,anyway,no truediscussions tobehad. Debate with people so limited was a pointless exercise. He didn’t even hear theconvicts, tuckedawayin theircells,as theybeggedforfreedom.Hewasnot their jailerandhewouldnotbe their saviour.Hewas just anoldman listening to thevoice inhishead.

Youareclose,Cadaverous.Cometome.

Cadaverousenjoyedthistimealone.Hewanderedtheprisoncorridorsandsearchedtheoffices,steppingoverdiscardedscythesandfallenautomaticweaponswhilehecheckedforhiddenpassages.

Twohoursafterbeginninghissearchoftheprison’slowerarea,hefoundrough-hewnsteps leading downwards, and downwards hewent, feeling the cold and the damp seepintohisbones.Hisflashlightwasnew,itsbulbpowerful,butthedarknessateupthebeam,swallowedit,asiftherewerenowallsforittohit,nofeaturesforittocatch.

Therewasjustthedarkdownhere.Thedarkandthevoice.

Youwillberewarded.

Helickedhisdrylips.Therewasonlyonerewardhewasinterestedin,somethinghehadpossessedonce,alltoobriefly,beforeithadbeensnatchedawayfromhim.Hehadn’tknownwhathe’dhad.Hehadn’tknownthevalueofituntilitwasgone.

Freeme,saidthevoice,andIwillmakeyouyoungagain.

Thewalls closed inand thebeamsweptover thecold stones,whichwerewet to thetouch.Thewallsbroughtanewsharpness tohisfootfall.Thereflected light illuminatedhis frozen breath. He slipped on the steps, almostwent tumbling, had to jam his handagainstthewalltosavehimself,openingacutalonghispalm.Heexamineditunderthelight,watchingthebloodtrickle.Hewipeditonhisshirt.Hecouldn’tfeelthepain.

Atthebottomofthestepstherewasasteeldoorthecolourofstormclouds.Hetookoutthe set of keys that he’d found in the control roomand looked at eachkey in turn.Hefoundtheonemostlikelytofitandeaseditintothelock.Itturnedsmoothly,withadeepandsatisfyingclunk,andhepushedthedooropen.

Itwasasmallroom.Circular.Nolight.Noornamentation.Inthemiddleoftheroom,therewasametalboxonapedestal.

Cadaverousapproached.Thehaironhisarms,on thebackofhisneck,stoodonend.Theringheldasmallkey,muchsmallerthantheothers.Hefounditbytouch,unabletotakehiseyesoffthebox.

Thekeyturnedinthelock.Thelidopenedeversoslightly.

Cadaverouspocketedthekeysandreachedoutwithtremblinghands.Hehesitatedonlyamoment,thenraisedthelidfully.Itwassurprisinglyheavy.

Inthebox,therewasaheart.

Inhishead,therewasavoice.

Itsaid,Good.

22

Badthingshappenallthetime.

That’sthenumber-onelessonValkyriehadlearnedinthelasttwelveyears.Badthingshappen,andtheygenerallyhappentogoodpeople.Innocentpeople.Passers-by,caughtinthecrossfire,consumedbythemadness.LikeFletcher.

ShestoodbyhisbedinReverieSynecdoche’sprivatemedicalpractice,a three-storeybuildinginoneofthemoreaffluentpartsoftown,andwatchedhim.Hedidn’tmove.Amachinehelpedhimbreathe.

Shereachedout,touchedhisarm.

“I’msosorry,”shewhispered.“Wewerestupidandyousavedus.It’sourfaultyou’rehere.”Sheleaneddown.Spokesofter.“Idon’tthinkIcandothis.Idon’tthinkI’mabletodothisanymore.Idon’tknowwhattodo.Idon’tknowhowtotellhim.”

Voicesreachedher–Reverietalkingtoanursepassinginthecorridoroutside.ValkyriesqueezedFletcher’shand.“Pleasegetbetter,”shesaid.

ReveriewalkedinandValkyrieturned.

“He’s stable,” Reverie told her. “We’ve stopped the bleeding. There is some nervedamage that we’re correcting. It’s a slow process, repairing nerves always is, but he’sgoingtobefine.Wouldyouliketostay?Icanhaveachairbroughtinforyou.”

“Thank you,” said Valkyrie, “but no. The Supreme Mage has requested a meeting.How’sSkulduggery?”

“We’reputtinghimbacktogether.Again.Hisjawhasbeenreattached,sohejusthastowaitforhisarmtoset.He’llbeoutwithinthehour.”

“Thankyou,Reverie.Sincerely.”

“It’swhatwedo.I’llletyouknowifthere’sanychangetoFletcher’scondition.”

Valkyriethankedheragainandlefttheclinic,takingatramtotheHighSanctuary.Forafleetingmoment,sheentertainedtheideathatmaybeshe’dskipthemeeting,getinhercaranddrivehome.Shequitelikedthethoughtofforgettingaboutallofthisandjustlivinganormal life, her and her dog. The twenty-four hours she’d promised Skulduggery hadended thatmorning, after all. She didn’t owe it to him to do this. She didn’t owe it toanyone.

ButsheflashedherbadgeatthedoortotheHighSanctuaryandwalkedin,leavingthesoundsofthecitybehindher,alongwithfancifulnotionsofaquietlife.

TheRoom of Prisms had changed since she’d been here last. Therewere still thosesliversofangledglassthatdroppedfromtheceilingandrosefromthefloorlikestalactitesand stalagmites. Some of themmet in themiddle, forming thin pillars she had to slipbetween.The change had come at the far end of the room,where the steps rose to theornatethroneonwhichsattheSupremeMage.

Another image from the vision blossomed in Valkyrie’s mind, this time of ChinaSorrowslyingontheground,bloodstainingablousethatlookedremarkablysimilartotheoneshewaswearingnow,theonethatwentsowellwiththeblack,high-waistedtrousers.Overthatblousesheworeherchainofoffice,fittedwiththreeglitteringjewels.Herhairwasblack.Herfacewasperfect.Hereyeswereclosed.

Two bodyguards flanked her, standing to attention.OnChina’s left, awomanwith amaskcoveringeverythingbuthereyes.Herarmswerebareandmuscled,skin likedarkchocolate.Aweaponofsomesortwasstrappedtoherback.

ToChina’srightstoodamaninanidenticaluniform–asleevelessrobe,beltedatthewaist.Hisheadwasuncovered,however.Hewasahandsomeman,lookedIndian.Hehadtwometaldiscshangingfromhisbelt.

Therewasmovementreflectedintheangledglass,butValkyriehadtolookaroundabitbeforeshepinpointedthesource.Tipstaffworkedhiswayovertoher.

“DetectiveCain,”hesaid,keepinghisvoicelow,“it’sgoodtoseeyou.Howareyourinjuries?”

Valkyrie’sshoulderthrobbeddully.“Fine,”shesaid.“Igotofflightly.”

Tipstaff nodded, looking suitably concerned, then hemotioned to the throne. “You’llhave to forgive the Supreme Mage,” he said. “She will be with you in a matter ofmoments.”

Valkyrielookedupthesteps.“What’sshedoing?”sheasked.“Powernap?”

ThebriefestofsmilesonTipstaff’slips.“Ha.No.SheisaccessingtheWhispering.Arecentdevelopment,inspiredbyyourtravelsinalternatedimensions,actually.”

Shelookedathim,waitingforanexplanation.

“WhenyoureportedbackonthecitycontrolledbythealternateversionofMevolent,”Tipstaffsaid,“youmentioned theWorldWell.TheSupremeMagewas intriguedby theideaofwhatisessentiallyapsychicInternet,andsohashadherbestpeopleworkingonone for Roarhaven. We call it the Whispering – a way to connect people and shareinformation. It shouldbe ready tobe released to thecitizenry in less thanayear.Rightnow, theSupremeMageis theonlyonewithaccess. It isamuchmoreefficientwayoftakingthepulseofthecitythanendlesshoursofbriefings.”

“Alltheinformationisdownloadeddirectlyintohermind?”

Tipstaff nodded, then shrugged. “We’re trying to find a better term for it thandownloaded,though.”

“Somethingthatsoundsmoremagicky?”

Anothersmile.“Isuppose.Yes.”

“Just because it’s a mortal term doesn’t mean sorcerers can’t use it,” Valkyrie said.“Isn’titoneofthepurposesoftheSanctuariestoremindusthatwe’renotabovethem?”

“Indeed it is,” Tipstaff said. “Although it’s hard not to feel superiorwhen they havepeoplelikeMartinFlaneryasAmericanpresident.”

“Flanery’san idiot,”Valkyrieadmitted, “but, as far as Iknow,hehasn’t tried to takeover theworld or kill everyone in it.Can I ask you something, in the spirit of sharingpotentially catastrophic global events? Have you guys had any encounters with, orwarningsof,awomanwithsilverhair?”

“NotthatI’mawareof,”saidTipstaff.“DoyouhaveanameIcouldcheckfor?”

Itwouldhavebeensoeasy to tellhim, tomention thePrincessof theDarklands,butsomethingstoppedher.MaybeitwasSkulduggery’snewfoundcautionwithinformation,ormaybeitwassimplythefactthatshedidn’tworkfortheSanctuaryanymore.Whateverthereason,shegaveaweakshrugandaweakersmile.“I’mafraidnot.”

“I’llcheckourrecords,”Tipstaffsaid,“seeifanyonewithsilverhairhasraisedaflaglately.”

“Thanks.”

“AnythingtohelptheArbiterCorps.”Tipstafflookedathiswatch.“TheSupremeMageshouldbesurfacinganymomentnow…”

ValkyrielookedupasChina’spaleblueeyesflutteredopen.

“I’llleaveyoutoit,”Tipstaffsaidsoftly,andleft.

“Valkyrie,” China said, taking a moment to get orientated. “What’s Skulduggery’scondition?”

“He’sfine,”saidValkyrie.“Annoyed,butfine.”

Chinasatforward,focusingfullyonValkyrie.“AndFletcher?”

Valkyriehesitated.“Theydon’tknow.Therehavebeencomplications.”

Chinashookherhead.“He’sbecomeinvaluabletome,thatboy.He’sateacher,didyouknowthat?Single-handedlytrainingupthenextgenerationofTeleporters.He’sfoundhisvocation.”

“Reverieishopeful.”

“Iwaswonderingaboutthat,”saidChina.“IsthereanyparticularreasonyouchosetogotoDoctorSynecdocheoverthemedicalteamhereattheHighSanctuary?”

“Ididn’tchooseanything.Ididn’tevenknowshe’dopenedherownclinic.ThatwasallFletcher.Ithinkhejustbroughtustoheroninstinct.”

“Isee,”saidChina.“Yes.I’msurethatwasit.”Shesatback,allowingherselfasmile.“Howareyou,Valkyrie?It’sbeenfartoolong.”

“I’mgood,thanks.”

“Youseemhesitant.Issomethingwrong?”

“Yourchair,”saidValkyrie.“Fromdownhere,itlooksalotlikeathrone.”

“Isthereanythingwrongwiththat?”

Valkyrie shrugged. “I don’t know. Sitting in a throne all daymight make it easy toforgetthatyou’reanelectedofficialandnot,youknow…aqueen.Oranempress.”

China observed her, then stood and came down the steps, her bodyguardsaccompanyingher.“There.Isthatbetter?”

“Much,”saidValkyrie.

Chinagottothebottom,andembracedValkyrie.“It’sgoodtoseeyouagain,”shesaidsoftly.

“It’sgoodtobehere,”Valkyrielied.

China stepped back. “The reports I’ve been hearing onwhat happened… they lackcertaindetails, suchaswhyonearthyouwent to theNarrowswithoutCleaver support.Obviously,asArbiters,youhavetheauthoritytogowhereyoulike.ButIhavetoask,inlightofwhathappened…wasthatwise?”

“Inhindsight,”saidValkyrie,“no.”

ChinahookedherarmthroughValkyrie’sandstartedwalking.Thebodyguardsstayedbehindthem.“Whowasit?Whoattackedyou?”

“I don’t know all of them,” Valkyrie said. “A man named Lethe. Another namedRichardMelior.ATeleporternamedNero.”

“And you think they’re connected to this anti-Sanctuary?” China asked. “Oh, yes,Skulduggerytoldmeallabouthissuspicions.Iwasn’tsoldontheidea,Ihavetoadmit.Anorganisationworkingbehindthescenesforcenturieswithoutusknowingaboutit?Itseemedpreposterous.”Shesighed.“Itdoesn’tseemsopreposterousanymore.”

“I’massumingtheCleaversfoundnotraceofthemwhentheyarrived?”

“Noneatall,”saidChina.“TheCityGuardsconductedathoroughsearchofthearea–I’mafraidwehavenoideawherethisMeliormanmayhavegone.”

“WhydidSkulduggeryquit?”

Chinafrowned.“I’msorry?”

“BeingCityGuardCommander.Whydidhequit?”

“Itwasalwaysgoingtobetemporary,”saidChina.“Iknewthatwhenhetookthejob.Skulduggerywantstobeoutthere,inthethickoftheaction.BeingtheCommandermeanthewasstuckbehindadeskformostofhistimehere.Hegotitupandrunning,though,whichiswhatIneededhimfor.Whenheleft,therewerenohardfeelings.”

“That’sit?”

“Yes.Why,didhesayanydifferent?”

“Hedidn’tsayanything.Whichmademewonder.”

Chinasmiledagain.“Youknowhimwell.”

SheremovedherarmfromValkyrie’s,andtappedtheedgeofherwrist.Atattooglowedbriefly, and thewall ahead of them turned transparent, revealing the city ofRoarhavenbelow. “Sowhat doyou thinkof theplace?”China asked. “Has it changedmuch sinceyou’vebeenaway?”

Valkyrienoddedtotheirleft.“TheCathedralisnew.”

“Yes,”saidChina.“Animpressive,ifforeboding,structure,isitnot?Butit’simportanttoletthepeoplehavetheirfaith.Itrewardsthem.Keepsthemhappy.”

“Keepsthemobedient?”

“Oh,Valkyrie…whendidyoubecomesocynical?ButtheDarkCathedralisonlyoneofournewadditions.”

“IvisitedCorrivalAcademy.”

“Isn’titwonderful?”

Valkyrienodded.“That’sthekindofschoolIcouldhavedonewith,growingup.”

“Which is exactly why it’s there,” China said. “Before, our children went to mortalschoolsandlearnedwhattheycouldaboutmagicfromavarietyofsometimesunsuitablesources. But the Academy will give the next generation all the advantages they couldpossiblyneed.Teachingeveryonethesamerules,thesamevalues…”

“Getthemthinkingthesameway.”

Aneyebrowarched.“Youarecynical.”

“Andsomanystudents,”Valkyriesaid.

“Yes.Fromallovertheworld.Thebestandbrightest,allunderoneroof.”

“Thechildrenofthemostpowerfulsorcerers,fromeverysingleSanctuaryontheplanet…It’ssomeachievement.Andhey,atleastyouknowthatit’llkeeptheirparentsinline,right?No one’s going towant to go towarwith Roarhavenwhen you have their kidsunderlockandkey.”

Chinalookedather.“Youmakeitsoundlikethey’reprisoners.”

“DoI?”

China pointed straight ahead. “There we have the Fangs. Have you visited? Threesquarekilometreswhere thevampireshave takenup residence.People toldme itwasamistaketoletthemliveamongus,butdoyouknowhowmanyvampireattackstherehavebeenin thelastfiveyears?Notaone.It’sbeenyetanothergreatsuccess–testament towhatcanbeachievedwhendifferentpeople,differentspecies,worktogether.”

“Yousoundlikeyou’reanglingformyvote,”saidValkyrie.

Chinalaughed.“I’mjustproudofwhatwe’veaccomplishedhere,andIdon’twanttoseeitthreatenedbyafewangryyoungsorcerers.I’vegotCommanderHocinvestigatingtheattackpersonally.Hewon’tbelongfindingthoseresponsible.”

“That’sgoodofyou,”saidValkyrie.“IdoubtSkulduggery’sgoingtowanttoabandonhisowninvestigationjustyet,though.”

“Oh,absolutely.TheadvantagetheCityGuardhave,however, is that theypossessalltheresourcestheycouldeverwant–andtheynevergointoasituationwithoutback-up.”

“Itdoessoundnice.”

“There’salwaysaspotopenforyou,shouldyoudecidetogiveitago…”

“WithoutSkulduggery?”

“He’sspentfiveyearswithoutyou.I’msurehegotusedtoit.”

Valkyrieshookherhead.“Thanksfortheoffer,butI’mnotevensureifIwanttocomeback.”

“Oh?Thisisn’tyourtriumphantreturn?”

“It’smoreofatestrun,really.”

“Isee.DoesSkulduggeryknowthis?”

“Itoldhim.”

“Anddoeshebelieveyou?”

Valkyriefrowned.“He’dbetter.”

Chinalookedoutacrossthecity.“Skulduggeryisafrightfullyintelligentman,but,likeallfrightfullyintelligentpeople,heassumescertainthings.Ithinkyourreturntohissidewouldbeoneofthosethingshewouldassumetobeaforegoneconclusion.”SheglancedatValkyrie.“Youmaywellhavetoremindhimthatitisn’t.”

Valkyrie returned toReverie’sclinic.Shegot toSkulduggery’s roomandstopped in theopendoorway.Hestoodwithhisbacktoher.Hedidn’thavehisshirton.Shewatchedhisbones move as he examined his reattached forearm. Those bones were nicked andscratchedwithscarsthey’dpickedupovertheyears.Heflexedhisfingers.Valkyriedidn’tsayanything.

Skulduggeryputonhisshirt.Ithungoffhimashediduphistie,likeitwasstilldrapedoverthebackofthechair.Suddenlyitfilledout,asifthemanunderneathwasfleshandblood.Skulduggerytuckeditinandreachedforhiswaistcoat.

Valkyriehesitated,thenwalkedaway.

23

Hisfootstepswerelonely.

Odd that the word would occur to him like that. ‘Lonely.’ Up here, though, on therooftop,his footstepscouldn’tbeanythingbut lonely.Hedidn’thaveanyone to talk to.Didn’thaveanyone towaitwith. Itwas justSebastianuphere,his coat flapping in thebreeze,andbeingalonewasafeelinghewasjustgoingtohavetogetusedto.

Lookingback,intheyearstocome,hedidn’tthinkhewasgoingtolikethisperiodofhislife.

Hewalkedtotheopenskylightandlookeddownintothedarkbowelsofthebuilding.Thegroundwaslitteredwithrubbleanddebris,likeathin,flakyscabcoveringawound.Sebastian didn’t like being perched on a roofwhile therewere life-and-death strugglesgoing on below him, but he was here for a reason. He had a mission. A calling. Hecouldn’taffordtogetdistracted.

Adoorcrashedopensomewhereintheshadowsbelowhim,andSebastiandroppedtohisbelly toget abetter look.KathrynEther, a teacher from theAcademy, sprinted intoview.Adarkshapecoalescedbeforeherandshestoppedsosuddenlyherfeetflewfromunderher.Thedarknessbecameashape,afigure,aman.Etherscrambledback,andtheman–long-haired,withburningorangeeyes,dressedinchainmail–stalkedafterher.

Sebastianfoundhimselftensing,butfoughttheurgetojumpdown.RuleOnewasdon’tget distracted, and he figured getting horribly killed by a chain-mail-wearing lunaticwouldbeaprettybigdistraction,allthingsconsidered.

ThenAugerranfromcover,holdingathickmetalspear,andSebastianactuallysighedwithrelief.Arriving in thenickof time.Immediately,Auger’sfriendsKaseandMahaladartedfromtheirhidingplaces,andtheysprintedinfromthreedirections.Theburning-eyedmansawthemcoming,androared.Whenthedistancebetweenthemclosedtofivesteps,Augerplungedthespearintotheground.KaseandMahaladidthesame.

The spears started glowing. Threads of energy passed between them, trapping theburning-eyedmaninatriangle.Hisroarofrageturnedtoaroarofpanic.Mahalabackedoff.Kasetoo.OnlyAugerstayedwherehewas,eyeslocked.

Thespearsgrewbrighter,thethreadsofenergygettingthicker–andthentheburning-eyedmanarchedhisbackandscreamed,andtheenergypouredintohimandturnedhimtoash.

Thespearsstoppedglowing.

AugerrantoEtherandhelpedherstand.Theotherscameover.Sebastiancouldn’thearwhatwasbeingsaid.Hehadnoideawhotheburning-eyedmanwas,noideawhyhehadbeen after a teacher, but none of that mattered. Another monster had been stopped.Anotherthreathadbeenaverted.

HewatchedMahala andAugerwalk awaywithEther, leavingKase to gather up thespearsandheadintheoppositedirection.

Sebastian didn’t know an awful lot about Mahala, but he’d done his homework onKase.Thefunnyoneofthegroup,theonewhousedjokestomaskhisunhappiness,theone who tried to hide the fact that his father had inadvertently formed a cult thatworshippedDarquesse.

Thismadehiminteresting.

SebastianfollowedKaseforalittleundertenminutes.Itwasnoteasy,travellingacrossrooftops.Itwasevenlesseasytotravelacrossrooftopswhilekeepingtrackof theturnsKasewasmaking.Eventually,KasecametoahouseonMorwennaRowandsneakedinthebackdoor.Whenhecameouta fewminutes later,hewasn’tholding thespears.Hehurriedoffinthedirectionoftheschool,andSebastianwatchedhimgo.Hehadarrivedathisdestination.

Hejumpeddown,wenttothebackdoorandtriedthehandle.Itmovedeasily.Thedooropened.Sebastianslippedinside.

Kase’skitchenwasamess.Food-encrustedplateswere stackedhigh in the sink.Thetable was covered in papers and battered notebooks. The floor needed a sweep, and awash,andpossiblyanewfloor.

Kase’sfatherwasinthelivingroom.BennetTrothsatonthesofa,hisheaddown,theTVonbutmuted.Hehadthesamedarkhairashisson,butlikehishouseitlookedlikeitneededawash.

Sebastiansteppedin.“Hello,Bennet,”hesaidcalmly.

Bennetlookedupandfroze,hiseyeswide,hismouthopen.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” said Sebastian. “I’m here to talk.We have something incommon, actually. If it’d beOKwith you, Iwas hopingwe could sit and have a chat.Whatdoyousay?”

Bennetblinked.Hiseyeswereglassy,hisfacered.Onthetablebeforehimwasahalf-emptybottleofwine.

“Bennet?”

Bennetgottohisfeetandimmediatelystumbled,clickinghisfingers,throwingsparksandsuddenflames,butwastoodrunktocultivatethemintoanythinguseful.

Sebastianwalkedforwardquickly,handsout.“Iwon’thurtyou,I’mjustheretotalk,Iswear.”

Bennetlashedout,apunchthatmissedwithoutSebastianevenhavingtoduck.“Awayfromme!”heroared.“Getaway!”

Sebastianbackedoff.“OK,Bennet,OK,whateveryouwant.”

“WhatIwant?”Bennetraged.“WhatIwant?Iwantmywifeback!”

“I’msorry?”

Bennet chargedandSebastian sidestepped,his coat flapping like abullfighter’s cape,andBennethitthewallandspun.

“Ithinkweneedtocalmdown,”Sebastiansaid.

“Youkidnappedher!Bringherback!”

“Ididn’tkidnapanyone.”

“I’llkillyou,youhearme?”

“Ifyourwifeismissing,youshouldalerttheCityGuard.”

Bennetsneered.“They’dneverhelpme.Theylaughatme.Theyhateme.”

“DoesKaseknow?”

“Didn’t tellhim,”Bennetsaid,emotioncrumplinghisface.“Don’twant toworry theboy.Butyou…you’regoingtotellmewheresheis.”

“Idon’tknowwheresheis,butifIhelpyoufindher,you’vegottohelpme,allright?Dowehaveadeal?”

“Yes.Yes,anything.”

“OKthen.Doyouknowwhowouldwanttokidnapher?Doyouhaveanyenemies?”

AndthenitwaslikeallofBennet’sfuryabandonedhim,andhestaggeredtothesofaand collapsed on to it. “Toomany,” he said, tears in his eyes. “Everyone knows. Theyknowabout…”

“TheyknowyouworshipDarquesse?”Sebastianaskedgently.

Bennet nodded. “I get rocks throughmywindow. I… I lostmy job. People aroundhere,theyhateme.MypoorOdetta,shedoesn’tevenseeDarquessethewayIdo,buttheystill…theystillwentafterher.”

Sebastianhesitated,thentookastepcloser.“Whathappened?”

Bennetlookedup.“Whoareyou?”

“You can call me the Plague Doctor,” said Sebastian. “Like you, I see Darquessedifferentlyfromotherpeople.”

Therewasaknockonthefrontdoor.

Bennet’s eyes widened. “Odetta!” he said, and lunged out of the room. SebastianwatchedfromcoverasBennetpulledthedooropentorevealapimply-facedboy.

“YouBennetTroth?”theboyasked.

Bennet’sshouldersfell.“Yes,”hesaid.

“Gotamessageforyou,”saidtheboy.“It’saboutyourwife.You’renevergoingtoseeheragainsodon’tbotherlooking.”

Bennetgrabbedtheboy,shakinghim.“Whosentyou?”heroared.“Whereisshe?”

Sebastianranforwardasthekidstruggled.

“Letgoofme,youspanner!”

SebastianpulledBennetback,forcinghimtoreleasehishold.

“Easynow,”hesaid.“Easy.Let’salljustcalmdown.”

Thekidstared.“Whyareyoudressedasabird?”

“I’mnot,”Sebastiananswered.

“Yes,youare.Youhaveabeak.”

“Idon’thavefeathers,doI?”

Theboyshrugged.“Somebirdsdon’thavefeathers.”

Beneathhismask,Sebastianfrowned.“Allbirdshavefeathers.Feathersarewhatmakesthembirds.”

“Whatabout theduck-billedplatypus?”theboyasked.“Thatdoesn’thavefeathers.Ithasfur.Whatkindofduckhasfur?”

“Theduck-billedplatypusisn’taduck.It’saplatypus.”

“What’saplatypus?”

“It’samonotreme,”Bennetsaidmiserably.“Amammalthatlayseggs.”

“Oh,”saidtheboy.HelookedbackatSebastian.“Isthatwhatyou’redressedas,then?Aduck-billedplatypus?”

“No,”saidSebastian.“I’mthePlagueDoctor.Youhave informationabout thisman’swife?Whereisshe?”

“Don’tknow,”theboysaid.“ButifhegrabsmeagainI’mgonnadeckhim.”

Bennetreachedforthekid.“Tellmewheresheis!”

“Getyourhandsoffme,youpsycho!Idon’tknowwhereyourstupidwifeis!IwaspaidtoknockonthisdoorandgivethatmessagetoaguynamedBennetTroth,that’sall.”

“Whopaidyou?”Sebastianasked.

“Someguy.”

“Whatguy?”

“Idon’tknowwhohewas,” theboyanswered.“Hewas inabigcoatandhat.Hugehands.Didn’tseehisface.”

“Whatdidhetellyoutosay?Exactly?”

Theboysighedagain.“Hedidn’tsayanything.TwominutesagoIwaswalkingalongandheshovedanoteandsomemoneyintomyhands.Thenotesaidtotellthisnutbagthathe’llneverseehiswifeagain,sotonotbotherlooking.IfI’dhaveknownI’dbeattackedfordeliveringamessage,I’dhaveaskedformoremoney.”

“Onlytwominutes?Whichwaydidhego?Whatdirection?”

“Idon’tknow.”Theboylookedaround,thenpointedtoastreet.“Hewentdownthere,Ithink.”

“Thenwemightbeabletocatchhim,”Sebastiansaid.“Bennet–howdoIgetupontoyourroof?”

24

“Whereareyoutakingme?”Valkyrieasked.Xenaignoredher,wentsnufflingthroughtheundergrowthuntilshe’dfoundascentsheliked, thensetoff inpursuit.Valkyriesighed,andwalkedafterher.

Thenightwascold,andshestuffedherhandsintohercoatpockets.Shewasgettingtoknow the land aroundGrimwood prettywell, and didn’t need a torch anymore. Prettysoon she’d be able to navigate these trails and paths through the trees without eventhinking about it, like she’d been able to do back in Meek Ridge. She thought aboutColorado, thought about howmuch she’d liked it there. She couldn’t go back, though.That part of her lifewasover. If thingsdidn’tworkout here, she’dgo live somewherenew.Maybeevensomewherewarm.

“Howaboutit?”sheaskedthedarkshapethatwasXena.“How’sAustraliasound?”

Xenadidn’tanswer.

“Findaniceplaceonthecoast,farawayfromeveryone.Wecouldgoswimmingeveryday,whatdoyouthinkaboutthat?”

Xenaboundedinfrontofher,lookedaroundandboundedoffagain.

“Wedon’thavetodecidenow,”Valkyrietoldher.“Takesometime.Thinkaboutit.”

Her phone rang.Skulduggery.She chewedher lip, then answeredon the fourth ring.“Hey,”shesaid.

“Hello.I’matyourfrontdoor.”

“Ah.I’mcloseby,justwalkingthedog.”

“Awholesomewaytospendyourtime.MayIjoinyou?”

“I’lllighttheway,”Valkyriesaid,andhungup.Energycrackledaroundherhand,butshehesitatedalittlebeforelettingitloose,straightoverhead.Itlitupthenightforasplitsecond.

Moments later, Skulduggery strode across the sky. He saw her and quickly dipped,keepingpacewithherasshewalked.

“Howareyou?”sheasked.

“YoumeansinceIgotbeaten,fairandsquare?”Skulduggeryasked,landingbesideher.“Iamchastised.Humbled.Abetterpersonbecauseofit,Ithink.”

Sheraisedaneyebrow.Heshrugged.

“No,you’reright.I’mnoneofthosethings.I’mangry,andreadyforroundtwo.”

“That’swhatIfigured,”shesaid.“AnywordonFletcher?”

“He’sconscious.DrSynecdocheisoptimisticthathe’llmakeafullrecovery.Givehimafewdays.He’llbefine.”

Theyduckedunderalowbranch.

“Hesavedus,”shesaid.

“Yes,hedid.”

“Weshouldn’thavegoneinthere.”

“Inretrospect,no,weshouldn’thave.Butwecouldn’thaveforeseenwhathappened.”

“That’stheproblem,”Valkyriesaid.“Wedidn’tknowwhatweweregoingupagainst.Wedidn’tknowwhotheenemywere.I’mtryingtorememberifwewerealwaysso…”

“Brash?”

Sheglancedathim.“Iwasgoingtosaydumb.”

Heshrugged.“We’vewalkedintobadsituationsbefore.It’showwefindoutwhotheenemiesare,sowe’rebetterpreparedthenexttime.”

“Ifitwasn’tforFletcher—”

“Iknow,”saidSkulduggery.“Iknow.”

Xenawassomewhereinthedark.Valkyriehadlosttrackofher.

“I thoughtyouhadhim,” shesaid,coming toa stop.“Lethe.When it started,andhewas bouncing around with all these fancy kicks, I said to myself, this’ll be over in asecond.”

Skulduggery rubbed his arm. “And then he changed tactics.He’s better thanme, I’llgivehimthat,buthetookmebysurprise.Thatwon’thappenagain.”

Xena came trotting back. She went right up to Skulduggery, tail wagging, and hecrouched,scratchingbehindherears.

“TheTeleporter,”shesaid,foldingherarmstokeepherselfwarm.“Nero.Hebroughtthemallin,buttheyweren’ttouching.Ididn’tthinkthatwaspossible.Inordertoteleportotherpeople,youneedtobetouchingthem–that’stherule,right?”

“AsfarasIknow,”Skulduggerysaid.“ButNeotericsdon’tconcernthemselveswiththerules.”

“AndhefollowedFletcherstraighttoReverie.Howdidhedothat?Hispowers…hecandoa lotmore thanFletcher–butFletcherwasalmostaNeoteric, too,wasn’the? Imean,he’smostlyself-taught.”

“But then Cameron Light found him,” said Skulduggery, straightening up. “And wegavehimabooktellinghimhowtoharnesshispower.Fromthatpointon,hisevolutionwasdirected in theconventionalway. Ifwe’d lefthimalone,maybehe’dbeable todowhatNerocando.”

“SoareNeotericsmorepowerfulthanregularsorcerers?”

“Not necessarily. Our training makes us strong. Their unpredictability makes themstrong.”

“Theyhaveaguywhocanmesswithtime,”shesaid.“Anyideawhoheis?”

“IfoundnomentionofhimintheNeotericReport,soIdon’tknowwherePartheniosLiltfoundhim.”

“Lilt,”shesaid.“I’massumingnowisthetimetogoafterhim,yes?”

Skulduggery adjusted his hat slightly. “He has already been arrested,” he said.“CommanderHocsawtoitpersonally.”

“Haveyouinterviewedhimyet?”

“IdoubtI’llbeableto.”

Shefrowned.“Theywouldn’tstopyou…wouldthey?”

“Hocisasmartman,andagoodinvestigator,butwhenIwasCommanderwehadourdifferences.Nowthathe’sincharge,Ifeelhewouldbedisinclinedtograntaninterviewrequest,eventoanArbiter.”

“ButChinawouldallowit.”

“No,”hesaid.“Shewouldn’t.”

“Skulduggery,whydidyouquit?”

Hetookamomentbeforeanswering.“Politics.”

“Chinasaidyoucouldn’thandlebeingstuckbehindadeskallday.”

“Thatwaspartofit.”

Valkyriedidn’tpressit.Shewasn’tevensureshewantedtoknow.

“Shallwegoback?”heasked.“Youlookcold.”

“Sure,”shesaid.“Comeon,girl.”

Shemotionedaheadofthem,andXenaranon.

“So,”hesaid,astheyfollowedthedog,“areyougoingtoredecorate?”

“Sorry?”

“Thehouse.Youmayhavetakenownership,butitlookslikeGordonstillliveshere.Allthosedramaticpaintings.AllthatGothicsensibility.”

“Ilikeit,”shesaid.“Itremindsmeofhim.Istillmisshimlikecrazy.AtleastIgottosaygoodbyethesecondtimehedied.AndIknowwhatyou’regoingtosay.IknowtheGordonintheEchoStonewasjustarecordingofhispersonality,butIdon’tcare.”

“Iwasn’tgoingtosayanythingofthesort.”

“Oh.Sorry.”

“Butheleftyouhishouse,Valkyrie.Ithinkit’ssafetoassumethatheexpectedyoutoupdateitalittle.Itmightbeniceforyoutomakeyourownmark.”

“Honestly,Skulduggery,Idon’tevenknowifI’mstaying.”

Hestoppedwalking.

Sheturnedtohim.“Thenightmarescamebacklastnight,”shesaid.“IwokeupandIcouldn’tbreathe.Apanicattack.Ihaven’thadapanicattackin…awhile.IthoughtIwasoverthem.Idon’tthinkIcangoonwiththis.”

“YousaidIhadtwenty-fourhours.”

“You’vehadtwenty-fourhours.”

“I didn’t think you literally meant twenty-four hours. I thought it was more of ametaphorthananactualmeasurementoftime.”

“Well,Imeanttwenty-fourhours.”

“But we’re only getting started, Valkyrie. We’ve just had our first life-or-deathencounter. This is how things go. It’s howwe dowhatwe do.We have a life-or-deathencounter,westayonit,andthenattheendwewinandwalkawaytriumphant.”

“Yeah,”shesaid.“Idon’tknowifthat’sgoingtoworkthistime.”

“Staywithme.Seeitthrough.Ineedyou,Valkyrie.Andyouneedme.”

“DoI?”

Hesteppedcloser.“You’dbelostwithoutme.”

“Imanagedfineforfiveyears.”

“Youwerejustrechargingyourbatteries.Nowyou’rereadyforphasetwo.”

“Idon’tthinkthat’sright.”

“Yougavemetwenty-fourhours.Givemeanothertwelve.”

“You’veactuallyhadanothertwelve.”

“Imeangivemeanothertwelvestartingfromtomorrowmorning.Youcan’tleavenow.We’vejusthadourfirstbreakthrough.”

“I’mnotup to itanymore,Skulduggery.Comeon,youmustbeable tosee that.Wewereoutmatched.Lethepulledyourjawboneoff,forGod’ssake.”

“Whichwaspainful,butuseful.”

“Howthehellwasthatuseful?”

“WhenIcouldnolongerspeak,hefilledthesilence.Hetolduswhattheywereafter.”

“Hedid?”

“Tobreathelifeintothelifeless.That’swhyMeliorissoimportanttothem–he’sthevital piece of this puzzle. That’s how he differs from other Vitakinetics – if I aminterpreting Lethe correctly, the good doctor can actually bring someone back fromdeath.”

Valkyriefrowned.“You’reserious?”

“Deadly.”

“Sothey’re…they’regoingtoresurrectsomeone?Likeactuallyresurrectthem?Who?ThisPrincessoftheDarklandswoman?”

“Possibly.”

Shefrowned.“Doyouknowwhosheis?”

“No,”hesaid.“Iknowwhoshemightbe,butIdon’twanttosayjustyet.Trustmeonthis.Forthemoment,weneedtofocusonRichardMelior.He’sthekey.Ifwecanstoptheanti-Sanctuaryatthisearlystage,thentheirplansforwarwillneverbesetinmotion.”

“AndifwefindMelior,butLetheandtheothersarestillwithhim?”

“We’llrunaway.”

Shethoughtforamoment.“That’shonestlythebestplanyou’veevercomeupwith.”

“Ithoughtyou’dlikeit.Soyou’llstaywithme?Forjustalittlewhilelonger?Givemetomorrow.”

“Youknow,you’reprobablybetteroffonyourown.”

Hetiltedhishead.“Idisagreemostvehemently.”

Shesighed.“Tomorrow,then.Onemoreday.”

“Excellent.”Heswepthisarmwide,invitinghertocarryonwalking.“HowisChina,bytheway?”

“Um…”

“Valkyrie?”

“I’mjusttryingtofindtherightwordforit.Shewas…regal.”

“Regal?”

“Worryinglyregal.”

“Youthinkthepowermayhavegonetoherhead?”

“This is what she’s wanted all along, right? She was never satisfied with the otherGrandMageswhen theywere in charge. Shewas always complaining about how they

wereblockingherattemptstodothisortodothat…Nowshe’sincontrol.Finally.”

“Andshedoesn’tevenhaveaCouncilofElderstobalanceherout.”

“Shedoesn’thaveaCouncil?Really?”

“Well,”Skulduggerysaid,“shehaswhatshecallsherCouncilofAdvisors–twoGrandMagesthatsheputinpowerherself,fromEnglandandGermany,andtheAmericanGrandMage,whosucceededtheoldoneafterhetriedtooverthrowher.”

“Sotheyjustagreewithwhatevershesays?”

“Essentially.”

“Isthereanyoneinapositiontoarguewithher?”

“Notreally.”

“Isn’t that hugely, amazingly dangerous? What do we do if she starts abusing herpower?”

“Wehopeherbetternaturetriumphs.”

Valkyriefrowned.“DoesChinahaveabetternature?”

“Isupposewe’llfindout,won’twe?”

25

China Sorrows entered the chamber and immediately the threemen rose. Two of themalmost knocked their chairs over in their eagerness to offer due respect. The thirdwasdecidedlycalmer.Chinatookherseatatthenorthcornerofthetriangulartableandwavedatthemtosit.Thechamberwasdarkandbare,atoddswiththeextravagancethatdefinedmuch of the rest of theHighSanctuary. She had no throne here.Nomirrors. Thiswaswherethedecisionsweretaken.Thiswaswherebusinesswashandled.

“The bank,” she said, directing the words to Grand Mage Aloysius Vespers of theEnglishSanctuary.“We’rebehindschedule.”

Vespers,anoverfedmanwithlongwhitehair,gaveacombinationofanodandashrug.“We are, but we’re picking up speed. Co-ordinating between the Central Banks of theworldwasnevergoingtobeastraightforwardprocess,yetIamhappytoreportthatwehaveovercomesignificanthurdlesinthelastweekalone.”

“AndhowclosearewetoabankthecitizensofRoarhavencanactuallyuse?”

Vespers smiled, like he was delivering good news. “Two years. Maybe eighteenmonths.”

“You’vehadfiveyears,”Chinasaid,andshewatchedVespers’smilefalter.“Wehavethemoney–wehavemorethanenoughcapital–butwherehasitlanguishedsinceIfirsttaskedyouwiththisoperation?”

“In,uh,intheFirstBankofRoarhaven—”

“No,” saidChina. “TheFirstBank is a building.That’s all. It’s a buildingwherewekeep, relatively speaking, a very small amount of money. Cash for day-to-dayrequirements.No,Aloysius–I’mtalkingaboutthevastamountsofwealththatsorcerershaveattheirdisposal,accruedovercenturies.Whereisthatmoney?”

Vespersreddened.“Mortalbanks,SupremeMage.”

“Mortal banks,” China repeated. “Where our people risk constant exposure and themagicalcommunityat largeinnowaybenefitsfromalloftheinvestmentstheymake.Iaskedyouforabank,basedinRoarhaven,whichallsorcerersaroundtheworldcoulduse.Abankthatisprotected,private,butoperatesonaglobalscale.Iaskedyoutoslipitintoexistence beside all the othermortal banking institutions.Do you rememberme askingyouthat?”

“Yes,SupremeMage.”

“I didn’t want attention drawn to it. I didn’t want questions asked. I didn’t wantoppositionmounted.Iaskedofyouimpossiblethings,Aloysius,andwhatdidyousay?”

Heswallowed.“I…IsaidIcoulddeliver.”

“That’sright,”saidChina.“Youdid.”

“Iwillredoublemyefforts.”

Shepinnedhimwithalook.“Ittroublesmethatyoureffortscanberedoubled.”

Vespers shifted inhis seat. “I…Ionlymeant that a lotofmy time is takenupwithleadingmyownCouncil.ButIwill,ofcourse,prioritisethematterfromthispointon.”

Chinakepthereyesonhimuntilhestartedtowilt,thenturnedtotheAmerican.“GrandMagePraetor,howareyoufaringwithPresidentFlanery?”

GavinPraetor,atrimmanwithadistinctlyfelinequalitytohismovements,inclinedhisheadslightly.“Heisaboorishman.Arrogant.Narcissistic.Greedyformoneyandpower.Athuginanexpensivesuitishowhe’sbeingdescribedbycertainpoliticalcommentators.Inshort,easilycontrolledandperfectforourneeds.”

“SolongashegetshissecondtermintheWhiteHouse,”saidChina.

Praetornodded.“Idon’tthinkwehavemuchtoworryabout,notwiththechangeshe’smade to the election process. The Democrats can’t even settle on a candidate to runagainsthim.Everysenator,governorormayortoputtheirnameinthehattakesitoutafewweekslater,theirreputationintatters.ThemediaiswonderinghowFlaneryfindsoutalltheirsecrets.”

“Sotherumoursaretrue?”

“It would appear so,” said Praetor. “We don’t know who, yet, but we believe thatFlaneryhashada sorcererof somedescriptionworking forhimsincebeforehe ran foroffice.Inthepast,he’sbeenabletopushbillsthroughCongressthatordinarilywouldn’tstandachance.Hisopponentsfallbeforehim.Mindsarebeingread,influenced–ifnotoutrightcontrolled.”

“Weneedtokeepaneyeonthis,”Chinasaid.“Solongaswehavehimonaleash,he’suseful.Ifhemanagestoslipthatleash,he’sdangerous.Iwantthissorcerernamed.”

“Ofcourse,SupremeMage.”

“GrandMageDrang,youmentionedthatsomethingwastroublingyou?”

“ColdheartPrison,”saidtheGermanGrandMage,thelightcatchingthesinglescarthatranfromthecornerofhiseyetothehingeofhisjaw.“Theyhavefailedtocheckin.”

“So?They’vemissedreportinginbefore.Italldependswheretheyareintheworldandevenwhattheweatherislike.”

“Withrespect,SupremeMage,Idonotthinkitisthatsimpleinthisinstance.Thelastof the safeguards have been removed only last week. For the first time, the prison isvulnerable.”

She sighed. “We’re all quite aware of your objections to the change in the prison’sstatus,GrandMage.We’vehadthisdebate.”

SturmunDrangraisedaneyebrowfractionally.“Therewasnodebate,SupremeMage.Youdecidedtotakesolecontrolofaninternationalprison.Youdecidedtosystematicallyremove the multiple safeguards that nine separate Sanctuaries contributed to makeColdheartabsolutelyimpenetrable.”

“Itisstillimpenetrable.”

“No,SupremeMage.Without the international safeguards, theprison’sdefenceshavebeenhalved.”

“Temporarily. New safeguards – better safeguards – are being implemented as wespeak.”

“And for those threedays,until those safeguardsareonline, theprison isvulnerable.Andithasgonemissing.”

Chinaregardedhimcalmly.“Iwillhavemypeoplelookintoit.I’msureit’snothing.”

“I hope you are right,” said Drang. “Otherwise three hundred and twenty-six highlydangeroussorcerersmaybeontheloose,andwearenotdoinganythingaboutit.”

ShelookedatVespersandPraetor.Theysmiledback,thewaypeopledowhenthey’renervousandunsureandwanttocalmthewatersafteradisagreement.Chinafeltnosuchurgetosmile.Thatwastheluxurythatabsolutepoweraffordedher.“Ibelieveyouhavesomeonewaitingtomeetme,”shesaid.

Vespers stood. “Indeed we do, SupremeMage. Our apologies for the delays you’veendured.”Walkingquickly,helefttheroom,thedoorclosingslowlybehindhim.

China noted the way Drang sighed. He had no time for religion, and even less forreligiousleaders.

Thedoorburstopen.

A large man strode in, dressed in frayed trousers and an old, stained shirt. He wasmuscled,hisheadshaven,andremindedChinaofherbrother.Thistookherbysurprise.Thelasttimeshe’dseenthismanhe’dhadlonghairandafilthybeard.Hiseyes,though,glitteredjustasbrightlyastheyhadthatday,decadesago.

Likeherbrother,Creed’sstrideswerelong,andVespershadtohurrytokeepup.

“SupremeMage,”saidPraetor,“maywepresentArch-CanonDamoclesCreed.”

Creedstoppedbeforeherandbowedquickly.

She bowed in return. “Arch-Canon, so very good to see you again. My sincerestcongratulationsonyourappointment.”

“Ifthegodswillit,Iobey,”Creedsaid.He’dlosthisaccentsincethelasttimethey’dspoken,andhisvoicewasrougher,likehehadn’tuseditinalong,longtime.“AlthoughElizaScorncouldnothavebeenhappywithyourruling.”

Chinanoddedsadly.“Unfortunately,Ijustcouldn’tallowtheChurchoftheFacelesstobeledbysomeoneasflawedasEliza.Intoomanyinstances,shehasallowedherpersonalagendatointerferewiththeteachingsofthereligionIonceheldsodeartomyownheart.IftheChurchtrulyistoflourish,thenI,andtheGrandMagesherewithus,firmlybelievethatitcandosoonlyundertheleadershipofanewArch-Canon.”

“IhavenoloveforElizaScorn,”Creedsaid,“butit’sasifshedidn’thaveanychoicebuttostepaside.”

“I’m sure she understands, wherever she is. And her decision to leave meant thatconstructioncouldbecompletedontheDarkCathedral.Isn’titamarvel?”

“ItsmagnificenceisonlysurpassedbytheopulenceoftheHighSanctuary.”

“Weliveinmoreenlightenedtimes,”Chinasaid.“Ourpeoplecanworshipwho,whatandhowtheywanttoworship,solongastheydosoinpeace,andobeyourlaws.”

“Afaithfulpeoplewillalwaysobeythelawsofafaithfulsociety,”saidCreed.

Chinasmiled.“Quite.”

“SupremeMage,youmustexcuseme.Ihavetravelledfar,andIamtired,andtherearealreadyahundredpeoplestandingatthestepsoftheCathedral,waitingforguidance.”

“Ofcourse,”saidChina.“Yourflockneedsyou.”

Hebowedagain,andstrodequicklyaway.Shewaiteduntilhewasgone.

“You’resureabouthim?”sheasked.

Vespers looked surprised. “Oh, yes, SupremeMage. Damocles Creed was our idealcandidatefromtheverystart.Devout,respectedandstrong.ThereisnoonewithavoiceworthlisteningtowhocouldpossiblyobjecttohimreplacingElizaScorn.”

“Iseemtorecallobjecting,”Drangsaid.

Vespers allowed himself awry smile. “My apologies,GrandMage. I discounted theatheistsamongus.”

“We’ve avoided considerable controversy with Creed,” Praetor said. “Holding theCathedral ransom while we forced Scorn out was a risky move, especially with howquicklytheChurchisgrowinghere.”

Chinaranhertongueslowlyalongthebackofherteeth.Herbrotherhadoncetoldher,duringoneofthemanyconversationsthey’dhadaboutherfaith,thatreligionwasavirus.It spread fastestwhen theconditionswere right.Endorsing theChurchandbuilding theDarkCathedralwasChina’swayofcontrollingthatvirus,ofdirectingitandcontainingit.Onceshecouldkeepaneyeonit,shecouldstampitoutifneeded.

“We’redonefortheday,”shesaid.“You’redismissed.”

VespersandPraetorofferedhertheirusualgratitudeandpraise.Drangmerelynodded.Thentheylefttheroom.Herlifeconsistedofmeetings,bothlongandshort,andshewasalwaysgratefulfortheshortones.

Shewalkedtoherapartment,andslippedherchainofofficeontotheblank-facedbustset into the alcove beside the door. A pretty piece of jewellery, and expensive, thoughcompletely meaningless. She’d had it made just to have something different from thebroochesthatotherGrandMageswore.Atokenofpower,that’sallitwas,butChinahadlearned a long time ago that power perceived is power nonetheless. Tokens wereimportant.

Sheundressedandslippedherrobeon.Itwaslate,andshewastired,buttherewasstillworktobedone.Theactivationofasigilandthefireplaceroaredtolife.Shesettledintoherfavouritearmchair,herfeettuckedunderher,andbegantoreadthetopmostfilethatTipstaffhadleftforher.Foreveryadvantagethatpowerhadbrought,ithaddeliveredtoher ten times more pressures and responsibilities. The burden of leadership, she haddiscovered,wasaheavyone.

Sleepwouldhavetowait.

26

Omenwokeup,andtriedtorememberhisdream.

He could never remember his dreams. They swam immediately out of reach uponsurfacing.Theglimpseshe could snatch cameback tohimat odd times throughout theday,nonsensicalimagesandfeelingsofdéjàvu.Hisdreamsweren’tlikeAuger’s.Augerdreamedofbadpeopledoingbadthings.Sometimeshisdreamshadactuallycometrue.Sometimeshecoulddecipher them,adding thispiece to thatpiece, formingapicture,acrazy jigsawof future events.Vivid dreams,Omen supposed,were just another part ofbeingtheChosenOne,whilevaguenonsenseandlogicaldeadendswerepartofbeingtheChosenOne’sbrother.

The morning light was pale, and lit up the small dorm room without enthusiasm.Outsideitwascold.Therewasawind,anditpushedatthewindow–notenoughtorattlethepane,butenoughtomakeitflexwithabrokenrhythm,likeaweakheartbeat.

In the bed along the far wall, Gerontius still slept, and in the one nearest the door,Morvensnored,thesheetstwistedaroundhislankybodylikethey’dattackedhimduringthenight.Omencouldn’tcalleitherboyafriend,buttheywereniceenoughtohim,andhefeltobligedtokeepoutof theirwayasmuchaspossible.Movingquietly,hegotoutofbed,triedandfailedtofindhisslippers,andpaddedoutintothehall,thefloorcoldonhisbarefeet.

Heusedthetoiletandwenttothewindow,notreallyexpectingtoseeanything,buthiseyes widened when he saw the red ribbon tied around the drainpipe across the way.Suddenlyhewasn’tsleepyanymore.Wishingnowthathe’dbotheredtofindhisslippers,andreallywishinghe’dputhisdressinggownonoverhispyjamas,Omenhurriedtotheend of the boys’ block. The door, as promised, had been left unlocked. He sneakedthrough,hidfromMrStymieashepassed,theoldmanmutteringtohimselflikehewasasking a question and expecting an answer, and carriedon.Finally, he came to anotherdoorandknockedonceandentered.

SkulduggeryPleasant sat in the store cupboardon an elegant chair he’dundoubtedlytakenfromsomewhereelse.Helookedupfromwhathewasreading,afileofsomesort,andfoldeditoverbeforeslippingitintohisjacket.

“I’mhere,”Omenwhispered.

“SoIsee,”Skulduggerysaid,speakingatanormalvolume.“Nicepyjamas.”

“Thankyou.”

“Iwasjoking.”

“Oh.”

“They’reterrible.”

“Ilikethecolour.”

“Itclasheswithitself.”Skulduggerywaswearingablackthree-piecesuitwithablackshirtandtie.Hiscufflinksweresilver.Hisshoeswerepolished.Itwasallsocool.“Howareyou,Omen?Areyouwell?”

“I’mfine,”saidOmen.“DidyoucheckoutMrLilt?”

“Wedid,”Skulduggerysaid.

“I’vedonea littlemore snooping,”Omensaid. “I spiedon them,onMrLilt and thestudygroup.IthinkMrLiltisgoingtokillByron.”

“Who’sByron?”

“One of theArcanum’s Scholars.ByronGrace.He’s all right, actually.He’s not thatbad.”

“Ishepartofthegroupthatwantstokillallmortals?”

“Yes,”Omenadmitted,“butIdon’tthinkhisheart’sreallyinit.MrLiltwassayinghe’llprobablyhavetokillhim.MrLilt,thatis,killingByron.Anyway,IwasthinkingmaybeyoucouldtakeByronintoprotectivecustody?Maybehe’sgotinformationwecoulduse.Dowedoprotectivecustody,oristhatamortalthing?”

“We do it,” said Skulduggery, “but I doubt we’ll have to. Parthenios Lilt has beenarrested.”

Omenblinked.“Becauseofme?”

Anod.“Directlybecauseofyou,Omen.IpassedonyoursuspicionstotheCityGuardandtheywastednotimeinkickingdownhisdoor.Theydosolovetokickdowndoors.Lilt’sinvolvementopenedupafreshlistofsuspects,andIhaveaverystrongfeelingthatwe’llputastoptowhatever theanti-Sanctuary isplanningbecauseof it.Weoweyouahugedebtofgratitude.”

Omenblushed. “Itwasnothing. Imean, I just… I just keptmyeyesopen, likeyouasked.”

“Whatyoudidwasverybrave.Neverforgetthat.”Skulduggerystoodup.

“AreyouOK?”Omenaskedhim.

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Excuseme?”

“Iheardyouwerehurt.”

“Ah.Yes,Iwas,butI’mOKnow.It’sadangerousbusiness.”

Omensmiled.“I’lltrytorememberthat.SowhatdoIdonow?”

“Idon’tknow,”saidSkulduggery.“Gotobreakfast,I’dimagine.”

“Imeanaboutthemission.”

“Ihavegoodnewsaboutthat,actually.Yourmissionisover.”

Omen’ssmilefaded.“Itis?”

“Now you can go back to being normal,” Skulduggery said. “Study. Do yourhomework.Dowhatyou’retold.Allthethingsthatnormalpeoplelikedoing.”

“Normalpeopledon’tlikeanyofthat.”

“Theydon’t?”

“No.Nobodylikesdoingwhatthey’retold.”

Skulduggerytookamomenttoprocesstheinformation.“Thenwhydotheydoit?”

“Idon’t…Idon’tknow.Maybetheydon’tknowwhatelsetodo.”

“Huh.Interesting.”

“Areyoubeingserious,aboutthemissionbeingover?”Omenasked.“BecauseIreallythinkIcanbemoreuseful.Ihaveoneoftheirmasks,thekindtheScholarswear,andI’mthinkingIcangetintotheroomwheretheyholdtheirmeetings.”

Skulduggery slipped his gloved hands into his pockets. “Omen, you’re a good lad.There’sareasonwecametoyou.”

“Yeah,”Omensaid,“becauseI’minvisible.Becausenobodynoticesme.”

“Thereisthat,obviously,butalsobecauseofwhoyouare.You’reoneofthegoodguys,Omen.You’reoneofus.Weknewwecouldtrustyou,andyou’veprovenusright.ButifIcangethurt,andI’msureyouknowhowwonderfulIam,thenanyonecangethurt.Thesepeople, the anti-Sanctuary, these Arcanum’s Scholars – they’re dangerous. They’re toodangeroustounderestimate.Ican’triskyoubecauseIdon’thavetherighttoriskyou.”

“YouriskedValkyrie’slifewhenshewastwoyearsyoungerthanme.”

Skulduggerynodded.“Andit’sveryhardtoarguewiththatlogic,especiallywhenthereasonis‘itjustfeltright’.Butitjustfeltright,Omen.Iknewshecouldhandleherself.Iknewshe’dmakeitthrough.Ican’texplainit,Ijustknew.Butevenshe,evenValkyrie,hasbeendamagedbythis.Damagedbymedraggingherintoitall.Shedoesherverybestnottoshowit,butIknowhertoowelltobefooled.”

“Butifyou’resodamagingtoher,whydidn’tyoujustleaveheralone?”

“Because we’re caught in a loop, Valkyrie and I. A very destructive loop. And I’msorry,butI’mjustnotgoingtodamageanothergoodperson.NotifIcanhelpit.”

Skulduggerymovedpasthim,reachedforthedoorhandle.

“ButI’mnobody,”Omensaid,andhewassurprisedtofindhiseyesblurringwithtears.“Idon’thaveanything.There’snopurposetome.”

Skulduggerylookedback.“There’sapurposetoallofus.”

“Nottome,andIshouldknow.WhenyougrowupwiththeChosenOne,allyouhearaboutisdestiny,andpurpose,andbecomingwhoyouwerealwaysmeanttobe.Nobodyeversaidanyofthosethingstome.Nobodyeveraskedmewhatmypurposewas,becausetheyknew,theyallknew,thatIdidn’thaveone.I’mtheleftovers.”

Skulduggeryturnedtohimslowly.“Youdon’thonestlybelievethat,doyou?”

“Yes,”saidOmen.“Imean,whatelsedoIhavetobelieve?”

“If you can’t believe in yourself, then believe in me. Because I believe in you.”Skulduggeryheldhishandout,andOmenhesitated, thenshookit.“Thankyouforyourhelp,Omen.Wecouldn’thavecomethisfarwithoutyou.”

Andthenhewasgone,andOmenwasleftaloneinthecupboardinhisstupidpyjamasandhiscold,barefeet.

27

The news about Lilt spread through the school inwhispers and textmessages.Historyclasswassupervisedbyotherteachersandthestudentsweretoldtokeepquietandbusythemselveswiththeirwork.NoonewhisperedthenewstoOmen,though.Noonecaredenoughtoshare.

Hismomentwasgone.Hischanceatbeingsomething,atbeingsomebody,hadflowedfromhisgriplikeafistfulofwater.Atbreaktimehesatalone,aghost,fadingslowlybackintothefurniture.Itwaswhathewasgoodat.Itwastheonlythinghewasgoodat.Anyhope he’d ever had of being somebody who’d make any kind of difference haddisappeared. What a fool he’d been, to think himself part of the team. SkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCainand…OmenDarkly?Really?Hadheseriouslythoughtthat?Hadheseriouslythoughtthatthetwoofthem,thattwolegendslikethat,wouldtakehimonasanapprentice?What thehellwould theyneedhimfor?Whatwouldanyoneneedhimfor?

But ithad felt sogood.Thatwas the reallypatheticpart.Beingapartof it,howeverbriefly, had filled a needwithin him that he’dnever knownexisted.Upuntil nowhe’dbeen content to be the irrelevant brother. He hadn’t minded that everything was aboutAuger,thatnothingwasabouthim.Itwashowhe’dbeenraised.He’dneverknownanydifferent.

And thenSkulduggeryandValkyriehadcomealongand toldhim thathecouldbeapartofsomethingbigger,anditwaslikealightshiningdownonhimfromabove.Hewassingled out. He was special. Not once in his fourteen years had he ever been special.Augerwasthefirst-born.AugerwastheChosenOne.Fromthedayofhisbirth,Omenhadbeentheotherone.Hisparentstreatedhimlikeanannoyance.ThepeoplebroughtintotrainAuger treated him like a prop.Seewhat your brother is doing, Auger? That’s thewrongwaytodoit.Doitlikethis.Goodboy.AndOmenwasleftintheshadows,alwayssoeagertoplease,alwayssocompliant.Nevercomplaining.Alwaysgratefulforwhateverscrapsofattention,nomatterhowmeagre,weretossedhisway.

And,fortwogloriousdays,ithadallchanged,andhe’dglimpsedwhatitwasliketobeimportant. It had been good. It had been … fulfilling. He’d never been happier. Therealisationhithimlikeheartbreak.Hehadactuallyneverbeenhappier.

Tears came tohis eyes again andhewiped themaway, roughly,with thebackofhishand.Nobodylaughedathim,nobodypointed,becausenobodysaw,andnobodycared.A

seaofblackuniformsandcolouredtiesallaroundhim,ebbingandflowing,andnotoneofthembotheredtoevenmockhim.

Skulduggery was worried about putting Omen’s life in danger, but the truth was ifOmenhadbeenkilled,nobody,apartfromNeverandAuger,wouldhavecared.Hewasaghostinlifeandhe’dbelessthanaghostindeath.

DidyouknowthattheChosenOnehadabrother?

Really?Whathappenedtohim?

Whathappenedtowho?

Omen had liked being special. It had been a good feeling. A warm feeling. He’dmattered.Hewasn’talone.Hecouldseenowwhybravepeopledid the things theydid.Bravethings,selflessthings…theyconnectedyou.Theypluggedyouintotheworld.Hewasn’tpluggedinanymore.Hewasadrift.

ByronGracepassed,walkingquicklylikehehadsomewheretobe.Afewsecondslater,LapseandGallstalkedby,goinginthesamedirection.Headingforthestairs.

Omen stood up from the bench. He tucked in his shirt and watched Colleen Stint,clutchinghergoldenmask,dartthroughthecrowdafterthem.Ameeting.TheArcanum’sScholarshadcalledameetingwithoutMrLilt.

Omen’s feetweremoving.Hewaswalking – no, running – for his locker.Hismindcaughtuptothedecisiontherestofhimhadmade,andhetookthegoldmaskandstuckitunderhisblazer, thenranback, takingthelongwaytothefifth-floorlibrary.Hearrivedout of breath, his heart thudding, as PerpetuaDarling joined the rest of theArcanum’sScholars in their usual spot, lounging about on the chairs. Omen spotted the librarianstrugglingtorestockthehighershelvesontheothersideofthelibrary.

Omendidhisbest togethisbreathingundercontrol, thensneakedbehinda fernandcrouched down, watching. The Scholars chatted among themselves for a bit, nobodymakinganythingmorethansmalltalk.Jenanhadhisusualseat,justaneverydaychairthathemanagedtomakelooklikeathrone.

“Whatareweevendoinghere?”asked IsidoraSplendour,oneofColleenStint’sbestfriends.“MrLilt’sbeenarrested.They’veprobablykilledhimbynow.”

“Theydon’tkillpeoplethey’vearrested,”saidGall.

“Shows howmuch you know,” Isidora responded. “They killed theAmericanGrandMage,didn’tthey?Shothiminhiscell.”

“Thatwasdifferent.”

“How?Exactly howwas it different? Cypher plotted against the Sanctuary and theyarrestedhimandmurderedhim.”

“It’s different because they killed him after he’d told them everything,” said Gall,soundingannoyedthathewasbeingaskedtoexplainhimself.“Liltwon’thavetoldthemathing.”

“They’vegotSensitives,idiot.”

“AndLilt’sgotpsychicdefences,moron.”

Isidora’svoicerose.“Whatdidyoucallme?”

“Icalledyouamoron.”

“Youtakethatback!”shescreeched.“Youtakethatrightback!”

Gallfrowned.“Youcalledmeanidiot.”

“Takeitback,Gall,”saidColleen,glaringathimwhileshecomfortedherfriend.

“Shecalledmeanidiotfirst,”saidGall.

“Youdon’tcallgirlsmorons!”Isidorawailed.Actuallywailed.Withtears.

“JesusChrist,”Gallsaid.

Jenansighed.“Sayyou’resorry.”

Gall’sfacewasamaskofconfusion.“Butshecalledme—”

“I knowwhat she called you,” Jenan said. “Itwas ten seconds ago and Iwas sittingrighthere.Apologiseanywaybeforeshegetsanylouder.”

Gall stared at him, the confusion giving way to resentment, and then he shrugged.“Fine,whatever.Sorry.”

“Youshouldn’tcallpeoplethat,”Isidorasaid,hervoiceshakywithemotion.

“Right.”

“Therearerealmoronsoutthereandtousethewordasaderogatorytermisinsultingtothem,notjusttome.”

Gallblinkedather.“What?”

“You’vejustgottothinkbeforeyouyellinsultsatpeople.Wordshurt,Gall.”

Byronsatforward.“Soletmegetthisstraight.Callingyouamoron,Isidora,isinsultingtomorons?”

Isidorasighed.“Yes.”

Colleenhuggedherfriend.“Stoptalkingnow,Izzy.”

Jenanstoodup,bringinganendtotheconversation.“We’reherebecausethefactthattheygrabbedLiltchangesnothing.Igotamessagelastnighttellingusnottoworry.Aslong aswedon’t do anything stupid,we’re safe.Wehaven’t done anythingwrong.Wehaven’tbrokenanylaws.Notyet.”

“Whosentthemessage?”Colleenasked.

“You’ll findout in amoment,” said Jenan. “OK, it’s time tomove to less salubrioussurroundings.Ceremonialmaskson.”

TheScholars tookout theirmasksandslipped themon,andJenan led thewayto thebackroom.

Omen’s feetwouldn’t budge.His body had frozen. Thiswas a bad idea. Thiswas asupremelybadidea.

Hishandsmoved, slipping thegoldenmaskoverhishead, fixing it inplace, and themomentitwassecurehislegswokeup.Hecoveredthedistanceinthreeseconds,joiningthegroupastheysqueezedthroughthedoorwayintoaroomwithalargeglassdoorthatopenedoutontoabalcony.

Jenan,thetallestofthem,shutthedooroncetheywereallin.Hedidn’tglancetwiceatOmen,andhedidn’tdoaheadcount.Therewasa table in themiddleof the roomwithchairsallaroundit.Iftheysat,Omen’srusewouldbeoverbeforeithadtrulybegun.

OneoftheScholarswenttosit.

“Don’tbother,”saidJenan.“You’llwanttobestandingforthis.”

“Forwhat?”somebodyasked.SoundedlikeGall.

Jenandidn’tanswer.He just tookouthisphoneandchecked the time.“Anymomentnow,”hesaid.“Clearaspacethere.”

Therewasalittleshufflingaseveryonecrowdedintothesamesideofthesmallroom.

“Somebodyclosethecurtains,”Jenaninstructed.

People turned theirheads,goldmasks revolving,butnobodyactuallymoved.Finally,Omenwent todo it, and theScholars lookedaway.Thecurtainswereheavy,andwhentheywereclosedtheroomdarkenedconsiderably.Omenstayedwherehewas,attheback.

“Whatarewewaitingfor?”Byronasked.

“You’llsee,”saidJenan,andthen,likeithadallbeenrehearsed,threepeopleteleportedintotheroombeforethem.

Themaskedmaninthemiddleworeanoutfitofblackrubber.Themantohislefthadplatinumhairandasmile.Thewomantohis rightwasdrop-deadgorgeous,andworeatuxedo.Omendidn’thavethefirstideawhotheywere,buttheotherscertainlydid.Therewasacollectivegasp.

“Hello,myfriends,”saidthemaskedman.Hisvoicewasdistorted,softandloudatthesametime,likehewaswhisperingintoamicrophone.“It’sanhonourtofinallymeetyou.Parthenioshastoldussomuchaboutyouall.”

Jenanspokeup,hisownvoicetightwithexcitement.“MrLethe,itisahugehonourforus, too.We justwant you to know thatwe are ready,we are so ready, to fight for thecause.Bloodhastobespilledandwe,allofushere,wearereadytospillthatbloodforyou,sir.”Crazily,hesaluted.

“Jenan,isit?”Letheasked,andshookhishead.“Wedon’tsalutehere,Jenan,andtherearenosirsinourgroup.I’mnotaboveyou.I’mnotissuingorders.I’masoldier,justlike

youare.We’repartners.Comrades.”

“Comrades,” repeated Jenan, nodding like this was the greatest word in recordedhistory.

“Iknowwe’vesufferedsomesetbacks,”Lethecontinued.“LosingMrLilttotheenemy…that’saloss.I’mnotgoingtostandhereandlietoyou.Parthenioswasavaluedpartofourteam,andhisarrest…that’saproblemforus.Butweshallovercomeourenemiesbystandingtogether.IlookaroundthisroomandI’mfilledwith…pride.Withlove.We’rethesame.Everyoneinhere.Thesame.”

Colleenstartedtosaysomething,butallshecouldmanagewasacroak.Thisdrewsomenervous laughter from theotherScholars, and the lady in the tuxedo smiled.The smilewasunsettlinglywide.

“I’msorry,”saidLethe,“whatwasthat?”

Colleentriedagain.“IsittrueyoubeatSkulduggeryPleasant?”

Nowtheladychuckled.

“Idon’tliketobrag,”saidLethewithgoodhumour,“soallIwillsayisthatboneswerebrokenandtheyweren’texactlymine.”

TheScholarslaughed,andclapped,butkepttheclapssoft.

“SkulduggeryPleasant is no big deal, though – not really.He feelspain like anyoneelse.Imadehimfeelpainwhenwemet,andI’llmakehimfeelpainagain.ButI’mnottheonlyonewhocandothat.Wecanalldo it.Wecanall takedowntheirbestpeople.We’reallcapable.We justneed tobesmarter than them,braver than them,better thanthem.Everyone in this roomcando that.Everyone in this roomhas thepotential tobethat.Andyou’llgettoproveitvery,verysoon.”

Atentativehandrose.“Whatarewegoingtodo?”askedGall.

“You’re going to strike,my friend,” saidLethe. “You’re going to bring terror to theheartlandofAmericaandthenyou’regoingtowatch,you’regoingtositbackandwatch,as the mortals tear themselves apart in their panic and their fear. Mortal society willcrumble.They’llhurteachother,hunteachother,killeachotherand,whentheyfindoutaboutus,they’regoingtoturnalltheirmurderousrageourway.TheSanctuariesaroundtheworldwillnothaveachoice.They’regoingtohavetofight.We,allofus,aregoingtostartawarthemortalscan’twin,andwe’regoingtodoittogether.MrLilt,hetoldushewouldtrustyouallwithhislife.Hetoldusyouweredevoted,justlikeus.But,nowthathe’sinchains,you’regoingtoneedaspokesman.”

Jenansteppedforward.“I’llbeleader.”

Thewomanlaughed.“Ilikehim,”shesaid.“He’scertainlybottlinghisblood’sworth.”

Lethenodded.“Ihavenoideawhatthatmeans,Razzia,butI’msureyou’reright.Hehasambition.Ambition isgood.Leadership isgood.Butourgroupsdon’thave leaders.Theyhaverepresentatives.Theyhavespokespeople.”

“ThenI’llspeakforthisgroup,”saidJenan.

“Itlookslikeyoualreadyare,”Lethesaid,soundingamused.“Verywell.Ifnobodyhasanobjection,letJenanIspolinspeakforFirstWave.”

“FirstWave?”Byronechoed.

“Yourgroup,”saidLethe.“Youneedaname,don’tyou?Arcanum’sScholarsisastudygroup.It’sforkids,isn’tit?Butyou’renotkids.Whatyouareisthefirstwave.Youwillstrikefirst.Youwilldrawfirstblood.Whenmortalsthinkofsorcerers,theywillthinkofyoufirst.”

Omenpaidattentiontothemanwiththeplatinumhairwhenhenoticedhimfrowning.Theman’s eyeswere narrowed, and flicking from one goldmask to the next. Hewascounting.

TerrorseizedOmen’schestandhemovedslightly,steppingbehindtheothers.Hesawthefrowndeepen,andthecountbeganagain.

“WewillbeincontactwithJenaninafewdays,”Lethewassaying.“Fromthismomenton,we are doubling our precautions.Our revolution, which one day will have seemedinevitable and unstoppable, is still a fragile thing. Parthenios’s capture serves as areminderthateventhebestofuscanfalter.Wemustbevigilant.Wemustbeready.”

Themanwith theplatinumhairputhishandonLethe’sarmandspoke to thegroup.“Howmanyofyouarethere?”heasked.

“Nine,MrNero,”saidJenanimmediately.

“Thenwhyaretheretengoldmasksinthisroom?”

Everyoneturned,steppingawayfromeachotherandcountingfor themselves.ExceptforOmen.Omenjuststoodthere.

Thecountingfadedasthespacearoundhimwidened.

“Andwho,”saidLethe,steppingforward,“mightyoube?”

Omenbackedup,faceburningunderhismask.Hefelt the thickcurtainsbehindhim.Throughthem,thedoorhandle.Heturnedit,feltthedooropen.

JenanpushedroughlythroughtheScholars.“Outoftheway,”hesnarled,reachingout.“Whothehellare—?”

Omen surprised himself by shoving Jenan hard in the chest, sending him backwardsintotheothers,andthenhebargedthroughthecurtains,outontothebalcony,wherethewindturnedhissweatcoldandtherewasnowheretogobutdown.Therewasabalconybelowhim,andabalconybelowthat,andheswungonelegovertheside,buthishandsgripped the railing and he couldn’t go any further. Shapes moved behind the curtain,filling it, toomanyofhisclassmates trying toget throughat thesame time,allof themcomingto–what?Topushhim?Tokillhim?

NeroteleportedontothebalconyandOmencriedoutandjerkedback,losthisbalance,startedtofall,butNeroreachedout,grabbedhiswrist.

Omenhungthere,hisbodycommittedtothefall,hismouthopen,hisheartanemptythinginhischest,andallhecouldfeelwereNero’sfingersaroundhiswrist.

Nerosmiled,andletgo.

Omen shrieked as he fell. He was past the first balcony before he even saw it. Hereached for the second and banged his arm and kept falling.He saw a face at an openwindowandFilamentSclavireachedout,triedusingtheairtostopOmen’sdescent,butOmen broke through and kept falling, and then therewas a strongwind buffeting himclosertothewallandahandreacheddown,closedaroundhiswrist.

Omenslammedintothesideofthebuildingandhungthereforamoment,gasping.Hewastwofloorsfromtheground,andnowhewasbeingpulledupwardstothebalcony.

MrPeccantglareddownathim.“Littlefool,”hegrowled.“Whatthehelldoyouthinkyou’redoing?”

Omendidn’tanswer.Themaskhaddislodgedslightly,obscuringhisvision.HedidhisbesttohelpasPeccantdraggedhiminandthenletgo,leavingOmentotumblethroughtothefloor.

Still, better to tumble to the floor of Peccant’s office than to smash to the courtyardbelowit.

Peccantstrodeinafterhim.“Tomfoolery!”hesaid,thewordexplodingfromhismouthlikeacurse.Peccantwas theonlypersonOmenknewwhousedwords like tomfoolery.“Whatdidyouthinkyouwereplayingat?Eh?Takeoffthatbloodymask,forgoodness’sake!”

Omendidn’ttakethemaskoff.

“This iswhathappenswhenchildrenare allowed to lark aboutunsupervised!This iswhathappens!”

Theofficewasimpeccablyneat.Theonlythingoutofplacewasablackbookthathadfallen from the desk, presumably when Peccant had leaped to the balcony. Helpfully,Omenpickeditup.Itwasmoreofaledgerthanabook,nowthathetookacloserlook,andtherewasacrestonthecover,awolfandasnake.

“Giveme that,”Peccant snapped,yanking thebook fromOmen’shands.He threw itintoadeskdrawerandslammeditshut.“Andtakeoffthatridiculousmask!Doyouevenrealise how inaccurate it all is? Rebus Arcanum despised the society that wore thosemasks.Forahistory teacher,Liltdoes like to leaveouta lotof little things likedetails,doesn’the? Ifhehadn’tbeenarrested forwhateverhewasarrested for,he shouldhavebeenarrestedforbeingadamnfoolandabadteacher!”

OmenstoodontremblinglegswhilePeccantwentbacktothebalcony,craninghisheadupwards. “Where did you fall from? Which window? Is there anyone else beingirresponsibleupthere?”

Omen reached for the door. Opened it. Nobody outside. He stepped out, startedwalking.Pickedupspeed.Hetookoffthegoldmaskanddroppedit.

“Hey!”Peccantyelledfrominsidehisoffice,andOmenran.

28

“Slow down,” Valkyrie muttered, following Skulduggery through twisting alleyways.“You’rebeingconspicuous.”

Skulduggery glanced back at her. His façade this morning was of a pale man witharchedeyebrowsandawidow’speak.Heheldhishatinhishand,buthisblacksuitwasexquisiteandhedidnothingtohidetheconfidencehedemonstratedinhiseverystep.Tryashemighttodisguisewhohewas,hewasstilldrawingstares.

“Muchasitwoundsmyego,”hesaid,“they’renotactuallylookingatme.”

Shefrowned, turnedherattention to thepeople theypassed.Hewasright. Itwasherfacethatwaswideningeyes.Itwasherpresencethatwasgeneratingwhispers.

“Howmuchfurther?”sheasked,walkingbesidehimnowwithherheaddown.

“Afewmoreturns.”

He’d been up all night, but she was the one who was tired. Not for the first time,Valkyriefoundherselfenvyinghislackofaneedforsleep.Shehadoncelovedsleep,hadlooked forward to being swallowed up by her slumber every night, but now sleepwassomethingshechased.Itwasafurtivelittleanimalthat,evenwhencaught,wriggledandscratchedtofreeitself.And,ofcourse,itbroughtwithitthenightmares.

They arrived at a door like every other door on this small street, and Skulduggeryknocked.

Asmallwomananswered,asmileonherwell-fedface.

“LillianAgog?”Skulduggeryasked,extendinghishandforhertoshake.“SkulduggeryPleasant.Thisismypartner,ValkyrieCain.Wespokeonthephone.Howdoyoudo?”

“I’mdoingfine,MrPleasant,”saidLillian.“Comein, thebothofyou.Pleaseexcusethemess.I’vebeenrushedoffmyfeetlately.Rushedrightoffthem.”

Skulduggery stepped in, and Valkyrie stepped in right after him. It was a very tidyhouse. Lillian led them into the small living room that smelled slightly of must andcontentment,andtheysatsidebysideonthecouch.

“You must think I’m awful,” said Lillian, going straight to the fireplace, “living insqualorlikethis.Squalor!”

“Notatall,”Skulduggerysaid.

“You’retookind,MrPleasant!Tookind!”

Lillianclickedherfingers,summoningfireintoherhand,andtosseditontothebundleofsticksandrolled-upnewspaperinthehearth.Oncethefirewasroaring,shesankintoherarmchair,hereyesbright.“Now,don’tthinkmerude,butI’dheardyoudidn’thaveaface.”

“Ah,”Skulduggerysaid,andhisfaçadeflowedaway,revealingtheskullbeneath.

“Marvellous,” said Lillian, staring in wonder. “Simply marvellous. Do you ever getcold?”

“I’msorry?”

“You don’t have any skin or anything. I’d imagine you’d get very cold this time ofyear.”

“Idon’tactuallyfeelthecold.It’soneoftheadvantagesofbeingaskeleton.”

“Imagine that,”Lillian breathed. “Youknow, I’ve never spoken to a skeleton before.I’vespoken toplentyofpeople,plentyof them,butneveraskeleton. I’ve talked to tallpeople,andyou’requite tall,but I’ve talked to taller.Andshortpeople.Bigpeopleandsmall people. All kinds. But never someone like you. I bet you get asked all kinds ofquestions,don’tyou?Aboutdeath.Aboutwhathappensafter.Isthereaheaven?”

“I’mafraidIdon’tknow.Lillian,we’reheretotalktoyouaboutRichardMelior.”

“Richard,yes,”saidLillian.“Lovelyman.Justlovely.Oh!Mymanners!Theyseemtohaveabandonedme!Wouldeitherofyoulikesometea?”

“Nothankyou,”saidValkyrie.

“Coffee,then?I’msureIcanmakeyousomecoffee.”

“I’mfine,”Valkyriesaid.“Webothare.AboutRichard…?”

“Richard,yes,”saidLillian.“Lovelyman.”

“Yougot intouchwithus,”Skulduggerysaid.“Youhadsomeoneplaceanoteonthewindscreenofmycar.”

Lilliannodded.“IaskedanoldfamilyfriendwhoworksattheHighSanctuary.Iwon’tgive you his name, so you’ll have to forgiveme, but I don’twant to get him into anytrouble.Orher!Itmightbeaher!Idon’twanttogetherintoanytrouble,either.Heaskedmetokeephisnameoutofthis,he’sveryworriedaboutoversteppingmarks,andhemademepromise,hesatmedownandmademepromise,tonevermentionhisname.AndIsaidBrian,IsaidBrian,I’mnotgoingtotell themwhoyouare,youcantrustme.Hedidn’tlookentirelyconvincedthatIwouldn’tletsomethingslip,butIthinkI’vehandleditquitewell,don’tyou?”

“Very,”Valkyrie said. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it. Amessage from hermother.Sheslidthephonebackintoherpocket.“Sothenote,itsaidyouhadinformationonRichardMelior’swhereabouts.”

“Yes,indeed,”saidLillian.“I’veknownRichardforalongtime,himandhishusband.Bothlovelymen.Lovely.Isawhimlastnight–Richard,thatis,notSavant–andIsprangintoaction,iswhatIdid.IaskedBrianforafavour,Ipassedhimthenoteandnowyou’rehere.”

“AndRichard?”Skulduggeryprompted.

“IsawhimenteranapartmentbuildingonIronfootRoad.Abluedoor,itwas.”

“IronfootRoad,”Skulduggery repeated,nodding. “That’sveryhelpful,Lillian.That’sexactlywhatweneeded.Thankyou.”

Lillianwavedaway thewords.“Oh, justdoingmycivicduty!Now,promisemeyouwon’tburstinthereandhurthim.HelookedquitedocilewhenIsawhim.I’msurehe’llcomequietly.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have that option,” Skulduggery said. “He’s mixed up withsomeverybadpeople,andthelasttimewewenttotalktohimwebarelymadeitout.I’msorrytosaythatwe’llhavetouseextremeforce.Maybeevendeadly.”

Lillianpaled.“I’msorry?”

Skulduggerystoodandputhishatbackon.“Butthanksforyourhelp.”

Lilliansprangtoherfeet,quitelithelyforsomeoneofhersize.“Waitamoment!Now,justwait!Richardwouldn’thurtafly!”

“Healreadytriedtokillusonce,”saidSkulduggery.“Hewon’tgetasecondchance.”

Skulduggerywalked for the door, Lillian hurrying after him.Valkyrie got up slowly,watchingitunfold.

“Hewon’thurtyou!”Lillianinsisted.“Justknockonthedoor!Tellhimwhoyouare!He’llgivehimselfup,Ijustknowhewill!MrPleasant,please!”

“We’lltrytotakehimalive,”Skulduggerysaid,“butIcan’tguaranteeanything.”

Lillianstaggered,asifslapped.

Valkyriepassedher.“Thankyouforyourassistance,”shesaidquietly.

“Stop!”Lilliancried.“Hetoldmetocontactyou!”

Theybothturned.“Didhenow?”Skulduggeryasked.

Lillianclaspedherhandstoherbosom,asifpraying.“He’sscared,”shesaid.“You’reright,he’smixedupwithsomebadpeople.Hetoldmethat.He’sinalotoftrouble.Hesaidwhenyouwenttoarresthim,hepanicked.Heshouldn’thavedoneit,he’ssorry,buthe’smanagedtosneakaway,andhewantstosurrender.”

“Sohespoketoyou,”saidValkyrie,“toldyoutoarrangeallthis,andtoldyoutotellusabout Ironfoot Road. Lillian, the moment we read your note, it sounded like we’d bewalkingintoatrap.”

Shelookedhorrified.“Atrap?”

“Howdoyouevenknowwe’relookingforhim?It’snotcommonknowledge.Theonlyreasonwedidn’tbreakdownyourdoorisbecauseSkulduggeryhasbeenwatchingyouallnight.Wehad been thinking youwere in on it, that youwere trying to lead us into anambush.”

“No,” Lillian said, her eyes wide. “No. Goodness, no. I would never do that, andRichard…Richardisagoodman.”

“Andhe’swaitingforusatIronfootRoad?”

Shenoddedquickly.“Apartment4.Justhim.Nobodyelse.”

“Wereallywanttotrustyou,Lillian.”

“Thentrustme!Ipromiseyou,thisisnotrick!”

“Did he say anything else? Anything about some friends of his, about what they’replanning?”

“Hesaidifthey’renotstoppedtheneverythingwillchange.Hementionedawar.”

“Whatwar?”Valkyrieasked.

“Thewartocome,”shesaid.“Thewarbetweensorcerersandmortals.”

29

Lookingbackonhislifeuptothepreviousnight,Sebastianhadcometotheconclusionthat hewas, in fact, a pacifist, who just happened to get caught up in extreme acts ofviolenceatregularintervals.

Ifhe’dhadhisway,thelastfewyearswouldhavecontainedfarlesspunching,kicking,destructionanddeaththantheyhad,andhe’dbeahappierpersonforit.Thenhisnightscould be spent reading books until his eyes grew tired, after which he’d fall into acomfortablebedandwouldn’tstirtillmorning.

Instead,hehad spent thepreviousnightona rooftop,watchinga smallhouseon theedge of the Herbal District. He’d been led here from Bennet Troth’s house by thelumberingmaninthecoatandhat, thesamelumberingmanwhohadgiventhatnotetothekid,thesameonewho–Sebastianhoped–knewwhereBennet’swifewasbeingkept.

Anentirenight spent crouchedona rooftop, all so thathecouldhelpBennet so thatBennet,inturn,wouldhelpSebastian.

AllforDarquesse.

NowitwashalfwaythroughthefollowingdayandSebastianwasstillhere,waitingforsomething tohappen.He reallydidn’twant tohave tokick thedoordown.Kicking thedoordownwouldprobablyleadtoviolence.Plus,he’dneverkickedadoordownbeforeandwasworriedhisfootmightjustbounceoff.

Alittleafternoon,hesawBennetharassingpeopleonthestreet,wavingaphotographunder theirnosesuntil theysnappedathim, insomecasesshovinghimaway.Sebastiantriedwaving, triedcatching theman’sattention,buteventuallyhad to resort toshoutingBennet’snametomakehimlookup.

Theymetinthealleybehindthesmallhouse.

“IthoughtI’dhallucinatedyou,”Bennetsaid.Heneededashaveandashower,butatleasthewassober.

“Bennet,youshouldgohome.ThemanI followedyesterday ledmeto thatbuilding,rightthere.IfOdettaisinside,I’llbringhertoyou.”

“No,Ihavetobehere,Ihavetodothis.She’smywife–don’tyouunderstandthat?Areyoumarried?”

“Iamnot,no.”

“Thenyoudon’tunderstand.ButIcan’tleave.Ifshe’sinthere,Ihavetogoin.Now.”

“Wedon’tknowwhoelsemightbewaiting,”Sebastiansaid,placingarestraininghandonBennet’sarm.“It’sbetterifwekeepaneyeontheplace,makeanoteofwhocomesandgoes,formulateaplan,sothatwhenwedogoin,we’reprepared.”

“Hasanyonecomeandgonesinceyou’vebeenonthatroof?”

“Well…no.”

“Whoever has her, they’ve obviously no intention of bringing her back tome,” saidBennet.“Wedon’tknowwhat’shappeninginthere.Wedon’tknowifshe’shurt,orhowscaredsheis,andwedon’tevenknowwhyshe’sbeentaken.ButIcannotstayherewhiletheloveofmylifeisbeingheldcaptive.I’mgoingin.Now,Idon’tknowyou,but—”

“I’llhelp,”Sebastiansaid,sighing.“Justpleasefollowmylead,OK?”

“Iwashopingyou’dsaythat,”Bennetconfessed.“I’veneverbeeninafightinmylife.”

“Yeah, well, I have,” Sebastian said. “And I really try to avoid them as much aspossible.”

WithBennetbehindhim,Sebastiansneakeduptothesmallhouse.Hetookoffhishat,andpeeredthroughthewindow.Hecountedthreemeninthegloom.Theywerebig,andseemedtojuststandthere,stoop-shouldered,notsayinganything.

Bennetpeeked.“HollowMen,”hewhispered.

Sebastian examined what he could in this light. Hollow Men: artificial beings ofleatheryskin,pumpedfullofthefoulestofgasesandusedasmindlessmusclearoundtheworld.Thecheapersortcouldbedispatchedwithoneslashfromasharpknife–themoreexpensivekindtookalotmoreeffort.Fromtheirvantagepoint,itwasimpossibletosaywhichkindthesewere.

“Doyouhaveanyweapons?”Sebastianaskedsoftly.

“Justthese,”Bennetsaid,pullingoutaknifeandhandgun.

Sebastianjerkedback.“Whatthehellareyoudoingwithagun?”

Bennetlookedoffended.“I’mheretorescuemywifefromkidnappers.Ifiguredagunwouldbeagoodidea.”

“Doyouknowhowtouseit?”

“Ofcourse.It’snotrocketscience.”

“Haveyouevershotatanyonebefore?”

“HollowMenaren’tpeople,”Bennetsaid.“Shootingthemisnodifferentfromshootingatargetattherange.”

“Andhaveyoushottargetsattherange?”

Bennetfaltered.“Ikeptmeaningtogetaroundtoit.”

“Listen tome,”Sebastiansaid, injectinga littlecalmintohisvoice,“Idon’t feelsafearoundyouwhenyouhaveagun.Ifeel,andImightbewayoffhere, thatyoucan’tbe

trustedwithafirearm.IfOdettaisinthere,Iworryyoumayaccidentallyshoother.”

“Right.”

“Wouldyousaythat’sanunderstandableconcern?”

“Maybe,yeah.”

“Sowillyouputitawayandpromisenottouseit?”

“OK,”Bennet said, lookingembarrassedashe returned thegun tohispocket. “Whatabouttheknife?”

“Actually,” Sebastian said, taking it from him, “I’ll have that, if it’s all the same toyou.”

“Probablywise,”Bennet said, then frowned.“ButwhatamIgoing todo? Imean…I’manElemental.Icouldthrowfireballs.HollowMenaremadeofpaper–they’dgorightup.”

“Right,yes,maybe–butisOdettafireproof?”

“Well,no…”

“Ah,”saidSebastian,“thenprobablynotthebestidea.”

“SowhatdoIdo?”

“Youcomeinafterme,andyoutrynottofallover.Thatsoundgood?”

Bennetsighed.“Yeah.”

“Thenthat’sourplan.”

Sebastiansneakedroundthecorner,andstraightened.Theknifefeltgoodinhishand.Well-balanced.Hetookadeepbreath.Thedoor lookedsturdy.Hewonderedhowmuchthiswouldhurt.

Beforehekicked,athoughtstruckhim,andhereachedforward,turnedthehandle.Thedooropened.

OKthen.

Heranin.ThefirstHollowManstartedtoturnandSebastianslasheditacrossthearm,thenspun,whippingthebladealongthenextone’sback.Heflippedtheknifeinhishandand flung it. It went right through the third one’s chest, embedding itself in the wallbehind.TheHollowMenstaggered,not evenattempting to stop thegas fromescaping.Protectedbyhismask,Sebastianwatchedthemdeflatethroughafogofgreen.

“Odetta!”Bennetcalled,hurryinginbehindhim.Heimmediatelystartedcoughing,hiseyesstreaming.“Isshehere?Ican’tseeher!Ican’tseeanything!”

“I’llcheck,”Sebastiansaid,guidinghimbacktofreshair.“Stayhere.”

Hehadfinishedthesearchinlessthanthirtyseconds,andjoinedBennetoutside.

“She’snothere,”hesaid.

Bennet was on his knees, blinking madly. “As soon as her kidnappers find outsomeone’sbeenhere,they’llkillher.They’regoingtokillherandthere’snothingwecandoaboutit.”

“Holdonasecond,”Sebastiansaid.“Whoever’sbeenstoringthoseHollowMenhere,theyhavetobetheonesbehindthis.You’reaconnectedguy,Bennet–whodoyouknowwhocanfindoutwhoownsthishouse?”

“Noneofmyoldconnectionswillspeaktomeanymore.”

“Surely there’s someone? Surely you still have friends who could check around foryou?”

Bennetstoppedsnivelling.“Maybe,”hesaid.“MaybeIknowsomeonewhocanhelp.”Hetookouthisphone.

Whilehemade somecalls,Sebastiangave the small house another search.He foundplates in the kitchen cupboard, and a single cup. Therewas a small amount of food –enoughforoneperson.

“I might have something,” Bennet said when Sebastian stepped out. “This house isbeingrentedbysomeone.Ican’tfindoutthename,butwhoeveritisisrentingasecondhousehere,somewhereinRoarhaven.MaybeOdettaisthere?”

“Maybe,”saidSebastian.

“We’llhavetowaitafewhoursbeforeIcangettheaddress,butyou’llhelpme?WhenIhaveit,you’llhelpme?”

“Ofcourse,”saidSebastian.“Thatwasourdeal, right? Ihelpyou,and thenyouhelpme.”

“Thank you,”Bennet said, grabbing Sebastian’s hand and shaking it. “Thank you somuchforallofthis.I’vegotsuchagoodfeeling.We’regoingtogetherback.Ijustknowweare.”

30

Omen’shandswereshaking.

Thiswasnormal,hesupposed, in theaftermathofanear-deathexperience– thatandthechatteringteethweretobeexpected.He’dhadadoseofadrenalinedumpedintohissystemandnowwhatwas leftof itwassloshingaround inhisbloodstream,causingallkindsoftics.

Someonehadtriedtokillhim.Someonehadactuallytriedtokillhim.

A fewyounger boys came into the bathroom, chatting and calling each other names.OneofthemtriedOmen’scubicle.Thelockrattledinitsbracketandthekidsaid,“Sorry,”andwent intothenextone.Omenwaiteduntil theywereallgonebeforeholdinguphishandagain.

Yep,stillshaking.Thatwasprobablygoingtolastawhile.

Hiskneehurt. It throbbed,actually.Hemusthave injured itwhenhe’dslammed intothewallunderPeccant’sbalcony.

Peccant had saved him. Wow. Peccant, of all people. Of course, Omen had beenwearing amask, so Peccant didn’t knowwho itwas hewas saving. If he’d known, heprobablywouldn’thavebothered.

But that raisedaquestion.Did theothersknow?DidJenan,oranyof theArcanum’sScholars, figure out who he was in the short few seconds he’d been in their sights?Probablynot.No,definitelynot.Alltheyhadtogoonwashaircolour,heightandthefactthathewasaThirdYear.Omenwassuddenlygratefulthattheschoolhadauniformandthathehadn’tbeenbornaredhead.Hefiguredredheadswouldhaveahardertimegettingawaywithstuff.

Hewas safe.Hewas pretty sure hewas safe.Nowall he had to dowas act natural.Jenanandhisfriendswouldbeonthelookoutforsomeonebehavingsuspiciouslyaroundthem.Hecouldactnormally.He’dbeendoing itallhis life.Theknackwasn’tabout toabandonhimnow.

Omenleftthebathroom.HeglimpsedJenanpassinginthecorridoraheadandheforgothow towalkproperly.He frownedashewobbled.One foot in front of theother, right?Wasn’tthatit?Heleanedonthewallforsupport,thenkindofslidsidewaystothefloor.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Chocolateasked,walkingby.

“Resting,”heanswered,likeitwasperfectlynormal.

“You’reweird,”saidChocolate,andlefthimthere.

He had to tell someone. Skulduggery and Valkyrie – they were the obvious choice.Theywere theonlyoneswho’dunderstand,afterall,andprobably theonlyoneswho’dactually believe him. But, of course, it was Skulduggerywho’d fired him, precisely topreventsomethinglikethisfromhappening.HewonderedifSkulduggerywouldbemad.Probably,hedecided.

But ifnot those two thenwho?Auger? It’ddefinitelybe thesmartmove…but theneverythingwouldchange.Omencouldseejusthowit’dhappen.AugerwouldmakesureOmenwassafeandthenhe’dtalktoSkulduggeryandthenthey’dallgoandtakecareofittogether,andOmenwouldbecometheinsignificantbrotheragain.Hecouldn’tgobacktothat.Notyet.Thiswashisfirsttasteofsomethingdifferent,ofsomethingmore.Hewasn’treadytogivethatup.

“Getoffthefloor,Omen,”saidMissEtherasshepassed.

“Yes,miss,”Omensaid,andgotupslowly.Hislegsdidn’tbuckle.Thatwaspromising.

Thebellrang,signallingtheendofbreaktimeandthestartofthenextclass–aclassthat’dhavehalftheScholarsinit,Jenanincluded.ThiswouldbeOmen’sfirstrealtest.Hejustneededtobenormal.Hejustneededtoblendin.

It’swhathewasgoodat,afterall.

Omen satwith his eyes closed, his legs folded under him and his hands resting on hisknees.

“Breathe,”saidMissGnosis.“Inthroughthenose,outthroughthemouth.”

Omenbreathed.Hewasprettygoodatbreathing.Certainlyasgoodasanyoneelse intheroom.Topmarksforbreathing.

“Letyourbodyrelax,”MissGnosissaidinthatScottishaccentOmenlovedsomuch.“Listentomyvoice.Myvoiceistheonlyvoice.Mywordsaretheonlywords.Letthemfillyou,likewaterfillsajug.Letthemfillyoulikemagic.Magicislikewater,isitnot?Itebbsanditflows.Itnourishes.Itdestroys.Itisallthings.”

Omencouldhearhisclassmatesaroundhim.Oneofthemmadeawhistlingnoisewhentheybreathedin.Itwasfaintlydistracting,butOmendidhisbesttopushitfromhismind.Hewasactuallygettingrelaxednow.Theadrenalinewasgonefromhissystem.Histeethnolongerchattered.Hishandsnolongertrembled.

MissGnosis continued to talk. “It doesn’tmatterwhatdisciplineyoudecideupon, ifyouchooseAdeptorstayElemental–becausemagicreliesonthesamemuscles.WedrawfromtheSourceandwegivebackto theSource.Youcanfeel it,can’tyou?Allaroundus?”

Thewhistlingwasgettinglouder.Howcomenobodyelsewasgettingannoyedbyit?

“We’renotmagic’smasters,”saidMissGnosis,“anymorethanawindmillismasterofthewind.Butthewindmillallowsthewindtopushit,tomoveit,topowerit.Thewind?

The wind is indifferent to the windmill, because the wind is something vast andunknowable.Thesamewithmagic.”

NowOmenwasconfused.Wasmagicwaterorwind?

“ItcomestousfromtheSourceanditseepsintoouruniverse,”MissGnosissaid.“Howmuch of our reality has been defined by magic? How much mortal technology isdependentontheenergiesitproduces?”

Omencrackedoneeyeopen.ItwasGall.GallandhismusicalnostrilspreventingOmenfromfindinghis centreorwhatever itwashewas supposed tobe finding.He frowned.Was it his centre he was looking for? Was it something else? Had he missed it? Heprobablyhadn’tbeenpayingattention.Hewasalwaysdoingthat.

“Oncewerespectmagic,”MissGnosiswassaying,herowneyesclosed,“trulyrespectitandeverythingitcando…onlythencanwepossiblyhopetodirectit,howeverbriefly,toourownends.”

Omen looked around. Everyone had their eyes shut. They had weird looks on theirfaces,liketheywereclosetoinnerpeace.Hewonderediftheywere,oriftheywerejustfakingit.

“The Surge that youwill experience in four or five years’ time –maybe six,maybethree–that’sjustthebeginningofyourjourneytobecomingatruesorcerer.”MissGnosissmiledgently,thoughonlyOmencouldsee.“Youhavewondersaheadofyou,experiencesyouhavenotyetevenimagined.Butfirstcomeswork,andpreparationand,mostofall,patience.I’mgoingtocountbackwardsfromtennow.ThecloserIget toone, themorealertyouwillfeel,untilyouopenyoureyesandyou’refullyawakeandreadytotakeontherestoftheday.”

Shestartedcountingdown,andOmenyawned.Heswivelledhisheadashedidso,andfoundJenanIspolinstaringstraightathim.

Omensnappedhisheadbackroundandsqueezedhiseyesshut,verypossiblytheworst,mostsuspiciousthinghecoulddounderthecircumstances.HewonderedifJenanwasstilllookingathim.Hecrackedaneyeopen,turnedslightly.

Yep,stilllooking.Thiswasnotgood.

MissGnosis reachedone, and everyone else opened their eyes and started getting totheirfeet.Omen’sleftfoothadpinsandneedlesthattookhimbysurpriseashestood.HestumbledbutNevercaughthim, steadiedhim.Heshothima lookof thanksandNeversighedandrolledhiseyes.

“Wealllivehecticlives,”MissGnosissaid.“Someofyoulivemorehecticlivesthanothers.”Atthis,everyonechuckledandglancedatAuger,wholookedaroundinnocently.“Takeamomentoutofeverydaytocloseyoureyesandjust…feel.Experiencewhatitistobeyou.Experiencethemoment.Experiencehappiness.That’swheretruemagiclies.”

Sheclappedherhandsgently,signallingtheendofclass.

OmentriedengagingNeverinconversation,buthewasalreadyheadingoutofthedoor.Outofthecornerofhiseye,OmensawJenancomingforhim,fistsclenchedbyhissides.Omentriedsmiling.Itdidn’twork.

AndthenAugersteppedbetweenthem.

“Hey,Jenan,”hesaid,andJenanfroze,uncertaintyflickeringacrosshisfeatures.

“Hi,”Jenanresponded,likeitwasatrickquestion.

“Haveyoudecided?”Augerasked.“Whatdisciplineareyougoingtospecialisein?Doyouknow?”

“Uh…”

“I’mthinkingEnergyThrower,”Augersaid.“Ergokinesis,Imean.Idolikeexplodingthings.OrmaybeEnhancement,maybetrytobethenextMrBliss.Whataboutyou?OrOmen,howaboutyou?”

“I…don’tknow,”saidOmen.“Maybea…aSignumLinguist?I’vealwayslikedthelanguages.”

Augerlookedgenuinelysurprised.“Really?You?”

“They’re pretty cool,” Omen said defensively. “You can do anything if you masterthem,liketheSupremeMage.”

“Well, yeah,” said Auger, “but it probably took her decades to even get the basicsdown.” Auger thought about it some more as Omen started to go red, and then heshrugged. “Although, to be honest, if anyone could do it, Omen, it’d be you. You’vealwaysbeenabletofocus,youknow?BetterthanIevercould.”

OmentriednottolookastonishedasAugerturnedbacktoJenan.“Whataboutyou?”

“Ihaven’tdecidedyet,”Jenansaidgruffly.“Ergokinetic,maybe.Idon’tknow.I’vegotalotofoptions.MyfathersaysI’mgifted.”

Auger nodded. “And he should know, right? As a Grand Mage and all, he shouldknow.”

“Well,ofcourse,”saidJenan,adoptingthetonehealwaysadoptedwhentalkingabouthow importanthis familywas.“If there’sanyonewhohas theundisputedexperience tospotagiftedsorcerer,it’s–excuseme.”

Hetookouthisbuzzingphone,andhiseyeswidenedwhenhereadthemessage.

AugershotaquickglanceatOmen.“Jenan?YouOKthere,buddy?”

“What?”Jenanmumbled,thenblinkedandpressedhisphoneintohischest,protectingthescreen.“Yes.I’mfine.Ihavetogo.”

Hewalked quickly out, barging intoOmenwithout evenmeaning to.Now the roomwasemptysavefortheDarklyboys.

“Whatwasthatabout?”Augerasked,keepinghisvoicelow.

“Don’tknow,”saidOmen.“Didyouseewhoitwasfrom?”

Augerfrowned.“Whowhatwasfrom?I’mtalkingaboutJenancomingoverlikehewasabouttoripyourheadoff.”

“Oh,”saidOmen.“I’mnotsure.Hedoesn’treallylikeme.”

“Iknowthat,”saidAuger.“Everyoneknowsthat.Butanyparticularreasonhe’dwanttoripyourheadofftoday?”

“It’saWednesday?”

“Actually,it’sThursday.”

“Aw,man,”saidOmen,grabbinghisbag.“I’mmissingmathsagain.Ihavetogo.”

Augerlaughedandwavedhimaway,but,insteadofturningrighttogotomathsclass,Omenturnedleft,followingJenanashehurriedtowardsthedorms.

He managed to stay unseen – largely because Jenan seemed far too preoccupied tocheckbehindhim.HewatchedJenangointohisroomandsneakedtowards thedoorasvoiceswere raised inside.TherewasmovementandOmenflattenedhimselfagainst thewall,eyeswide,mouthopen,nowheretohide,asJenanshovedhisroom-mateoutintothecorridor.

“I’msick!”hisroom-matecomplained,cladinhispyjamas.“Thenursetoldmetostayinbed!”

“Ineedprivacy,”Jenansnapped,pushinghimfurtherawayasOmenslidalongthewallbehindhim,andslippedintotheroom.Itwasbiggerthanhisown,eventhoughitonlyhadtwobeds.Omendivedtothefloor,crawledunderthefirstbedandwaited.

Jenanignoredhisroom-mate’scursesandwalkedbackin,slammingthedoorafterhim.OmenheldhisbreathashewatchedJenan’sfeetpaceupanddown.Heheardthetappingofaphone,and,amomentlater,someoneteleportedintotheroom.Omenpeeredatstylishshoes.

“MrNero,”saidJenan.Hesoundednervous.Scared.ThismadeOmenhappy.“Goodto…goodtoseeyouagain.”

“Name’s just Nero. Nomister attached.” The Teleporter sounded impatient. Angry,even.“Didanyonenoticeyousneakoff?”

“No.Nochance.What,um,what’sup?”

Aslightsilencefollowed,andOmenriskedapeekandsawJenanblush.HecouldonlyimaginethewitheringlookNeromusthavebeengivinghim.

“What’sup?”Neroechoed,startingtowalkaroundtheroom.“I’ll tellyouwhat’sup.Youletaspyintoourlittlemeeting,Jenan.Thosestupidgoldmasksofyourscouldendupcostinguseverything.”

Jenan’svoicewas suddenly thick, likehedesperatelyneededaglassofwater. “TheywereMrLilt’sidea.”

“Well then, Lilt’s an idiot, and you’re an idiot for going alongwith it. You need tounderstandsomethingverysimplehere.FirstWaveisonlyvaluabletousifnobodyknowsaboutit.Doyougetthat?Doyou?”

“Igetit.”

“BecauseIdon’tthinkyoudo.”

“Ido,”Jenaninsisted.“Igetit.Secrecyis—”

“Everything, Jenan. Secrecy is everything. I’d have thought that you of all peoplewouldknowthis.I’dhavethought,outofeveryone,thatyouwouldbetheonepersonwedidn’thavetoexplainthisto.Yourfatherunderstandstheneedforsecrecy,right?”

“My…myfather?”

“He’sGrandMage of the Bulgarian Sanctuary, isn’t he?GrandMages have to keepsecrets.It’swhattheydo.”

“Yes,”saidJenan.“Ofcourse.”

“Sothislittlespy,”Nerosaid,walkingovertothebedandturning,“heobviouslydidn’tgosplatwhenhewassupposedto.Haveyoufoundoutyetwhoheis?”

Jenanhesitated.“Notyet.”

The feet shifted slightly, and thebed creakedasNero sat, pinningOmen inplace. “Idon’tbelieve this. I’mgoing tohave togobackand tellLethe thatyou’re inoveryourhead.Whoshouldtakeyourplace,doyouthink?”

Jenan’svoicesqueaked.Ifthathadhappenedinclasstoanyoneelse,Jenanwouldhavemockedthemmercilessly.“N-no,Icanstill…Icandoit.Ican.”

“Itdoesn’t look likeyoucan. Ihave tosay,Lethe isgoing tobesodisappointed.Hewouldn’tshutupaboutyou–canyoubelievethat?JenanIspolinisexactlywhoweneed.Jenan Ispolin will change everything.” Nero’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “He’sgoingtobegutted.”

Jenandidhisbesttoinjectsomedecisivenessintohisvoice.“We’llfindhim,”hesaid.“Thespy.We’llfindhim.”

“How?”

“We’llquestion them,”Jenansaid.“We’llquestion themall,everyThirdYearboyofthatheightwiththathaircolour.AndIknowwhowe’llstartwith.”

“Youhaveasuspect?”

“Ido,”Jenansaidimmediately.“OmenDarkly.”

Neroleapedtohisfeet,furious.“YoulettheChosenOneintothegoddamnmeeting?”

OmenwatchedJenan’s feet stumbleback. “No,no!That’sAuger!That’shisbrother!OmenDarkly’snobody,Iswear toyou!Evenifhe toldanyone, theyprobablywouldn’tbelievehim!”

“WhatabouttheChosenOne?”Neroasked.“WouldtheChosenOnebelievehim?”

Jenanswallowed.“Maybe.”

“Jesus…”Nerosaid.“Ofallthepeopletoletin,ofallthegoddamnpeople,youletinAugerDarkly’sbrother.”

“Itmightn’t be him,” Jenan said quickly. “Itmight be someone else.We’ll find out,though.I’llinterrogatehimpersonally.”

“You’dbetter,Jenan.Alotofpeoplearedependingonyou.”

“Youhavemyword.Bymyfamily’screst.”

“AndifitturnsoutthatitwasthisOmenDarkly…andifhehastoldtheChosenOne…youknowwhatyouhavetodo,don’tyou?”

Therewasahesitation.“Yes.Yes,ofcourse.”

“Youkillhim,”Nerosaid.“Youkillthemboth.”

Jenannodded.“Yes.Iswear.”

“We’ll be back in touch, Jenan,” saidNero. “Don’t fail us, you hearme?You reallydon’twanttofailus.”

Omen didn’t knowwhy he did it. He wasn’t planning on it, that was for certain. Itwasn’t something he’d thought about, lying there under that bed. But the moment herealisedNerowasabouttoleave,hereachedoutahand,andhisfingertiptouchedtheheelofNero’sstylishshoe,sothatwhenNeroteleported,hetookOmenwithhim.

31

“Wherearewe?”Valkyrieasked,peeringoutof thecarwindow.Thestreetwasnarrow.Therewasgraffitionthewalls,noneofitanygood.Shewassurprisedatthis.Shehadn’tthoughtRoarhavenwouldbetolerantofsomethingsomundaneasdeclarationsoflustandcrudelydrawngenitalia.She’dexpectedtheirgraffitistandardstobehigher.

“Wearewhereweneedtobe,”Skulduggerysaid,comingtoastopandturningofftheengine.“IronfootRoadiscloseby.”

TheygotoutandhelockedtheBentley.Valkyriezippedupherjacketagainstthecoldandtheystartedwalking.Shekeptherheaddownandhekepthisfaçadeup,buteveryonetheypassedwastoobusywiththeirownproblemstonoticethem.

They walked for three minutes before coming to a blue door. Valkyrie stood watchwhileSkulduggerypicked the lock.Whenhewasdone,he tappedherand they slippedinside.Hedrewhisgunandtheycreptupstairs toaquietcorridor.TheyfoundMelior’sapartmentandSkulduggerypickedthatlocknext.Whenthedoorwasopen,hesplayedhishand,readingtheair,andledthewayintothekitchen,whereRichardMeliorstoodwithhisbacktothem,watchingthewindow.

SkulduggerywalkedrightuptohimwithoutmakingasoundandpressedhisgunintothebackofMelior’shead.

“Notaninch,”Skulduggerysaid.

Withoutturning,withoutlookingoverhisshoulder,Meliorsaid,“I’m…I’mverygladyoucame.”

“YoushouldbegladIhaven’tpulledthetrigger.”

“I’mgladaboutthat,too.”

“Turn.”

Meliorturned,sawValkyrieandtriedtosmile.“Hello.”

“Ifyoueventhinkaboutblastingusagain,”shesaid,“we’llhityouuntilyou’renothingbutapuddleofmessonthefloor.”

“Iunderstand.AndI’mreallysorryaboutthat.Ifyou’reinanypain,Icanhelpyou.”

“I’mfine,”sherepliedirritably.“Wehavedoctorswhospecialiseinhealingpeople.”

“Take a seat,Doctor,” Skulduggery said. “Iwant youwherewe can keep an eye onyou.”

Meliornodded,andsat in thechairSkulduggerypulledout forhim.Hedidn’tobjectwhentheshackleswereproduced.Valkyrieturnedonheraura-visionforthisnextpart–shewantedtoseewhathappenedwhentheywereputon–butshenoticedsomethingasSkulduggerymoved in. Likemost auras she’d seen,Melior’swas orange, but it was aslightly different shade. She didn’t know what that meant, didn’t know if it meantanything,andthentheshacklessnappedonandMelior’spowerdampened,andtheaurashrivelledawayuntilValkyriecouldbarelyseeit.

Sheswitchedofftheaura-vision.Shewasreallygoingtohavetofindabetternameforit.“Whatwereyoulookingat?”sheasked.

“Sorry?”

“Youwerelookingdownatthestreet.Atwhat?”

“Oh,” he said, “no, I wasn’t looking at anything. I was waiting for you. You camethrough the window the first time wemet and for some reason I thought you’d comethroughthewindowagain.Ineverexpectedyoutocomethroughthedoor.”

“Doorsareforpeoplewithnoimagination,”sheconceded,“butweliketomixitupabitaroundhere.”

SkulduggerysatoppositeMeliorandleanedforward,elbowsonhisknees.“You’vegotalottotellus,”hesaid.

“Ido.Anythingyouwanttoknow.”

“Let’sstartfromthetop,”Valkyriesaid.“Whatistheanti-Sanctuary?What’sitreallycalled?”

“It’s not called anything,” saidMelior. “It’s easier tohide somethingwhen it doesn’thave a name, I guess. The anti-Sanctuary, that’s as good a name as any. They’ve beenworkingawaybehind the scenes forhundredsofyears.Assassinations.Disappearances.They’veorchestratedwarstogettheiragendajustalittlebitfurtheralongtheline.Iknowwhat you’re thinking. I thought it, too. How could it even exist? How could anorganisationlikethisberesponsibleforcenturiesofmurderandupheavalandyetnooneknows anything about them? But that’s why they mostly recruit Neoterics. They’relookingforoutsiders,sorcererswithnolinkstotheSanctuaries.They’recareful.They’reunbelievably,impossiblycarefultonotleaveanyfingerprintsthat’dleadpeoplelikeyoubacktothem.Ortheywere,atleast.Theirendgameisinsight.They’recomingoutoftheshadows.”

“Whatdotheywant?”

“War,”saidMelior.“Aproper,full-scalewar,attheendofwhichthemortalswillbeourslaves.Theywantsorcererstoruletheworld.”

“Who’sincharge?”sheasked.“Smoke?Lethe?”

“Smoke’salackey.Hedoesn’thaveoneoriginalthoughtinhishead.Lethe’sdifferent.He’s smarter. Very talented, very dangerous, very cunning. I’ve never seen him lose a

fight.Heplayswiththematfirst,letsthemthinkthey’vegottheupperhand…Ithinkhedoesitbecausehe’sbored.”

“Whydoeshewearthesuit?”Valkyrieasked.

“Idon’tknow,butI’veneverseenhimwithoutit.”

“WhatabouttheTeleporter?”

“Nero,”saidMelior.“Anarrogantlittlecreep.Inlovewithhimself.Don’tknowmuchabouthim.Don’tknowmuchaboutmostofthem,tobehonest.”

“Theguywhoslowedtime…”

“Ah,” saidMelior, “Destrier.He’snot reallypartof the team,as far as I can tell.Hehelpsout,buthe’sgothisownthinggoingon.Igetthefeelinganarrangementhasbeenreachedthere.Theycallwhathedoestemporalmanipulation.”

“LastpersonIsawdoingthatwasaserialkiller.”

“He’saweirdone,Icantellyouthat.I’veseenhimtalkingtohimself–practicallytheonlypersonhedoestalkto.I’vecertainlyneverspokentohim.

“Thenthere’sMemphis.He’sgotthisthingaboutElvis.Apparently,hemethimonce,whenhewas a kid.But he’s dangerous.His powermanifested as some formof hyper-agility.I’veseenhimfliparoundlikeatrapezeartistwithoutthetrapeze.Heusedtohaveasister,butLethekilledher.AsfarasIknow,Memphisdoesn’tholdagrudge.”

“Who’stheAustralian?”Valkyrieasked.

“Razzia.She’scompletelyofftherails.Ineverknowwhatshe’sgoingtodofromonemoment to thenext.She’sgotacreature living inherarm,aparasiteofsomesort. I’veaskedseveraltimestoexamineit,butshehasn’tletmegetclose.”

“TellusaboutSmoke,”Skulduggerysaid.

“AllIknowabouthimiswhathecando.I’veseenhimtouchpeople–notevenskin-on-skincontact,but throughtheircoatsleeves–andthey’recorrupted.Ordinary,decentpeople turned into psychopathic versions of themselves. I’ve seen it go on forweeks –everytwodays,Smokejusttapsthemanditstartsalloveragain.I’veseenpeopleunderhisinfluencekilltheirentirefamiliesandlaughwhiletheydoit.”

“We’ll stop him,” saidSkulduggery. “We’ll stop all of them.Anyone elsewe shouldknowabout?”

“Thereareothers,thoughtheycomeandgo.Butthat’sthemaingroup.”

Skulduggery leanedback inhischair.“I’vereadabitaboutyou,Doctor.Yourpowermanifested in medical school, didn’t it? Up until that moment you had no idea magicexisted.”

“That is correct,” Melior said, nodding. “I did some haphazard research after ithappened,managedtotalktoapropersorcererandhadmyeyesopened.Afterthat,ImetSavantandfellinlove,and…well,neverlookedback.”

“AndthenPartheniosLilttalkedtoyou.”

Melior’s face soured. “Yes. He’d heard about me and came to interviewme, to runsometests…ThetermNeotericwasactuallymysuggestion.Webecamefriends,orsoIthought.Thiswasbackinthe1960s.SavantandIwerelivinginSanFrancisco,becausewhereelsewouldyoube living in the sixties?Parthenios introducedus tohis friends–mostlyotherNeoterics.Forawhile,itwasfun–weevenhadourownbowlingteam,aslame as that sounds now and, in fact, back then.But thenwemetmore of his friends.PeoplelikeBubbaMoon.Haveyouheardofhim?”

“Wehave,”saidSkulduggery.

“That’swhenthealarmbellsreallystartedtoring.Thiswasaninsanemansittingatthetablewithus, talkingaboutthetyrannyofmortals,abouthowweshouldriseupagainstthemandjoinwiththebeingwholivesbeyondourreality.”

“Wemet him,”Valkyrie said. “The being beyond our reality, Imean.His namewasBalerosh.”

Meliorblinked.“Moonwastellingthetruth?Heexists?”

Valkyrieshrugged.“Notanymore.”

“Anyway,”Meliorsaidafteramoment,“Ididn’tlikethewaythingsweregoing,andIwantednothingmore todowithanyof them.Savant tooka little longer tocome to thesame conclusion, but then he sees the good in everyone. His power is knowledge; heabsorbsvastquantitiesofinformationataglance,buthe’salsoapacifist.He’sneverhurtasoulinhislife.Ifellinlovewithhimbecauseofthatquality,butitalsomeantthathecouldn’tunderstandthedestructiveurgethatIcouldseeinthepeoplearoundus.”

“Butyouunderstoodit,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Idid.WhenIwasakid,Ihurtpeople.It’swhyIbecameadoctor,tomakeupforthepainI’dcaused.Soyeah,Iunderstoodit.”

“Whathappenedthen?”

“Nothing,”saidMelior.“Fora long time,nothing.Wemovedaroundabit– it’sveryhard to stay working in a hospital when you don’t age. We learned to forge newcertificates with each passing decade. Eventually, we went back to my hometown, toBaltimore.More time passed.We hadn’t even thought of Parthenios or any of them infortyyears.”

“Where’syourhusbandnow,Doctor?”

“Theyhavehim.PartheniosLiltandthreeothersbrokeintoourapartment,beatmehalfto death and tookhimaway. Iwent to theSanctuary, but theydidn’t do anything.Twomonthslater,IwokeuptofindLethestandingovermybed.Hetoldmewhohewaswith,saidthey’dkillSavantunlessIjoinedthem.”

“Whenwasthis?”

“Fiveyearsago.”

Valkyriefrowned.“Savant’sbeengonefiveyears?”

“Everysooften,I’llgetavoicemessagetellingmehelovesme,tellingmetobestrong…”Melior’svoicecracked.

“Whygo to the troubleofkidnappinghim, though?Whydoesn’tSmoke just corruptyou?”

“His touch doesn’t work on healers,” Melior said. “I don’t know why. I think it’ssomethingtodowithourpower,maybeitactsasanimmunesystemtohisinfluence.”

“Your aura’s different,” Valkyrie said. Skulduggery looked at her and she shrugged.“It’sadifferentshadeoforange.”

“I don’t know anything about auras,” Melior said, “but, whatever the reason, theyneededsomeotherwaytocontrolme.”

Skulduggeryasked,“AndLethe’sincharge?”

“No,”Meliorsaid.“Hedoeswhathe’stold,sameaseveryone.”

“Sowhotellshimwhattodo?IsthereanotherBaleroshthatwedon’tknowabout?”

“NotasfarasI’maware,”saidMelior,andhesitated.“It’sthevoiceinhishead.”

“I’msorry?”

“Theyallhearit,”Meliorcontinued.“It’stheirleader.Idon’tknowanythingabouther,Idon’tknowwhereshe is,but Ioverheardsomeof them talkingand theysaidaname.Abyssinia.”

Skulduggeryturnedhisheadslightly.

“Youknowwhothatis?”Valkyrieasked.

“Imight,”hesaid.“I’veonlyknownoneAbyssiniainallmyyears.”

“Doesshehavesilverhair?”

Skulduggerylookedather.“Shedoes.”Helookedback.“Doctor,whatwereyoutoldaboutyourroleinallthis?Whatdotheyneedyoutodo?”

“PleasecallmeRichard.Fromwhat Icangather, I’mtofacilitatea resurrection. I’vedone it before,more or less, on patientswho’ve died on the operating table, but neverbeforeonsomeonelongdead.Thiswouldbeexponentiallymoredifficult.”

“Itwouldbe,”saidSkulduggery.“Forastart,IwouldimaginethatAbyssiniaistheoneinneedofresurrection,asshe’sbeendeadforthreehundredyears.”

ValkyrielookedbackatMelior.“Isthatpossible?Couldyoudothat?”

“I…Iguessso.Underthepropercircumstances.”

“Ifthatisthecase,you’dhaveonefurthercomplication,”Skulduggerysaid,“inthatallthatisleftofherisaheart.”

“I’msorry?”

Skulduggerystood.“Richard,wouldyouexcuseusforamoment?”

“Uh…ofcourse.”

“Thankyou.Ifyoutryanythingsneaky,I’llshootyou.Valkyrie?”

Frowning,shefollowedhimintothebedroom,andheshutthedoor.

“Rightthen,”shesaid,“you’reactingsufficientlysuspiciousaboutthis,sowhoisshe?WhoisAbyssinia?”

Skulduggery crossed to thewindow and looked out.He took amoment, and turned.“Abyssinia,” he said, “wasmany things.” “Fiercely intelligent, incrediblymanipulative,savagelyviolent.Shewasamageandamurdererbutalso,andthisiswherethingscouldbesaidtotakeasurprisingtwist,wereyouinclinedtobesurprisedbytwists,shewasa…”

“Awhat?”

“Isupposeyoucouldcallher,ifyouhadto,ifyouneededtofindalabel,eventhoughI’m not fond of themmyself, I feel they can be far too restrictive though there are, ofcourse, exceptions, you could possibly call her, if you desperately needed to call heranythingatall,an…ex-girlfriend.”

Valkyriestared.“What?”

32

“Youprobablyrequireanexplanation,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Iprobablydo.”

“Wouldyouliketositdown?”

“DoIneedto?”Valkyriesaid.“Yes,I’llsitdown.No,Iwon’t.Ineedtowalkaroundforthis.IfeelIneedtobemoving.Tellthestory.”Shestartedpacing.

“Verywell.”Skulduggerysatonthebed.“Wheretostart…”

“Startattheskeletonbootycallandmoveonfromthere.Oh,wait!”Sheswunground.“Wassheagirlfriendbeforeyouwerekilled,orafter?”

“After.”

“Oh.”Valkyrieresumedherpacing.“Goon.”

“Itdoesn’tmatterhowImether.Itdoesn’tmatterwhere.WhatdoesmatteriswhatstateIwasin.”

“Whatstatewereyouin?”

“Abadone.Thewarwasnever-ending.Friendsweredyingallaroundus.EverytimeIgotclosetoSerpine,he’dslipawayagain.Myangerwasgrowing.Myhatredwasatitspeak.Abyssiniaknewthis.Shesawit.Shelatchedontome.Shetoldmeshelovedme.Ihadn’thadanyonesay that tomesincemywifedied.She influencedme. Ididn’tevennoticeithappening.Ghastlydid.Hewarnedme,butIdidn’tlistentohim.Ilistenedtoher,though.Herwordsinfectedme;theyweighedmedown.Draggedmedown.SheknewIwas…whatdid I call itonce?Magicallyambidextrous.Sheencouragedme toexploreothertypesofmagic.”

Valkyriefroze.“Wait…wasthis…?”

“IrediscoveredNecromancy,”Skulduggerysaid,“andshegiftedmewithaveryspecialsuitofarmour.”

“SheturnedyouintoLordVile?”

“No.Ididthat.IturnedmyselfintoVile.Butshewasthere.ShemadesureIstayedoncourse.”

“That…thatcow…”

“Bythispoint,InolongercaredaboutwhichsideIfoughton.Ijustwantedtofight.Ijust wanted to kill. Meritorious’s army had too many rules so I switched. Abyssiniabroughtmeover.Withthearmouron,nobodyknewwhoI’doncebeen,andthetruthwas,Iwasn’tmeanymore.Iwasn’t,”Skulduggerytappedhischest,“me.Iwashim.Iwasmyangerand Iwasmyhatred. IquicklybecameoneofMevolent’sgenerals. Ididn’tevenmindthatIwasnowfightingalongsidethemanwhohadmurderedmyfamily.”

“AndwhatdidAbyssiniado?”

“Shewasbesidemethewholeway.Shetorethelifeforcefromhervictims,usedittoheal her wounds or get stronger. We slaughtered entire villages together. She had anappetiteforbloodshed that I found…fascinating. I’dstopsometimes, just towatchherkill.Shewasborntoit.Itcameasnaturallytoherasbreathing.”

“Thisisgettingweird.”

“While I was becoming a general, Abyssinia was integrating herself into the upperechelonsofMevolent’sarmy,whichhadbeenherplanallalong.ChinaSorrowsherselfinvitedher to join theDiablerie.Abyssiniawasas ferventandfanaticalasanyof them,andwasjustasdedicated.Orsoitappeared.”

Valkyriefrowned.“Itwasanact?”

“Abyssiniawasfullofsurprises.Oneofthereasonsshelatchedontomewasbecauseshe saw something in me, something she could twist. She used me to get close toMevolent.AndshewantedtogetclosetoMevolentinordertokillhim,andtakehisarmyforherself.”

“Ambitious.”

“Yes, she was,” said Skulduggery. “But she made a mistake. One single, solitarymistake.”

“Whichwas?”

“Me.”

“Sheunderestimatedyou.”

“Shetrustedme.Inwhateversickformittook,sheactuallybelievedshelovedme.ShebelievedI lovedherback,evenasLordVile.Hermistakewas to tellmeherplans.Shewantedmebyher side,you see–king toherqueen.Sheplanned tokillMevolent at afeasthewashosting–shewasgamblingthatamovesoridiculouslyboldwouldactuallybewell received by those in attendance.KillMevolent in front of everyone andwatchthembendtheknee.Shewasprobablyright,actually.Itprobablywouldhaveworked.”

“What…whathappened?”

Skulduggery took off his hat, adjusted the brim. “Mevolent held the feast and, eventhoughChinaandSerpineandBaronVengeouswereinattendance,itwasAbyssiniawhowasseatedatMevolent’sside.Shemusthavefeltlikeallherworkhadpaidoff–thatshewasamonghismosttrusted.Herplan–ourplan,orsoshethought–wastowaitforthe

toasts.Whentheywerebothstanding,Iwouldstrike,incapacitatinghim.Thenshewouldtakehishead.

“The courseswere served. I didn’t eat, naturally. I didn’t drink. I watched them all.They talked and laughed and got full and got drunk. EvenAbyssinia drank toomuch.Overconfidence,Isuppose.Mevolentstoodup,singingAbyssinia’spraisesforalltohear.But,whenAbyssiniarosetotoasthiminreturn,Iranmyswordthroughherback.”

Valkyriedidn’tsayanything.

“Mevolent gave me the opportunity to fight and kill,” Skulduggery continued.“Abyssiniawouldhaveendedthewarfartooquickly.Therewouldhavebeennoonelefttobattleifshetookover.Theworldwouldburnandshewouldsitinherthroneandlaugh.So,beforeshecouldrecover,Iliftedheroffherfeet,walkedtothewindowandtossedherthrough.Shefelltotherocks.Itwasalongwaydown.”

“Christ.”

“Yes.”

“That’s…Idon’tknowwhattosay.”

“Thestoryisn’tover.”

“Oh,God.MaybeIdoneedtositdown.”

Skulduggerystoodandshetookhisplaceontheedgeofthebed.“Carryon,”shesaid.

“Herbodywasn’twhereitshouldhavebeen,”Skulduggerysaid.“Wefoundatrailofbloodleadingawayandthen…nothing.Buttherewasnowayshecouldhavesurvivedthat. The sword was enough to have killed her, let alone the fall. It was assumed thatanimalshadtakenhercorpseaway,orevencannibals.”

“Cannibals?”

“There’dbeenreportsofcannibalsinthearea.Anyway,thewarwenton.IkilledandbutcheredoldfriendsandinnocentpeopleandIdidsowithoutoneshredofremorse.AndthenIhadmyepiphany.”

“Epiphany?”

“Mymomentofclarity.”

“Iknowwhatthewordmeans,Ijustwanttoknowwhatthisparticularepiphanywas.”

“Itwasnotrelevanttothisstory,”Skulduggerysaid,“that’swhatitwas.Anyway,Isawtheerrorofmyways,tookoffthearmour,hiditinamountainwherenoonewouldever,everfindit,andreturnedtobeinggoodoldme.

“Then,afewyearslater,Abyssiniareturned.Ratherthandieapainfuldeathaloneintheshadows,shehadsomehowbecomevastlymorepowerful.SheattackedbothMevolent’sarmyandours.Shedecimatedbattalions.Noonecouldstandagainsther.Thenadealwasstruck.”

“BetweenAbyssiniaandMevolent?”

“BetweenMevolentandus.”

“OhmyGod.”Valkyrieshookherhead.“Ineedtositdown.”

“Youaresittingdown.”

“Ineedtositdownmore.”

“Asecretdeal,”Skulduggerywenton.“Afewsoldiersfromoursideandafewsoldiersfromtheirside.TheDeadMenandtheDiablerie,workingtogether.”

“You’rejoking,”Valkyriesaid.

Heshrugged.“Itmadesense.Shewasanenemytousboth,sowepooledourresourcesand set off. Itwas an uneasy alliance, to say the least.As theweekswent by, tensionsgrew. The only reasonwe didn’t murder each other was because we finally picked upAbyssinia’strail.Shewastravellingwithaboythatturnedouttobeherson.”

“Sowhathappened?”

“Abyssinialedusintoatrapwebarelysurvived.ItwasonlywhenChinaheldaknifetotheboy’sthroatthatAbyssiniastoppedherattack.Weofferedheradeal.Wewouldlethersongofreeifsheallowedustokillher.”

Theroomwasquiet.“Anddidsheaccept?”Valkyrieasked.

“Shedidn’thaveachoice,”Skulduggerysaid.“Wekilledherandwelettheboywalk,thenwedismemberedher,cutoffherheadandburnedherlimbs.ButitwasonlywhenIcarvedherheartfromherchestthatitfinallystoppedbeating.”

“Jesus,”Valkyriewhispered.

“Andthat’sit.That’sthestory.”

“So wait a second,” Valkyrie said. “You betrayed her, threw her out of a window,trackedherdownandthreatenedherson,andsheagreedtoletyoukillher…andatnostageduringallthisdidshetellanyonethatyouwereLordVile?”

“AsfarasI’maware,shedidn’tbreatheawordofittoanyone.”

“Whynot?”

“Idon’tknow,”Skulduggerysaid.“IhopeIdon’tgetachancetoaskher.”

“Whathappenedtotheson?”

“Noidea.”

“CouldhebethisKingoftheDarklandsguythatAugerisdestinedtofight?”

“Possibly.”

“Sheevermentionthattoyou,thefactthatshewasthePrincessoftheDarklands?”

“Itnevercameupinconversation.”

“Whereare the Darklands? Imean, is it an actual place or, like, a state ofmind orsomething?”

“Idon’tknow,”Skulduggerysaid.

“I’mjustaskingbecauseifit’sanactualplace,withpeopleandaroyalfamilyandstuff,thenyourgirlfriendwasanactualprincess.”

“Ex-girlfriend.”

“Yes,because that’s thepointweneed tobe focusingon.”Valkyrie stood.“OK.OK,that’salottotakein.”

“The fact that my ex-girlfriend was one of the most dangerous people I have everencountered,orthefactthatIhadagirlfriend?”

“Both,actually.”Shenodded.“It’lljusttakemeawhiletodigestallthis.ButfornowI’mreadytogobackin.Unlessyouhaveanyotherbombshellsaboutyourpastthatyou’dliketoshare…?”

“None that I’d like toshare,no.”Hewent to thedoorandopened it.“Afteryou,”hesaid.

33

TheyrejoinedMeliorinhiskitchen.HefrownedatValkyrie.

“AreyouOK?”heasked.“You’vegonequitepale.”

“It’s been an eventful fewminutes,” she answered, “but here’s the upshot.Abyssiniawas super-powerful andusedother people’s life forces to heal her injuries andgrow instrength.Shewasfinallydefeatedandchoppedupintolittlebits.Herheartwascutout.Skulduggery,whathappenedthen?”

“Wetooktheheartbackwithus,”Skulduggerysaid,“putitinabox,puttheboxinaroomandbuiltaprisonaroundit.”

“Coldheart,”Valkyriesaid.

“Namedafteritsfirstguest.”

“ColdheartPrison,”Meliorsaid,straightening.“Iheard themtalkingabout that.Theyhaveit.”

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Theyhavetheprison?”

“Theyoverthrewittwodaysago.Whichmeanstheyhavetheheart.”

Valkyriefrowned.“Andwhatabouttheprisoners?”

“Idon’tknowwhatthey’regoingtodowiththem.”

“Weputawaysomeofthoselunatics…”

“Couldyoudoit?”Skulduggeryasked.“CouldyoubringAbyssiniabackifyoujusthadherheart?”

“If she has this healing ability you described and I had access to the right type ofenergy,then…thenprobably,yes.”

An idea exploded behindValkyrie’s eyes. “Could you do that to someone else?” sheasked,andglancedatSkulduggery.“WhataboutGhastly?”

“GhastlyandAntonwerecremated,”Skulduggeryremindedher,andtheexcitementinherchestdiedasquicklyasithadformed.

Thenitsparkedagain.“WhataboutGordon?Wecouldbringhimback.”

“Ican’t,”Meliorsaid.“Resurrectingsomeonewho’sdiedonmyoperatingtable–that’sonething.Butexhumingacorpse,bringingthatback?I’mnotpreparedtodoit,notifI

haveanychoiceinthematter.I’msorry.I’mnotheretoplayGod.”

“We’renotaskingyoutoresurrecteveryone,”saidValkyrie.“Justafew.Myunclewassuchagoodmanandhewasmurdered.Howisthatfair?Ifitwasn’trighttokillhim,thenhowcanitbewrongtobringhimback?”

“Valkyrie,”Skulduggerysaidquietly.

“What?” Valkyrie said, speaking too quickly, the words tumbling out of her mouthbeforesheknewwhatshewassaying.“Howmanypeoplehaveyou lost thatyouwouldlovetoseeagain?”

Skulduggery’sheadtiltedeversoslightly,andValkyriefeltherselfflush.

“Thereareafew,”hesaid.“ButIwouldn’tpresumetohavetherighttodragthemoutoftheirslumber.”

“Yeah,”shesaid.“Sorry.”

Skulduggery nodded, and turned to Melior. “The circumstances you would need inordertobringAbyssiniaback–whatwouldtheybe?”

“When I revive people on the operating table,”Melior said, “I transfer some ofmyenergy to them. It weakens me, but after a few days my life force replenishes and Irecover.Somethinglikethis,though…I’dneedtotakealifeforceandtransferittoherremains.Morethanone,actually.Two,possiblythree.I’dneedamodifiedSoulCatchertoharnessitall,andlifeforcesfrommortalswouldn’tbeenough.I’dneedsorcerers,whoseunique energy signatures conform to specific…”He trailed off. “Oh, dear God. TheyknewI’dneedNeoterics.That’swhythey’vebeenrecruitingthem.”

Skulduggerynodded. “Sonot only hasAbyssinia built up a small army awaitingherreturn,butshe’salsobeenusingtheprocesstohuntfordonors.Infuriatinglyclever.”Hewalkedtothewindowandturned.“Butiftheytookyourhusbandtoforceyoutoworkforthem,andnothinghaschanged,thenwhycometousnow?”

“Because things have changed,” saidMelior. “They’re so close to gettingwhat theywantthattheywouldn’tdarekillhimnow.Theyneedmetoomuch.SoIfigurethere’sanopportunity,right?Nowisthetimetostrike,isn’tit?Isn’tit?”

ValkyrielookedatSkulduggery.

“You actually have a point,” Skulduggery said. “Savant’s probably never been saferthanheisrightnow.”

“Exactly!”Melior said, clapping his hands. “Sowe go after him.The three of us. Ifthey’rekeepingSavantanywhere,they’llbekeepinghiminthatprison,right?Thatmakessense,doesn’tit?Wherebettertokeepaprisoner?”

“HowmuchdoyouknowaboutColdheart?”Valkyrieaskedgently.

“I know it’s pretty much impenetrable,” Melior said. “Only two people have everescaped from it. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but you two have accomplishedmiraclestogether.I’veheardthestories.”

“Anddidyouknowthatitmoves?”

“Whatmoves?”

“Theprison,”Skulduggerysaid.“Itdoesn’tstay inoneplace. It’sa floating island. Itcouldbeanywhereintheworldrightnow.”

Meliorpaled.“No.No,please…”

“Richard,even ifwefoundColdheart,even ifwewereable tobreak in…there’snoguaranteethatSavantwouldstillbealive.”

“Idon’tacceptthatandIdon’tbelieveit.He’salive.Iwouldknowifhewasn’talive.”

“It’sbeenfiveyears.”

“And ifweweremortals that’dmean something. Butwe’re not, arewe? Five yearsapartmeansnothingtopeoplelikeus.”

SkulduggerylookedatValkyrie,thenshrugged,andputonhishat.“Solet’sgorescuetheloveofyourlife.”

He led thewayoutof theapartmentanddown the stairs.Melior followed,hishandsstillshackled,andValkyriecamelast.Sheswitchedontheaura-visionagain,focusedonMelior,examininghowtheshacklesdimmedhislight.Shelookedatherownhandastheydescended,attheever-shiftingluminescencethatrefusedtobecontainedbyherphysicalform.Herstrength,hermagic,herlifebeamedoutthroughherskin.Shewaslikeachild’sdrawingofherself,wherethechildhadn’tbotheredtocolourinsidethelines.And,downbelow,Skulduggery,withhisauraofragingred,unlikeanyotheraurashe’dseen.

They emerged on to the street andSmokewaswaiting for them.He reached out forSkulduggery andSkulduggery batted his hand away, then grabbedhis jacket,moved totakehimdown.Buthestoppedsuddenly,andValkyriewatchedSmoke’saura,darkgreyandcracklingwithyellow,flowoverSkulduggery’s.

Skulduggeryhadbeenwrong.Smokedidn’tneedaphysicalbraintooverridebecausehe didn’t corrupt people’s minds – he corrupted their very essence. And not evenSkulduggerywasimmunetothat.

Meliorspuntoher.“Run,”hesaid,fear joltingthroughhiseyes,andValkyriebackedoff,climbingthestairsagain.

Skulduggeryturned,lookedupatherandtiltedhishead.“Yes,”hesaid,amusementinhisvoice.“Run.”

34

Melior’s door was locked, and sturdier than it looked. Valkyrie slammed her shoulderagainst itandbouncedoff,cursedandwentrunningfor thewindowdownthe lengthofcorridor.Herhandlitupwithlightningandtheglassexploded,andsheglancedoverhershoulderjustasSkulduggeryreachedthetopofthestairs.

Shejumpedthroughthewindow.

Fell.

ShehittheroofoftheBentleyandalltheairrushedfromherlungsevenassherolledoff.Shemanagedtolandonherfeet–byluckmorethandesign–andpushedherselfon,struggling to breathe. She forced her staggered run into a sprint, and veered betweenparkedcars,headingforthefirstopendoorshecouldsee.

Oncemore, sheglancedoverher shoulder, sawSkulduggery floatingout through thebrokenwindow,legscrossedbeneathhiminthelotusposition.

Valkyrie dodged right, into a bakery, and slid over the countertop. She passed thestartledbaker, dashed through theback room that smelledof freshbreadand flour, andthenshewasout throughanarrowdoorandhad the roadunderher feetagain.She ranthrough traffic, ignoring the shoutsand theblaringhorns.Acyclisthitherand she fell,spinning,tothepavement,andwatchedSkulduggeryfloatinggentlyoverthebakeryroof.He took out his gun and Valkyrie scrambled up, shoving her way through the peoplewho’dstoppedtohelpher.

Shereachedthecorner,turnedontoHorizonStreetandduckedundertheshutterofarestaurant.Inside,thestaffwassettinguptables.

“We’renotopenyet,”oneofthemsaidtoher,frowningandcomingforward.

“Call the Cleavers,” she said, batting aside his grasping hands. “Tell them it’s anemergency.”

“Youcan’tgobackthere,that’sforstaff—”

“CalltheCleavers!”shesnapped,andboltedthroughtothekitchen.Thereweresomedeliveryguyshere,bringing incratesoffreshfood,andsheslippedpast them,emergedintoanalleybarelywideenoughtofitthevan.Shesqueezedby,stumblingonherlastfewsteps,andcheckedtheemptyskybeforeshebrokeintoarun.Shejustneededtostayoutofsightwhilesheputdistancebetweenthem.That’sall.That’sallsheneededtodo.

Shegottothemouthofthealley,stickingtothewall,andthenboltedfortheadjoiningstreet,intoaclothesshopwhereawomanwasarguingwithherchildren.Therewasadoorin herewith a bead curtain, and beyond that the interior of another shop.Valkyrie ranthroughonebeadcurtainandthenthenext,shimmyingandjukingherwayarounddisplaystands and customers, leaving swaying waterfalls of rattling beads in her wake as shetraversedtheentirestreetwithouthavingtosetfootoutside.Shegottothefinalstoreandleftthroughtheback.

Buttheairsnaggedherfeet,liftedherbytheanklesandsheflipped,headoverheels,intothealleywall.Shecrackedanelbowwhenshehitthegroundandhowled,clutchingherarmevenasshescrambledup.Thenshefroze.

Skulduggery dropped slowly out of the sky. “I knowwhat you’re thinking,” he said,emptyingthebulletsfromhisgunandpocketingallbutoneofthem.Hetoucheddown.“You’re thinking,Oh,God,oh,God, I’mgoing todie.You’re thinking,Howcan I stophim?Canheevenbestopped?IsthistheendoftheinfamousValkyrieCain?”

She forgot about the pain in her elbow. She just stood there, her back to the wall,watching him slide that single bullet back into the chamber, then spin the cylinder andclickitclosed.

“I don’t have an answer for you, Valkyrie. For today, I’m leaving your fate up tochance.”Heraisedthegunandthumbedbackthehammer.“Sixchambers,onebullet.Doyouwanttofindoutiftheuniversestilllovesyou?”

Hedidn’twait for ananswer,he justpulled the trigger andValkyrie flinched,butnoshotcame.

Skulduggery thumbed back the hammer again. “Have you ever thought about this?Whatitwouldbeliketogoupagainsteachother?Idon’tmeanasDarquesseandVile–Imeanyouandme.Doyouthinkyoustandachance?”

Sheswallowed.“Idon’tknow,”shesaid.“Butifyoureally—”

Hepulledthetriggerandshecriedout,butnoshotcame.

“Sorry,”Skulduggery said, thumbingback thehammer a third time. “Whatwereyousaying?”

“You’re…you’renotgoingtokillme,”shesaid.

“I’mnot?”

“Youwon’t.Youcan’t.Imeantoomuchtoyou.”

Hisheadtilted.“Youshouldunderstand,Valkyrie,thatIreallydon’tcareaboutyouanymore.Infact,Igenuinelywantyoutodie,andIwanttobetheonetokillyou.”

Her teeth.Theywereactuallychattering, shewassoscared.“You thinkyoudo,” shesaid,hervoiceatremblingmess,“butyou’vebeencorrupted.Skulduggery,youhavetoremember.”

“Well,ofcourseIremember,”Skulduggerysaid.“AndofcourseIonlywanttokillyoubecauseofSmoke’speskylittlepower.But thatdoesn’tchange thefact that Igenuinelywanttokillyou.”

“Please,you’vegottofightit.”

“No,Idon’t.”Hisfingertightenedandshedodgedleft,butthegunmovedwithherasthehammer landedonanemptychamber.“Todayreally isyour luckyday, isn’t it?Tellyouwhat–ifthenexttwoareempty,forthelastoneI’llonlyshootyouintheleg.Howaboutthat?”

Sheheldupherhands, thewayhe’d taughther. “You’rebeingmanipulated.AreyouOKwiththat?Withsomeonepullingyourstrings?”

“I’lldealwithallthatinmyowntime,don’tyouworry.”

“Skulduggery,you’remybestfriendandIloveyou.”

“That,”Skulduggerysaid,thehammerclickingbackagain,“issosweetofyoutosay.Putyourhandsdown,Valkyrie.I’mtoofarawaytohit,andwebothknowyoucan’trelyonyournewpowers.They’refartoounstable.Soareyou,forthatmatter.”

Shehesitated,thendroppedherhandsandstoodupstraight.“Fine,”shesaid.

“Fine?”

“Ifyou’regoingtokillme,killme.I’dratheryoudoitthananyoneelse.”

Skulduggerytookamoment.“Oh,Isee,”hesaid.“YouthinkI’llstopmyself.You’rebettingyourlifeonit.”

“Yes,”shesaid.

“Andwhatifyou’rewrong?Whatif,themomentIstopspeaking,Iputmyguntoyourheadandblowyour semi-remarkablebrainsout? Inyour finalmoments,howmuchareyougoingtoregrettheselastfiveyears?Howmuchareyougoingtoregretthatyou’verefused to rejoin your family, that you’ve cut yourself off from so many of thevulnerabilitiesthatmakeyouwhoyouare?Areyougoingtofindyourselfwishing,asthebulletpulverisesallthatgreymatter,thatyou’dletyourselfenjoythelifeyou’dmadeforyourself?OrareyoujustgoingtostandtherewithaterrifiedlookonyourfaceandhopebeyondhopethatIdon’t…stop…speaking?”

Skulduggery stepped to her quickly, pulling the trigger twice and then placing themuzzleagainstherforehead.Shestiffened,herbreathcaughtsomewhereinherthroat,herhandssplayedbyhersides.

“Tellmehonestly,”hesaid,“areyouhappyyou’rebackyet?”

Hedroppedhisarm,pressedthegunintoherleftthighandpulledthetrigger.TheshotwasdeafeningandValkyriecriedoutandcollapsed,clutchingherleg,thecryturningtoawailofpainandpanicasshewatchedthebloodpumpingthroughherfingers.

“Ishouldbeheadingbacktomynewfriends,”Skulduggerysaid,puttinghisgunaway.“Idon’tknowhowclosetheyaretoresurrectingmyex,butIcertainlywanttobetherewhenithappens.Sohey,ifyoudon’tbleedoutanddierighthere,I’llseeyousoon,OK?MaybeI’llgetachancetointroduceyoutoAbyssiniabeforeIkillyou.”

Heliftedupofftheground,risinghighabovetherooftops,andthenheletthewindtakehim.

35

AirForceOnetoucheddownatJointBaseAndrewsalittleaftertwo.Thestairtruckwasthere immediately to meet it. Six minutes later, President Martin Maynard Flaneryemerged,thewindliftinghishair,playingwithhistie,flappinghisjacket.

Hetriedkeepingthejacketclosedoverhisgutashedescended.Hedidn’tlikethewind,andhedidn’tlikestairs.Hepreferredairconditioningandelevators.Therewasnooneontheground togreethim, just theusual soldiersandSecretServiceagentsand thehuge,armouredCadillac they called theBeast.Thephotographerwas there, too, taking snapsfromgroundlevel.ThisirritatedthehelloutofFlanery,asheknewdamnwellthateverysingleoneofthosesnapswouldaddacoupleofchinstohisjawline.

HereachedthebottomofthestairsandgotintotheBeastwithoutevenglancingatthephotographer.Wilkesgotinafterhim.

“Iwantthephotographerfired,”Flanerysaidthemomentthedoorwasclosed.“Getmeanewone.Abetterone.Onewhoknowshowtotakeagoodpicture.”

“Yes, Mr President,” Wilkes said, nodding. “Of course.” He tapped on the glasspartition, and the car startedmoving. “We have a couple of things to get through, sir,startingwith—”

“Holdon,”Flanerysaid,cuttingacrosshim.Hecouldfeelthatoldfamiliarrisingtideofanger.“Where’sLilt?Youfoundhimyet?Hey?AndIdon’tneedanymoreexcusesfromyou.I’vehadenoughofexcuses.Excusesdon’tgetmewhatIneed.Areweunderstandingeachother?”

“Yes,sir,”saidWilkes.

“So?Youfoundhim?”

“I’m,ah,waitingforacall,sir.”

Flanery lockedeyeswith thewiltingman.“You’rewaiting foracall?You’rewaitingforacall?Letmetellyousomething.LetmetellyousomethingbecauseIdon’tthink…Whatisit,threeyears?Threeyearsyou’vebeenworkingforme?”

“Yes,sir.”

“Threeyears.You’dthinkyou’dhavepickedthisupafterthreeyears.Whenyouwaitonacall,Iwaitonacall.Youseethat?Seehowthatworks?Whenyouwait,Iwait,andthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmericadoesnotwait.Idonotwait,Wilkes.Itellyoutodosomething,Itellyoutospeaktosomeone,orfindsomeone,orgetsomething,or

gosomewhere,thenyoudoit.Iwantitdone.Iwantitdoneimmediately.IfIhavetoaskyou to find outwhy Parthenios Lilt has suddenly gone dark on us,my time is alreadybeingwasted.Butyouknowwhatisunacceptable?What’sunacceptableishavingtowaitonyoutogetmeananswer.Idonotacceptthat.”

“Iamsorry,MrPresident.Mycontactischeckingwith—”

Flaneryheldupahand.“Details.Details,Wilkes.WhathaveItoldyouaboutdetails?”

“Youdon’tneedto—”

“I don’t need to hear them. They don’t interest me. Results interest me. Answersinterestme.Details?Idon’tgiveadamnaboutdetails.”

Wilkes’s phone buzzed in his hand, but Wilkes didn’t look down. Flanery almostwishedhewould.Thenhe’dhavesomethingelsetogetangryabout.

“Checkyourdamnphone,”hesaidsharply.

Wilkesdidso.Asingleglance.

“Mycontacthasbeenintouch,”hesaid.“We’velocatedLilt.”

“He better have a good story,” said Flanery. “His story better be great. Better bemagnificent.He’smissedtwocalls.Two.Noonemissescallswithme.MartinFlaneryisnotthekindofmantocallbacklater.I’mnotthatkind,Wilkes.Wherethehellishe?”

Wilkeshesitated.If therewasonethingFlaneryhatedmorethantime-wasting, itwashesitation.

“Spititout,forGod’ssake.”

“PartheniosLilthasbeenarrested,”saidWilkes.

Flaneryfroze.“What?”

“Apparently,ithappenedthreedaysago,sir.”

“Whowasit?Usorthem?Whowasitarrestedhim,Wilkes?Normalpeopleorfreaks?”

“Oh,”Wilkessaid.“Them,sir.Freaks,sir.”

The anger in Flanery’s chest was a distant memory. Now Flanery was a volcano.Flanerywasthegoddamnatombomb.Uponexplosion,Flanerywouldflatteneverytownandvillageintheland.

Buthecouldn’texplode.Hehadtobecalm.Justlikehisfatherhadtaughthim.

“What’sthecharge?”Flaneryasked,keepinghisvoicelow.

“Sir?”Wilkessaid,leaningcloser.

“Thecharge.What’sthecharge?WhathasLiltbeenchargedwith?”

“Oh,”saidWilkes.“Idon’tknow,sir.”

“Findout.Geton thatphoneand findout.By the timewe reach theWhiteHouse, Iwantanswers.Youhearme?Youunderstandme?”

“Iunderstand,sir.Butthereareotherissueswe—”

“Forgetabouteverythingelse.Idon’tcare.Idon’tcareaboutpoliciesorregulationsortheHouseor theSenateoranything.Don’tcare.Only thing Icareabout iswhatLilt ischargedwithandwhatimpactthathasonme.Yougetthat?Youunderstand?”

“Sir,yes,sir.”

“Thengetitdone.”

“Yes,sir,MrPresident.”

36

Idiot.

Therewasnootherwordforit,really.OnlyidiotsummedupthemagnificentstupiditythatOmenwascapableofdisplayingatanymomentandinanysituation.Onlyhecouldhavehitchedaridefromrelativesafetytoabsolutejeopardywithoutactuallyneedingto,at all, in the slightest.Hehadbeen fired, forGod’s sake.SkulduggeryPleasanthimselfhadtoldhimtoleaveallthisdangerstufftotheprofessionals.Hewasnolongerinvolvedinwhateverthehellwasgoingon.

Andyetwhohadteleported,withamanwhohadalreadytriedtokillhim,movinginthespanofaneyeblinkfrombeneathabedinthedormitoriesofCorrivalAcademytothecoldfloorofwhatappearedtobeaprison?ThatwouldbeOmenDarkly,yes,sir,itwould.No one else could have managed something like that. The Boy Most Likely to GetHimselfKilled.

What had he been thinking? What the hell had possessed him to do something sobloody stupid? He hadn’t had anything even remotely resembling a plan. He wasimpossibly lucky that Nero had just walked off when they’d arrived. If he’d lookedaround,hewouldhaveseenOmenlyingthereonthegroundwithhishandoutstretched.Hemighthaveaccidentallytroddenonhim,whichwouldhavebeenaridiculouswaytobediscovered.

And,asNerohadwalkedaway,didOmenspringtohisfeet,stealthyasaninja?Ordidherollsidewaysintoanemptycell,andthencrawlunderanotherbedtohide?

Thewordrepeateditselfinhishead,justforgoodmeasure.Idiot.Idiot.Idiot.

Hepeekedout.Thecellwasold-fashioned,thekindhe’dseeninmovieslikeTheManin theIronMask.Rough-hewnwalls.Adoorof thickmetalbars.Theonlynods toanykindofcivilisedlivingwerethetoiletandthesink.Omenrecognisedbindingsigilscarvedintothestone.Theyweredull,whichmeantinactive.Thatwasgood.

He tookouthisphone.Nosignal.Omen, likemostothersorcererson theplanet,hadboostedittoworkanywhere.Itwasaquickandeasyprocedure–notevenhecouldhavemesseditup.Butitseemedthatprisonsoperatedunderdifferentrules.Omenreckonedhewasinaconsiderableamountoftroublenow.Trapped,aloneandwithnowayofcallingforhelp,theonlythingshehadtorelyonwerehisownmagicandingenuity.

Hewas,herealised,totallyscrewed.

Crawlingoutfrombeneaththebed,hedidhisverybestnottohyperventilate.Hewassuddenly freezing. His hands shook and he looked at the open cell door like it was amouthwaitingtospringshutthemomenthepassedthrough.

Slowly,slowly,Omengot tohisfeetandpeekedout.Theothercelldoorswereopen,too. Empty. Theywere empty. For themoment – for the fleetingmoment he currentlyexistedin–hewassafe.Relatively.

Hetuckedinhisshirt,thenwalkedquietlyinthedirectionNerohadgone.Thelightoutherewasn’tgood,andhewelcomedthecoldshadows.Allthebettertohidein,mydear.Helaughedalittle,andthelaughdiedandhiseyeswidened.Hislaughhadsoundedalotlikepanic.

He clamped both hands over his mouth as a high-pitched whine started up fromsomewherewithinhim.Heshookhishead,butthewhinekeptgrowing.Themorehetriedto stop it, the louder it got. He took a deep breath and balled his fists, thumped themagainsthisforeheadwhilehescrewedhiseyesshut.

Hewouldnotpanic.Hewouldnotpanic.Augerwouldn’tpanicinasituationlikethisandneitherwouldOmen.

Thewhine,amazingly,wentaway.

Omenopened his eyes and let out his breath in a slow, controlledmanner.He heardvoicescomingfromonedirectionandsohewenttheotherway.Thiswasnotabadplan.If he couldkeepwalking away fromwhoeverwas close, he’d stay safe andundetecteduntilhefoundawayout.Ofaprison.Whichwerenotoriouslydifficulttoleave.

Hecametometalstairsandwentup,carefulnottomaketoomuchnoise.Hetookthetunnel,plungingfromgreasyyellowlightintopitch-blackwitheverythirdstep.Hecameto a corner andpeeked.Across a divide he sawa curvedwall of cells, all occupiedbyprisoners,men andwomen, in yellow jumpsuits.Almost every single one of themwaseither sitting or lying on their bunk. They were so quiet in their solitude it was eerie.Omenactuallyfeltsorryforthem.

Hehurriedon.

He found another tunnel,which led to another corridor,which led to a row of opencells.

Exceptthetwocellsattheend.Theirdoorswereclosed.

Omenbithislip.Goingbackwouldmeanpassingbyallthoseprisonersagain.Itwouldmeanriskingbeingseen.Therewasnowayoutbehindhim–but forallheknewtherecouldbeanopendoorjustahead.

Hemovedforwardquietly.Thecellontheleftwasdark,buttherewasalightoninthecellontheright.

Stepbysilentstep,Omencrept.Hesawthebunk.Sawapairof legs,clad inyellow.Onewasoutstretched.Theotherbent.Omencranedhisneck,sawthickfingersholdingabatteredpaperback.

Omenswayedback,andtookadeepbreath.Confidence.Allheneededwasconfidence.Hewasgoingtostrideonwards.Iftheconvictlookedup,Omenwouldnodterselytohim,like hewasmeant to be here. Like it was all normal.He’d be in view formaybe twoseconds,andthengone.Hecoulddothis.Thiscouldbedone.

Omensquaredhisshoulders,andtookhisfirstbigstep.

“You!” the convict roared, andOmen screamed and his kneeswent and he stumbledbackastheconvictleapedtohisfeet.“Whothehellareyou?You’reakid!Whatareyoudoinghere?”

Omenstraightened,squeezingonehandinanother,andhedidhisbesttosmilepolitely.“Hello,”hesaid.“I’msorry,Ididn’tmeantodisturbyou.”

The convict pressed his face against the bars. He was big, with a shaved head, andlookedmean.“Whatthehellareyouwearing?”

“It’s,um,it’smyuniform,”Omentoldhim.“IattendCorrivalAcademy.”

“What’sthat?”

“Aschool,”saidOmen.“InRoarhaven.”

Theconvictblinked.“Youona–whatdotheycallthem?Fieldtrip?”

Omenmadehimselfchuckle.“No,no,sir.Tobehonest,I’mnotreallysupposedtobehere.Ishouldprobablyjustgo.”

“Comecloser.”

Omen’smouthwentevendrierthanitalreadywas.“I’msorry?”

Theconvictbeckonedtohimwithahuge,hairyhand.“C’mere.Getcloser.”

“I…Idon’tthinkthat’swise,sir.IthinkI’llstaywhereIam,ifyoudon’tmind.”

“C’mere,” the convict said. His hand was poking out through the bars now, fingerscurling.“Iwanttotalktoyou,butIdon’twannaraisemyvoice.Igotasorethroat.IthinkI’mcomingdownwithsomething.”

“That’sawful,”saidOmen.“ButIdon’twanttocatchit.”

“It’snotcontagious.”

“Still,though…Besttobesafe.”

“Comea littlecloser,” said theconvict.“Justa little. I’mnotgonnahurtyou, for thegods’sake.Ijustwannatalk.Couldyouatleastdomethecourtesyoftreatingmelikearegularhumanbeing?Oristhattoomuchtoask?”

Omenswallowedthickly,andtookatentativestepforward.

“Donotmoveonemoreinch,”saidavoicefrombehind.

Omenturned,noticingthefiguresittingonhisbunkinthedarkenedcell.

“Youstayoutofthis,”saidtheconvict.

The figure ignored him. “You know it’s a bad idea,” he said to Omen. He wasAmerican.“Youknowhe’sgoingtodoyouharm.Heknowsyouknow.Butwhatdoyoudo?Youdon’twishtooffendhim,soyoustepcloser.Howdumbareyou,slick?”

Omenstayedquiet.Hehopedthatwasarhetoricalquestion.

“Don’t listen to him,” said the convict. “I don’t think you’re dumb. What does heknow?Hewas thrown into that cell a fewdays ago.Hehasno ideawhat thehell he’stalkingabout.”

The man stood up from his bunk and stepped into the light. He was good-looking,unshaven,withdriedbloodonhisshirt.

“Youjustarrived?”Omenasked.

“Notbychoice.”

“Um,”saidOmen,“areyouTemperFray,byanychance?”

“I’mnotTemperFraybyanykindofchance,”themanreplied.“I’mTemperFraybydesign.I’mTemperFraybecausenobodyelsecouldhandletheawesomeresponsibilityofbeingme.ButwhoIamisnottheissuerightnow.Theissueiswhatisaschoolboydoinginthisparticularprisonatthisparticulartime?”

Omenthoughtaboutitforamoment.“Well,I…I’mkindofherebyaccident,butsinceIamhereIcould,maybe,rescueyou,ifyou’dlike…?”

TemperFrayfoldedhisarms.“Iwouldn’tsayno.”

“Whataboutme?”theconvictasked.“Canyourescueme,too?”

Omenturnedtohim.“Idon’treallyknowyou,sir.”

“Myname’sImmolationJoe.”

Omen hoped that Immolation Joe could see the conflict on his face. “I’m not surereleasingyouwouldbeagoodidea,though.Yousound,justbyyourname,likeyoumightbeathreatto,youknow,people.And,tobehonest,alsome.”

ImmolationJoefrowned.“Whatareyousaying?”

“IthinkyoumightkillmeifIletyouout,sir.”

“And?”

Omentookamoment,andnodded.“That’sagoodpoint.”

Temper cleared his throat, loudly, and Omen turned to him again. “How about youignore themultiplemurdereryou’re talking toand just focusongettingmeoutofhere,howaboutthat?”

“Yes,”Omensaidatonce.“OK.Sorry.Doyouhavethekey?”

“Slick,ifIhadthekey,Iwouldn’tneedtoberescued.”

“Imean,doyouknowwherethekeyis?”

“Idonot.”

“ThendoyouknowhowIcanrescueyouwithoutit?”

Tempersagged.“Myinitialexcitementisflagging,justtoletyouknow.Howdidyougethere?”

“Iteleported,”saidOmen.

“Ah!Myman’saTeleporter!”

“Well, no. I hitched a ride, actually. I know what’s going on, though. SkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCainbroughtmeintohelp.”

“They brought you in? They didn’t find Tanith Low or theMonster Hunters or anyspareDeadMenthatmightbefloatingaround?Theybroughtyouin?Whatageareyou?”

“Fourteen.”

“What’syourname?”

“OmenDarkly.”

Temperbrightened.“TheChosenOne?Well,goddamn,Itakeitallback.”

“Uh…I’mnotactuallytheChosenOne.I’mtheChosenOne’sbrother.”

Temperwentquietforamoment.“Ididn’tknowtheChosenOnehadabrother.”

“Hedoes,”Omenanswered.“AndI’mhim.”ThelookonTemper’sfacedidn’tchange,soOmenkepttalking.“Youdon’thavetoworry,though.Iwasthereforeverystepofmybrother’s training,and Ipickedupa lot.”Hewasn’tquite surewhathewassayinganymore. He wished his mouth would stop moving. “You’re in good hands. I can totallyrescueyou.”Omengaveanothersmilewhilehiswordscaughtupwithhim.Holycrap.Hewas talkinggibberish.TherewasnowayTemperwasgoing tobelieve the stuffhewassaying.

“OK,slick,”Tempersaid.“Ibelieveyou.Proceedwiththerescuing.”

Omencouldn’tmoveforamoment.Thenhenodded.Whenthatdidn’tdoanything,helookedaround.Thesolutiondidn’tjumpoutathimsohechewedhislip.

“Kid?”Tempersaid.

“Do you think they have a spare key, maybe, hidden somewhere?” Omen asked.“Behindaloosebrickorsomething?”

“Probablynot.”

“OK.That’sunfortunate.I’mnotsurehowI’mgoingtorescueyou,then.”

Temperscratchedhis stubble.“Listen tome,youdon’tneed to.You justhave tocallSkulduggeryandtellhimwhat’sgoingon.”

“Myphonedoesn’twork inhere. I’ll have togooutside andcall him.Doyouknowwheretheexitis?”

“Youhave no ideawherewe are, do you?We’re on a floating island.Going outsideheremeansdroppingintotheocean.”

“Oh.”

Temperworkedhis jawbackandforth,andOmencould tellhewasannoyed.“Slick,you’regoingtohavetofindawaytoopenthisdoor,OK?Imightbetheoneinthecell,butwe’rebothtrappedhere.Yougetmeout,Ifindawaytogetusoffthisrock.Thinkyoucandothat?”

Omennodded.“No.”

Temperfrowned.“No?”

“Ican’tdoanyof thatstuff,”Omenblurted.“Ican’t rescueyou. Idon’tknowwhyIsaidIcould.Ijustwantedtoimpressyou.YouseemcoolandIwanttobecool,too,soIsaidit,butI’llmakeamessofit.I’malreadymakingamessofit.Mybrotherdoestherescuing,notme.Ihaven’thadthepractice.Idon’thavethemindset.MyuncletookmeasideonceandtoldmeIwastheworst.Hedidn’tevenspecifywhatIwastheworstat.Ithinkhejustmeantingeneral.”

“Yourunclesoundslikeapieceofwork,butyou’vegottogetpastthat.Ishehererightnow?No.Youare.Youarehereandyoucandothis.”

“Icandothis.”

“No,youcan’t,”saidImmolationJoe.

“Ignorehim,”saidTemper.“Youcandothis.”

Omenbithislip.“Whatiftheyseeme?”

“They’llprobablykillyou.Youeverhavesomeonetrytokillyoubefore?”

“Yes,actually.Thismorning.”

“Iknewit,justbylookingatyou.You’vestareddeathintheface.That’sgood.Ihavepeopletryingtokillmeallthetime.Gettingcapturedisactuallykindofaluxury.What’syournameagain?”

“Omen.”

Tempernodded.“OK,Omen,findawaytogetmeoutofhere.I’mcountingonyou.”

Omendidn’tknowwhetherheshouldsaluteornot,sohejustgaveasmallwaveandhurried round the corner. The first thing he saw was a control panel on the wall. Hesteppedbackwards.

“There’sapanelhere,”hesaid.“Lotsofnumberedbuttonswith little lights,butonlytwolightsareon.Youthinktheyopenthecells?”

“IknewIcouldcountonyou,”saidTemper.“Getmeoutofhere,Omen.”

Grinning,Omenjabbedatoneofthebuttonsandthecorrespondinglightwentoffasheheardaclick.Helookedbackasthecelldoorswungopen,andImmolationJoestepped

out.

“Aw,”saidOmen.

ImmolationJoeclickedhisfingersafewtimes.Sparksflew.Thenhishandsburstintoflame.“Yesssss…”hesaid,gazingatthefirelikehewasinlove.

“Slick,”saidTemper.

OmenjabbedatthesecondbuttonandTempersprangoutofhiscell,hiskneecrashingintoImmolationJoe’schest.TheconvictreeledbackwardsandTemperslammedthedoorshut.ItclickedandimmediatelytheflamesdiedinJoe’shands.

“I’llkillyou!”ImmolationJoescreamed,graspingforthembetweenthebars.“I’llkillyouboth!”

Temperignoredhim,hiseyesclosed,savouringthemagicthatwasfloodingbackintohis system. Then he looked at Omen again and smiled, and held out his hand. “Nicegoing.”

Theyshook.

“Now,let’sgetthehelloutofhere.”

SmilingawkwardlyatImmolationJoe,OmenfollowedTempertoasetofmetalstairs.Theywentdown.Footstepsapproachedandtheyflattenedthemselvesagainstthewall.Amanwalked by.Didn’t see them.When hewas gone, they continued onwards, passingthroughaheavydoorthatstoodopen.Leavingthecellblocksbehindthem,theyjoggedtothe gate at the far end of an unmanned security checkpoint. Therewere about a dozenstairsbeyondit,concrete,andtheyclimbedthemandfoundthemselvesinalargechamberwithadeskandhugedoors–thewayout.

Omen’sjoywassomewhatdiminishedbythesightofLethestandingtherebeforethem.

37

“Ithoughtwehadsomething,”Lethesaid,strollingforward.“Butthefirstchanceyougettoescapeyoujustgrabitwithbothhands,don’tyou?”

“It’d never have worked between us,” Temper said, backing up and keeping Omenbehindhim.“I’mtooclingy.”

Eventhoughhecouldn’tseeLethe’seyes,Omenknewthemanwaslookingathim.

“Andthismustbethespyfromtheschool,”Lethesaid.“SkulduggeryPleasant’ssecretweapon.Iconfess,Ihaven’tacluewhoyouare,butIdon’tthinkitmatters.Yourcareerhascometoasharpandsuddenstop,littlespy.”

“Really?”Temperasked.“You’regoingtokillhim?Thekiddoesn’tknowanything.Hedoesn’t evenknowwhere he is right now.Let himgo. I’ll take youon, I’ll give you afight.Butlethimgo,whatdoyousay?”

“You’llgivemeafightifIallowit,”Lethesaid,“whichIwon’t.Theonlyreasonwehaven’tkilledyoualreadyisthatwehaven’tgotaroundtoit.I’mgoingtorectifythatinamoment. The little spy can eitherwatch and then die, or get the dying overwithnow.Littlespy,whichdoyouchoose?”

“I…um…I’llwatchTemperdiefirst,please,”saidOmen.

“Thanks,slick,”Tempermurmured,thenaddressedLethe.“MayIsuggestwehurrythisalong?Myrescueteamwillbehereshortly.”

“Youmeantosayithasn’tarrivedalready?”

Temper laughed.“You think thekidhere ismyrescue team?He’s justacheeky littleguywhosneakedoutpasthiscurfew.No,no–my rescue team iscomprisedofpeopleyou’llprobablyhaveheardof.Youwanttoknowwho’scomingnext?”

“I’mallears.”

Tempergrinned.“SkulduggeryPleasant,ValkyrieCainandawholehordeofCleavers.”

“Thatso?”

“Itis.Comingstraighthere.”

“My,my,”saidLethe.“SoundslikeI’mintrouble.”

“Now, you’re good,” Temper said, “I’m not denying that. But Skulduggery?Skulduggeryis—”

“Ours,”saidLethe.“Skulduggeryisours,MrFray.You’vebeenoutoftheloop,soI’mgoingtobreakthistoyougently.Mycolleague,MrSmoke,cameintocontactwithyourskeletal friend.Physical contact. And you knowwhat happens oncemy colleague,MrSmoke,comesintophysicalcontactwithsomeone,don’tyou?Youknowthatfirst-hand,amIcorrect?”

Temper’sgrinfaded.“Bull.”

“Notbull,MrFray.”

“Smoketurnedme,buthecan’tturnSkulduggery.Thatstuffdoesn’tworkonhim.Hismindcan’tberead,his—”

“My colleague’s ability has nothing to do with the mind, Mr Fray, and it’s goteverythingtodowiththesoul.SoIamintheunfortunatepositionofbeingtheonetotellyouthatnotonlyisyourfriendnolongeryourfriend,butthatthisfictitiousrescue teamyouhaveimaginedcomingtofreeyouis…Well,it’sjustnot.SoI’llgiveyouamomenttoletthatsinkin.”

Temperdidn’tsayanythinginresponse.

“Hasitsunkinyet?”Letheasked.“Ithinkithas.Bythelookonyourface,I thinkithas.Whichbringsusbacktotheactofkillingyouboth.Now,Iforget–littlespy,didyousayyouwantedtodiebeforeorafterMrFrayhere?”

“After,”Omensaid,hismouthdry.

“That’sright,”saidLethe,clickinghisfingers.“That’sright.Thankyou.Igetconfusedsometimes.”

HelungedandTempergrabbedhim,turnedhim,triedtotriphim,butLethebuckledhislegandflippedTemperoverhiship.Foramoment,Lethe’sbackwastoOmen,andallofa sudden Omen was throwing himself on to him. Everything he’d ever known aboutfightingflushedfromhismindandhehungon,clungon,eyeswidewithpanic,andthenLethetwistedandhithimandOmenwastumblingdowntheconcretesteps.

Hesprawledontotheground,therightsideofhisfacethrobbingnumbly.Heturnedhishead. From his vantage point, he could seeLethe andTemper from the chests up. Thefightflowedquickly.Temperwasnotwinning.

He heard awoman laugh. “Oh,oh!” cameRazzia’s voice. “Can I have a go?Can I,please?”

Lethe sounded amused. “By all means, Razzia. Sharing is caring, after all.” HewrappedTemperupinachoke,thenthrewhim,andfollowedhimoutofsight.

Omengotup.Rubbedhiskneeandhisface.Everyatominhisbodywantedtohide,butthey’d findhim.Of course theywould.AndTemperFraywasonhis side.Hecouldn’tabandon him. There was a code about these things. Omen didn’t know what it was,exactly,butheknewtherewasone.

Keepinglow,hecreptupthestairs.Thesoundsremindedhimofthearenabackhome,whenhisbrotherfacedaqueueoffightersandwouldn’tbeallowedtorestuntiltheclockranout.Asakid,Omenhadclosedhiseyestomostofit,butthesoundshadgotintohishead.Grunts.Cries.Knucklesstrikingflesh.Bodiesgoingdown.

He came levelwith the top of the stairs, watched Temper fight Razzia. Temperwastired,andshewasplayingwithhim.Omendidn’tknowwhatmagicaldisciplineTemperhad studied, but, if he didn’t use hismagic now, hewasn’t going to lastmuch longer.Lethecircledthemboth,watching.Nerowasthere,too,standingwithhisbacktoOmen,callingouttheoccasionalbitofadvicethatRazziawouldignore.Nerowasn’twearinghisjacket,whichmeanttheknife,sheathedonhisbelt,wasplainlyvisible.

Therewasnootherchoice.TherealisationhitOmenlikeaslapandhisgutsturnedcoldand plummeted somewhere deep and dark, leaving a hollow space where only shiverslived.Nootherchoicebuttodosomethingstupid.Itwasthisorneverescape.Thisordiehere.

Omenscuttledupthelastfewsteps,countedtothreeandburstforward.

He slammed intoNero and theywent tumblingover eachother,Omengoing for theknife,his fingertips finding thehandleand then losing itagain.Withhisotherhand,hekeptatightgripofNero’sshirt.Hecouldn’tletgo.IfheletgoandNeroteleportedaway,hewaslost.

Theycametoastop.TheknifewasinOmen’shand,thebladejammedagainstNero’sthroat.

“Sloppy,” saidLethe,buthedidn’t run in tohaulOmenoff.Hedidn’tmove.Razziadidn’tmove,either.Tempercollapsed.

Omen badly needed some water. His throat was parched and his lips were dry. Histonguefelttooheavytoformwords.

Frombeneathhim,Nerosaidcalmly,“Don’tdoanythingstupid.”

AngerflashedandOmencameuptooneknee,diggingtheknifeinalittledeeper.Hecould talk fine now. “You’re going to let us go,” he said, with a hell of a lot moreconfidencethanhefelt.“Ifanyonetriesanything,I’llkillhim.”

Lethefoldedhisarms.“Youwill?Really?Idon’tknow.Razzia,whatdoyouthink?Helooklikeakillertoyou?”

Razziajumpedupanddown.“Ooh,Ihopeso!Doit!Doit,kid!It’sonlyNero!Ifhecarksit,wecangrowanotherone!”

Lethelookedather.“Actually,wecan’t.”

Razziastoppedjumping.“Wedidn’tgrowhiminatube?Strewth,IthoughthewasoneofthosegeneticexperimentsIkeephearingabout.Withthehairandall.”Sheshrugged.“Killhimanyway,kid.Cuthisthroatandjointheclub.”

“Hey,”Nerosaidloudly.“Hey!Comeon!Let’snotantagonisethekid,allright?Let’sallbecoolhere.”

“Of course,”Lethe said, sauntering forward. “You’re right,Nero.Of course you are.Let’sbecool.”

“Stopwalking,”saidOmen.

Lethe ignoredhim. “We’llall be cool.Nobodyhas to hurtanybody. Let’s just shakehandsandpartasfriends,whatdoyousay?”

Tempergroaned, and rolledon to all fours. “He takes another step, you start cutting,youhearme?”

“Theboy’snotgoingtocut,”saidLethe.“He’snotakiller.He’snotamurderer.”

“I’m scared and I’m trapped andyou’re gonnakillme,”Omen countered. “Iwill dowhateverIhaveto.”

“Youdon’t have to do anything,”Nero saidquickly, “becauseLethe is going to stopwalkingrightgoddamnnow.Aren’tyou,Lethe?Lethe?”

Lethe’ssaunter,ascalmandunhurriedasanysaunterOmenhadeverseen,cametoaslowandreluctantstop.Hesighed.“Fine.Lookatme.LookathowstillI’mstanding.”

“Temper, come over here,” Omen said. Hewas sweating. Perspiration ran down hisface,downthebackofhiscollar.Hecouldfeelhowdamphisarmpitswere.Theknife.Theknifewasslippery;hewasn’tsurethatit’dstayinhishandifhehadtostab,buthedarednotadjusthisgrip.

Tempergotupandlimpedover.Itwaslikehewasbeingslowonpurpose.Omenhadtobitebackharshwords.Hecouldfeelthepanicbeneathhisskin.Itjitteredandbubbledandboiled.

Finally– finally –Temperwas crouchingbeside him, onehandonOmen’s shoulder,onehandonNero’sarm.“Allright then,”hesaid, takingcontrolof thesituation,“NerohereisgoingtoteleportusbacktoRoarhaven.Youhearthat,Nero?RightintothemiddleofMeritorious Square. If you try something stupid, like dumping us off the edge of avolcano,Omenherewillkillyouashisfinalact,won’tyou,Omen?”

“Yes, Iwill,”Omensaid, tremblingsobadly that thebladenickedNero’sskin. If theshakesgotanyworse,theknifewasliabletoflyoutofhishandbeforehegotachancetouseit.

“MeritoriousSquare,”Nerorepeated.“Allright.Justsaywhen.”

“Noneofthismeansanything,”Lethesaid.“Soyouescape–sowhat?You’vealreadytold us everything you know, which was a paltry amount to begin with. At this stage,you’reworthlesstous.Thisescapemeansnothing.”

“Firstyouhurtmybody,”Tempersaid.“Thenyouhurtmyfeelings.Iknowwhichwillleavethedeeperscar.Nero?Mush.”

Brightsunglaredfromablueskywithnocloudsandthesuddenrushofcoldairandthenoise of Roarhaven all around them and Omen flinched and Nero shoved him away,twistingfromTemper’sgripandvanishing.

Peoplewereglancingatthem.TwoCleaverswererunningover.

“Youdidgood,slick,”Tempersaid,lyingonhisbackandlookingupatthesky.“Youdidgood.”

Omenlookedattheknifeforamoment,thendroppeditandmanagedasmile.

Hisfirstrescuemission.

38

“This is notmy first rescuemission,” Sebastianwhispered toBennet as they crouchedaroundthecornerfromthetinyhouse.“Letmegoinfirst.I’llcleartheroomofhostiles.WhenIgiveyoutheall-clear,youcomein.Understand?”

Bennet nodded.Hewasvisibly shaking.Aquickpeek through thedirtywindowhadshownthemOdettasittingatatable,aHollowManstandingrightbehindher.TheyhadnoideahowmanyotherHollowMenmightbeintherewiththem.

SebastianpattedBennetontheshoulder.Hefeltanurgetorepeathisinstructions,butdecidedagainstit.Bennetwasagrownman,notachild.

Keeping low, Sebastian jogged to the front door. He took a deep breath to steadyhimselfand thenkicked, thewoodsplinteringbeneathhisboot, thedoorcrashingopen,and thenBennet lungedpasthim,pullinghisgunfromhispocket.Therewasascream.Sebastianranin,butsawOdettathrowingherselfinfrontoftheHollowMan.

“Don’t!”shecried.

Bennetkeptshiftinghisaim.“Ican’t…Sweetheart,ifyoudon’tmoveoutoftheway,Ican’tshootit.”

“He’snotanit!”Odettasaid.“HisnameisConrad!”

Bennethesitated.“I’msorry?”

“Excuse me,” Sebastian said, satisfied that there were no other HollowMen in thebuilding,“butwhatexactlyisgoingonhere?”

“We’reinlove!”Odettasaid.

“Yes,weare,”saidBennet.

“Notmeandyou!”Odettasaid,almostangrily.“We!Weareinlove!”

BennetlookedathiswifeandtheHollowMan.“I’mmissingsomethinghere.”

“I…Ithinkshe’sleavingyou,”saidSebastian.“Ithinkshewantstospendtherestofherlifewithit.Sorry.Him.What’shisnameagain?”

“Conrad,”saidOdetta.

Bennetlaughed.Thenhislaughfailedandheloweredthegun.“What?”

“It’strue,”Odettasaid.“I’msosorry,Bennet.Ididn’twantyoutofindoutthisway,butIdidn’tknowhowtotellyou.Igotscared.Ithoughtjustwalkingawaywouldbethebest

thing,but then Iknewyou’dbeworrying, so IhadoneofConrad’s friendsdeliver thatmessage…Isupposeit’sgood,thatyou’rehere.Wecanfinallytalkaboutit.”

“You’re…inlovewith…withthat?”

“Withhim,”Sebastiancorrected.

“But he’s aHollowMan,”Bennet said. “He’smadeof paper. I don’t get how this isremotelypossible?”Tearsbrimmed.Thegunfelltothefloor.“You’releavingme?”

“I’msosorry.”

“You’releavingmeforamanmadeoutofpaper?”

Odettawept.“Pleasedon’tbenasty,”shesaid.

“Butwe’remarried.Why are you leavingme?You can’t leaveme –we’remarried.Whataboutourson?”

“Kaseknows.Heunderstands.”

“Butweweregoingtohavemorechildren.Wetalkedaboutit,aboutgivingKasealittlebrotherorsister.”

“Hecanstillhavethat.Butyouwon’tbethefather.”

“Odetta, come on,” Bennet said, moving forward. “Be reasonable. You can’t havechildrenwithaHollowMan.”

“Hehasaname!”Odettasaid,herangerrisingagain.

“This is ridiculous! The onlyway you could have childrenwith it is if they’re on apaperchain!”

“Howdareyou!”

“Is thatwhatyouwant,Odetta?Youwantpaper-chain children? Is that it?Youwantorigamikids?”

OdettapunchedBennetsohardhiskneesbuckledandhefell.

“Don’t say nasty things!” Odetta shouted. “You know why I fell in love with him?Becausehelistens!Yousaynastythingswheneveryougetupset!You’reanastyman!Ican’tstandit!Ican’tstanditanymore!”

“But…butIloveyou…”Bennetsaid,strugglingtogetup.

“TheonlypersonyouloveisDarquesse,”Odettaspat.“Andthatissickbeyondreason!Thereissomethingseriouslywrongwithyouifyouworshipthatmonster!Shemurderedover a thousand people!How can you talk about her like she’s thismajestic, heavenlycreaturewhen she’s killed somany?You, you and your sick friends, there’s somethingwrongwithyouall!”

Sebastian hesitated, then helpedBennet to his feet. Theman felt like kindling in hishands.

“Odetta…”

“Idon’twanttohearit,”Odettasaid.“AndIthinkyoushouldmoveout.I’llbebackonSunday.Youbetternotbethere.”

“Canwe…canwejusttalkaboutit?”

“Talkingtoyouhasnevergotmeanywhere,”Odettasaid.“Gohomenow,Bennet.ThenexttimeItalktoyou,I’llbedivorcingyou.”

“No,no,please…”

“I’mgoingtosaythisonceandonceonly,soopenyourearsandlistentoit.It’sonlyoneword.Evenyoucanabsorboneword.Ready?Hereitcomes.”

“No.Don’t.Please.Whoelsewillloveme?”

Sheleanedin.“Goodbye.”

39

“Hello.”

Hisvoice.Deep,andsmooth.Likevelvet.

Valkyrie sat hunched over on the bed, her phone to her ear. Elsewhere in the clinic,beyondher room,peoplewere talkingandmachineswerebeeping,but inhereValkyriewastrembling.Herwholebodyshook.

“Iknowyou’rethere,”hesaid.“Icanhearyoubreathing.”

Shestaredatthewall.

“That’sOK,”hesaid.“Youdon’thavetotalk.Icandothetalkingforbothofus.You’reprobably feelingveryalone rightnow.This isunderstandable.You’re afraidandyou’reconfusedandyou’repanicking.”

“Itfades,”shemanagedtosay.

“I’msorry?Whatwasthat?”

“Smoke’scorruption,”shesaid.“Itfadesawayafterforty-eighthours.”

“That’swhatyou’rehangingonto?That’swhatyou’repinningyourhopesto?Valkyrie,whatevermakesyouthinkthatIwouldwantthistowearoff?”

“Becauseyou’renotyourself.”

“Thisdoesn’tchangewhoIam.I’mstillme,Valkyrie.I’mjustamoreefficientversionofme.I’veleftbehindsomanylittlerules.”

Sheshookherhead.“Smokecontrolsyou.You’reaslave.”

“Icouldseehowyouwouldthinkthat,butI’mafraidyou’dbewrong.Theonlytimeinmylife,suchas it is,whenI’vefeltmore liberated thanIamrightnowiswhenIworearmour.You should try this.You should join us. I’m sure you’d be a boon to the anti-Sanctuary.”

“Helpus,”shesaid.“Lethe…Smoke…theythinkyou’reontheirside.”

“Iamontheirside.”

“Idon’t…Idon’tbelievethat.”

“Yes,youdo.CanIaskyousomething?Areyouworriedaboutyourfamily?AreyouworriedthatI’mgoingtokillyourdog?Oryoursister?”

“No,”shesaid.

“Really?Areyoubeinghonest?”

“You won’t go after my family or my dog. You don’t want me wasting my timeworryingaboutthethingsIlove.Youwantmefocused.”

“Yes,”saidSkulduggery.“Yes.Youknowmewell,Valkyrie.I’mgoingtohavefunwithyou.Your death… it isn’t going to be quick.And your life isn’t going to be painless.Fromthispointuntiltheend,it’sgoingtobe…excruciating.”

Shehungup.

40

Valkyrie’s throatwas raw,hermouthhauntedby thebitter aftertasteof thedried leavesshe’dbeengiventoeasethepainofthegunshotwound.Herlegwasstiff,butnumb,andalreadyhealing.Shewassoincrediblytired,though–likeshe’dalreadyburnedthroughaday’sworthofenergy.

“It’stemporary,”shesaidtotheroom.“It’stemporary.”

Anditwas.Itwastemporary.Smoke’scorruption,ithitandoverwhelmedandthenitfaded.Shehadn’tlosthim.Skulduggerywasn’tgone.Notforever.

Sheloweredherhands, lookedat themwhile theytrembled.She’dgethimback.Shedidn’tgiveadamnwhatLetheor theanti-Sanctuarywantedoutofall this,butshewasgoingtostopthemandgetSkulduggeryback,andthecorruptionwouldfadeandthat’dbethat.Easy.Simple.Straightforward.

She forced herself to breathe deeply, to calm down. Eventually, her hands stoppedtrembling.

“Can’tleaveyoualoneforasecond,canI?”Darquessesaid,walkingin.

Valkyrieignoredher,andcarefullyswungherinjuredlegoffthebed.

“It’strue,then?Hereallyhasturned?”Darquesseasked,andsatonthebedbesideher.“Youmustbeterrified.Areyou?Youmustbe.You’reallalonenow.”

Valkyrieexperimentedwithputtingsomeweightontoherfoot.

“Heshotyou,”saidDarquesse.“Heactuallyshotyou.Yes,he’sundertheinfluenceofabad,badman,butevenso–thathastosting,doesn’tit?Thefactthatheisfullycapableofhurtingyou?You’vegone all this time thinking thebondbetweenyouwas so strong itwouldsurviveanything…buthefailsatthefirstrealtestofyourfriendship.”

“Hehasn’tfailed,”saidValkyrie.

“Tellthattoyourleg.”

“Andourfriendshiphasbeentestedbefore.”

Darquessedismissed thenotionwithawave.“Youmeanwhenyoufoundout thathewasLordVile?That’snothing.Hesinned.Sinsarecommittedinordertobeforgiven.Butthis…thiswasarealtest.”

“Don’tyouhavesomeoneelsetohaunt?”

Darquesse smiled. “Just you. So do you think he’ll go afterAlice?Do you think healreadyhasher?”

“Hewon’t.Hetoldme.”

“Youbelievehim?”

“Skulduggerywouldn’tlietome.”

“Sohe’dshootyou,butnotlietoyou?Well,Isupposeboundariesareimportant.”

“Hedoesn’twantmedistracted,”Valkyriesaid.

“Who’sdistracted?”ReverieSynecdocheasked,walkingin.

DarquessemovedoutofthewayandReveriewalkedrightbyher.

“Iam,”Valkyriesaid.“Sorry.Justtalkingtomyself.”

“Firstsignofmadness,”Reveriesaid.“Canyoustand?”

Valkyriepushedherself off thebed.Her legdidn’t buckle, butReveriewas toobusymakingnotestonoticehergrimace.

“Thescarshouldbegonecompletelyintwoorthreedays,”shesaid.“You’reluckythebulletdidn’tnickanartery,though.Itcouldhavebeenalotworse.”

“Hearthat?”Darquessesaid.“You’realuckygirl.”

Valkyriestuffedherfeetintohertrainersandcrouchedtotiethelaces.Herjeanswerenew.Theoldones,bloodstained,withtheleftlegslitupthemiddle,wereinaplasticbagsomewhere,waitingtobe thrownoutorburnedorwhatever itwas theydidwithruinedclotheshereinReverie’sclinic.

“Idon’tknowwhyshebothered,though,”Darquessecontinued.“Wouldn’tithavebeenbettertojustletyoudie?Imean,it’snotlikeSkulduggeryisnotgoingtokillyou.Yourdeathisasinevitableasitisimminent.”

One of the nurses passed in the corridor and Valkyrie straightened and focused herattentiononReverie.“Clarabellenotworkinghereanymore?”

“Fine,”Darquessesighed.“Ignoreme.”

“Clarabelle?” Reverie said, finally looking up. “No, no. She’s busy being the worstbartenderintheworld.Shestaresintospacehalfthetimeandfortheotherhalfcannot,forthelifeofher,rememberwhatanybodyordered.”

“Everyone’sthinkingit,”Darquessesaid.“I’mjusttheonlyonebraveenoughtosayit.”

“HowareScapegraceandThrasher?”Valkyrieasked.

Reverieshrugged.“TheycomeinheretwoorthreetimesayearandIsewbitsofthembackon.Thrasherisstillbesotted,Scapegraceisstilloblivious,andClarabellelovesthemboth without measure. The pub’s quiet, but does OK. Thrasher is surprisingly good atbookkeeping,asitturnsout.”

“I’m glad,” saidValkyrie, pulling on her coat. “I’m glad things areworking out forthem.”

“The doctor raises an interesting point, though,” Darquesse said, folding her arms.“Abouttalkingtoyourselfbeingthefirstsignofmadness.Maybeyouaremad.”

“Bytheway,”saidReverie,“IgotacallfromtheHighSanctuaryenquiringastowhyyou were not availing yourself of their medical facilities. I get the impression thatSupremeMageSorrowswould ratheryouspendyour timewhereshecankeepaclosereyeonyou.”

“I’msureshewould,”Valkyrieresponded.“Thankyou,Reverie.”

“It’swhatI’mherefor,”Reveriesaid,andValkyrieshookherhandandlimpedfromtheroom.

“Maybeyoushouldaskhertotakealookatyourhead,”Darquessesaid,trailingafterher.“Performabrainscanorsomething.Ijustdon’tthinkyou’replayingwithafulldeckofcards,that’sall.”

Valkyrielimpedon.Darquessestayedrightbehindher.

“Let’sfaceit,you’renotexactlyaposterchildformentalhealth,areyou?Agreatbigchunkofwhoyouaresplitofffromyouandkilled1,351innocentpeople.Youyourselfmurderedyourownsister.Andnowlook–you’rebeinghauntedbytheghostofyourownsplitpersonality.”

“You’renotaghost,”Valkyriemuttered.

“Nooneelsecanseeme,can they?Theycan’thearmeor touchme.SoI’meitheraghostorahallucination.Ithinkit’dbebetterforyouifIwereaghost.”

Valkyrie turned to her, glaring into the smirk. “You’re not a ghost and you’re not ahallucination.Iknowexactlywhatyouare.”

“Oh,really?”Darquessesaid.“Wellthen,whatamI?”

“You’reabitofher,”Valkyriesaid.“You’reasplinteroftherealDarquesse.What,youreally think I wouldn’t have worked it out? You’ve been hanging around me for fiveyears.”

“Youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.”

“You’reastraythoughtsheleftbehind,”saidValkyrie.“Sheabandonedyou,andyoudon’thavethepowertogoafterher.Youbarelyhavethepowertoexist.”

“That’sacosyexplanation,”Darquessesaid.“Ibet it’smorecomfortingthantheideathatyou’regoinginsane.”

“MaybeIcanseeyoubecausewe’reconnected,ormaybeit’sbecauseIcanseeacrossthemagic spectrum. I don’t know.Butwhat I do know is that you’re flesh and blood.You’renota figmentofmy imaginationandyou’renotasymptomofmy insanity.YouwanttoknowhowIknow?”

“Dearly.”

Valkyriepunchedher,snappingherheadback,bucklingherlegsfromunderher.

“See?”Valkyriesaid,lookingdownather.“Real.”

Valkyrieleftherthere.

Around the corner and halfway down the next corridor, she pushed open a door andsteppedin.

Fletcher lay sleeping, hooked up to an IV and a monitor. He was pale. His hair,distressingly,wassensiblybrushedbackfromhisforehead.Helookedalmostrespectable,likesomeonewhohadn’tknownhimhadpreparedhimforhiscoffin.

Valkyrierealisedherhandswereshaking.Sheclenchedherfiststostopit.

For five years, she hadn’t had to visit anyone in hospital. For five years, she’d beenawayfrombeatingsandstabbings,frommurdersandplots.Shehadn’tmissedanyofit,and yet she’d come back. She’dwalked back into thisworld of violence and pain anddeath and suffering, and she’ddone so fully awareofwhat couldhappen.She couldn’texplainwhy.

“Hey,”Fletchersaid.Hewassmiling.

Shewalkedcloser.“How’reyoudoing?”

“Good.”Hisvoicewasweak.“Buttheknifedidalotofdamage,soIhavetostayverystillforeverythingtosettlebackintoplace.Iamsoincrediblybored.”

“I’dsayso.”

“Howareyou?IheardwhathappenedtoSkulduggery.”

“Yeah,”shesaid.“I’mOK.I’llgethimback.”

“Idon’tdoubtit.Whowasitstabbedme?”

Valkyriesatonthechairbesidehisbed.“HisnameisNero.ATeleporter.Idon’tknowhowhedidit,howhefollowedyou.I’veneverevenheardofthatbefore.”

“Me either,” Fletcher said, “and I’ve read practically every book written aboutTeleporters.Notthattherearemany.Thereare,like,four.”

“You’vereadfourbooks?”

“I’vechanged,”hesaid,andsmiledagain.

“Thanks, by theway,” she said. “For coming to get us like you did. You saved ourlives.”

“I’dblush,butIdoubtIhaveenoughbloodforit.Besides,Ididn’thaveachoice.ThecallcameinthatSkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCainwereintroubleandwhatwasIgoingtodo,ignoreit?Youweremyfirstlove.Ihadtogochargingtotherescue.”

“Myhero.”

“Yeah,I’mawesome.Hey,hopeyoudon’tmindmesayingthis,butyoulook…sad.”

“I’llbefine.Skulduggerybeinggone…it’stemporary.That’sall.”

“He’llcomebacktoyou,”saidFletcher.“Ifanyonecansnaphimoutofwhateveritisthat’saffectinghim,it’llbeyou.”

“Yeah.”

“Howyoudoing,Val?Really?”

Shelookedaway,thenback.“Notgood,”shesaid.

41

She said her goodbyes to Fletcher and walked towards the exit. She was almost therewhenthedoorsopenedaheadofherandTemperFrayandOmenDarklyhurriedinfromthestreet.Shestared.

“I heard what happened,” Temper said, his face still puffy from a recent beating.“What’stheplan?”

Valkyrieblinkedathim.“What?”

“The plan,” he repeated, like hewas talking to a four-year-old. “To stop them fromresurrectingAbyssinia.Whatisit?”

“Idon’t…Idon’tknowwhat…Temper,howareyoustillalive?”

“Omenrescuedme,”Tempersaid.

“Omen’ssupposedtobeinschool.”

“I’d never have thought Skulduggery would shoot you,” Temper said. “I mean, notactuallyshootyou.Notyou.”

Valkyrie shook her head. “Wait, stop,we’re not finished talking about this. I’m gladyou’realiveandeverything,butOmen,Skulduggerytoldyoutostayoutofitfromnowon,didn’the?”

Omennodded,liketheguiltyschoolboyhewas.

“Again,I’mgladTemperisn’tdead,butthisisn’tagamewe’replaying.”

“Iknow,”Omenmurmured.

“Idon’tthinkyoudo.Lookatme.Lookatthefearinmyeyes.Youthinkanyofthisisfun?”

“No.”

“Thisisn’tyourfight.Itisn’tyourjobtodealwiththesepsychosanditisn’tyourjobtorescuepeople,aspleasedasIamthatTemperisalive.”

“Youkeepsayingthat,”Tempersaid.“Idon’tthinkIbelieveyouanymore.”

“I’msorryIdisobeyedSkulduggery,”saidOmen,“butIreallywanttobeapartofthis.It’smyonechancetobesomeone.”

“You’re fourteen,”Valkyriesaid.“Youhaveplentyof time tobesomeone.Youdon’tbelongouthere.Youbelonginschool.”

“Hey,”saidTemper,puttinganarmroundOmen’sshoulders,“showmyboyheresomerespect. He savedme, Valkyrie. He hitched a lift with Nero, came into the lion’s den,sneakedbyallthenutcases,freedmefrommyprisoncellandthensavedmefromgettingmyasskicked. It’sbecauseofhim that Igotback inonepiece.Hecanhandlehimself,OK?Whichismorethaneitherofushavedonelately.”

“He’sakid.”

“Sowereyou.”

“Andlookatmenow.Seriously.Lookatwhatallthatactionandadventurehasdonetome. I’m a frickin’ basket case.My best friend has been taken fromme and I’m barelyholding it together. I’ve got parentswhoworry aboutme and a little sister I never seebecause Idon’tdeserveher love.My life is amess,Omen.For the last fiveyears, I’vecried myself to sleep and practically every morning I’ve woken up screaming. I feelmyselfdipintothesepitsofsadnessandIcanseeitcoming,butIcan’tdoanythingaboutit, andevery time it takesme justa littlebit longer toclimbbackout. Is thatwhatyouwant?Isthisthekindofadventureyou’relookingfor?”

Omendidn’trespond.

“Haveanormallife,”Valkyriesaid.“Please.Justwalkaway.Leaveitallbehind.Leavemagicbehind.Liveasamortal.That’swhatI’ddo,ifIcoulddoitalloveragain.”

“Idon’tbelievethat,”saidTemper.

“Andit’sagoodthingIdon’tcarewhatyouthink.”

“Wecoulddowithhishelp,Valkyrie,seeingashowwearesovastlyoutmatchedasitstands.”

“Well,whystopthere?”sheasked.“Whystopwithafourteen-year-old?Whynotgetacouple of toddlers to draw enemy fire?Why not have an entire brigade of babies andidiots?”

“I’mstartingtofeelalittleinsulted,”Omensaidquietly.

“And where did thiswe business start, anyway?” Valkyrie demanded. “We’re not ateam,Temper.Skulduggeryandme,wewereateam.ButIbarelyknowyou,andIhardlytrustyou.”

“Skulduggerytrustedme.”

“Didhe?Yousureaboutthat?”

Shebrushedbythemboth,headingfortheexit.Herlegwasgettingbetter,herlimplesspronounced.

“Lethe toldme thatSmoke’spowercorrupts the soul,”Temper said,“not themind. Icouldn’ttellthedifference,tobehonest,butthat’showtheygotSkulduggery,incaseyou

werewondering.”

Valkyriestopped.“Hegotyou,too?”

“Ofcourse,”saidTemper.“Whytorturemeforinformationwhentheycanturnmeandjustask?ItoldthemwhateverIknew,whichwasn’tawholelot,andthentheyputmeinchains.”

Valkyrie turned, switching on her aura-vision, taking in the glowing warmth ofTemper’saura.“You’reclean,”shesaid.

“Sorry?”

Hervisionreturnedtonormal.“Smoke’scorruption,it’snotaffectingyouanymore.”

Temperfrowned.“Iknow.Itonlylastedtwodaysorsomething.Wait,youcanseethat?Youcanseemysoul?”

“Icansee…something,”shesaid.“Anaura.It’scolour,mostly.”

“Whatcolourdoyousee?”

“Orange.”

“Isthatgood?”

“Idon’tknowifit’sgood.Butit’snormal.”

Tempercameforward.“I’msorrythatyoudon’ttrustme,andmaybeyou’rerightnotto.I’vedonesomeprettyquestionablethingsinmylife.ButIdon’tneedtoseeaurastoknowIcantrustyou.Iknowthey’relookingtouseDoctorMeliortobringbacksomeonecalledAbyssinia,andIdoubtthat’dbegoodnewsforanyonebuther,soI’mheretohelphoweverIcan.”

“I’mheretohelp,too,”saidOmen.“IknowyouthinkI’makid,andIknowyouwantmetogoaway,butIcanbeuseful.Ineedtodothis.Yousaidyourparentsareworriedaboutyou.Minebarelyevennoticeme,andwhentheydoit’stocriticisemeandcallmenames.I’veneverbeenapartofsomethinglikethis.Please,letmecontinue.I’llstayoutoftrouble,Iswear.I’mnotgoingtogethurt.”

“You don’t know that,” Valkyrie said. “For all you know, this is the first step on ajourneythatwillendwithyoudyinginastreetsomewhere,inyourbrother’sarms.”

Omen swallowed. “If that’smy destiny, then that’smy destiny.But at least I’ll haveone.”

“You’vegotourhelp,”Tempersaid,“whetheryouwantitornot.Sowhatdowedo?”

Shefrowned.“Whyareyouaskingme?”

“You’reValkyrieCain,aren’tyou?IfSkulduggeryPleasantisn’there,you’reincharge.Whatdoyouthink,Omen?Doesthatappeartobethehierarchy?”

“Itdoes,”Omensaid,hisvoicecrackingashecameforward.Heblushed,andclearedhisthroat.“Imean,yes.Itdoes.Skulduggery,thenValkyrie,thenyou.”

Tempernodded.“Andthenyou.”

“Me?Really?”

“Ofcourse.You’veearnedyourplaceasfourthincommand.”

“Wow.”Omenbeamed.“Thanks.”

“You’refourthinagroupoffour,”Valkyriepointedout.“You’reinchargeofnoone.”

Temperslappedhimontheshoulder.“Don’tyoulistentoher,slick.You’reinchargeofyourself and, in thegrand schemeof things, that’s theonly authorityworthhaving.So,Valkyrie,what’sournextmove?”

Valkyrietookadeepbreath,andletitout.“Idon’tknow.WhatwouldSkulduggerydo?He’dkickdownafewdoorsuntilaleadpresenteditself.”

“Andwhere’sthefirstdoorwekickdown?”

“I suppose…SanFrancisco?Maybe? Ifwe can find outwhereRichardMelior andSavantVega livedwhile theywere there,wemight find someonewhoknew them, andknew Lilt, back when they were all friends. If we find a lead to Lilt, we’re closer tofindingaleadtotheanti-Sanctuary.”

“Huh,”saidTemper.

Valkyriesighed.“Itdoesn’tmakeanysense,doesit?”

“No,itdoes.”

“Butitwon’twork,willit?”

“There’snoreasonwhyitshouldn’t.”

“Listen, if you twohave anybetter ideas, please share them.Any ideas at all. In theslightest.Eitherofyou.Butmaybenotyou,Omen.”

“Yeah,”Omensaid.

“Youprobablywouldn’thaveanythinguseful.”

“Probablynot.”

“Don’twanttoberude.”

“It’snotrudeifit’strue.”

“Temper?Doyouhaveanything?”

Tempershookhishead.“Nothingbetterthanwhatyougot.Kickingdowndoorssoundsgoodtome.”

“It’saterribleplan.”

“It’souronlyplan.”

“Onthebrightside,”saidValkyrie,“China’speoplemightlocateColdheartPrisonanymomentnow,andwhentheydothey’llstormitandit’llallbeoverandnoneofthiswill

matter.”

“Exactly!”Tempersaid.“Thefateoftheworldmightnotberestingonourshoulders.Wejusthavetokeepremindingourselvesofthat.”Helookedatthembothandsmiled.“Idon’tknowaboutyoutwo,butIampumpedforthis.Really.I’mnotevenbeingsarcastic.Notevenalittle.Atall.Intheslightest.”

42

Whatever disagreements Skulduggery hadwith Chinameant little or nothing now, andValkyriesatwith theSupremeMageonthehighestbalconyoverlookingRoarhavenandtoldhereverything.Chinalistenedandnoddedandaskedclarifyingquestions,andwhenValkyrie was finished a silence settled and Valkyrie felt relief. Relief that she hadunburdenedherself,reliefthattheproblemwassharedandreliefthatsomeoneelsecouldtakechargefromthispointon.

Itwasraining.Fromuphere,thestreetslookedslicklysmooth,therooftopspolishedtoaslipperygleam.Peoplehurried,wearingcoatsorcarryingumbrellasormanipulatingtherain to divert around them. She could hear the faint splashes of cars driving throughpuddles.Itwaswetandcoldeverywherebutonthebalcony–onthebalconyitwaswarmanddry.

“Abyssinia,”Chinasaid.“IneverthoughtI’dhavetospeakthatnameagain.”

“Skulduggerysaidyouwerefriends.”

China’seyebrowraisedafraction.“That’sastrongword.Butmaybe,yes.Howmuchdidhetellyouabouther?”

“Enoughtoscareme.”

“Ifyou’reonlyscared,hemusthaveleftoutsomeofthemoreunsavouryaspectsofherstory.”

“Shewasthatbad?”

“Shewasworse.”

“HasLiltsaidanythingabouther?”

AflickerofannoyancepassedacrossChina’sflawlessface.“Heisprovingtobemostobstinate,” she said. “Our Sensitives are having trouble getting past his defences. He’salreadysenttheCityGuardsintoabooby-trappedapartment–itwasamiraclenoonewaskilled.Icanarrangeforyoutoseehim,ifyouwant.Maybehe’lltalktoyou.”

“You’vegottrainedinvestigators,”Valkyriereplied.“Youshouldstickwiththem.”

“Liltwon’teventalk tothemanymore.HeknowsaboutSmoketurningSkulduggery.Maybehe’llwanttogloataboutit.Itmightbeanopeningyoucanuse.”

“China,Ireallydon’tthinkthat’sagoodidea.”

China stood up, walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down, then turned.“What’swrongwithyou?”

Valkyrieblinked.“I’msorry?”

Chinawavedahandather.“This.You.What’swrong?WhathappenedtoturnyoufromthefeistywarriorIknewandlovedtothenervous,apologeticwomanIseebeforeme?”

“Iquit,”saidValkyrie.“That’swhathappened.Iwalkedaway.”

“Why?”

“Howcanyouaskmethat?Youknowwhy.Youwerethere.YousawwhatDarquessedidtothiscity.”

“Yes,”Chinasaid.“IsawwhatDarquessedid.Notyou.Darquesse.”

“Everythingshedidisonme.”

“Youdon’tbelievethat.Youcan’t.Ifyoubelievedthat,youwouldn’tbeabletogetoutofbedinthemorning.Theguiltwouldhavealreadyhammeredyouintotheground.Doyoubearsomeresponsibility?Yes.Butnotallofit.Notevenmostofit.”

“Evensomeofitisenough.”

“You’relying.”

Valkyriestoodup.“Excuseme?”

“You’relying,”Chinarepeated.“Whatelsehappened?Whatdidyoudothatmadeyouwalkaway?”

“Beingresponsiblefor thedeathsofoverathousandpeoplewhosenamesandfacesIwillneverknow…thatisn’tenoughforyou?”

“Itisn’t.”

“ThenIdon’tknowwhattosaytoyou,China.Idon’tknowhowIcan—”Hervoicecaughtsuddenly,andtearscametohereyes.

Chinawaited.

Valkyrieswallowedandlookedawayagain,feelingthestinginherthroatthatwarnedhershewasabouttocry.Shegrowledinstead,andthatmadeChinasmile.

“That’salittleoftheoldValkyrie,”shesaid.“Youalwaysdidhatetoshowweakness.”

But Valkyrie shook her head. “Wasn’t weakness I hated,” she said. “It was losingcontrol.”Sheswallowedagain,tookadeepbreathandblewitoutslowly.“Itwasn’tthethousandfacesIdidn’tknow.ItwastheonefaceIdid.”Valkyrieputherhandsthroughher hair, fixing it, recognising even as she did so what a transparent attempt atnonchalanceitwas.“IneededtheSceptreoftheAncientstofightDarquesse,butitwasbondedtomysister.”

“Andyoucouldn’tuseituntilitwasbondedtoyou,”Chinasaidslowly.“Soyou…”

“Ikilledher,”Valkyriesaid.“Shewasdeadforafewseconds,longenoughforthebondtobesevered.IusedtheSunbursttoreviveher,theSceptrebondedwithmeandIuseditagainstDarquesse.All’swellthatendswell.”

“Itmusthavebeenanunimaginablydifficultthingtodo.”

“Tomurdermysister?I’vedoneeasierthings.”

“Butyourevivedher.”

“ButImurderedher.Youcansayyourpartasmuchasyoulike–mypartwillalwaysbelouder.That’swhyIwalkedaway.”

“Andyetyoucameback.”

“Thatmayhavebeenamistake.”

China folded her arms, her chin dipping to her chest. “What you had to do, for thegreatergood,washorrible.So, ifyou’ve lostyournerve, tellme.Just tellmeandget itoverwith. I’llhugyouandsendyouonyourway. I’llgiveyoua squadofCleavers toprotect you until all this is over, and we’ll stop them from resurrecting Abyssiniaourselves.”Sheraisedhereyes.“Isthatwhatyouwant,Valkyrie?”

Valkyrielookedaway.“Mightbeforthebest.”

Chinashrugged.“Ifthat’strue,saythewordandit’llbedone.Sayyes.”

Valkyrieopenedhermouth,butthewordwastakingitstimetobuild.

“YoumentionedthetrainedinvestigatorsIhaveontheCityGuard,”Chinasaid,“likethey’dnoticesomethingyouwouldn’t.Likethey’dbebetterthanyou.Youseemtohaveforgottenthatyouweretrainedbythebest.”

“I’mnotadetective,China.”

“Yourbadgesaysdifferently.”

“Ican’tdothiswithouthim.Youknowthat.”

“You don’t have a choice. Skulduggery Pleasant is your enemy now. You’ve neverfacedanyonelikehimbefore.Buthe’sneverfacedanyonelikeyou,either.”

“He’llkillme.”

“He’llcertainlytry.”

“China,Iappreciatethevoteofconfidence,butIdon’tstandachanceagainsthim.Themomenthedecidestoendthegame,I’mdead.”

“You know him better than anyone. You know him better than I ever did. WithSkulduggeryontheirside,theanti-Sanctuarywillsucceed.Abyssiniawillberesurrectedand, ifshewantswar,she’llhavewar.She’ll laywaste toeverything.Theentiremortalworldisindanger.Thatmeansyourfamily,Valkyrie.Wehaveonechancetostopthem,andthatchanceistostophim.You’retheonlyonewhocandothat.”

“No, I’mnot.GetSaracenRueandDexterVexbackhere.FindTanith,wherever thehellsheis.CallGraciousandDoneganoffwhateveradventurethey’reonrightnowandputgunsintheirhands.That’swhatyouneed.Youneedateam.”

“Weneedyou,” saidChina. “I’ll askGracious andDonegan tohelpyou if youneedthem.I’ll try tofindRueandVex,but the last Iheard theyweren’tongoodterms.Youdon’tneedTanithLow,butRoarhavenneedsyou.Ineedyou,Valkyrie.AndSkulduggerydefinitely needs you. He abandoned his family crest because of the things he’d doneduringthewar,andhe’sspentthetimesincelookingforredemption.Howdoyouthinkhe’lltakeitifhekillssomeonewhileunderSmoke’sinfluence?Doyouthinkhe’llforgivehimself?”

“China…”

“Thisisaburden.Iunderstandthat.Youwishyoucouldjustwalkaway.Iunderstandthat, too. I’mofferingyou thatchance rightnow.Tellmeyouwant togo.Sayyes,andyou’llgetaCleaverescorthome.But, ifyoucan’t sayyes, thenfind thatgirlyouoncewereandbeheragain.WeneedthatValkyrieCain.I’msorry,butwedon’tneedyou.”

The rain got heavier. Valkyriewatched it hit the shield surrounding the balcony, thedrops hissing, steam rising. Cleavers wouldn’t be able to save her, not if Skulduggerycamelooking,andtherewasn’tanywhereshecouldrunthathewouldn’tbeabletofollow.Shefelt likeshewasonasinkingboat.Heronlyhope,asmuchasitscaredher,wastodiveintothechurningwatersbeforetheboattookherdownwithit.

“IneedRichardMelior’soldaddressbackinSanFrancisco,”Valkyriesaid.“IlookeditupintheNeotericReport,butallcontactdetailshavebeenblackedout.”

Chinanodded.“I’llgetitforyou.”

“AndI’mgoingtoneedaTeleporter.Ahealthyone.”

“Difficult,”saidChina.“ThereareonlythreeintheworldthatIknowof,plusthisNeroandoneofFletcher’sownstudents.MaybeIcanorganisesomething.Ifnot,you’llhaveaccesstomyjet.YoualsohavetheentireCityGuardatyourdisposalifyouneedthem.”

Valkyrieshookherhead.“Skulduggerydidn’ttrustthem.ThatmeansIdon’t,either.Nooffence.”

Chinahesitated.“Ofcourse.”

“ButImightneedCleavers.Lotsofthem.Atamoment’snotice.”

“Icangiveyouasigil,”Chinasaid.“Itcanbebothadistresscallandahomingdevice.”

Valkyriehesitated.“Sure,”shesaid.“Solongasitcan’ttrackmewithoutmyknowing.”

Chinatappedherforefingeranditbegantoglow.“Youcanactivateanddeactivateitatwill,”shesaid.“It’sasmallsigil,easilyconcealable.Wheredoyouwantit?”

Valkyriesatagainandleanedback,hookedathumbintothewaistbandofherjeansandpulled it down to her hipbone. China got to her knees and pressed her fingernail intoValkyrie’sskin.Itwashot,veryhot,butnotentirelyunpleasant.

“WhydidhereallyquitasCityGuardCommander?”ValkyrieaskedasChinaworked.“Whatdidhedo?Whatdidyoudo?”

Chinafocusedonthetattooshewascarvinganddidn’tlookup.“Hefelthistimeherewasatanend.Iwassorrytoseehimgo.”

Herfingernailcurvedaroundandthenslashedbackwardsslightly.Adothere,acrossthere.Incrediblyintricatemarkings.Noblood.

“Youdidn’tanswermyquestion,”Valkyriesaid.

“Somequestionsarenotminetoanswer.”Chinaglancedupatherwiththosebeautifuleyes.“Skulduggeryhashis reasons,Valkyrie. Imightagreewithsomeof them,Imightdisagreewithothers,butthere’snoarguingwithhim.Youknowthat.”

Shewentbacktowork.Momentslater,shewasdone.

“It’scalledanauxilium,”Chinasaid,straighteningup.“It’sfromatimewhenallsigilshadaLatinname.Whatadreary time thatwas.Anyway, tap itand I’llknowyou’re introubleandwheretosendassistance.”

The sigilwas black and small,maybe a couple of centimetres in circumference.Theskinsizzledalittle,andasecondlaterthetattoofadedaway.

“Thanks,”Valkyriesaid,andstood.

“DetectiveCainoftheArbiterCorps,”Chinasaid.“Goodtohaveyouback.”

43

Hewasgoing tokillher.Hewasgoing to tortureher.He’dmakeValkyrieCainscreamandcryandbeg.He’ddrawitout.Makeitlast.Hewasgoingtoenjoyit,too.Killingherwouldbehismostenjoyablemurdersincethefirst,allthoseyearsago.

Cadaveroussippedfromhisglassofwater.Thoughtslikethatmadehismouthdryandhisheartbeatfaster.

The others talked. They sat around the table, located in Coldheart’s only conferenceroom, and chatted – Nero andMemphis and Razzia – but Cadaverous stayed quiet. Itwasn’tthathecouldn’tchat–hecouldchatwiththebestofthem.Hewasthemasterofsmall talk. He’d had to be, back when he’d been mortal, having to go to all thoseinsufferablesocialengagements.Booklaunchesforstaleacademictomes.Officeparties.After-work drinks. He’d been pretending the whole time, of course, hiding his hatredbehind a smile or a witty remark. That’s how he’d blended in. That’s how nobodysuspectedanything–notuntiltheveryend.

Butthesedayshejustwasn’tinthemoodtotalk,tochat.NotsinceValkyrieCainhadkilledJeremiah.

SkulduggeryPleasantwalkedin,wentrightuptoNero.“MayI?”

Nerolaughed,andthechatterdieddown.“Mayyouwhat?”

“Sit.”

Neroindicatedaroundhim.“Therearetwofreechairs.”

Pleasantnodded.“AndIwantyourchair.MayI?”

Cadaverouswatched.Suchanobviousalpha-maleploy.IfNerohadanysense,he’dcallitoutforwhatitwasandrefusetobudge.

Butaftera longmomentofhesitationNerogotup,andPleasantsat, leanedbackandputhisfeetuponthetable.Nerochoseoneoftheotherchairs,blushingimpotently.

“Nowthen,”Pleasantsaid,“youprobablydislikemeintensely–Icanunderstandthat–but let’s try tomove past it as quickly as possible.Who’s in charge here?Anyone? Itdoesn’t matter. Allow me to put my name forward as leader of this anti-Sanctuary ofyours. It’ll save timeandpreventa lotofarguments lateron.Really, a lot.All those inagreementsayaye.”

“Aye!”shoutedRazzia.

“Thankyou,”saidPleasant.

“Noworries,”Razziasaid,grinning.“Whatwerewetalkingabout?Iwasn’tlistening.”

“Thatbarelymatters,”Pleasantsaid,takingoffhishat.“Avotefromyou,avotefromme,andtheresthaveabstainedoutofsheerrespect.Ithankyouall.Ithasbeendecided.”

“I’dheardyoudidn’tquittalking,”saidMemphis,inthathalf-slurred,half-drawlwayofhis.“Ijustdidn’tbelieveit.”

“Ah-ah,youngman,”Pleasantsaid,wagginghisfinger,“IholdtheSpeakingHat.Youmay not speak without holding the Speaking Hat. That’s one of the new rules I’mintroducingasleader.”

“Youain’tourleader.”

“Again –Memphis, is it? –who holds the hat?Who does?Me, that’swho. Talkingprivileges aremine. Thiswaywe’ll all get a chance to be heard eventually. It’s calledbeingcivilised,whichissomethingelseI’mintroducing.”

Memphisshookhishead.“Thisisridiculous.”

Cadaverous had to hand it to the skeleton, he had style.Hedidn’t even take his feetdown.Heusedtheairtoboosthimselfuptoastandingpositiononthetable,whippinghisgunoutashedidso,andtooktwostepsbeforepointingthegunrightbetweenMemphis’seyes.Italltooklesstimethanahiccup.

Therewasshoutingandroaringandconsternation–andmuchlaughterfromRazzia–butMemphisremainedverystill,thecolourdrainingfromhisface.

Finally,everyoneelsestoppedmakingidiotsofthemselves,andthingsquieteneddown.

“The only thing ridiculous,” Pleasant said softly, “aside from your garish jacket andunevenpompadour, is theblatantdisregard for the rulesofdebate.When I am finishedtalking,youmayretort.Otherwise itceases tobeabout thecontentofourconversation,andbecomeslittlemorethanacontestinvolume.Wouldyouagree?”

Memphisdidn’tsayanything.Pleasantletgoofhishat,anditfloatedslowlydowntothetable.Memphisswallowed,andpickeditup.“Yes,”hesaid.

Pleasant put away his gun.Hewalked back, jumped down and retook his seat, thenindicatedtoMemphisthatheshouldcontinue.

Memphisclearedhisthroat.“Notmanyfolksgettopullagunonme,man.Mostwhotryendupdeaderthandisco.I’mgoingtokillyouforthat,justsoyouknow.”

Pleasantnodded.

Memphisclearedhisthroatandadjustedhisposition.“WhatIwassayingwasthatyouain’tourleader.Wedon’teventrustyou.Smokecandohisthingandcompelyoutoobeyandall,butI’msuresomeonelikeyou,someonewhoreckonshe’sthesmartestguyintheroom, could find loopholes inhisorders.Youwant avote?Myvote iswe take careofbusiness,andkillyounow.”

“Iagree,”saidCadaverous.

Pleasantflickedhishand,andhishatleapedfromMemphis’shandsandwhirledacrossthetable,landinginCadaverous’slap.Itwasagoodhat.Expertlymade,liketheblacksuithe wore. Cadaverous threw it behind him, aware that it didn’t even touch the groundbeforePleasantusedtheairtocatchit.

“Thereareplentyofways tokilladeadman,”Cadaveroussaid.“Givemeaday. I’llfigureitout.”

“Crushhisbones,”saidMemphis.

“Dumphimonthemoon,”saidNero.

Pleasantshookhishead.“Idon’tknowwhatyou’reallfindingsohardtograspabouttheprincipleoftheSpeakingHat.”

The door opened andLethewalked in.He stoppedwhen he saw their new addition.“Ah,”hesaid.“You’rehere.Welcome.”

Pleasantpluckedhishatfromtheair.“Thankyou.”

“It’sanhonourtohaveyouhere,”Lethewenton,sittingatthetable.“Youarealegend,Skulduggery.Thethingsyou’vedone,thefeatsyou’veaccomplished…Ithumblesme.Imayhavebeatenyouinsinglecombat,butpleaseknowthatIaminaweofyou.Youhavemyutmostrespect.”

“That’sniceofyoutosay.”

“Youknoweveryonehere,Itakeit?Smalltalkhasbeenexchanged?”

“Toadegree.SodoIgettoseeit?”

“Seewhat,Skulduggery?”

“Thelittlebox,”saidPleasant,“withthelittleheart.”

“You’ll see it when you’ve proven yourself. When we can trust you. You mustunderstand,Skulduggery…weknowwhatyou’refeelingrightnow.You’reconfused.Youhaveallthesedarkthoughtsinyourhead.”

“I’musedtothem.”

Lethelaughed.“Maybeyouare.Maybe.Butnotlikethis.Not…concentratedlikethis.Itcanbeoverwhelming.Theurgetodestroyjusttodestroy…itisapowerfulurge.”

Pleasanttiltedhishead.“YouthinkI’llturnagainstyou.”

“It’spossible,”saidLethe.“Theseurgescanmakepeopledoterriblydestructivethings,notalwaysinourfavour.Andifthathappenswe’llkillyou,naturally,butI’mhopingthatyou’ll decide to join us. All wewant is our rightful place as kings and queens of thisworld.Wouldn’tyoulovetowalkthroughO’ConnellStreetorTimesSquareorPiccadillyCircus without botheringwith your false face? Isn’t it time that sorcerers like you andNeoterics likeus stopped hiding away from themortals? Isn’t it time we took up ourcrowns?Maybeyoudon’tagree.Maybeyou’rehappywhereyouare.”

“I’veneverhadaproblemwiththemortals,”Pleasantsaid.“Oneofmybestfriendswasamortal.”

“Soyou’renotgoingtohelpus?”

“Ididn’tsaythat.Thosedarkthoughtsyoumentioned,they’redoingquiteanumberonmymorality,suchas it is.ThereareallkindsofpeopleIsuddenlywant tokill,mortalsincluded.I’llhelpyou,becauseIlikeyourplanandI’minterestedinseeingifit’llwork,butIhaveonecondition.Moreofanunbreakablerule,actually.ValkyrieCainismine.”

“Ah,” said Lethe. “Yes, we thought you might bring this up. Valkyrie Cain,unfortunately,isalreadypromisedtoCadaveroushere.”

“AndI’mnotlettinghergo,”Cadaveroussaid.

Pleasantturnedhiseyesocketstohim,andCadaverouscouldseethelightreflectingontheinsideofhisskull.“YoublameValkyrieforyourfriend’sdeath.”

“JeremiahWallow,”Cadaveroussaid.“Hehadaname.”

“Andyet,thewayValkyrietellsit,MrWallowfell.Shedidn’tpushhim.Shedidn’tkillhim.”

“She’sresponsibleforhisdeath.”

“So isgravity,butyou’renotout tokillgravity,areyou?Your friend isdead,you’reangry and upset, you want someone to blame. Perfectly understandable, if completelyredundant. Your sadly deceased friend’s own clumsy incompetence does not guaranteeyoutherighttoValkyrie’slife.Itjustdoesn’t.”

“I’vealreadystakedmyclaim.”

“Callingshotgundoesnotguaranteeyouafrontseat,Cadaverous.We’renotchildrenhere,arewe?”

“Skulduggery,”Lethe said, “I’mafraidwehave already agreed thatCadaverouskillsValkyrie.”

Pleasantwent quiet for amoment, and sat back, steepling his fingers. “I’m trying todecide,”hesaid.

“Decidewhat?”Letheasked.

Pleasantstood,andtookouthisgun.“WhichoneofyouIkillfirst.”

“Sitdown,”saidSmoke,walkingintotheroom,andimmediatelyPleasantsat.ItwasapettyjoythatleapedintoCadaverous’sheart,butitwasajoy,nonetheless.

“How’sitfeel,”Neroasked,“tobehispuppet?”

“Thisisanoddsensation,”Pleasantmuttered.

Smokesatatthetable.“Icontrolyou.YoudowhatItellyou.IfIinstructyoutodanceforus,you’lldanceforus.IfIinstructyoutoonlytalkinrhymingcouplets,that’swhat

you’lldo.Youaremine–youunderstandthat?Youhavenofreewillwhenitcomestome.”

“Thisisinteresting,”Pleasantsaid.“ButI’mafraidit’scompletelyunacceptable.”Inaflash,thegunwaspointedstraightatSmoke’shead—

—butPleasant’sfingerfrozeoverthetrigger.

Smokesighed.“Youthinkyou’rethefirstpersontotrythat?Seriously?Youcan’tandwon’thurtme.Putthegunaway.”

“Butofcourse,”theskeletonsaid,holsteringtheweaponinsidehisjacketlikeitwashisownidea.Cadaverousfoundthatvaguelyannoying.“Wherewerewe?”

“I was about to suggest a compromise,” Lethe said, “regarding this whole killingValkyriedisagreement.”

Cadaverousleanedforward.“Nocompromise,”hesaid.“Wehadadeal.”

Letheheldupahand.“Youbothwillrefrainfromkillingheruntil,attheearliest, theresurrectionofAbyssinia.Themomentisclose,buthasyettoarrive,andwhoknowswhatwillhappenbeforethen?Ifonlyoneofyoureachesthemoment,yougettokillMissCain.Ifbothofyousurviveuntilthen,you’llfightforthehonour.”

Cadaverousfrowned.“Inaplaceofmychoosing?”

“Youwerefirsttomaketheclaim,soyes.”

Cadaveroussmiled.“Deal.”

Pleasantshrugged.“I’min,”hesaid,andclappedhishands.“So,what’sthenextstep?”

“FirstWave,”saidLethe.“Thisisacrucialjunctureandtheyneedguidance.TheyneedPartheniosLilt.”

“He’s being kept in a cell in theHigh Sanctuary,” Pleasant said. “Dowe break himout?”

“Thatwon’tbenecessary,”Letheresponded.“Wehaveourmanontheinsidewhocantakecareofthisforus.”

Pleasanttiltedhisheadagain.“Who?”

“Amanontheinside,”Letherepeated.“Youdon’thavetoworryaboutthat.”

Pleasantshrugged.“Ifyouhaveasecretyouwanttokeep,thenyoukeepyoursecret.Justtellmewhatyouwantmetodo.HowabouttheSoulCatcherthatMelior’sgoingtoneedfortheresurrection?Ihappentoknowwherewecouldpickoneupwithouttoomuchtrouble.”

“Again,” said Lethe, “that is already taken care of. We have one that Destrier isadaptingtoDoctorMelior’sspecifications.Yourjob,Skulduggery,willbetotrackdownaNeoteric.Thegooddoctorreckonshe’llneedthelifeforceoftwosacrificiallambsfortheritualtobesuccessful,butIthinkthree.It’sbettertohaveasacrificiallambandnotneedit,thanneedasacrificiallambandnothave it.MemphisandNero,you’llbegoingafter

thefirst.SmokeandIwillgoafterthesecond.Skulduggery…you’llbeteamingupwithCadaveroushere,andyou’llbringusbackthethird.IsthatOKwithyou?”

Pleasantspreadhisarmswide.“I’mpartoftheteam,Lethe.I’lldowhateverI’mtold.”

“Waitasecond,”Razziasaid,frowning.“HowcomeIdon’tgettoplay?”

“Well,”saidLethe,“someonehastostayhereandmakesureDoctorMeliordoesn’tgoanywhereandDestrierdoesn’taccidentallysuckeveryone’ssoulsintoasnowglobe.”

“Youbetternotbeassigningmebabysittingdutiesbecauseofmygender,”Razziasaid,gettingtoherfeetslowly.“Imaybeaverynurturingpersonbynature,butIwillkilleveryratbagatthistableifyouthinkyoucan—”

“It’s nothing to do with your gender, Razzia,” Lethe said, hands up in a calminggesture.“Andit’sgotnothingtodowithyournurturingnature.It’syourmurderousnaturethatdisqualifiesyoufromthisassignment.It’simperativethateachofthesacrificiallambsisbroughtbackalive.”

Razziapaused.“Alive?”

“Yes.”

“Notdead?”

“No.”

Shesatbackdown.“Notdead,notinterested.”

“Andthat’swhyyoudon’thavetogo.”

“Sweet.”

Pleasant rubbed his hands together. “I like this,” he said. “The interplay. Thecamaraderie. It’s almost like what I have with Valkyrie, except much, much less.Cadaverous, I knowwe’re going to have our differences on this, but Iwant you all toknow, from thebottomof theplacewheremyheart used tobe, that I’m really lookingforwardtokillingValkyrie.”Heclapped,onceandhappily.“Thisisgoingtobefun.”

44

ValkyrieapproachedtheMuseumofMagicalHistoryfromtheeast,walkingquicklywithherhandstuckedintoherpockets.Itwasanothercolddamndayinacolddamnweekattheendofacolddamnmonth.Shewastiredofthecold.Shewasquitereadyforittobewarmagain.Peoplewerenicerwhenitwaswarm.Moodswerelighter,andtheyliftedonthetidesandeddiesofwarmair.

Her phone buzzed.Amessage from hermum. She opened it.A picture of her sisterwielding lipstick and her father in the background, the lower half of his face smearedbright red. Hermum hadwrittenWaiting for her next client across the bottom of theimage. Itwasfunny.Cute.Valkyriestaredat thescreenforhalfaminute, thinkingupareply.Intheend,shesentoffaLOLandputthephoneaway.

MilitsaGnosiswaswaitingforherattheentrancetothemuseum,shufflingfromfoottofootinafeebleattempttokeepwarm.Shewavedwhenshesawher,andValkyriegaveanawkwardwaveback.

“Hi,”Militsasaid.“Thanksforcoming.Isn’titfreezing?”

“Socold,”Valkyrieresponded.“Youdidn’thavetowaitoutside,youknow.”

“Ah,justwantedtomakesureyoufoundtheplaceOK.”

“Yourdirectionsdidthejob.Sohaveyoufigureditout?”

“I’msorry?Figuredwhatout?”

“HowtobreakSmoke’sinfluenceoverSkulduggery.”

“Oh,”saidMilitsa.“Well,that’s…Withoutbeingabletoexamineanyofthe…”Shefaltered.“That’snotwhyIaskedyouhere.I’msorry.”

The spark of hope, slight though it was, died in Valkyrie’s chest. “OK,” she said.“That’sfine.Sowhyarewehere?”

Militsa’ssmilereappeared.“Comeonin.”

She took Valkyrie’s hand and led her quickly up the steps and in through the door.Immediately, Valkyrie began to warm. The man behind the reception desk nodded toMilitsa likeheknewherwell,butwhenhisgaze flickered toValkyriehe froze.Militsamisseditentirely,andValkyrieignoredit.

“Would it be incredibly lame,”Militsa asked as they followed the signs to the EastWing,“toadmitthatmuseumsaresomeofmyfavouriteplacesintheworld?Itprobably

would,wouldn’tit?Youdon’tevenhavetoanswerthat.Iknowitis.IwishIhadn’tsaidanythingnow.Imean, it’snotonlymuseums that I like. I likeordinaryplaces, too, likelibraries,andI’mquitepartialtoagoodgallery.Andice-creamparlours.”

“Ilikeicecream,”offeredValkyrie,andMilitsabeamed.

“See?Wehavesomethingincommon!”

“Areweheretolookatanexhibition?”

“I’llgettothat,Iwill.Thisway.”

Theytookthedoorwaytotheirright.

“Isn’tthiswonderful?”Militsaasked.“Mementosofsignificantpeopleandsignificanttimesinhistoryalllaidoutforus,likeknowledgewaitingtobeabsorbed.Fairenough,it’snotas impressiveas theRepositoryat theHighSanctuaryandall thepowerfulartefactsthatcontains,butit’sstillprettymind-blowing,isitnot?”

Valkyrie passed an old pair of eyeglasses that once belonged to JorgeDesesperación(1781to1918).

Militsastoppedsuddenly,andturned.“AmIbeingawful?I’mbeingtoochirpy,aren’tI?”

Valkyrietookamomenttoanswer.“No,”shesaid.

“It’s just, Idon’tknowwhat tosay insituations like this.Not that I’vebeen inmanysituationsexactlylikethis.ButyouknowwhatImean?WhenI’maroundpeoplewhoaresad,Ifeelaridiculousneedtocheerthemup,butIalwaysmakeitworse.IthinkI’mjusttooobviousaboutit,andalsoItendtotellpeoplewhatitisI’mtryingtodo,likeIdidjustthere.ThemomentIdothatit’sgameover,youknow?Oh,God.Ijustdidit,didn’tI?”

“You’redoingagoodjob,”Valkyrielied.“You’redistractingmefrommyworries.”

“Iam?”

“Yes.Especiallynowatthismoment.”

“Oh, that’s a major relief, I don’t mind telling you. I was getting worried becauseyou’vebarelysaidanything.”

Valkyrie gave a small smile. “That’s just me beingme. I take a while to loosen uparoundnewpeople.”

“Andareyouloosenedupyet?”

TherewassomuchhopeinMilitsa’svoicethatValkyriejusthadtosay,“Yes.Totally.”

Militsabeamedagain.“Thendoyouhaveanyquestionsforme?”

Valkyrienoddedstiffly.

“Goahead.Askmeanything.”

“OK,”saidValkyrie.“Right. Iwill.How,uh…HowdidaNecromancerendupasateacher?”

“Iwenttouniversityandgotmydegree.”

Valkyrienoddedagain.“Iwasactuallyexpectingamoreinvolvedstory.”

Militsamadeaface.“Iknow.It’sprettyboring.ItaughtEnglishatmortalschoolsandthatwasfineandall,butthenIheardthattherewasanactualschoolforsorcerersbeingbuilt at Roarhaven and I moved here immediately, started teaching Magic Theory. IsupposeI’vealwayswantedtobeateacher.Probablythesamewayyoualwayswantedtobeadetective.”

“I,uh,Ineverwantedtobeadetective.”

“Really?Never?”

“Well,Ididn’tgrowupwantingthis.WhenIwasakid,Ididn’tknowwhatIwantedtobe.Iwantedtoridehorses,thenforawholesummerIwantedtobeanOlympicswimmer…ThenSkulduggerycamealongand…ta-da.”

“Ikeepforgettingyougrewupmortal.”

“Youdidn’t?”

“Myfolks’rebothsorcerers. Iknewaboutmagic from the time Iknewabout shapes.MumandDad, they’renicepeople, so Iwas taughtwe’reall equal.Though Ididmeetsomesorcererswhoheldquiteadifferentopinion.”

“Isupposeonegroupofpeoplewillalwaysfindreasonstocomplainaboutanother.”

“Aye,Isuppose.Butthisnewstrainofhatred…that’sonlycroppedupinthelasttenorfifteenyears.It’sscary.Insidious.”

“So the sorcerers hate the mortals,” said Valkyrie, “and the mortals would hate thesorcerersiftheyknewweexisted.Thisisastorythatcanonlyendwell.”

Militsasmiled.“AslongastherearepeoplelikeyouandSkulduggeryPleasantfightingthegoodfight,weshouldbeOK.”

“Well,that’sjustit,isn’tit?Wedon’thaveSkulduggeryanymore.”

“I realised that just as thewordswere leavingmymouth.Really sorry.Howareyoudoing?”

“I’mOK.”

“Itcan’tbeeasy.”

“He’snotaneasymantoout-think.”

“Iactuallymeant that itcan’tbeeasy losingafriend in thisway.Howareyoudoingaboutthatsideofthings?”

“Oh,”saidValkyrie.“It’s…”

“Yes?”

“Scary,”Valkyriesaidatlast.“Notjusthavinghimasanenemy,but…nothavinghimasafriend.EvenwhenIwasaway,IknewIcouldpickupthephoneandhe’danswer.Iknewhe’dalwaysanswer.Iwasneveralone,youknow?Never.”

“This may be completely presumptuous,” Militsa said, “but you’re not alone now,either. I’ll help however I can. I’m not the best at fighting, I really don’t like hurtingpeopleandIhaveaseriousaversiontobeingtheonewho’sgettinghurt,butifyouneedsomeonetostandthereandlecturetheenemyonMagicTheorythenIamyourgirl.”

“Thankyouforvolunteering,”Valkyrietoldher,“butdon’tworry,I’mnotgoingtohurlyou into a pit of danger or anything like that. Helping me out here will do fine …assumingthismuseumvisitwillhelpmeout?”

“Hopefully,”Militsa said. “Well, Idon’tknowhowhelpful itwill actuallybe, inanyusefulsense,but,asmyoldpianoteacherusedtosay,knowledgeispower.”

“Wassheasorcerer?”

“No,justapianoteacher,backinEdinburgh.I’mreallynotsurewhatshewastalkingabout,butit’sagoodmottotoliveby.Whenwewereonthephoneearlier,youdescribedwhatoneoftheanti-Sanctuarypeoplewaswearing–theguyinthemask?”

“Lethe.”

Militsanodded.“Lethe,right.Now,Imightbewrong,inwhichcasethisisacolossalwasteofyourtime,butitsoundedalotlike…”

Theyquickenedtheirpace.

“Itsoundedalotlike…?”Valkyrieprompted.

“Ithoughtitwascloser,”Militsasaidapologetically.“Ah,hereitis.”

They came to a glass case, in which stood amannequin dressed in a jumpsuit. Thematerial on the outer layer, a deep grey, was tattered, burnt and slashed, barely heldtogether inplaces.Butbeneath thatwas something thatwasn’t quite leather andwasn’tquiterubber.Itwasblack,andribbedslightly.Thebootsweresturdyandthegloveswerethin, andbeneath thehood themaskwasa shockingwhiteagainst all thatdarkness–astylised,angularskullwithglass-coveredeyesockets.

“That’sit,”Valkyriebreathed.“That’swhathewears.Themaskisdifferent,itdoesn’thavethehoodorthefabricoverit…butthat’sit.Whatisit?”

“It’s a necronaut suit,” Militsa said proudly. “Necromancers used them for DeepVenturing.That’swhattheycalledit.It’swhentheywouldexploretherealmsofdeath.”

“SolomonWreathtoldmeaboutthat.Entirelydeaddimensions,right?Wherenothingcouldeverpossiblylive?”

“NotevenNecromancers,”Militsasaid.“Sotheyworethesewhentheywentexploring.They’rebuilt to…Idon’tknow thebestway todescribe it.They’rebuilt tocontain, I

guess.LikeaThermosflaskkeepingintheheat,although,whenyou’reDeepVenturing,youwant to keep in your life.When it’s all done up like that, you don’t need food oroxygen…youdon’t evenneed to take a pee.Which is simultaneously fascinating andgross.”

“SoLethe’saNecromancer?”

“Maybe,”Militsasaid,“butnotnecessarily.I’veseennecronautsuitsrepurposedforawhole range of different things. Apart from anything else, they’re pretty durable.Bulletproofandfire-resistant,thatkindofstuff.”

“I’mguessingtheanswer isprobablyno,butdotheyhaveanyglaringweaknesses toexploit?Likethewayvampiresareallergictosaltwater?”

“They’renot,actually.”

“I’msorry?”

“We’verecentlydiscoveredthatit’sacertainamountofseasaltthey’reallergicto,nottheactualsaltwater.”

“Oh.Right.But…thesuit?”

“No real weakness that I know about,”Militsa said, “but it’s not indestructible. It’sbulletproof,thoughprobablynotasdurableasthearmouredclothingyouusedtowear.”Shefrowned.“Whyaren’tyouwearingthose,bytheway?”

“Theyweregettingabitsnug.”

“What’swrongwithsnug?Ilikesnug.Theylookedreallygoodonyou.”

“Thanks.SoLethemightnotbeusingthesuitforanyspecificpurpose–hemightjustbeusingitasarmour.”

“It’sapossibility.”

Valkyrienoddedastheystartedwalkingback.“Well,everylittlebitofinformationwegetisuseful.AndwhataboutthereasonIcalled?AstheresidentexpertonMagicTheory,IwashopingyouhadsomethoughtsonhowtobreakSmoke’shold.”

Militsasighed.“I’msorry,no.I’lldomoreresearchintoit,butfromwhatyou’vetoldmeabouthowitinfectstheaura…Idon’tknowifthere’dbeanythingyoucoulddotocleanseit.We’renottalkingNewAgehippieswavingaroundcheapcrystalshere.”

“ButSkulduggery’sdifferent.HisauraisunlikeanyI’veseen.”

“Valkyrie, thatmight not be a good thing.Yes, itmightmean that he overcomes theinfectionquicker than the forty-eighthours–or itmightmean theopposite,or itmightmakenodifferenceatall.There’snoway to tell.The fact is,weknowvery littleaboutmagicas it is.We’veonly just identified thegene thatseparatessorcerers frommortals,butwestilldon’tunderstandhowitleadstousbeingabletoaccessmagic.Notreally.”

“Isthereanyoneelsewecouldtalkto?”

ValkyriecouldtellMilitsawantedtobeabletogiveherhopefulnews.Itwasineveryhelplessshrugandpainedexpression.

“Possibly,”shesaidatlast.“There’sateamofsomeawesomelybrilliantpeoplerunningtestsontheSourceitself.They’velocatedwhattheythinkisoneofthefissuresthatallowsmagic to flow through into our reality. It’s going to take them years of study, but theymighthaveatheoryaboutthis.IfIcangetintouchwiththem.It’sallverytopsecret.”

“Couldyoutry?IcouldaskChinatohelp.”

“Thatmight not be the best thing to do,”Militsa said. “The SupremeMage doesn’tparticularlytrustNecromancersanymore.Itwashardenoughgettinghertoacceptmeasateacher.I’dprobablybebetterofftryingtogetintouchwiththemmyself.”

“Wedon’thaveanawfullotoftime,Militsa.”

“I’lldomybest.Ipromise.”

Valkyrie’sphonebuzzed,andsheglancedatthewordsonherscreen.ItwastheaddressinSanFrancisco.

“Goodnews?”Militsaasked.

Valkyrieshrugged.“DependsonhowmanypeopleIhavetopunch.”

45

TheyemergedintothecoldagainandMilitsawaveddownatram.“I’mheadingbacktotheschool,”shesaid.“You?”

“HighSanctuary.”

“That’swherethislineends.”

“Leadtheway,”Valkyriesaid,andjumpedonafterMilitsa.

Thetramwas,thankfully,wellheated,andprettyempty.Theychosethelongseatdowntheback.AwomanhugginghershoppingbagtoherchestglaredatValkyrie,whodidherbesttoavoidhereyes.

“Excuseme,”Militsasaidloudly.“Canwehelpyou?”

Thewomanmutteredsomethingunderherbreath,andlookedaway.

“I’llprobablyhavetogetusedtothat,”Valkyriesaid.

“Youshouldn’thaveto,”Militsaresponded.

Valkyriegaveahalf-shrug.“It’stheleastIdeserve.”

Militsawentquietforafewminutes.Theridewassmooth,thetramglidingthroughthestreets,onlystoppingtoletpassengersalight.

“Wasthatalead?”Militsasaidatlast.

“Sorry?”

“Themessageonyourphone.Wasitalead?”

“Yes.AnaddressI’vebeenwaitingfor.”

Militsasmiled.“See?Lookatyou,doingthedetectivestuff.Youcan’ttellmeyoudon’tenjoyit.”

“IenjoyitalotmorewhenIhaveSkulduggerywithme.There’saverysmallgroupofpeopleIliketospendtimewith,soI’mnotlookingforwardtothisnextpartatall.Idon’tevenknowifI’llbeabletotrusttheTeleporterChinasendsme.”

“Thenuseanother.”

“There aren’t really any others, apart from Fletcher. I know one of his students canteleport, butwe’ve already put oneCorrival pupil in danger, and I don’twant to do itagain.”

Militsa’sfriendlydemeanoursuddenlycooled.“I’msorry?”

“Uh…”

Militsaturnedintheseattofaceher.“YouputaCorrivalAcademystudentindanger?Whichone?”

“I,uh…Ireallyshouldn’tsay…”

“AugerDarkly?”

“No,”Valkyriesaid,drawingthewordout.

Militsa’seyeswidened.“Omen?”

Valkyriewinced.“Howdidyouknow?”

“Omen’saneasilydistractedboy,but for the last fewdayshe’snotevenbeenon thesameplanetastherestofus.Howmuchdangerwashein?”

“Uh…”

“Oh,Valkyrie,”Militsa said,wilting back into her seat. “Youmayhave been able tohandlealifeofadventureatthatage,but—”

“Iknow.”

“Omen’sagoodboy.He’sagentleboy.Andwhygoforhim,whynothisbrother? Ishouldn’tbe recommendingany student for thiskindof thing,butAuger is theChosenOne,afterall.He’susedtoit.”

“Augerwastoowellknown.Weneededsomeonetoblendintothebackground.Inourdefence,andIaccept thatwedon’thavemuchofadefence,wehonestlydidn’t think itwouldgetdangerous.”

“Howdangerousdiditget?”

Valkyriehesitated.“Pretty.”

“Andwhat’sthat,onascaleofonetoten?”

“Like…two.”

“Oh.OK.Well,that’snotthatbad.”

“Iftenisnodangeratallandoneisallthedanger.”

Militsa’shandswenttoherface.“Oh,Valkyrie…Omen’sakid.”

“Iknow.IfIcouldgoback,Iwouldn’tdoit.Wehadnorighttoinvolvehim.Itwasahideous,horriblethingtodo,butwediditanywaybecauseweneededitdone.That’snotanexcuse,that’sjustafact.ButasawfulasIfeelaboutit,asmuchofamistakeasIthinkitwas…Omensavedalife.”

Militsalookedup.“Hedid?”

“A friend of ours. Well, a friend of Skulduggery’s. Omen went into the enemystronghold,foundhimandfreedhim.”

“OmenDarklydidthat?”

Valkyrienodded.“It’sthekindofthingthatIdidathisage.Ithinkhe’dsurpriseyou.Hesureashellsurprisedme.”

A smilewas born, and grew acrossMilitsa’s face. “Well now, I guess it runs in thefamily.Butthat’sit,isn’tit?Hisinvolvementisnowover?”

“That’swhatSkulduggerytoldhim.”

“Good.”

“AndOmenignoredit,whichissomethingelseIwouldhavedoneathisage.Hewantstobeapartofthis,Militsa.Idon’tagreewithit–oratleastIdidn’t.ButamIreallythathypocritical?IwasdoingthisstuffwhenIwasyoungerthanhim.WhenIwashisage,Iwasfightingfullygrownmen.Yeah,Igotmyasskicked.Igothurt.Itwasterrifyinganddangerousandstupid…butIdidit.Ihandledit.”

“Omenisn’tlikeyou.”

“Hecouldbe.Anykidcouldbe.Whoarewetosaywhowouldorwouldnotrisetothechallenge?”

“Valkyrie,I’maneducator.Myjobistopreparethesekidsforlifeafterschool.Myjobistokeepthemsafe.”

“Life after school isn’t always safe, not for sorcerers. Keeping them protected fromdanger, not exposing them to the threats they’ll have to face eventually … isn’t thatirresponsible?”

“No,”Militsasaid.“That’sreasonable.”

“Butwouldn’tyouhaveloveditwhenyouwerefourteen?”

“That’s…that’snot thepoint.If thebasisforalldecision-makingiswhatyouwouldhave liked to happen when youwere a teenager, we’d be living in a pretty hedonisticworldrightnow.”

“Andwhatahappierplacethatwouldbe.”

“You’renotgoingtoconvinceme,Valkyrie.Kidsshouldn’tbewrappedincottonwool,butneithershouldtheybedangledoverthejawsofdanger.”

“Butyou’reOKaboutAugerDarklygettingintodangerallonhisown?”

“Augeris…different.Hisfamilytrainedhimfrombirth.Hewasbroughtuptodothiskindofthing.”

“Omenwasthere,too.Hetrainedbesidehisbrother,didn’the?Justbecausehehasn’thadachancetoshowityetdoesn’tmeanhehasn’tgotwhatittakes.”

“Ithinkyou’reprobablybiased.”

“Maybe,”Valkyriesaid.“ButIamwhoIamtodaybecauseofdoingstupidthingsinmyteenageyears.”

“Andhow’sthatworkingoutforyou?”

Stunned,Valkyrieturnedaway.

“Oh,no,”Militsasaid.“No,I’msosorry,Ididn’tmeanthat.Ididn’tmeanitlikethat,Valkyrie,I’msosorry.”

“It’sOK.”

“It’sreallynot.”MilitsagrabbedValkyrie’shandinbothofhers.“Please,Ididn’tmeanit.It’sjustsomethingIblurtedoutwithoutthinking.Itwasmeanttobesmartandarchanditwasjust…itwascruel.”

“It’sfine,”saidValkyrie.“Andyou’reright.”

“No,I’mnot.”

“I’mnotexactlyawell-adjustedadult,Militsa.Ican’tfocus.Icanbarelyusemymagic.Idon’tevenknowwhatmymagicisanymore.AndI’mscared.Allthetime,I’mscared.”

“Butyou’reagoodperson,doinggoodthings.”

“Debatable.”

“You’reahero,Valkyrie.Youwereahero tomewhenIwasakid,hearingaboutallthosethingsyouweredoing.Youcan’timaginehowmuchthatmeanttome,toknowthattherewassomeonemyageoutthere,makingthekindofdifferenceyouweremaking.”

“Itleftscars.”

“Everythingleavesscars.Youjustcan’tseemostofthem.I’mreallysorryIsaidwhatIsaid.Canyouforgiveme?”

“Ofcourse.”

“Thank you. And maybe … maybe you have a unique perspective because ofeverythingyou’vebeenthrough.WhenitcomestoOmenandwhathecanhandle,maybeyouknowbest.”

“Heonlywantstobeinvolved.Ithinkit’stheleastIcando.”

ThetramstoppedoutsideCorrivalAcademy,andMilitsastood.“Comeon.”

Valkyriefrowned.“I’mheadingontotheHighSanctuary.”

“Tomeet aTeleporter you don’t know?No, no, you’re getting offwithme.”Militsapulled Valkyrie from the tram amoment before it startedmoving again. “Omen has afriendwho isFletcher’s best student. If youneed aTeleporter youknowyou can trust,Neveristheoneforyou.Providingyoucanoffermesomeguaranteeregardingthesafetyofmystudents…?”

“Icanguaranteetheirsafety,”Valkyriesaid,“uptoapoint.”

“That…doesn’treassureme.”

“They’ll be fine,”Valkyrie said. “I’ll have another adultwithme to supervise.We’llkeepthemassafeaswecanandasfarfromdangeraswecanmanage.Trustme.”

46

“We’regoingtodie,”Neverwhispered.

“We’refine,”Omenassuredher.“Justactnatural.”

“Jenanknowsweknow.Ishelookingover?He’slookingoverhere.”

“He’slookingattheclock.”

“Whatdoeshehaveinhishand?Isitaknife?Isitagun?”

“It’sapen.”

“What’shedoingwithapen?”

“Hishomework,Ithink.”

“Quiet down there,” Mr Chou said, not even looking up from the papers he wasmarking.Thestudyhallwasonlyhalffull.Whisperscarried.

Neverloweredherheaduntilherforeheadwasrestingonthedesk.“Whydidyoutellme?”sheaskedquietly.“Whydidyoueventellmeabouttheanti-Sanctuaryandpeopletryingtokillyou?Iwashappybeingignorant.Whydidyoutellme?”

“Becauseyousaidweshouldn’tkeepsecretsfromeachother.”

“Imeantothersecrets.Crushesonpeople,thingslikethat.Regularsecrets,Omen.Notactualsecrets.”

“Ipromiseyou,you’renotinanydanger.”

Sheturnedherhead,glaringathim.“Youdon’tknowthat.Imightbeputtingmyselfindangerjustbytalkingtoyourightnow.”

“NoneofthebadguysknowwhoIam.”

“Buttheysawyou.Theysawyourface.Whatifoneofthemisasketchartist?AndheshowedthedrawingtoJenan,andJenansaid,yeah,Iknowthatguy,he’sanidiot,buthehasacutefriend.Let’skillthemboth.”

“Never,”MrChousaid,andNeversatupstraight.“Omen.Youmaynotthinkit,butmyearsactuallywork,youknow.”

“Canyoumakeoutwhatwe’resaying?”Neverasked.

MrChousighed.“No.Yourundoubtedlyrivetingconversationislosttome.Iwilltakethat regret tomygrave.But I canhearyourmurmuringsand I can seeyour lipsmove.

Thisisstudyhall.Eitherstudy,dohomework,oratleastworkharderatdisguisingthefactthatyou’redoingneither.”

“Sorry,sir,”saidOmen,andmadeapointoflookinglikehewasstudyinghistextbook.Chousighed,andwentbacktomarking.

“There’ssomuchIhaveyettodointhisworld,”Neverwhispered.“SomuchIhaveyetto experience. I’ve never opened a savings account. I’ve never studied for my drivingtest.”Herheaddroppedforwardagain.“I’veneverfiledataxreturn.”

“You’reverystrange.”

“Don’tjudgeme.”

“Your life isn’t in danger. I’mpretty sure they’renot going to letme continuedoingwhatI’vebeendoing,soyoucanrelax,OK?Noone’sgoingtocomelookingforus.”

Thedooropened,andMissGnosissteppedin.“Excuseme,MrChou,”shesaidinthatdistinctiveScottishaccent,“couldIborrowOmenandNever,please?”

OmenfrownedwhileNeverpaled.

“Takethem,”Chousaid,wavingahand.“Youhavemyblessing.”

MissGnosissmiled,andmotionedthemforward.“Comealong,”shesaid.“Andbringyourthings.”

Omenhesitated,thenslidhistextbookintohisbagandstood.TakinggreatcarenottoevenglanceinJenan’sdirection,heledNeveroutoftheclassroom.Whentheywereinthecorridorandwalkingaway,MissGnosisloweredhervoice.

“You’reintrouble,”shesaid.

“Iknewit,”Neverwhispered.

Omen’smouthwasdry.“Whatdidwedo?”

MissGnosisstrodeahead,anditwasallOmenandNevercoulddotokeepup.“Don’tplay that game with me, Mr Darkly. I’ve had quite an afternoon, hearing about whatyou’vebeengettingupto.Andduringschoolhoursandeverything.”

“I…Idon’tknowwhatyou…”

“You’returningintoasmuchofanadventurerasyourbrother,youknowthat?”

“MissGnosis,”Omensaid,choosinghiswordscarefully,“areyougoingtokillus?”

Sheglared.“Bythedead,no.Whatdoyouthinkofme,yousillyboy?”

“Justchecking,miss.”

Theystoppedattheirlockers.“Goon,”shesaid.“Putyourbagsaway.Wedon’thavelong.”

They did as they were told, and moved on quickly to the science lab.Miss Gnosisnoddedtotheopendoor.“Inyougo,”shesaid.

Neverfrowned.“You’renotcominginwithus?”

“I’mkeepingwatch,”MissGnosissaid.“And,beforeyougointhere,remember:youdon’thavetoagreetoanything.Noonewillthinkanylessofyou.Goonnow.”

Puzzled, Omen and Never walked in, and Miss Gnosis shut the door after them.ValkyrieCainstoodupfromtheteacher’sdeskattheheadoftheroom.

“Omen,”shesaid.“AndyoumustbeNever.It’sverygoodtomeetyou.”

Never froze.WhetherValkyrie noticed or not,Omen didn’t know, but she continuedtalkinganyway.

“I’mnotgoingtowasteyourtime,”shesaid.“Ineedyourhelp.Bothofyou.Itwon’tbedangerous–atleast,Idon’tthinkitwill.IneedtogotoSanFrancisco.Ineedtotalktosomepeople,maybesearchahouse.Thencomerightback.Never,Militsatellsmeyou’returningouttobeaprettygoodTeleporter.”

Omenfrowned.“Who?”

“MissGnosis,”Valkyriesaid.“MissGnosistoldme,sorry.Never,areyouOK?”

Omen put his hand on Never’s back. A gesture of solidarity, he hoped. “There’ssomethingyoushouldknow,”hesaid.

Valkyriestoodthere,waiting,butOmendidn’tquiteknowhowtoputit.

“Darquessekilledmybrother,”Neversaid,andValkyrie’sfacewentslack.“Hewasn’tfighting her, or anything. He was the age I am now. He didn’t have a clue what washappening.Abuildingfellonhim.”

“I’m…I’msorry,”Valkyriesaidsoftly.

“Killedhiminstantly,”Neversaid.“We’djustmovedhere.We’dbeenhereaweek.Mybrotherwas soexcitedabout living inRoarhaven.Weallwere.We’dalwayswanted tolivewherewewouldn’thavetohidewhowewere.”

Valkyrieswayedslightly,likeshewaslight-headed.“I’m…DoyoumindifIsit?”

“I’dpreferthatyoustand,actually,”Neversaid.“It’stheleastyoucando,isn’tit,whenwe’retalkingaboutmybrother?”

“Never…”Omensaidquietly.

“No,she’sright,”saidValkyrie.“Carryon,Never.”

“Thankyou,Valkyrie.IknowDarquesseisn’tyou.Weallknowhowithappened.Kindof.Theyteachusithere,didyouknowthat?Buttheyleavesomebitsout,suchasexactlyhow your reflectionmalfunctioned so badly. I think they don’t tell us that bit becausethey’reafraidwemighttrysomethingsimilarwithourownreflections.Whichisabitofalaugh, to be honest. Imean, whywouldwewant to copy something thatmurdered somanyinnocentpeople?”

“Inevermeantforanyofittohappen,”Valkyriesaid.

Never nodded. “That bit theydo tell us.They say thatDarquesse becameDarquessebecauseofaseriesoftotallyrandomcircumstancesthatValkyrieCainhadnocontrolover.ButIthinkyoudidhavecontrol–youjustdecidednottouseit.”

“That’snottrue.”

“Wasn’t there a prophecy, or something? Didn’t the Sensitives have dreams aboutDarquesse,yearsbeforeitallkickedoff?”

Valkyriestoodupalittlestraighter,thoughitlookedlikesomethingwastwistinginhergut.“Yes,”shesaid.

“ButwhenyoufoundoutthatDarquessewasyourtruename,thatyouwereDarquesse,youdidn’tstop,didyou?Youdidn’twalkawayandneverusemagicagain–eventhoughyou’dhadwarningsthatDarquessewould,atsomestage,killtheworld.”

“IthoughtIcouldstopitfromhappening.”

“Butyoudidn’t.”

“No.”

“Youfailed.”

“Yes.”

“Youshouldhavewalkedaway,butyoulovedittoomuch.Youlovedbeingthehero.YoulovedhangingoutwithSkulduggeryPleasantandTanithLowandtheDeadMen…youlovedhangingoutwithpeoplelikeBilly-RaySanguine,aknownmurderer.Youlovedtheadventure.”

“Idid.”

Nevernodded.“Mymummetyouonce.Youwouldn’t remember– itwasonly forafewminutes. Itwas at theRequiemBall. She says youwere one of themost arrogantpeopleshe’devertalkedto.Shesaidyouweresoyoungandfullofconfidence,andyoulooked at all the other sorcerers like youwere somuch better than them. She said sheknewrightthenthatyouweretrouble.Justtrouble,waitingtohappen.”

“I’mnotgoingtoarguewithyou,Never.”

“Couldyouargue,evenifyouwantedto?”

“Yes.SomeofyourpointsIwouldverymuchargue.Butnotthemainpoint.ThemainpointisthatI’mresponsibleforwhatDarquessedid.ThatIfailedtostopherintime.Thathauntsme.Shehauntsme.I’llneverbeabletoforgetthat.”

“Youshouldjustkillyourself.”

“Never!”Omensaid,shocked.

“I thought about it,”Valkyrie said quietly. “When itwouldget toomuch forme, I’dthinkaboutit.”

“Iwishyou’ddoneit,”Neversaid.

“I hatedmyself toomuch. I needed to suffer. Endingmy lifewould have endedmypain,andIcouldn’tallowthattohappen.”

“Ihateyou,too.”

“Icanseethat.ButIneedyourhelp.”

Neverlaughed.“Youreallyareasarrogantasmymumsaid.”

“I’mtryingtohelppeople.I’mtryingtosavelives.Idon’tknowifOmenhastoldyouanythingaboutwhat’sgoingon,butSkulduggeryPleasantisnolongeronourside.”

“Iheard.”

“Thenyouknowwhat’satstake.”

“IfyouneedaTeleporter,gototheHighSanctuary.”

“Idon’ttrustthem.”

“Idon’ttrustyou.”

“Doyoutrustme,Never?”askedOmen.Shelookedathimandhesawtheangerinhereyes.“Idon’tknowwhatit’sliketoloseabrother.IfIlostAuger,Idon’tknowwhatI’ddo.SoIdon’tknowwhatyou’vebeen through,orwhatyou’regoing throughnow.Butthisisn’taboutValkyrie.Thisisaboutsavingpeople.Iftheanti-Sanctuarysucceedhere,they’llbeonestepclosertowarwiththemortals.”

“Youwantmetohelpher?”

“Iwantyoutohelpmehelpher.”

“Soyou’regoing,evenifIdon’t?”

“IfValkyriewillletme…yes.”

“You can come,” Valkyrie said, “and help me search. But, if anything goes wrong,you’reoutofthere.Noarguments.”

Omennodded,andlookedatNever.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll come.But only because she’ll probably get you killedwithoutme.”

“DoyouknowSanFrancisco?”Valkyrieasked.

“MrRenn has taken us to all themajorAmerican cities,” she said. “I’ve been therebeforesoIcangetthereagain.”

“We’llleaveintenminutes,ifyouwanttochangeoutofyouruniforms.”

Never shrugged, and walked out.When the door was swinging closed again, Omenspoke.

“She’sareallygoodperson,”hesaid.“She’sjustangry.”

Valkyriegaveasadsmile.“Thanks,Omen,butyoudon’thavetoexplain.She’sentitledtohowshefeels.Goonnow,grabachangeofclothesandI’llmeetyoubackhere.”

Omennodded,andlefttheroom.Hehurriedtothedorms,gotchangedintojeansandahoody,thenswappedthatforashirtandpulledonaheavyjacket,andranback.

Hedidn’tgetfarbeforeJenansteppedoutaheadofhim.

“Whereareyouskippingoffto?”hesaid,steppingcloser.

Omenbackedoff.“Just…Justdownthere.”

“Justdownthere?What’sjustdownthere?Eh?Whyareyououtofuniform?Whereareyougoing,Darkly?”

Omen stopped backing away, and puffed his chest out. “None of your business,Ispolin.”

Jenancharged,gotahandroundOmen’sthroatandslammedhimbackagainstthewall.

“Getoffme!”Omengasped,tryingtopullthehandaway.

“Iknowitwasyou,”Jenansaid,rightinhisear.Omenstoppedstruggling.“Ishouldkillyou.Ireallyshould.Idon’tknow,Ihaven’tkilledanyonebefore.Theidea…it’skindascary. I’m just being honest with you here, Darkly. It’s a big step to take. But I thinkkillingyouwouldbeeasierthankillingsomeonethatmatters.Imean,Idoubtyourfolkswouldevennotice.Yourbrotherwouldbesad,sothat’sanotherreasontodoit,toruinthebigshot’sday.Killingyouwouldbeeasy.Howwouldyoufeelabout that?Howwouldyoufeelaboutbeingmyfirst?”

Omentriedtoburyhisfear.“They’reusingyou.LiltandLetheandtheothers.They’reusingallofyou.They’retellingyouthatyou’respecialandthey’remakingyoufeellikeyoubelong,butthey’relyingtoyou.”

“Thisisweird,”Jenansaid,hisvoicesoft,almostdreamlike.“Itfeels…freeing.I’vemadethedecision,youknow?I’mgoingtokillsomeone.I’mgoingtokillyou.I’vebeenwaitingmywhole life toget to thispoint. Ihave, Idon’tmindsaying, fantasisedaboutwhatcomesnext.Ihaveimaginedsomanyscenarios,somanysituations,somanyfaces…But,sincethefirsttimeImetyou,IthinkI’veknownitwouldbeyou.IthinkIalwaysknewit’dbeyourface.Ijustwanttothankyou.I’msorryIwassomeantoyou.I’msorryIpickedonyou.Ishouldn’thavedoneit.Itwaswrong,andI’msorry.”

Bothhandsnow,wrappedroundOmen’sthroat.Squeezing.

“Ishouldhavetriedbeingfriendswithyou,”Jenanwhispered.Tearswereinhiseyes.“Thankyoufordoingthis.Thankyouforbeingtheone.”

Omencouldn’tbreathe.Jenan’sgripwastoostrong.

“Iloveyoufordoingthis,Omen.Thankyou.”

And then, just as the darkness was crowding in onOmen, there was space betweenthem,andJenanwasbeingpulledbackwards,alookofutterastonishmentonhisface.

“Oneofyouhadbetter tellmewhat’sgoingonhere,”MissWickedsaid.“Omen,areyouallright?Canyoutalk?”

Omen sucked in air and did his best to stay standing. It felt like someone was stillstranglinghim.

MissWickedturnedtoJenan.“Thisisit,MrIspolin.Idon’tcarewhoyourfatherisorhowmanystringshepulls,IwillpersonallyseetoitthatyouareexpelledfromCorrivalAcademy.”

But Jenan wasn’t listening to her. Omen could tell. His eyes were clouded withdisbelief.“Howcouldyoudothat?”heasked.“Howcouldyoustopme?”

“ReporttothePrincipal’sOfficeimmediately,”MissWickedsaid.

“Howcouldyoustopme?”heshouted,andhisfistcrackedintoMissWicked’scheek,sendingherbackastep.

Fromthelookonhisface,Jenanhadexpectedhertogodown,butafterthatsinglestepMissWickeddidn’tevenswayonherhighheels.Jenansteppedinandswungagain.

MissWickedbarelymovedand Jenan flewpast her.Omen jumpedclear ashe spun.Jenan’snextpunchwas redirected, his arm twisted, his face slammed into thewall.Helashedoutandsheguidedhimtothefloorquitefirmly.Helandedandbouncedslightly,theairknockedoutofhim.

“Omen,reporttothenurse,”MissWickedsaid,haulingJenantohisfeet.“Yourthroatlookslikeitwillbruise.”

“I’mOK,”Omensaid,hisvoiceawhisper.

“Thenurse,Omen,”MissWickedsaid.“Now.”

Shedidn’twait to see ifheheadedoff in the rightdirection, she just twisted Jenan’swristandhehowled,andsheledhimaway.

Omendoubtedhe’deverseenanythingascool.

47

“My car is better,” Pleasant said. “I don’tmean to offend you. Your car is fine, and Iadmire the fact thatyouwent to the troubleof transporting itacross theAtlantic…butwasthatreallythebestuseofanyone’stime?ACadillacisafinecar,butaBentley…ABentleyhascharacter.”

“AndwhereisyourBentley?”Cadaveroussaid,unlockingtheCadillac.“Is itbackinRoarhaven?Itis?ThenIguess,allthingsconsidered,thatmycaristhesuperiorvehicle.”

Hegot in behind thewheel.Amoment later, Pleasant curled his long frame into thepassengerseat.Heputhishatonhislapandbuckledhisbelt.

“This is an odd sensation,” he said.WhenCadaverous didn’t respond, he continued.“I’musedtodriving,that’sall.Ofcourse,thisisaleft-handdrivecarsoI’mstillsittingonmyusualside,whichalleviatestheproblemsomewhat.Butevenso,I’musedtobeingincontrol.It’squitediscomfitingtonotbeincontrol.It’snotafeelingI’musedto.MaybeitwouldbeagoodideaifIdrove?”

“OnlyIdrivethiscar,”Cadaveroussaid,pullingawayfromthekerb.

Pleasantnodded.“AndItotallyunderstandthat.Ido.However,I’musedtodrivingonthissideoftheroad,somaybeit’dbesaferforusbothifI—”

“OnlyIdrivethiscar.”

Pleasantlookedathim,thenshrugged.“OK.”Hesettledbackintohisseat.“Fine.”

Theyturnedleftatthejunction,joinedthefast-movingtraffic.

“IfyoutellmewhereTannerRutisliving,”Pleasantsaid,“Icouldjustflythere.Icandothat,youknow.Fly.Icouldflythere,grabhim,takehimback,orflythereandwaitforyou,ifyoureallywanttobeinvolved…”

“I’mnotlettingyououtofmysight,”Cadaveroussaid.“Idon’ttrustyou,skeleton.”

“Iamdeeplyoffendedbythat,Cadaverous.Ihavebeenaloyalmemberofthisteamforalmosttwenty-threehoursnow.Doesthatbonding-timemeannothingtoyou?”

“Abyssiniadoesn’ttrustyou,either.”

“AbyssiniaandIhavehistory.Didshe tellyouabout that?No?Ah,soshe’skeepingsomethingfromherminions.That’sinteresting.”

“Idon’tcare.”

“No?Areyousure?It’ssalacious.Istoleherheart,yousee.IstoleitandIputitinthatbox.Mypointis,yes,shemayhavesometrustissueswithme,buttimehealsallwounds,Cadaverous.Ihaveafeelingwhenwebringherbackallwillbeforgiven,and,oncethathappens,you’rereallygoingtowanttobeonmygoodside.Sowhatdoyousay?Willwebefriends?”

“Thatwillneverhappen.”

“DoIdetectahintofgrowingadmirationinyourvoice?”

“You’re a ridiculous creature,” Cadaverous said. “You’re a bad vaudeville act. Youbelongonstage.”

“Thatwasn’tano.”

“I’veknownpeople likeyoumyentire adult life,”Cadaverous said. “Puffedupwiththeir own sense of importance, inflated by their own so-called genius. Arrogant andpompous.”

“Youhaveformedanopinionofme.”

“Ihave.”

“Ihaveformedoneofyou.Wouldyouliketohearit?”

“Icouldn’tcareless.”

“Iknowyou,Cadaverous.YouthinkIdon’t,butIdo.”

“Youknownothingaboutme.”

“No?”Pleasantsaid.“ButmaybeIknewsomeonejustlikeyou.Excepthisnamewasn’tCadaverousGant – it was Charles Grantham, a retired professor of English at a semi-prestigiousNewEnglanduniversity.He’dwrittenafewbooksofpoetry,butnothingthatset the world on fire. Truth be told, his poetry was lazy and uninspired. Hackneyed, Ibelievewasthepopularopinionamonghispeers.”

Cadaverous’shandstightenedonthewheel.

“Atageseventy-eight,Charlesapparentlyflewintoafitofrageafterlisteningtoaso-called‘streetpoet’reinterprettheworksofKeats.Charlestried,unsuccessfully,tostranglethisstreetpoet,andsufferedaheartattackasaresult.Whilehewasrecoveringinhospital,police raided his home. Interesting thing about his home – he’d had it built by threedifferent builders. None of them knew what the others were doing, but Charles knew.Therewerecorridorsthatwentnowhere,doorsthatopenedontobrickwalls.Thereweresecretpassagewaysandpits.Howmanypeopledidyoukillinthathouseovertheyears,Cadaverous?Was itmore than thepolicebelieved?Was itmore than forty-seven?Howmanyofthemwereyourstudents?”

“Youthinkyouknowitall,”Cadaveroussaid.

“I know Charles Grantham disappeared,” Pleasant replied. “The house had beensearched illegally – everything in therewas inadmissible in court. A fewmonths later,

ProfessorGranthamwas gone. Is thatwhenAbyssinia first spoke to you? Is thatwhenCadaverousGantwasborn?”

Cadaverous slowed at the lights. A part of him, a significant part, had no desire toanswer.Satisfyingtheskeleton’squestionswasnotsomethingthatinterestedhim.Anotherpart,however,hadbeensnagged,asifPleasant’swordswereahookcastintothestilllake.

“Itwas the heart attack,” he said, accelerating again. “When Iwoke up, I could feelmagic.Icouldfeelit.Doyouhaveanyideawhatthat’slike,togetold,towatchyourownbodybetrayyou, only to findout that you couldhave stopped it?That you couldhavestayedyoungforever?”

“I’dimaginethatwouldhaveupsetjustaboutanyone,letaloneaserialkiller.”

“Youcan’treducemylifedowntoalabellikethat.”

“Whynot?Youreducedforty-sevenlivesdowntonothing.”

“Theywere cattle,” Cadaverous said. “Each of them had a sad little existence that Iended. Each of them had stumbled through their lives with blinkers on. They didn’tappreciatetheworld.Theydidn’tappreciateart,orpoetry,orthebeautyintheeveryday.EverysinglepersonIkilled,everysingleoneofthem,deservedtodie.Theyweresmall.Theyweremeaningless.”

“Unlikeyou.”

Cadaverousnodded.“Unlikeme.”

“AndthenAbyssiniaspoketoyou,didshe?Andtookyouunderherwing…”

“Is that what you did?” Cadaverous asked. “After wewent after Valkyrie Cain, youinvestigatedme?”

“Aftershesentyoupacking,yes,Idid.”

“Youwerecomingafterme,wereyou?FordaringtoharmyourpreciousValkyrie?”

“ButIcouldn’tfindyou,”saidPleasant.“SoIwaited.Andfinallyhereweare.”

“Areyougoingtokillmenow,skeleton?”

“I’m not sure,” Pleasant said. “It would certainly be easy enough. According toValkyrie,you’restrongerandfasterthanyoulook,butoutsideyourhome,you’rejustasvulnerableasanyoneelse.”

“Youwouldn’tlastaminuteinmyhome.”

“Iwasthere,”Pleasantsaid.“YourhouseonLombardStreet.Valkyriedescribeditasahellish infernowithmetalcatwalksandchainseverywhere.Shementionedabottomlesspit of fire.Andyetwhen Iwalked through it twelvehours later itwas anice, ordinarysuburbanhouse.Quiteboring,actually.Wedemolishedit.”

“Itdoesn’tmatter,”saidCadaverous.“MyhomeiswhereImakeit,andIamkingofmydomain.”

“Whatanunusualpower.”

“LikeIsaid,youwouldn’tlastaminute.”

“So,ifyouinvitemein,I’mtopolitelydecline?”

“Youwouldn’tgetaninvitation.”

“Evenso,I’djustdecline.”

“Youcan’tdeclineanofferyouhaven’treceived.”

“Icanpre-emptit,though.”

“Youcan’tpre-emptanofferyou’renevergoingtoget.”

“NotifIdeclineitbefore—”

“Stopit,”Cadaveroussaidsharply.“Juststopit.Seriously.I’lldriveusoffacliffifyoucontinue this… this…whatever it is.We’re not talking nonsense, do you understandme?”

“Sure,”Pleasantsaid.“Ofcourse.Myapologies.IjustgetoverlychattywhenIfeellikeI’mnotincontrolofthesituation.”

“You’renotdrivingmycar.”

“Justalittlebit.”

“Stopaskingme.”

“Fine,” said Pleasant, and sat back. “I’ll try to enjoy the journey, then, shall I?Apparentlyit’snotthedestinationthatmatters–especiallywhenyoutravelwithfriends.”

48

Never teleported them to the roof of the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center andimmediatelytheyduckeddown.Itwasn’tatallbuilding,andasingleglimpsewouldbeallit took for the dozens of tourists to look up and point, and then for the cops to comeinvestigating.

ThiswasOmen’sfirsttimeinAmerica.Crouchingdown,withValkyrieandTemperononesideandNeverontheother,hefocusedonnotbeingsickfromthejourneywhilehelookedoutatthesuspensionbridgethatspannedthewater.Hewasstruckbyhowbigitallwas.Thebridge.Theskylinebehindhim.Thesky.

“Thebridgeisonepointsevenmileslong,”saidNever.Hewaswearingscuffedjeans,ahoodyanda jacket.Omenshouldhavewornhishoodyunderhis jacket. Itwascolduphere.“Itopenedin1937.Thatcolour?It’scalledinternationalorange.”

“Whydoyouknowsomuchaboutit?”Omenasked.

Nevershrugged.“It’sabridge.Iknowstuffaboutbridges.”

Theyteleportedontothegrassbehindsometrees,andOmenthrewup.Heapologisedprofusely,andwhenhewasdonetheywalkedtotheroadside.Valkyriehailedacabandthey climbed in, Valkyrie in front. The driver chatted and Temper chatted back, butValkyrie stayed quiet and Never looked out of the window. Omen knew he wascommitting as much of their surroundings to memory as he could. That was one ofFletcherRenn’srules.

Omen had oncewanted to be a Teleporter. The power to leavewhenever hewantedappealedtohimwhenhewasgrowingup,watchingalltheattentionbeingfocusedonhisbrother.Not in an entirely goodway, of course.He knew, from the not quite disguisedlooks that would flash occasionally across Auger’s face, that such attention was moreburdenthangift.All that training,all that testing,all thoseexpectations…Onsomeoneweaker–Omen,forexample–itwouldhaveproventoomuch.ButAugerhandleditthesamewayAugerhandledeverything,withcharmandgoodhumour.

But alas, teleportationwas not to be for the youngerDarkly twin. For a start, everycompetentTeleporterwho’deverlivedhadbeenbornwiththeaptitude.TosomeonelikeNever, teleportation was instinct, albeit instinct he needed help channelling. Never’sdiscipline – for there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Never would chooseteleportation–wasapartofwhoshewas.Omen’swasstillamystery.Therewasnothingyetthathecouldtrulyclaimtoexcelat–evenhisElementalskillswerelaggingbehind

thoseofhis classmates.He liked thevarious languagesofmagic,he supposed,but thatwasmostlybecausehelikedtoread.

The drive toHaight Street only took a fewminutes.Omen stepped out in front of abrightly coloured store brimming with psychedelic positivity, and Never nudged him,directinghisattentiontothemultitudeofexoticpipesinthewindow.Farout,man.

Valkyriewasn’theretoenjoythescenery,andTemperwastoobusyadultingtoshowinterest, so theywalked ahead, goinguphill, closing inon the addresswhileOmenandNever followed along behind.An old guywith dreadlocks rocked by,moving to someinternalrhythmonlyhecouldhear,andasmallpackofstreetkids,loungingonsomeone’sfrontsteps,ignoredthemwithsuchprofessionaldetachmentthatevenNeverhadtoraisean eyebrow in admiration. A dog sat beside a white and red fire hydrant, like it wasconsideringwhetherornottomarkitsterritory.Itwatchedthemwalkon.

Theycrossedthestreetandarrivedatafenced-offpieceofflattenedground.Valkyrielookedatthemaponherphone,checkedallaround,thenstaredattheemptyspacebeforethem.

“Well,crap,”shesaid.

“You’resurethisisit?”Temperasked.

“I’msure.Even if Iwasn’t sure, I’dknow this is theplacewe’re looking for simplybecauseit’snothereanymore,andofcourseitwouldn’tbehereanymore,becausethat’show lifeworks. Justwhenyou think it couldn’t possibly suckanymore than it alreadysucks,itburnsdownthegoddamnhouse.”

“Oh, that house didn’t burn down,” said an oldwoman, passing. “Itwas demolishedyearsago.”

Tempergavetheoldwomanasmile.“Youlivenearhere?”

“I liverighthere,” thewomansaid,pointingapale,knobbly fingerat thehousenextdoor.“Doyouknowthem,then?”

“Who,RichardandSavant?”Temperasked.“Wedo.Infact,we’retryingtofindthem.Youwouldn’thappentoknowwheretheymovedonto,doyou?”

“Maryland or Maine, somewhere like that, I think. After they were gone, squattersmovedinandletthehousefallintodisrepair,andthenthebulldozerscameandflattenedthewholething.Howaretheydoing,doyouknow?Theyweresuchlovelyneighbours.”

“They’refine,”Temperassuredher.“Wejustlosttouch.Wewerehopingtofindsomeclueastowheretheymightbelivingnow,maybetrackdownsomeoftheirfriends–butobviouslythat’snotgoingtohappen.”

“Iguessnot,”saidtheoldwoman.“Butyoucouldalwayschecktheirthings.”

Valkyriefrowned.“Whatthings?”

“Theirpossessions,” theoldwomansaid.“Iwent in thereandpackedupasmuchoftheirstuffasIcouldfitintotheirsuitcases.Thesquatterswereniceenough,Iguess,but

theydidn’trespectotherpeople’spropertyasmuchastheyshouldhave.”

“Canweseeit?”Valkyrieasked.“Canwelookthroughthesuitcases?”

“Ifyou’refriendsofRichardandSavant,Idon’tseewhynot.”Sheledthewaytoherhouse. “That’s a nice accent you’ve got, by theway. Irish, is it?My grandmotherwasIrish.Iwasnamedafterher.Bridget.”

“I’mValkyrie.ThisisTemper,OmenandNever.”

Bridgetbeamed.“Whatdelightfulnames!Yourparentsmusthavebeenhippies.Wegetthatalotaroundhere.Comeonin.Wipeyourfeet.”

Shetookthemintothebackroomofherwarmhouse,whichsmelledofoldpeopleandcookies.ThreesuitcaseswerestackedinawardrobesobigitcouldhaveopenedupintoNarnia. The case Temper searched contained nothing but clothes, but the cases thatValkyrie,OmenandNeverlookedthroughwerefullofpapersandnotebooksandpictures.

Never examined a framed photograph of two handsome, smiling men. “Which iswhich?”heasked.

Temperreachedover,tappedtheimageoftheslightlybetter-lookingone.“Savant,”hesaid.

“Lovelymen,”Bridget said, hands claspedover her bosom. “They’ddo anything foryou.Iusedtohaveterribletroublewithmypipes,andthey’dcomeinhereandfixitallup.Wouldn’tevenletmepaythemfortheirtrouble.”

“Didyouevermeetanyoftheirfriends?”Valkyrieasked,siftingthroughahandfulofdocuments.

Bridgetnodded.“Allthetime.Theyhostedthebestdinnerparties,andknewthemostfabulouslyinterestingpeople.”

“Iknowsomeofthosesamepeople,”Tempersaid.

“Youdo?Youdon’tlookhalfoldenough.”

Temperchuckled.“IrememberthemfromwhenIwasakid.Acoupleofthemwereabitmuch,don’tyou think?Theywerea little– Idon’tknowwhat the rightword is…scary?”

BridgetgaveanodsoquicksheremindedOmenofabirdpeckingatacrumb.“Afewofthemwere,”sheconfided,likeshe’dbeengivenpermissiontogossip.“Afewofthemwere downright weird – and I knowweird. I grew up here. I was living in this houseduringtheSummerofLove.IwasaDeadhead.IthoughtI’dseenitall…buttherewereoneortwoofthosefriendswhojustgavemetheheebie-jeebies.”

“Doyourememberanynames?”

“I’msorry,Idon’t.Alotofhippynames,though–thatIdoremember.”

Omenpulledasmallphotoalbumfromthecaseandflickedthroughit.Thefirstthird,orthereabouts,wasfilledwitholdpictures–blackandwhiteandsepia-tinged–ofMelior

andVega.Thefirstfewwereposedandstiff,thepairunsmiling,butgraduallytheyeased,until their smileswere broad and their armswere around each other’s shoulders.Therewasevenakisshereandthere.Colourstartedseepinginasthedecadesbroughttheirownadvancements,andthehairstylesgotprogressivelysillier.Onephoto,discolouredbyageand sunlight, showedMelior andVega standingwith twoothermenandawoman.Themenwereallwearingbowlingshirtsandholdingatrophyaloft,andthewoman,whohadagiganticAfroandhoopearrings,waslaughing.Omenfrowned,andlookedcloser.ThemanstandingtoSavant’srightwasPartheniosLilt.

“Foundsomething,”hesaid,andhandedthealbumtoValkyrie.Hereyeswidened.

“Seesomethinginteresting?”Temperasked.

For a moment, Valkyrie didn’t answer, then she flipped the album so he could see.“Recogniseanyone?”

“That’sLilt,”Neversaid,pointing.

Temper’sowneyesnarrowed.“Thewoman,”hesaid.“She’sanoldfriend.Hername’sTessaMehrbano.Youknowher?”

“Nother,” saidValkyrie, “andnotLilt.”Her finger jabbedat the imageof the small,smilingmannexttoRichardMelior.“Him.”

Tempertookamoment,andhiseyebrowsslowlyrose.“Wow.Nicehair.”

OmenandNevercrowdedround.

“Whoishe?”Neverasked.

Valkyriepulledthephotographfromthealbum,lookingatBridgetasshedidso.“CanIborrowthis?”

“Iguessso,”theoldwomansaid.“IseverythingOK?Youlookill.”

“I’mfine,”saidValkyrie.“Justeagertotalktosomepeople.Thankyouverymuchforyourhelp.”

“Ofcourse,”saidBridget.“Ifyoutrackthemdown,pleasetellthemIwasaskingafterthem.Theyweresuchlovelyboys.”

“Wewill,”saidValkyrie,andledthewayout.ThemomenttheywereoutofBridget’sview – she stood in her doorway,waving as theywalked – they dodged off the street,hurryingupthestepsintothecoverofBuenaVistaPark.

ValkyriespuntoTemper.“Thisoldfriendofyours,what’shernameagain?”

“TessaMehrbano.”

“Youknowwhereshelives?”

“Yeah.NewYork.”

“Talk to her. We’ll head back to Roarhaven, get things sorted out there. MaybeMehrbanoknowssomethingthat’llhelpus,maybeshedoesn’t,butitwon’thurttotry.”

Temperhesitated.“Ihaven’treallybeenherfavouritepersonforafewyearsnow.”

“I doubt you’re anyone’s favourite person except your own,”Valkyrie said, “but youstillhavetogo.”

“OK,thatwasespeciallyharsh.”

“Sorry.Didn’tmeanit.Notthinkingstraight.Never,takehim.”

“I’mnotataxicab,”Neversnapped.

Valkyriestiffened,andturnedhergazetohimslowly.“TakeTempertoNewYork,”shesaid,“thencomebackforus.WhenIhavetimetoasknicely,Iwillasknicely.Butrightnow,dowhatIsayorgetoutofmysight.”

Neverflushed.“Hey,you’retheonewhocametomeforhelp.”

“Andifyou’regoingtogivethathelpthenyou’regoingtodoitwithoutsulkingeverytimeyoulookatme.NowtakehimtoNewYork.”

Glaring,NeverreachedoutandTempertookhishand,andtheyvanished.

Valkyrie deflated all of a sudden, sagging back against a tree. Omen got the feelingshe’dforgottenhewasthere.Afamiliarsensation.

“Um,”hesaid.

Shelookedup.“Yes?”

“Iwas…Iwasjustgoingtoask.Theguyinthepicture.Whoishe?”

“Youreallydon’tknow?HaveyoueverbeentotheHighSanctuary?”

“No.”

“If you had, you’d have seen him,”Valkyrie said. She frowned, and looked around.“Huh,”shesaid.

“What’swrong?”

Shehesitated.“Nothing,Ijust…”

Andthat’swhensomebodypunchedOmeninthebackofthehead.

49

Valkyrie lunged, trying to catchOmen before he hit the ground, but he’d already face-plantedinthedirtbeforeshegotanywhereclose.Helaythere,notmoving,andValkyrielookedaround,tryingtoworkoutwhatthehellhadhappened.

“What’syourname,then?”

Shespun.Themanstandingtherewasalittletallerthanshewas.Heworeoldjeansanddirtyboots.Noshirt.Hewaswiry,hismusclestight.Hisgreyhairwaslong.Messy.Hehadagrinningmouthtattooedacrossthelowerhalfofhisjaw.Othertattoosdecoratedhistorso and arms. He was painted like his skin was peeling back, revealing an army ofswarmingdemonsbeneaththesurface.

“Don’tsupposeitmatters,”hecontinued.HisaccentwasNewYork.“Youwereaskingabout thegayguys,which automaticallymeansyouget put on the list.Whichmeans Ihave tokill you.”He shrugged. “Hopeyoudon’t take it personal.”He reached intohiswaistband,andfrowned.“Awdammit,”hemuttered,andlookedup.“Don’tsupposeyou’dhavetheloanofaknifeoragun,wouldyou?”

Valkyrie’shandlitup,butthetattooedmanskippedforwardandslappedhersohardshenearlyblackedout.She stumbledsideways instead,wentdownononeknee,but forcedherselfupagain,keepingdistancebetweenthem,backingoffasheclosedin.

“GuessI’lljusthavetobeatyoutodeath,”hesaid,andsmiled.

Sheraisedherhand,triedblastinghim,butherbodywasn’tco-operating.Bythetimeherfingertipsfinallystartedtotingle,he’dvanished.Teleporter.

Shewhirled,whirledagain, thenheardabootsteppingondried twigsandshe turnedbacktothespotwherehe’dvanishedandtherewasnoonethere,butpainexplodedacrossher face and her head snappedback and she staggered, both hands over her facewhileblood streamed through her fingers. Her nose was broken. The pain was excruciating.Throughtear-filledeyesshewatchedhisimagesolidifyinfrontofher.

NotaTeleporter,then.

“Ishouldhavebroughtagun,”hesaid.“Forthefirstmonthortwo,Ialwayshadagunonme.Butthey’reprettyheavy,youknow?Anduncomfortable.SoIstoppedbringingit.Notveryprofessional,Iknow,butthisisn’tafull-timegigforme.I’mbeingpaidtokeepaneyeon thatpatchof landand, if anyonecomes snooping, Ihave tokill them.Tobehonest, you’re the first to come snooping.Until now, this hasbeen the easiestmoney Ievermade.Course,it’sstillprettyeasy.”

Neverteleportedinandhiseyeswidenedimmediately.

“Omen!”Valkyrieshouted,pointing.

Never ran to Omen’s side, crouching beside him as he tried to sit up, and Valkyrieboltedtowardsthem.Thetattooedmanrantointercept,butValkyrie’sheadstartwasmorethanenoughtokeepheroutofhisreach.

Neverlookedaround,lookedrightatherwithpanicinhiseyes,andjustbeforeValkyriecouldtouchhimheteleported,takingOmenwithhim.

Goddammit.

Valkyrieveeredawayandthetattooedmanslammedintoher.

They crashed through the undergrowth and tumbled down a small hill, Valkyriemanaging to lash a kick into him as they rolled, and themoment she was able to shescrambledup,herrighthandcrackling.

Thetattooedmanfrozeinahalf-crouch.“Ah,”hesaid.

“That’sanicetrick,”shesaid,“turninginvisible.YoudoitagainandI’llfryyou.”

“Yeah,”hesaid,“Igotthat.”

Her lefthanddippedintoherpocket,pulledoutafewleavesandcrammedthemintohermouth.Thepaindulled,andwentaway.Sheusedtobesomuchbetteratthis.She’dsnapoutalineandbeallultra-coolandhervoicewouldn’tshakeandherhandswouldn’ttremble.

Ormaybehervoicehadshaken,eventhen.Maybeherhandshadtrembled.Maybeshehadjustbeenbetteratfoolingherself.

“You’re going to answer some questions,” she said,wiping some of the blood away.“You’regoingtoanswerthemorI’mgoingtolightyouup.Myaimhasn’talwaysbeenthebestlately,butIdoubtevenIcouldmissatthisrange.”

Hegavealittleshrug.“Ibelieveinyou.”

“What’syourname?”

“Shakespeare,”hesaid.“GleemanShakespeare.Thoughmostpeople in thepresscallmeMrGlee.”

“Whydopeopleinthepresscallyouanything?”

Anothershrug.“Oh,Iliketokillpeople.Asahobby.IsignmynamewhenI’mdone.”

“Soyou’reaserialkiller.”

“IguessIam.”

“You’renotthefirstoneI’vemet.”

“Idon’tdoubtit.Wouldyoulikeahandkerchief?Fortheblood?It’sclean,Ipromise.”

“Yeah,”saidValkyrie.“That’dbegood.”

Gleeproducedaspotlesswhitehandkerchieffromhisbackpocket,andtosseditover.

Sheheldittohernose.“Abyssiniasentyoutokeepaneyeonthingshere,didshe?”

“Oh, I’m not one of the chosen fewwho are lucky enough to hear the voice of thetelltaleheart,”Gleeanswered.“Naw,Igetmyorderstheold-fashionedway,frompeoplewhoaren’tinternalorgans.”

“SoLethe,then.WherearetheykeepingSavantVega?DotheyhavehimwiththemonColdheart?”

Glee’s smile spread beneath his tattoo. “That’s on a need-to-know basis, and I ammerely an underling, not privy to sensitive information such as that. Pardonme, can Istand?I’mnotasyoungasIusedtobeand—”

“Stayrightwhereyouare.”

Hesighed.

“Soyou’resayingyoudon’tknowanythinguseful?Atall?”

“Prettymuch,”hereplied.“Youshouldprobablyjustletmego.”

“OrIcouldlettheHighSanctuary’sSensitivespokethroughyourthoughts.”

Gleepulledaface.“Really?They’dhavetowearwadingbootsandcomearmedwithblacklights.Itismessyinthere.”

ItsuddenlyoccurredtoValkyriethatshehadneglectedtobringanyshackleswithher.Yetanothersmall,personaltriumphforhertorevelinlater.

Gleefrowned.“YouOK,miss?”

“Shutup,”shesaid.“I’mthinking.”

“Andyou’resureIcan’tmove?Mylegsarecrampingsomethingawful.”

“Isthisthefaceofsomeonewhocares?”

“Ididgiveyouthathandkerchief…”

“Afteryoubrokemynose.”

Hesighedagain. “Thendoyoumindmeaskingwhatwe’rewaiting for? Imean, areyougoingtoarrestmeornot?”

“Youtriedtokillme.OfcourseI’marrestingyou.”

“Right.It’sjustthatyoudon’tlooklikeyou’rearrestingme.Youlooklikeyou’retryingto rememberwhat you had for dinner yesterday.Or are you deciding if I’mworth theeffortofhaulingin?Maybeyou’rewonderingifyoushouldjustkillmerighthere.Isthatwhatyou’redoing?Youwanttokillme?Fryme?”

“Youdon’twanttobetemptingmerightnow,MrGlee.”

“Couldyoudoit?”heasked,peeringcloser.“Hell,maybeyoucould,atthat.Yougotakiller’seyes.”

Thecracklingintensified.“Sayonemorewordandyou’llfindout.”

SheheardNevercallinghername.

“Downhere!”sheshouted,nottakinghereyesoffGlee.

A moment later, Never came half running, half skidding down the embankment,stoppingbesideher.

“Ithoughtyou’dabandonedme,”Valkyriesaid.

“Iwasscared,”respondedNever.“Fearisamagicinhibitor.Everyoneknowsthat.Getoverit.”

“ShouldIstepaway?”Gleeasked.“Letyoutwotalkitover?”

“Notaninch,”saidValkyrie.

“Sowhatdowedowithhim?”Neverasked.

“Ihaven’tdecidedyet,”saidValkyrie.

Gleesmiledatthemboth,andtheenergy,whichhadbeencracklingsofiercelyaroundValkyrie’shand,startedtofade.Shefocused,triedtopourmorepowerintoherfingertips,butshewasoverthinking,shewaslettingherdoubtsblockher instincts,andGleecouldseeit.Hestraightened.

“Getusoutofhere,”Valkyriemuttered.

“I…I’mtrying,”saidNever,hishandonhershoulder.

As theenergy inherhandscrackledoutanddied,Gleestarted towhistlea tune, that‘FlowersinYourHair’songfromthe1970s,andthenheturnedinvisible.KeepingNeverbesideher,Valkyriebackedaway.

“Never…”

“Iknow,I’mtrying…”

Valkyrie kept her eyes on the spacewhere thewhistling came from, trying to spot atelltale ripple in the air, but the only sign of his movement came from the grass thatflattenedunderhisfeet.Hewascomingcloser.Closer.

Thewhistlingstopped.

Sheheardhim,heardmovement,asuddenexhalationofbreathandhewasrunningather,andshegrabbedNever,pulledhimbehindherandcoveredup,screwinghereyesshutandclenchingherjawandwaitingfortheimpact,andthenthecoolbreezewentawayandnoimpactcame,andshelookedupandsawawall.

“Oh my God, that was way too close,” she said, the words tumbling out in onewhisperedsigh.Shelookedaround.Theywerebackattheschool.“Where’sOmen?”

“Nurse’sOffice,”saidNever.

“IsheOK?”

Heshrugged.Acoupleofkidspassed in thecorridor intersecting theirs,butwere toowrappedupintheirconversationtonoticethem.

“Thanks,”Valkyrie said. “I know first-hand how fear and adrenaline can affect yourcontrolovermagic,socomingbackformetookrealguts.”Thehandkerchiefwassoddenwith blood. It dripped to the floor. “I need to get to theHigh Sanctuary as quickly aspossible.Canyouhelpme,justalittlebitmore?”

Neverlookedather,andmadeasoundhalfwaybetweenagruntandascoff.“I’mnotatram,”hesaid,andwalkedaway.

Teenagers.

Valkyrieturnedandstartedrunning.

Startledstudentsleapedoutofherwayassheran,bloodstainedandmanic,forthestreetoutside. She jumped into the first tram she saw and as it flowed towards MeritoriousSquare sheprobedherbrokennose,hissing inpain.Shedidherbest towipe thebloodfromherface,butavoidedherreflectionincaseshereallydidlookasbadasshethought.Whenthetramslowedatthesquare,shethrewherselfoffandsprintedtothestepsoftheHighSanctuary.TherewasalineofCleaversandCityGuardsoutside,notlettinganyoneinorout,butwhentheysawhertheyletherthroughwithoutevencheckingherbadge.

She got a fewworried looks as she bounded up the steps, but she ignored them andcrashedthroughthedoors.Immediately,shewashitbythewailofanalarm,andhadtoshoulderherwaythroughthemassingcrowd.Someone’sarmtippedagainstherfaceanditwaslikethey’dswungashovelintohernose.

“Move!”sheshouted,inexquisitepainandsharp-edgedanger.“Getoutofmygoddamnway!”

Hervisionbleachedlikeawashed-outphotographandthecrowdpartedsuddenly,andshecaughtaglimpseofherselfinthelargemirror.Thelowerhalfofherfacewasindeeddrenchedinblood,justlikeshe’dexpected,andthatbloodwasstilldrippingontoherT-shirt, turningit intoasoddenmess.But themoststartlingthingaboutherappearanceatthatmomentwasthewhiteenergycracklingfromhereyes.

Instinctively,shewithdrewheranger,pullinghermagicbackintoherself,andhereyesreturnedtonormal.

Shehurriedon.

ShefoundChinatwominuteslater,stridingthroughthecorridor,surroundedbyanxiousmagesandsecurity.

“Letherthrough,”Chinacommanded,andpulledValkyrieinbesideherasshewalked.“Myword,youlookdreadful.”

“What’sgoingonhere?”

“PartheniosLilthasescaped,”Chinasaidbitterly.“Wedon’tknowhowithappenedyet– all our surveillance has been disabled. It would appear that we have a traitor in our

midst.Yournoseisbroken,bytheway.”

“Iknow,”saidValkyrie.“AndIalsoknowwhofreedLilt.”

“Youdo?”

Valkyrie reachedout, grabbed the collarof the traitor anddraggedhimback towardsher.Everyonestoppedwalking,andChinaleanedinandglared.

“You’re going to suffer,” she said quietly. “The rest of your life is going to be acatalogueofpainanddarknessandsuffering,yousnivellinglittletoad.”

Tipstaffpaled.

50

“Some people are just not meant for this kind of life,” Pleasant said. This was thethirteenth topic of conversation he’d broached since they’d set off, and it was allCadaverous could do to not drive theCadillac off this quiet coastal road. “I’ve knownthem,you’veknownthem–it’splaintosee.Wecanpretenditisn’t.Wecanpretendtheybelong, that they fit…but the truth is likeagood trap– inescapable.Takeyour friendJeremiah,forinstance.”

Anger immediately started to flow throughCadaverous’sveins.“Becarefulwhatyousayabouthim,skeleton.”

Pleasantwavedaglovedhandairily.“Ihavenowishtospeakillofthedeparted,eventhoughthathasneverstoppedanyonefromspeakingillofme.Ijustwishtohighlightthedifferencebetweenyourpartner…andmine.”

“Jeremiahwasaburninglightinthedarkness.”

“Herolledoffametalplatformandfellintothefierypitbeneath.Hewasdefinitelyaburninglightsomewhere.Mypointis,weeachgavetimeandattentiontosomeoneelse.Ourpositionscouldveryeasilybe reversed rightnow–Jeremiahmightbe theonestillliving,andValkyriemightbe theone tohavedied.Thedifferencebetween themis thatValkyriewasmeantforthislife.Jeremiah,sadly,wasnot.”

Cadaverousbraked.Acarbehindhonkedangrilyandveeredround.

“Jeremiahbecamemyreason,”Cadaveroussaid.“BeforeItookhimundermywing,Iwaslost.Iwasdespairing.AndthenImethim,andIrecognisedthathecouldbebetterthanIeverwas.Hejustneededtheguidance.Iknowwhatyou’rethinking.Iknowwhateveryone thinks.Mindsgo tosordidplaces.But thebondbetweenJeremiahandmyselfwasathingofpurity.”

“Hey,I’mnotjudging,”saidPleasant.“Wehavealotincommon,youandI.Especiallynow,with theovertmurderous impulses.ButInever tookValkyrieundermywing.Shewasnevermyprotégée.Shewasalwaysmypartner.Shemadeherowndecisionsandherownmistakes.Maybe that’swhereyouwentwrongwith Jeremiah.Maybeyouwere sofocusedonteachinghimthatyouneverallowedhimtofindhisownplaceintheworld.”

“Themistake Imadewith JeremiahwasnotkillingValkyrieCain the firstmoment Isawher.”

Pleasantchuckled.“Yeah,shehasthateffect,allright.”

Lights flashedbehind,andasirengavea shortblare.AsPleasant’s façade flowedupoverhisskull,Cadaverousglancedintherear-view.Twocopsweregettingoutoftheircarandapproaching.

Pleasantgotoutfirst,thenCadaverous.Ignoringinstructionstoreturntotheirvehicle,they approached the uniformed men. The cops raised their voices and backed away,pullingbatonsas theydidso.Confidencerenewed, theycameforwardnow,furious thattheirauthorityhadbeensodirectlychallenged.

The firstone swungatPleasant andPleasant smashedhis face into thebonnetof thepatrolcar.

“Hey!” theothercopcried, takinghiseyesoffCadaverous.Cadaverousgrabbedhim,crushedhisthroatandlethisbodycrumple.

“AllI’msaying,”Pleasantsaid,hisfalsefaceslippingawayashegotbackin,“isthatyougotunluckywithJeremiah.Hejustwasn’tcutoutfor this.Maybenext time,you’llfindsomeonewhois.”

Cadaverous put the car into gear and theymoved off. “Luck had nothing to dowithJeremiah’sdeath,andyoumaytry toconvincemeotherwise,butyouwill fail.ValkyrieCainisminetokill.”

“That’snotgoing tohappen,”Pleasantsaid,and theyspokenomoreuntil theyfoundthesmallhouseontheverytipofthepeninsulaandgotoutofthecar.Pleasantputhishaton.Thestiffwinddidn’teventrytobudgeit.Cadaverousfollowedhimtothefrontdoor.

It opened before they reached it, and amanwithwild greying hair stepped out.Thewindhadfunwithhishair.

“Tanner Rut?” Pleasant said, walking towards him with his hand extended.“SkulduggeryPleasant,verypleasedtomeetyou.”

“Youcanstoprightthere,MrPleasant,”saidRut,andPleasantdulystopped.“Ihaven’thadanyvisitorsinoverthirteenyears.Igotusedtothesolitude.Ilikedit.Nowyoutwo.Askeletonandanoldman.I’veheardofthegreatSkeletonDetective,ofcourse,butwhataboutyou,old-timer?Gotaname?”

“CadaverousGant.”

“Neverheardofyou.”

“Norshouldyouhave.”

“Whatdoyouwant?”

“Weneedyoutocomewithus,”saidPleasant.

“WhatifIdon’twantto?”

“We’llhavetoinsist.”

Rutshookhishead.“IgotnothingtodowiththeSanctuaries,”hesaid.“Istayoutoftheirbusiness,andtheyshouldstayoutofmine.I’manatural-bornsorcerer.”

“We’re all natural-born sorcerers,” said Pleasant. “The word you’re looking for isNeoteric.”

Rut laughed. “That’s a stupid name. I just usemagic differently fromyouSanctuarytypes,that’sall.Eitherofyouwantanytea?I’mmakingtea.”

“Idon’tdrink,”saidPleasant.

“I’llhavesometea,”saidCadaverous.

Rut nodded, andwalked into the house. Cadaverous and Pleasant followed.A smallhouse, the kitchen part of the living room.Cold in here, despite the roaring fire. Theywatchedhimfillthekettleandputitontoboil.

“Whatareyougoingtodo,”Rutsaid,“ifIresist?”

“We’lldragyou,”saidPleasant.“Orcarryyou.Politenessisnotourprimaryconcern.”

“Yeah?Thenwhatis?”

“Youjusthavetobealivewhenwedeliveryou.”

Rutlookedatthembothwithnarrowedeyes.“Thisisn’tSanctuarybusiness,isit?”

“No,”saidPleasant.“Itisnot.Tobehonestwithyou,theSanctuariesdon’tevenknowyou exist. I had to hear about you from a gentleman named Lethe,who claims you’resomethingofaserialkiller.Isthattrue?”

Rutshrugged.“Usedtobe.”

“Yougaveitup,didyou?Realiseditwasn’tforyou?”

“Itwasaphase,Ithink.Itpassed.”

“Youkilledeighteenpeople.”

Rutshruggedagain,didn’tofferupanexcuse.“Areyouheretokillme?”

“Well,”saidPleasant,“notus…”

Rutpouredboilingwaterintotwinmugs.“Milk?”

“No,”saidCadaverous.

“Sugar?”

“Ichangedmymind.Idon’twanttea.IjustwanttogetoutofthisdecrepitshackbeforeIstartinhalingspores.”

Rutdroppedthemug,anddivedbehindthecounter.

“Thisisridiculous,”Cadaverousmuttered,goingafterhim.

Rut emergedwith a goddamn scimitar in his hand, a gigantic curved swordwith anextravagant golden hilt, and hewhirled thatmonster over his head like amadman andCadaveroushadtostumblegracelesslyawaytoavoidbeingseparatedfromhislowerhalf.

For aheartbeat,Cadaverous thoughtPleasantwas just going towatch, but at the lastmomenttheskeletonsteppedin,divertingRut’sattention.ThebladeswoopedroundandPleasantduckedrightthendodgedleft,barelykeepinghimselfinonepiece.HegotsomespacebetweenthemandlobbedafireballthatRutactuallycutthrough.

Cadaverousstraightenedup.“I’mleaving!”heshouted.

PleasantandRutstoppedfighting.

“I’msorry?”Pleasantasked.

“I’mleaving,”Cadaverousrepeatedinamoredignifiedtone.“I’mgoingtogo.Youcancontinuefighting.”

“I’mnotsureIgetit,”saidRut.

“There’snotrick,”saidCadaverous.“I’mjustgoingtowalkoutofhere.”

Pleasanttiltedhishead.“Whataboutourmission?”

“He’sgotagoddamnsword.Lookatit.It’shuge.”

“Buttherearetwoofus.”

“I’m not trained in this kind of thing,” Cadaverous said. “I’m only good againstuntrainedmortals,whenI’monhometurforwhenIcancheat.Look,thisdoesn’thavetobeabigdeal.Keeponfighting,puthiminshacklesandI’llbeinthecar.”

Cadaverouswalkedforthedoor,butPleasantblockedhisway.

Cadaveroussighed.“TheunavoidabletruthofthematteristhatI’manelderlyman.Thepairofyoumaytechnicallybeolder,butI’mtheonewiththeseventy-eight-year-oldbody.IthurtswhenIbendover.IthurtswhenIdon’tbendover.Itjusthurts.”

“Thisisaveryoddsituation,”Rutmurmured.

“Quiet,you,”saidPleasant,pullingouthisgunandshootingTannerRutintheshoulder.Rutwentdown,screaming,hisswordclatteringtothefloor.

The smell of gunpowderwafted through the small house, and the gun swung slowlyuntilitwaspointingstraightatCadaverous’sbelly.

Cadaverousregardedtheskeletonwithoutexpression.“Iwaswonderingwhenyouweregoingtotakeyourchance.”

“Nowseemslikeasgoodatimeasany.”

“Lethewon’tlikeit.Ifyoukillme,thenhe’llkillyou.”

“Lethe’snotgoingtokillme,”Pleasantsaid.“AbyssiniaandIhaveahistory.Shewon’tlethim.”

“Shehasahistorywithme,too.Shetalkstomemorethanshedoestheothers.Inhereyes,I’mafavouredson.She’snotgoingtolookkindlyonmymurder.”

“Iknowherbetterthanyou,Cadaverous.She’llgetoverit.”

Cadaverous kept his voice even. “Are you quite sure about that, skeleton? Can youclaimtoknowherplans?Canyouclaimtoknowhersowellthatnothingshedoeswouldsurpriseyou?”

Thegunstayedlevel.TannerRutstoppedscreaming.He’dpassedoutonthefloor.

Pleasant put his gun away. “You can carry him to the car,” he said. “Make yourselfuseful.”Hewalkedout.

Cadaverousexhaled,thentookholdofRut’sanklesanddraggedhimoutofthehouse.

51

“Youlookterrible,”Augersaid,sittingattheendofthebed.Theschool’sMedicalWingwasquiet.Alltheotherbedswereempty.Omen’sheadwasstillabitfuzzysohejustlaythere,waitingforAugertosaysomethingelse.Secondslimpedby.

“Concussion,”Augersaidatlast.

Omentriedashrug.

“Howdidyougetconcussion?”

“Hitmyhead.”

“How?”

“Byaccident.”

“Whatdidyoudo?”

“Hitmyheadbyaccident.”

Augerwatchedhim.“MumandDadcalled,”hesaid.

Omenfrowned.“Youtoldthem?”

“Theyknew.Theschoolhastoalerttheparentsifsomeonegetsinjured.”

“It’sjustaconcussion.You’vehadplenty.”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you. They were wondering whatyou’vebeenupto.”

“Nothing.”

“That’swhatItoldthem.Itoldthemnothing.IsaidOmenhasn’tbeengettinguptoanymischief.That’snotwhatOmendoes.Heleavesallthatstufftome.”

“BecauseIdo.”

Auger nodded. “Because you do. That’s right. You leave all the stupid stuff to me.That’skindofourdeal,isn’tit?”

“Isit?”

“Yes,itis.I’mtheChosenOne,soIhavethecrazylife.You’rethenormalone,soyouhavethenormallife.That’showweoperate.”

“Ididn’tknowthat.”

“Youdidn’tknowthatIhavethecrazylife?”

“Ididn’tknowwe’ddivideditup.Whendidwedothat?”

“Whenwewereborn.”

“Imustn’thavebeenpayingattention.”

“It’s our system,” said Auger. He pointed to himself. “Chosen One.” He pointed toOmen.“Luckyone.”

Omenraisedaneyebrow.“Luckyone?Really?”

“Yeah.Aren’tyou?Imean…aren’tyou?”

“Isupposeso,”Omensaid.“Inaway.”

Auger adjusted his position slightly. “So our system, our deal, is predicated on youstaying out of trouble. It’s predicated on you staying safe, and uninjured, and non-concussed.Whatpartofthatdoyounotunderstand?”

“Theword‘predicated’.”

Augerleanedcloser.“What’sgoingonwithyou?What’shappening?”

“Nothing.Ihitmyhead.Itwasanaccident.”

“WasitIspolin?”

“Jenanhadnothingtodowiththis,”saidOmen.

“I’llkickhisass.”

“Pleasedo,buthestillhadnothingtodowiththis.”

“Thenwhyhashegone?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“He’s gone,” said Auger, leaning back. “He and his buddies. All of the Arcanum’sScholars,theypackedtheirthings,lefttheirschoolbooksandvanished.Nobodyevensawthemleave.”

“Huh.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say?Because I heard that Jenan attacked you earlier. Like,seriouslyattackedyou,andthenattackedMissWickedwhenshegotinvolved.”

“Yeah,”Omensaid.“Yeah,thathappened.Hewasslightlynutsatthetime,though.Hesaidhewasgoingtokillme.”

“They’veexpelledhim.”

“Probablyagoodpolicy.”

“His dad’s goingballistic, apparently. ‘Howdare you expelmy son, don’t youknowwho I am?’ That kinda thing. The fact that Jenan’s vanishedwith all the others hasn’thelpedcalmhimdown.Youthinkthey’reoffsulkingsomewhere,orisitsomethingelse?”

“HowwouldIknow?”

Augerkeptobservinghim.“ValkyrieCainwasherethisafternoon,”hesaid.“Nothingto say to that, either? That’s interesting. Valkyrie Cain ran through the school, bloodeverywhere,atroughlythesametimeyouhadyouraccident.”

“Youthinkshedidthistome?”

“No.Probablynot.Still,it’sabitofacoincidence,wouldn’tyousay?”

“Supposeitis.”

Auger sighed. “You’re really not going to tell me, are you? OK, that’s fine. We’reallowedtokeepsecrets.But ifyouwon’t tellmewhat’sgoingonnow, thenwillyouatleasttellmeifyouneedmyhelplateron?Canyoudothat?”

“Ofcourse,”saidOmen.

Augernodded,andstood.“That’sallIneedtohear.Catchyoulater,dude.”

Hewalkedtothedoor.

“Hey,Auger?DidMumandDad…didtheyaskhowIwas?”

Augerhesitatedjustamomenttoolongbeforeturning.“Ofcourse,”hesaid.“Theytoldmetopassontheirlove.Saidtogetbettersoon.”

“Right,”saidOmen.“Thanks.”

ThenursedismissedhimandOmenwentbacktohisclasses.AxeliaLuktpassedhiminthe corridor and gave him a smile, and his heart turned into amillion butterflies in hischest.

“Hey,”Filamentsaid,walkingup.“IheardwhathappenedwithJenan.AreyouOK?”

“Iam,yeah,”Omenreplied.“I’mfine.”

“He should be arrested, not just expelled. You could have been brain-damaged.Youmightstillbebrain-damaged.HowmanyfingersamIholdingup?”

“You’renotholdingupanyfingers.”

Filamentsagged.“Oh,youpoorthing.”

Omenhadtolaugh,whichraisedthecornersofFilament’smouth.

“ButJenandidn’tgiveme theconcussion,”Omensaid.“Thatwasmyfault. Ihitmyhead.”

Filamentfrowned.“Iheardhehityourhead.”

“Naw,hejustchokedme.”

“Thestorygoingaroundtheschoolis thatheputyouintheinfirmary.Just toletyouknow,thatstoryisgettingyoualotofsympathyfromthegirls.”

“Itis?Really?”

“Anditisthegoodkindofsympathy,nottheotherkind.”

“Wow.”

“Imean,notthekindyouusuallyget.”

“Yeah.”

“Thepityingkind.”

“Igotthat,thanks.”

Filamentlaughed.“Iamjoking.Myapologies.MyEnglishisnotsogood.”

“YourEnglishisperfectandyouknowit.”

“Ah,maybe.SowhatdoyouthinkabouttheArcanum’sScholarsrunningaway?Ithinkit is hilarious. I can imagine them each packing some sandwiches into a little spottedhandkerchiefandtyingitontotheendofastick,likeintheoldcartoons.Thentheywalkoffintothewoodswherenogrown-upswilleverbotherthemagain,ever.”

“Iwishtheywerethatharmless.”

“Didyouhear?Oneofthemfellfromabalcony.ItriedtohelpbutIdon’tthinkIdidanygood.Itdidn’tmatter.MrPeccantsavedwhoeveritwas.”

“I’msurethey’regratefultoyoufortrying,”Omensaid.“Iftheycouldthankyou,I’msuretheywould.”

Filament shrugged. “Would Iwant any thanks from them? Probably not. They are abunchof…whatisit?Theword?Aboutthecryingbabies?”

“Crybabies?”

“Them,yes.Theyareabunchofcrybabies.No?Youdon’tthinkso?”

“Idon’tknow.Maybe.”

Filamentlookedathimoutofthecornerofhiseye.“Youarehidingsomething.”

“No,I’mnot.”

“Youare.YouknowsomethingIdonotknow.”

“Iswear,Idon’t.Iknowverylittle,infact.SomemightsayIknowtoolittle.”

Anothersmile.“Youareamanofmystery,Omen.Itiswhywearefriends.”

Omensmiledwithhim,kindofsurprisedtolearnthis.

“Jenanandtherestofthem,theyareidioti.Oh,apologies.IdiotiisItalianforidiots.”

“Thanks,”saidOmen.“Iworkedthatoutmyself.”

Filamentlaughed.“Ijoke.Aboutyou,notaboutthembeingidiots.OnlyByronhasanyintelligence.”

“WhyByron?”

“Well,heistheonlyonewhodidnotgo.”

Omenstared.“He’sstillhere?”

“No,butheisnotwiththem,either.IsawhimarguingwithGallandLapse–thosetwonever go anywherewithout the other, have you noticed that? – and thenByronwalkedoff.”

“Andyou’resurehedidn’tgoback?”

“I’m not positive…But harshwordswere exchanged.Nameswere called.Motherswereinsulted.”Filamentshrugged.“Somethings,thereisnocomingbackfrom.”

“Andyoudon’tknowwherehewent?Wherehemightbe?”

“Iamsorry,Idonot.I likeByronwellenough,butwearenotbuddies.Issomethingwrong,Omen?”

“No,”Omensaid.“Ijusthave…Ihavetogo.Goodtalkingtoyou,Filament.Thanks.”

Omenlefthimlookingpuzzled,andwalkedquicklyaway.

52

Magic.Sorcerers.Freaksandweirdoes.SomuchofthatstuffleftMartinFlaneryconfusedas all hell.He liked to thinkofhimself as a simpleman.Theonly sonof amillionaireinvestment banker, he’d dragged himself up by his bootstraps and, aided only by hisfamilynameandwealth, built himself an empire.Now lookat him.Thanks tohisowndedication,hardworkand superPACs,hehadhadhimself electedPresident, forGod’ssake.Atruerags-to-richesstory.Ataletoinspirethenextgeneration,toshowthemthattheAmericanDreamcanstillcometrue.

Hehadn’tlikedusingthewitchtowin,butshewasjustanothertoolinthetoolbox.Andthat’swhatwinnersdid: theyusedevery tool theyhadat theirdisposal.That’swhathisfatherhadtaughthim,andMartinhadlearnedthelessonwell.Besides,itwasn’tlikehebrought the witch into theWhite House or anything. She was kept at a safe distance.Plausible deniability, he guessed it could be called.He’d been learning a lot about thatlately–he’dhadto,inhisdealingswiththepress.

Mostofhis interviewstookplace in theOvalOffice thesedays.Therewerepeople–leftistjournalistsandotherlosers,alotofthemonline–whocomplainedthatthereweretoo many “meaningless” interviews conducted there lately. Flanery didn’t pay muchattentiontoliberaljournalists,andpaidevenlessattentiontopeopleontheInternet–apartfromthosewhoinsultedhimorchallengedhimordispleasedhiminsomeway–buthisstaffhadconvincedhimtodothisoneinterviewliveonairandin thestudio.Theyhadthiswonderfulplan toprephimfor thequestionsaheadof timeso thathecouldappearrelaxedandconfident.Flaneryhadsatstillforahalf-hourofprepbeforegettingboredandtellingeveryonehewasgoingtowingit.Hewasasmartperson,afterall.Hecouldhandleafewquestionsfromafriendlyinterviewer.

Whilehewaitedinthegreenroom,ahotblondedeliveredhimhissandwich.“You’reexactlyhowIlikemywomen,”Flanerytoldher.“Beautiful,slinkyandcarryingfood.”

Sheseemedtofreezeforamoment,eyesasbigasadeer’s,thenshesmiledathimandwalkedaway.

“Isitmyimagination,”hesaid,watchinghergo,“orisshegivingthosehipsanextrawiggle?”

BradleyAndersonchortled.“That’sforyou,MrPresident!”hesaid,almostchokingonhisownspittle.“Idon’tknowhowyoudoit!”

Flaneryshrugged.“Youeitherhaveitoryoudon’t.Ihaveit.Alwayshave.Theycan’tresistme, Ican’t resist them.Beingpresident justmakes iteasier.Womenaredrawn to

power,Bradley.Likemoths.”

Bradleynodded.“Likemothstoaflame.”

Flanery took a bite. The sandwich was disappointingly dry. The hot blonde wassuddenlylosingherhotness.Afterhisfirstbite,he’drateherasix.“Youeitherhaveitoryoudon’t,”herepeated.“Andyou,andIdon’twanttobecrueltoyouhere,Bradley,youdon’thaveit.”

Bradleyhowledwithlaughter.“That’sforsure!That’sfordamnsure,MrPresident!Notlikeyou!Iseethemflockingaroundyou!”

Flaneryshruggedagain.Bradleymayhavebeena sub-paranchorona sub-par show,but, when he was right, he was right. “What’s her name?” Flanery asked, chewing onanothermouthful.

Bradleylookedconfusedforamoment,thenhebrightened.“Oh!”hesaid.“The,uh,the—”

“Theblonde,Bradley.What’shername?”

“Gabriela,Ithink.”

“Whatisthat?Latino?”

“I,uh,Ithinkit’sLatinaifit’sawoman.”

“Whatever,”saidFlanery.“Idon’tmindabitofexotic.I’mnotracist.TheMexicansarea wonderful people. I know lots of Mexicans. They love me. I’m very good to theMexicanpeople.Makesureyoumentionthatlaterwhenthecamerasareon.”

“Yes,sir.Idon’tknowifshe’sMexican,though.”

“What’sherlastname?”

“Masterson,orsomethinglikethat.Butshe’smarried,so…”

“Idon’tmindmarriedwomen.Idon’tsaynotomarriedwomen.Mywife’samarriedwoman.”

Bradleysmirked.“Yes,sir.Andsheisabeautifulwoman,ifImaysayso.”

Flaneryfrowned.“Ofcoursesheis.Isurroundmyselfwithbeautifulwomen,Bradley.Mywife,mydaughter,everywomanwhoworksforme.Youknowthesecretofahappylife,Bradley?It’sbeauty.Youputbeautifulwomeneverywhereyou’regoingtolook,youonlylookatbeautifulwomen,amIright?”

“Yes,youare.”

“Yes,Iam.Everywifeofminehasbeenmorebeautifulthantheonebefore.”Heputhisplatedown.“Sendherovertomewhenthisisdone.”

Bradley’ssmiledipped.“I’msorry?”

“Theblonde,”Flanerysaid.“Whateverhernameis.Sendherovertomewhenthisisdone.Shecantakeoffmymake-up.”

“She’snota…”

Flanerylookedathim.

“Yes,MrPresident,”Bradleysaid,quieternow.“I’llsendherover.”

“You do that,” Flanery said, as Wilkes walked into the room. He was followed byDennisConlon– just themanFlanerywanted to see.“Bradley,giveusaminutealone,wouldyou?”

“Yes,”Bradleysaid,bouncingtohisfeet.“Ishouldgetbacktothestudio,actually.I’llseeyouthere,sir,in—”hecheckedhiswatch“—justundereightminutes.It’sgonnabeagoodone,Icantell!”

FlanerywavedhimawayandBradley left,grinning,andclosed thedoor to thegreenroombehindhim.

Alonenow,WilkesandConlonsat,andFlanery’sgoodhumoursoured.“Tellme,”hesaid.

Conlontriedsmiling.“Tellyouwhat,sir?”

“Tellmewhatyouthink,”saidFlanery.“Asanexpert.Youareanexpert,aren’tyou?Imean,that’swhywehiredyou.That’swhateveryonetoldmeyouwere.Thislastweek.Themainstreammedia say it’s beenmyworst week since I took office.What do youthink?”

Conlon tookadeepbreath,and let itout. “Therearepositiveswecandrawfrom thepastfewdays,”hesaid.“We’veseenaboostwithinyourcoredemographicthatis,quitefrankly,astonishing,andsomethingweshouldbekeepinganeyeoninthe—”

“Areyouayes-man,Conlon?”Flaneryinterrupted.

“Sir?”

“A yes-man. LikeWilkes here. Isn’t that right,Wilkes? You’d say yes to just aboutanything I suggested, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t dare contradict me or tell me I’mwrong,wouldyou?”

Wilkessatthereandwentred,butFlanerywasn’tlettinghimoffthateasy.

“Well?”hepressed.

“I’mheretogiveyouthebestadviceIcan—”

“Wouldyoucontradictme?WouldyoutellmeI’mwrong?”

Wilkes licked his lips. “If … if I felt you were wrong, I would of course make itknown.”

“Butyouhaven’tyet.”

“No,sir.”

“Whynot?”

“Because…becauseyouhaven’tbeenwrongyet.”

“Then how can I have just had the worst week of my presidency?” Flanery asked,leaningforward.“HowcanIhavehadaweeksobadthatIhavetodoaliveinterviewtorestore the public’s trust in me?” Once he felt that Wilkes was suitably diminished,Flanery turned back to Conlon. “What about you? Are you a spineless yes-man likeWilkes?”

Conlondidn’tmovehiseyesawayfromFlanery’s.“No,sir.Iamnot.”

“Thenpretendforamoment thatyou’renotworking formyadministration,”Flanerysaid.“Pretendyou’dbeenbrought in toCNNasananalyst.Afterhavingseen theweekI’vehad,whatwouldyouropinionbe?”

Conlonwastedamomentlookingpensive.“IwouldsaytheFlaneryWhiteHousehasmadeaseriesofmissteps.”

“Forexample?”

“The,uh,thesinglingoutofthejournalistatthepressconference,”Conlonsaid.“Therevelationsaboutyouracademicachievementsincollege.TheallegedfundingimproprietyattheFoundation.”

Flanerysatback.“Sothisismyfault.”

“No,sir,that’snotwhatIsaid.”

“Yes,it is.YousaidmyWhiteHousehasmademissteps,butwhatyoumeanisthatIammakingthemissteps.Isthatright?AmIunderstandingthatright?”

“MrPresident,theextrascrutinythatcomeswith—”

“Answerthequestion.”

Conlonchewedhisbottomlip.

“Answer!”Flaneryexploded,thumpinghisfistontothetablebetweenthem.“You’rewastingmy time!Whydoeseveryonewastemy time? I askaquestionand I expectananswer immediately!Letme tellyousomething,MrConlon. Ifyouwerebetteratyourjob,ifyoureallywereworththemoneywe’repayingyou,myapprovalratingswouldn’tbedown.Thispastweekisyourfault.Youdidn’tspinwhenyoushould’vespun.Idon’tknowwhatyou’vebeendoing,butitsureashellhasn’tbeenyourjob.”

“MrPresident—”

“Shutup.Youknowwhat?Ican’tstandthesightofyou.You’refired.”

Conlonpaled.“What?”

“Youheardme.Getout.Getthehellout.”

ConlonlookedatWilkes,whodidn’trespond.Thenhegotup,buttonedhisjacketandwalkedoutoftheroom.

FlanerywatchedWilkes.“We’regoingtoneedanewwhatever-the-hell-he-was.”

Wilkesnodded.“I’llhavealistforyouthemomentyoucomeofftheair.”

“Thefundingthingcouldhurtme.Fixit.Usethewitch.”

DoubtflickeredacrossWilkes’seyes.“Sir,usingMagentaonajournalist…Weagreedthatmightnotbethewisestcourseofaction.”

“Didwe?”Flanerysneered.“Didweagree?Whoagreed?Youandme?I’mtheleaderoftheFreeWorld–whoareyou?Whoareyoutoagreeanythingwithme?Whenyousaywe agreed, what you mean isPresident Flanery decided. That’s what you mean. Andyeah,Idecidedawhilebacknottousethewitchwhenitcomestojournalists.Idecideditwasrisky.ButthatwasbeforethoseloserreportersstartedpokingaroundmyFoundation.Thatwasbeforetheystartedquestioningmycollegeresults.NowI’mchangingmymind.Icandothat,can’tI?Icanchangemymind?Don’tbotheransweringthat,thatwasa…Idon’tneedananswerforthat.Ihaveaproblem,andIhavesomeonewhocansolvethatproblem.Areweunderstandingeachother,Wilkes?”

“Yes,sir.”

“Thendoit.Getitdone.”

“Yes,sir.”Wilkesstood.“Uh,onemorething,sir.”

Flanery flapped his arms, adopting a mocking tone. “Uhh, one more thing, sir. ForGod’ssake,spititout.”

Was thatanger that flickeredacrossWilkes’sface?If itwas, itvanished immediately.“It’sPartheniosLilt,sir.He’sfree.Heescapedconfinementthismorning.”

“Finally,”saidFlanery.“Finally,youdeliversomegoodnewstome.Todayisindeedamomentousday.Nowgetout.Igottapreparetobeinterviewedbyapipsqueakidiotandafatpiginadress–unlessyou’veactuallydoneyourjob?Unlessyou’veactuallyarrangedformetobeoncamerawithanattractivewoman?”

“Uh…sorry,MrPresident,theysaidshe’stheco-anchorandtheycan’t…theycan’treallyswapherout,especiallyatthislatestage.”

Flaneryglowered.“Nexttime,makesurethere’sabeautifulwomaninfrontofme,youhear?NexttimeIwantthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld.”

53

“Oh,I’msorry,”Chinasaiduponentering,“wereyouwaitingforme?”

Tipstafftriedtostand,buttheCleaverpushedhimbackdown.“SupremeMage,please,Icanexplain—”

Sheinterruptedlikehewasn’tevenspeaking.“I’msosorryI’mlate,”shesaid,sittingatthetableoppositehimwhilehesweatedinhischair.“I’vejusthadalottodo.It’sallabitofamesswithoutyou, if I’m tobehonest.Youkept thisplace running likeclockwork,you reallydid. Isn’t it true thatyounever reallymissapersonuntil they’regone? Iamreallymissingyou,myfriend.Ireallyam.”

The room was stark. Two chairs and a table to which Tipstaff was shackled. OneCleaverstandingoverhim,anotherbythedoor.Amirroredwindowsetintoonewall.Asinglefluorescentlightthathummedinthequietmoments.

“Wehave not had the best luckwithAdministrators in the various Irish Sanctuaries,havewe?”shecontinued.“Theyeitherdie,ortheybetray.Anddieanyway.Butwithyou… I thought you were different. I thought I could trust you. Granted, this was only arecentthought.Ittookyouwelloverfouryearstogaineventheslightestmodicumofmytrust.Butyouearnedit.Youearnedit.Andnowlookwhereweare.Beforewebegininearnest,Ihaveonequestionforyou,myfriend.Why?Whydidyoubetrayme?”

Tipstafflickedhislips,andwasabouttoanswerwhenChinawavedherhand.

“Rhetoricalquestion. Iknowwhyyoubetrayedme.Becauseyoubelieve thatmortalsshouldbebowingandscrapingatourfeet.Honestly,onceyou’veheardthatmonologuefromoneperson,you’vehearditfromeveryone.”

“Ourrightfulplace—”Tipstaffbegan,butChinaleanedacrossandcuffedhimlightlyoverthehead.

“I don’t care to hear it,” she said, spritzing her handwith antiseptic spray. “Do youunderstandme?Ifyou’vethoughtaboutthis,plannedwhatexactlyyou’dsaytomeifeverwewereinthisposition,I’mafraiditwasallawasteofyourtime.TheonlythingsIwanttohearcomingoutofyourmoutharenames,locationsandplans.”

“Idon’tknowanyofthat.”

“Igivecreditwhereit’sdue,doInot?Andyoumaybemanydeplorablethings,butyouare, above all else, organised. Are you trying to tell me that your friends at the anti-Sanctuarydidn’tmakeuseofyourattentiontodetailwhiletheywereformingtheirplans?

Areyoutellingmeyoudidn’tfurnishthemwithblueprintsofColdheartPrison?Withitsschedule?” She sighed. “I’m not angry, Tipstaff, really I’m not. I’m just disappointed.”Shestood.

“SupremeMage,please—”

“Hushnow.Ihaveworktogetbackto.Istillhavetosolvetheproblemofthiscitynothavingaworkingbank.Youweregoingtohelpwiththat,weren’tyou?That’sabigdealfor theHigh Sanctuary.We’re really going to change things, tomake things better forsorcerers everywhere. And you could have been there beside me as we laid thefoundations for a bright, prosperous, peaceful future. Instead … you’re in here.” Shesighed. “When I leave this room, a gentleman will enter. He will ask you all sorts ofquestions.Hewillgettoknowyouverywelloverarelativelyshortperiod.Youwillnotenjoy the time you spend together. You’vemet him, actually. He’s the samemanwhointerviewed Parthenios Lilt.Do you think you’ll be able to resist him thewayMr Liltresisted?”

Tipstaff’sbottomlipwastrembling,buthedidhisbesttositupstraight.

“Look at this,” China said. “Some backbone. I do so admire a man who can resistcrying.”

Atearrolleddownhischeek.

“Ah,”saidChina.Sheturnedforthedoor.

“IfIhelpyou,”Tipstaffblurted,“whatdoIget?”

Sheturned.“Sorry?”

He lookedupather. “If I tell youwhat Iknow,willmy sentencebe reduced? Ifmyinformationisvaluableenough,Imean?If…ifyoucanoffermeimmunity,thenI’llhelpyouinwhateverwayIcan.”

Chinafrownedathim,andthenlaughed.“Oh,no.No,no,no,youpoordeludedfool.We’llfindouteverythingyouknowanyway,thoughIcan’timagineit’sverymuch.You’llgetnodealfromme.Youbetrayedme,littleman.I’mgoingtomakesurethatyouregretthat decision for every single moment of the rest of your cold, dark and lonely life.Startingnow.”

54

“Shelooksscary,”saidOmen.

“She’snot,”saidValkyrie.“She’sveryfriendly.Petherandsee.”

Afteraslighthesitation,Omenheldouthishand.Xenasniffedit,thenmovedherhead,allowinghimtopether.Valkyriewatchedthesmilethatspreadacrosstheboy’sface,ashehunkereddownandthedogsat.Itwashersecondtimeseeinghimincivilianclothes–heworejeansandtrainersandaheavycoat–andshefiguredhesuitedit.AsstylishastheCorrivaluniformwas,Omensomehowmadeitlookuntidy.

“Shelikesyou,”saidValkyrie.

Omenlookedup,grinning.“Really?”

Shesmiled.Hernosenolongerachedwhenshedidthat.Itwasbacktoitsnormalsizeandshape.She lookedaroundasOmencontinued topetXena. ItwasSaturdayand theschoolwasquiet.

“Youhavedogs?”sheasked.

Omenshookhishead.“Mumhasneverlikedthem.MeandAuger,wealwayswantedapet, but…”He sighed. “Auger needed to focus.We kind of adopted a stray cat once,though,withoutourparentsknowing.Itwasatinylittlethingandjustthefriendliest,anditwandered into the garden one day andwe fed it and fixed it upwith a bedmade ofblanketsinoneoftheshedsnobodyeverused.I’dspendhoursinthatshed,actually,andAugerwouldcomebywheneverhecould.ItwentonforthreedaysbeforeDadfoundus.Hetookthecatawayandweneversawitagain.Myparents…they’renotreallyanimalpeople.”

Xenarolledontoherback,andOmenrubbedherbelly.

“Whatwas it like,”Valkyrieasked,“growingupknowingthatall thisstuffexisted?IwastwelvebeforeIfoundoutaboutmagic.”

Omenshrugged.“Itwasjustpartofmyeverydaylife.Iknewhowtolookbothwaysbeforecrossingtheroad,Iknewhowtorideabike,andIknewnottotellmortalsthatmyfamilyweresorcerers.SomeofthepeopleIgotoclasswithwereraisedwithoutknowingonethingaboutthemortalworld,butmostgrewupjustlikenormalpeople,withthislittlebitextra.Asweirdasitsounds,theydidn’treallymissoutonhavinganormallife.Well,AugerandIdid,ofcourse,butthat’sjustbecauseourparentshavebeenconsumedbythe

prophecysincebeforewewereborn.It’snotexactlyeasyraisingtheboywho’sdestinedtosavetheworld.Theycan’treallymakeanymistakeswithhim.”

“Oryou.”

“Ah,they’relessconcernedaboutthat,”hesaid,andlaughed,notquiteconvincingly.

“Soyou’dwatchnormalTVandlistentonormalsongsandeverything?”

Omensmiledagain.“Yes.There’salwaysbeenachannelyoucanonlygetifyouknowmagic.”

“TheGlobalLink.”

“Right,butIneverwatchedit.Theyonlybroadcastthenewsandstuff,nevercartoons.”

“Andyouhadmortalfriends?”

“Yes.Well,no.Imean,Icouldhavehad,butweweren’treallyallowedanybecausemyfamily’sworkwithAugerwassoimportant.That’swhyI likeCorrivalsomuch–Icanactuallyhavefriendshere.”HestoodandXenascrambledup,hertailwaggingmadlyandhertonguehangingout.

“How’syourhead?”Valkyrieasked.

“Wewentthroughthisonthephone.”

“Yeah.AndnowI’maskinginperson.”

“Myhead’sfine,”Omensaid.“Noheadachesoranything.I’mperfectlyhealthy.”

“Ididn’tmeanforyoutogethurt.”

“I’mnothurt.”

“Butyouwere.”

“So? I’mnot hurt anymore, andwehave a job to do, don’twe?Sowe should stoptalkingaboutthisandgofindByron.He’stheonlyoneoftheScholarsthatdidn’trun,somaybehe’llactuallytellussomething.”

Shesighed.“Fine.Sowheredowefindyourfriend?”

“ByronGraceisn’treallyafriend,”saidOmen.“ButheusedtodateOctoberKlein.”

“Ah,andOctoberisafriend?”

“IdoubtOctoberknowswhoIam.She’sreallypopular.ButtheguywhotutorsherinscienceisfriendswiththeguywhositsacrossfrommeinFrench.”

“And…anddoesheknowyouexist?”

“Ofcourse.”

“Right.”

“Buthedoesn’tlikeme.”

“Isee.”

“HethinksI’mweirdandhavenofriends.”

“Doyouhavefriends?”

“Yes,Ido.Ihaveone.”

“Onefriendstillcounts,”saidValkyrie.“Onefriendisallsomepeopleneed.Sowetalktothisguy,whotalkstohispal,whotalkstoOctober,whotellsuswhereByronis,right?”

“Ifsheknows.Shemightn’tknow.”

“Howlonghasitbeensincetheywentout?”

“Aboutfouryears.”

Valkyrie hesitated. “That’s… that’s a significantly long time,Omen.What ageweretheywhentheydated?”

“Like,ten.”

“Andhowlongdidthisrelationshiplast?”

“Ican’tbesurebutIthink,maybe,aweek.”

“Andwhy–dearGod,why–wouldOctoberknowwhereByronmightbenow?”

Omenblinked.“Ijust…Imean,she’souronlylead.”

“She’snotalead,Omen.”

“Really?”

“Unless they stayed really good friends and she knows all his secrets. Is that whathappened?”

“NotasfarasIknow.”

“Thenshe’snotalead.”

“Oh.Ithoughtshewas.”

“Doyouhaveanyotherbrightideas?”

“Idon’t.I’mreallysorry.”

“It’sOK,Omen.Doyouknowwherehelives?”

“Dublin.SomewhereinDublin.”

“Dublin’sabigplace.”

“Yes.”

“It’snotasbigassomeplaces,I’lladmit,butit’sbiggerthansomeothers.”

“IwishIcouldbemorehelpful.”

“Metoo,Omen.Youbeingmorehelpfulwouldbeabigadvantagetousrightnow.Butit’sfine.I’llaskMissGnosistofindByron’shomeaddress,butI’llneedyoutocomewithme,justsoByronknowsI’msomeonehecantrust.Unless…doeshehateme,too?”

“No,”Omensaidquickly.“At least, Idon’t thinkso.AndNeverdoesn’thateyou,hejust…”

“Peopleareallowedtohateme.It’sOK.”ShetappedherlegandXenasprangup.“Youstayhere,”shetoldOmen.“WhenIhaveByron’saddress,I’llcallyou.HaveyouheardfromTemper?”

Omennodded,andglancedathiswatch.“Heshouldbetalkingtohisoldfriendrightaboutnow.”

55

Temper knockedon the door and amoment later it opened, andTessaMehrbano stoodthere,barefoot,injeansandaT-shirt,andhegaveherthelook.

“Hey,baby,”hesaid.

Shereturnedthelookwithoneofherown.Lessfriendly.“You’vegotsomenerve,”shesaid.

Shewalkedback inandhefollowedher,closing thedoorbehindhim.Theapartmenthadn’tchangedmuchsincehe’dbeenherelast.“Icouldn’tstayaway,”hesaid.“Therestof them, I’d happily leave in the dust.But you? I’ve always had a special place inmyheartforyou,Tessa.”

“Thatright?”sheasked,turning.

“Itis.”

“That’ssweet.”

“Meallover.”

“Youknowwhatelseissweet?”

Hesmiled,walkingcloser.“IthinkIcanremember.”

Heleaneddownforakiss,butherhandclosedaroundhisthroat.

“This,”shesaid.“Thisisgoingtobesweet.”

Mehrbanoliftedhim,threwhimoverthetable.Hecrashedintothesideofthecouch,sentitslidingwhilehehittheground.Helookedupintimetoseeherstridingtohim,buttoolatetostopthekickthatblastedtheairfromhislungs.

“Awww,mann…”hewheezed,asshetookholdofhisshirtandhauledhimup.

“You think you can walk back in here?”Mehrbano said, hurling him into the wall.“Afterwhatyoudid?Afteryoubetrayeduslikethat?Youarefullofit.”

Heheldupahandwhilehetriedtobreathe.“In…mydefence…”

Shehithim.Shedidn’tuseherfullstrength,butitstillsenthimcareeningoffthewalllikehewasastainless-steelballinapinballmachine,senthimstumblingthelengthoftheapartment.Hiskneesbuckledandhewentdownforamoment,butkeptcrawlinguntilhewasbackuponhisfeet.

“Inyourdefencewhat?”sheasked,comingafterhim.“Weweretight,Temper.Wewerefamily.”

“Weirdfamily,”hemumbled,backingoff.

“Youwereoneofus,”shesaid.“Youwereabeliever.”

“Theytriedtokillme,Tessa.”

“Bull.”

Hisheadwouldn’tstopspinning.“Nowwho’sfullofit?Youknowwhattheydidtotheothers.”

“Theywereblessed.”

“Thatwhatyoucallit?Whenwasthelastyouspoketothem,huh?Whenwasthelasttimetheyheldaconversationwithanyone?”

Mehrbanodidn’thaveananswerforthat.Temperpressedon.

“Isthatwhatyouwantedtohappentome?Youwantedmetobeblessedlikethat?Tobeturnedintooneofthose…things?”

“Noteveryonegetschosen.Youwerelucky.”

“And,iftheyhadcomeforyou,whatwouldyouhavedone?”

“For a chance to be closer to the gods?”Mehrbano asked. “I would have given upeverything.”Herposturechanged.Shewasn’tgoingtohithimagain.

“Well,Iwouldn’thaveletyou,”hesaid.“Icouldn’tstandtowatchyoulosethepartsofyourself thatmake you you. The others, the ones they took, they aren’t blessed, Tessa.They’renotcommuningwith thegods.They’restandingsomewhere,staring intospace.Notmoving,nottalking.Notthinking.They’refailedexperiments.AndI’dhavebeenonthatlist.Justanotherfailedexperiment.”

“Oryoucouldhavebeentheonetochangeeverything,”sheresponded.“Theremighthavebeensomethinginyourbloodtounlockallthesecrets.”

“Youcan’tjustifyit.Idon’tknowwhyyou’retrying.”

“It’s the sacrifice, Temper. It’s the sacrificewe allmust bewilling tomake. It’s notaboutus.Wedon’tmatter.We’reinsignificant.”

“Youwereneverinsignificanttome.”

“You’re young,” she said. “You don’t know how the world works. Give yourself ahundredyears.Talktomethen.”

They looked at each other for another fewmoments, then she sighed. “What do youwant?”

“RichardMelior.Youknowhim,right?”

“Yeah.Ifirstmethimbackin…Idon’tknow,1965orsomething.IwaslivinginSanFrancisco.Why?”

“Youwerefriends?”

“Atthetime,sure.Why,Temper?”

“He’sintrouble.I’mtryingtohelphim.”

Mehrbano turned away. She put a hand on the couch and pulled it easily back intoplace,thensat.“Soit’strue,”shesaid.“You’reworkingwiththeSkeletonDetective.”

“We’veworkedtogether,yeah.”

“Workingwiththeenemy.”

“Skulduggerywas never any enemy ofmine,” Temper said. “I’m young, remember?ThetrucewasseventyyearsoldbythetimeIwasevenborn.Weliveinatimeofpeace,Tessa.”

“Yeah,yeah,”shesaid.“Soisthisacaseyou’reworkingon?Youaprivateeyenow?Adetective?”

“I’masomething,”hesaid.“HaveyouhadanycontactwithMeliorlately?”

“Can’tsaythatIhave.”

“He’s involvedwith somebadpeople, andhis involvement couldhave consequencesfortherestofus–yourChurchincluded.”

“It’snotmyChurch.”

“Well,it’sfordamnsurenotmine.”

“TheChurchoftheFacelessisachurchforusall,Temper.”

“Excepttheunworthy.”

“You’vebeenaway for awhile,”Mehrbano said. “Youhaven’t seen thechanges thathavebeenmade.We’vegonebacktoamoretolerantethos–thetrueethosoftheFacelessOnes.”

“Whichiswhat,exactly?”

“Acceptance.Forgiveness.Love.”

Helaughed.“Youexpectpeopletobuyintothat?Afterathousandyearsofhate?”

“Mevolent twisted the Church’s teachings to reflect his own prejudices. Look at theoriginaltexts.There’snothinginthereaboutsorcerersbeingtheonlyonestobaskinthegloryofthegods.Thepathisthereforthemortals,too.”

“That’sinteresting,”Tempersaid.“BecausewhenIwaspartofit,themortalsdidn’tgetmuchinthewayofconsideration.”

“ThatwasunderElizaScorn,”saidMehrbano.“She’sgonenow,andsohave the lasttracesofMevolent’s influence.It’sabrand-newday.You’dprobablybewelcomedback

intothefold.”

“The same people who conducted those insane experiments are in charge, Tessa.Creed’sincharge.TheChurchmightbeadifferentkindofcrazythesedays,butit’sstillcrazy.”

Mehrbanosatforward,elbowsonherkneesandheadinherhands.“Whatdoyouwant,Temper?Tellmewhatyouwantandthenleave.”

“I’m looking for SavantVega,” Temper said. “I’m trying to find out if he’s alive ordead,and,ifhe’salive,I’mtryingtofindoutwhere.”

Shelookedup.“Andthenyou’llgo?”

“Youknowwhereheis?”

“No.Noidea.Willyougonow?”

“Ineedsomething,Tessa.”

“Whatmakes you think I knowanything that could help you?Therewas a groupofthem.Theyusedtogobowling,forthegods’sake.Theyevenhadtheshirts.Man,Iusedtolaughmyassoffatthat,butIgotalongwithPartheniosLiltbetterthanIgotalongwithMeliorandVega.”

“Youwerefriendswithhim?Lilt?”

“Sure.Wehadsimilarviewsaboutmortals.ViewsIhavesinceleftbehindme,bytheway.”

“Iadmireyournew-foundtolerance.YoumeetanyofLilt’sotherfriends?”

“Sure.ThischicknamedQuibble.CreepyguycalledSmoke.”

“Quibble’sdead.”

“Idon’tcare.”

“WhatdoyouknowaboutAzzedineSmoke?”

Mehrbano shrugged. “Not much. I never paid attention to what any of them weresaying.Irememberoneevening,overatSmoke’splace,hejustwouldnotstopwiththechatter.HewasworkingonthatfreakyrubbersuittheentiretimeandhoursgobyandIrealiseIhavenoideawhathe’s—”

“Wait,”saidTemper,“goback.Whatwashedoing?”

“Thesuit,”shereplied.“Theblacksuit.Hewasworkingonit.He’dbeenworkingonitforweeks.”

“Whatwashedoingwithit?”Temperasked.“Thinkcarefullynow.Thisisimportant.”

“Whatis?”

“Thesuit,Tessa.Tellmeeverythingyourememberaboutthesuit.”

56

TheBrutewasthebiggestprisonblockinColdheart.Ithadeighteentiersofcellsarrangedaroundawide-openspace.Hangingoverthatspacewasthesecurityhub/controlroom,alarge, windowed cube that dangled on thick chains, accessible only via retractablewalkways.Farbeneathit,levelwiththeblock’ssecondtier,wasalargedaisthathoveredinplace–nochains, ropesor strutsnecessary.Two tiersbeneath that, a lakeof energyrippledoverthefloor.

Cadaverous stoodon the first tier, leaningagainst the rails.He flickeda silverdollarintothelake–itfriedinstantly.

The prisoners had stopped asking to be released.Every so often, one of themwouldmutteracurse,butthey’dlearnedprettyfastthatCadaverousandtheotherswerenotheretofree them,andthey’dlearnedalmostasquickly thatcontinuousnoisewouldresult intheirfoodprivilegesbeingtakenaway.Forthemostpart,theyjustsatintheircells,sullenandboredandluckytheywerebeingfedatall.

Cadaverous looked up towards the dais, following the sound of drills and welders.WorkingfromDestrier’splans,threelargemetalXswerebeingattachedtohydraulicarmsthatwouldlift themhighintotheair.DoctorMeliorwasinsistingthatthesethingswereabsolutelynecessaryinorderforAbyssiniatoberesurrected.Cadaveroushadhisdoubts.Itallseemedneedlesslytheatrical.

SkulduggeryPleasant floated down from a higher tier, hands in his pockets. “Isn’t itgreat?”heasked.

Cadaveroustriedtoignoretheintrusion,butPleasantlandedrightbesidehim.

“It’sverytheatrical,”hecontinued.“There’sawonderfulsenseofshowmanshipatworkhere. You don’t get that anymore. Not really. Very few people build elaborate sets inwhichtokillpeople.Ithinkit’salackofskilledlabourasmuchasanything.Wherehaveyoubeen?Cadaverous?”

“What?”

“Wherehaveyoubeen?”

“Elsewhere.”

Pleasantgrunted.“Iwouldhavebeenelsewhere,too,butSmokeinstructedmetostayintheprison.Idon’tmuchliketakingorders,ifI’mhonest.Atthefirstsignofhisinfluencefading,I’mprobablygoingtokillhim.”

“Whyareyoutellingmethis?”

“Becausewe’vebonded,Cadaverous.We tooka road trip together.Webeatup somecops.Youkilledone.Thatbringspeoplecloser.Also,I’vegotnooneelsetotalkto.Itriedtalking to some of the convicts, but I’m the reason a lot of them are in here, soconversationwasawkward.”

“Thatmusthavebeenawfulforyou.”

Pleasant shrugged. “It’s just so hard tomake friends here.And, speaking ofmakingfriends,Iwasthinkingaboutourearlierconversation.”

“Theonewefinished,youmean?”

“Yeah,thatone.Ithinkit’stimeyougotbackoutthere,Cadaverous.Youlostapartner.That’s terrible. A few decades before Valkyrie came along I, too, lost a partner. Thescreaming,theflailing…Itwasn’tpretty,andIwashelplesstodoanythingtosavehim.ButdoyouwanttoknowwhatIlearnedfromthat?”

“No.”

“Toemployahideouslyoverusedidiom,Ilearnedthatyoumustgetbackonthehorse.Somewhere out there is another homicidal lunatic who needs guidance. Go to thathomicidallunatic,Cadaverous.Gotohim.”

“Youmockme.”

“I’mtryingtohelpyou.”

“No. No, you’re mocking me. You’re mocking my pain. I only hope, skeleton, thatwhenIdokillyourpreciousValkyrieyouarenolongerunderSmoke’sinfluence.Iwanttoseeyoufalltoyourknees.Iwanttohearthedespairinyourvoiceasshedies.”

“Cadaverous, Cadaverous,” Pleasant said, shaking his head, “what am I going to dowithyou?”

Cadaveroussnarled.“You’regoingtostayoutofmyway.”

Hewent topushpast,butSkulduggerygrabbedandspunhimandCadaverousfoldedovertherailing.Thelakeofenergycrackledbeneathhim.

“OrI’mgoingtokillyou,”Skulduggerysaid.

Fullyawarethatalltheskeletonhadtodowasapplyalittlepressure,Cadaverouskepthisvoiceeven.“Youdidn’tdoitearlier.”

“IfI’dkilledyouthen,Lethewouldhaveknownitwasme.ButifImakeitlooklikeanaccident…”

“Youthinkthiswouldlooklikeanaccident?”

“You’reanoldman,Cadaverous.Oldmenslipandfallallthetime.”

“You’renotthinkingclearly.Maybeit’sSmoke’scorruption,Idon’tknow,butdoyoureallythinkwe’realonerightnow?She’swatching.She’salwayswatching.”

“ItakeityoumeanAbyssinia?”

“Ifyoukillme,she’ll tell theotherswhatyou’vedone.Itwon’tbesodifficult tokillyou.Allit’lltakeisasinglewordfromSmokeandthenyou’llbetheonedivingintothismagnificentlake.”

“Itisrathermagnificent,”Skulduggerysaid,andamomentlaterhepulledCadaverousback.“Fine.Iwon’tkillyou,youdecrepitoldscamp.Notrightnow,atleast.I’llprobablyendupkillingyouatsomestage,though,sobewarned.”

Therewas a commotion up on the dais, and the skeleton lost interest inCadaverouscompletely,andfloateduptoseewhatwasgoingon.

Cadaverouswrappedhisangeraroundastone,deepinhischest,andwhenhewassureitwasn’t going to rise to the surface he unclenched his fists and took themetal stairs,emergingontothesecondtier.Hejumpedacrosstothedais,joiningtheskeletonandtheothersnearthethreemetalXs.NoonehadyetbotheredtoclearawaythefallenCleaverscythes.Cadaveroushatedmess,butthiswasnothisresponsibility.

NeroandMemphisstoodtherelikenaughtyschoolchildren.

“She’sdead?”Letheasked.“Howdidthishappen?Youweresenttoretrievethethirdsacrificiallamb.Retrievedoesnotmeankill.”

“Itoldhimthat,”Nerosaid.

“Itwasn’tmyfault,”saidMemphis.

“No killing!”Razziawhined. “Thosewere the rules! That’swhy I couldn’t go!Youcheater!”

“Ididn’thaveachoice,”saidMemphis.“Lethe,I’mtellingyou,man,thewomanwasnuts.Shefiguredoutwhywewerethere.Heck,shepracticallykilledherself.”

“Ah,” said Lethe. “Yes. I’ve heard of that happening. Someone’s attacked and, in astartlingactofself-defence,theybreaktheirownneck.”

“Shewasstrugglingtoomuch,”Memphissaid.“Itchinglikeshewasinafuzzytree.Itoldhertocalmdown,toldhertobecool,butshewastoobusyarguingandcryingandsuch,andshetwistedthewrongwayand…that’sallshewrote.”

“Smokeand Ibroughtbackour sacrificial lambunharmed,” saidLethe. “CadaverousandSkulduggerybroughtback theirsacrificial lamb–somewhatunharmed.Butyou…youcouldn’tevenmanagetobringbackyoursacrificiallambevenrelativelyunharmed.”

Memphisswallowedthickly.“Westillhaveenough,though.”

“Oh,”saidLethe,“dowe?”

“Yeah,man.TheDocsaidallheneededwere twoNeoterics.Wehavetwo.Thethirdwasjust,y’know,aspare.”

“The third lamb was insurance,” Lethe said. “We only get one shot at this, MrMemphis.OneshottobringAbyssiniabacktolife.Doyoureallywanttoriskrunningout

oflifeforce?Thethirdlambisasimportantasthefirsttwo.”Helookedaround.“Whereisthegooddoctor?”

“I’mhere,”saidMelior,fromthethirdtier.Theylookedup.

“We’reoneNeotericshort,DoctorMelior,” saidLethe.“Weneedanothername fromyou.”

“I…Idon’thaveone,”saidMelior.“The threenamesIgaveyouhaveveryspecificenergypatterns.They’retheonlythreeIknowof.”

“Idon’tbelieveyou,Doctor.Youcanfindthesepeoplebysight.Idon’tbelieveyou’veonlyeverspottedthreewhopossessthisspecificpattern.”

“I’dneedtosearch,”saidMelior.“I’dneedtime.”

“Timeiswhatwedonothave.Timeiswhatyourhusbanddoesnothave.”

Meliorshookhishead.“Youwon’tkillhim.Ifyoukillhim,Iwon’thelpyou.”

“Wedon’thavetokillhim,Doctor.Wecanblindhim.Wecanpullouthisteeth.Wecancutoffhishandsandhobblehislegs.You’llstillgethimback.Buthewillnotbethemanyouknew.SoIaskyouforthelasttime–giveusthenameofanewlittlelamb.”

Cadaverouswatched the emotions flickering acrossMelior’s face, toomany to keeptrackof.He’dneverbeenthatgoodatspottingemotionsanyway.Apartfromfear.He’dalwaysbeengoodatspottingfear.

“I…Iknowone,”Meliorsaid.“She’sgotthepatternweneed.It’sdifferentfromtheothers,butit’ddo.Ithinkit’dwork.”

“Thatiswonderfulnews,”saidLethe.“Aname,Doctor.”

Meliorwethislips.“Valkyrie,”hesaidsoftly.“ValkyrieCain.”

57

ValkyriedroppedXenaoffatGrimwood.Shefedherandlockedupandonherwaybackshe passed throughHaggard. She had no intention of heading up towards the pier, butfoundherselfindicatingleftatthetrafficlightsanyway.Shedampenedherthoughts.ThelightturnedgreenandshefollowedtheroadpastGilmartin’sBarandAngelo’sTakeaway,thenasmallpharmacythathadn’tbeentherefiveyearsago.Therowofhousesonherleftgaveway to a wall, and thewall tracked the road and then opened up to the harbour.Gentlewavesplayedwiththesmallboatsandthelineoforangebuoysontheirapproachtothecrescentbeach.Sheturnedright,wentuptheslighthill,pulledinandlookedacrosstheroadtothehouseshe’dgrownupin.

From here, she could see the window to her bedroom, the same window she hadsneakedoutofcountlesstimes,thesamewindowSkulduggerywouldperchat.Therewerenocarsinthedriveandnolightsoninsideonthisgreyafternoon.Shefeltanurgetoleavethecar,towalkthroughtheemptyhouse,tostandinthekitchen,tositinthelivingroomsurroundedbyall thoseframedphotographsof thefamily.Sheachedfor thefeelingshewasonlynowrealisingshe’dbeenmissing–thatfeelingofbelonging.Ofbeingwelcomesomewhere.Ofbeingloved.

Shewasabouttostepoutofthecarwhenherphonerang.

“Hello?”

“Valkyrie,hi.”ItwasMilitsa.“IhaveByron’saddress.Naturally,I’mnotsupposedtogivethisout…but thenagainI’mnotevenallowedtoaccess this information.Sorryittooksolong.Anyway,hisgivennameisPaulMatthews.HelivesinBallyfermot.Doyouknowit?”

“Ido,”Valkyriesaid.Shemadeanoteoftheexactaddress.“Thanksforthis.Really.Ifit’sallrightwithyou,IwasgoingtoaskOmentocomewithmeonthis.”

“Willitbedangerous?”

“No,” she said immediately. “I justwantByron to see a familiar face, that’s all, andpreferablynotonethatbringstomindthesenselessslaughterofinnocentpeople.”

“Goodpoint,”Militsasaid.

“Thank you,Militsa.Really. I knowyou could probably get into a lot of trouble forthis.”

“Don’tworryaboutit.I’ll,uh,I’lltryandthinkofsomewayyoucanrepayme.Takecareofyourself,OK?”

ValkyrietextedOmenthenswungroundandheadedbackthewayshe’dcome,leavingherfamilyhometogetsmallerandsmallerintherear-view.Theroadcurvedandsuddenlythehousewasgone,andtearscametohereyes.

ShedrovetoBallyfermot,andtheworldoutsideturnedtoconcreteandcrackedwalls,interspersed every now and then with shocking green. She passed a pony grazing insomeone’sgardenandanoldmanwalkinganddidherbesttoignorethecoldfeelingthatwasgnawingather insides.Herhands feltnumbon thewheel, like theyweren’t reallyconnectedtoher.Herentirebodyfeltheavy.Itdraggedherdown,keptheranchoredtoherseatwhenallshewantedtodowasriseupoutofhershell,passthroughtheroofofthecarand fly free and away. The car slowed, her foot clumsy on the brake. She pulled in,hopped the kerb slightly. Her stupid fingers turned off the engine. She sat there, headdown,chintoherchest,staringatherlap.Shecouldnolongertellifshewasbreathing.Shecouldnolongertellifshewasanythingbutaslabofmeat.

Thecarwasquiet.Itwasatomb.Shewasaslabofmeatandthiswasher tomb.Shewasdead.Theyweregoingtofindherandburyher,closeherupinacoffinandputthecoffinintothecold,coldground.Thelastthingshe’dhearwouldbetheshovelsthrowingdirtandshe’dliethereinthecoldandthedarkforever.

Sheheardsomebodycallhername.

Hereyeswerestillopen.Shewasstilllookingatherlap.Shewasn’tinacoffin.Wasn’tinagrave.Shewassittinginhercarwithherheaddown.Shadowsmovedoverherjeans.Someonewasatthewindow.Someonewasknockingontheglass.

Herrighthand.Shecouldmovethefingersofherrighthand.Shecurledthem,dugthenails into her palm. It hurt. She dug in deeper. It hurtmore.When the painwas closeenough,shetookholdofitandletitdragherout,dragherup.Theclosertothesurfaceshe got, themore she could feel. Her toes. Shewriggled them, felt the socks shewaswearing,thetrainers.Shemovedherlegslightly,feltthejeansrubagainstherskin.Shetookabreathandherhandfelt lighter.She lifted it, lookedup,sawOmenlookinginather,aworriedexpressiononhisface.

Valkyriefumbledfor thebutton thatunlockedthecardoors,andmotionedforhimtogetin.

“EverythingOK?”Omenasked.

“Everything’sfine,”Valkyrielied.“DidNeverdropyouoff?”

“Itookataxi.Never’smadatmeforlettingmyselfgethurt.”

“Sorryaboutthat.”Shereachedforherwallet.“Howmuchwasthetaxi?I’llreimburseyou.”

“It’sOK,MissGnosispre-paid.”

“Ah,”Valkyriesaid,takingherhandoutofherpocket.“I’llreimburseher,then.”

Omenshrugged.Amomentpassed.“Areyousureyou’reOK?”

“Don’tIlookOK?”

“You lookfinenow,”hesaid.“I’mnotbeingrudeoranything,butaminuteagoyoulooked…Idon’tknow.Youlookedsad.”

“Iwas just… Iwas thinking. Iwas amillionmiles away.But I’m fine.Really.Youreadytodothis?”

“Yep.”

“Youshouldprobablyknock,”shesaid.

Hisfaceslackened.“Aw.”

Sheraisedaneyebrow.“Isthattoomuchforyou?”

“No,”he saidgrudgingly. “I just hate knockingondoors. I’m the samewithmakingphonecallswhenIdon’tknowwho’sgoingtoanswer.I’mjustnotverygoodsocially.”

“Fewpeopleare.Mostofusjustpretend.”

“Isthatwhatyoudo?”

“Fakeittillyoumakeit,”shesaid,gettingoutofthecar.Thefreshair,coldandsharp,filledherlungsandsnappedheroutofthelastdregsofhermorbidity.Omenjoinedher,andtheysearchedforByron’shouse,oneinathousandjustlikeit.

“What’llIsay?”Omenaskedastheywalkeduptheweed-spotteddriveway.

“Sayyou’reheretoseeByron.”

“That’s his takenname, though, and I thinkonlyoneof his parents knows about thewholemagicthing,butIdon’trememberwhichone.”

“ThenaskifPaulcancomeouttoplay.”

ValkyriehungbackwhileOmencontinuedon to the frontdoor.He rang thebellandwaited.Awomananswered.Omenstoodthere.Shestaredathim.

“What?”shesaidbrusquely.

Omensmiledback.“Hi.Hello.IsPaulin?”

“Andwhoareyou?”

“I’mOmen.”

“You’reaMormon?”

“No.Omen.That’smyname.”

Thewomanfrowned.“That’safunnyname,thatis.Isitforeign?”

“Nottooforeign.I’mfromGalway.Well,nearGalway,asmalltownbeside—”

“Paul!”thewomanyelled,andthenlookedbackatOmen.“He’scoming.”

“Thankyou.”

“He hasn’t mentioned you. You a friend of his? You from that bleedin’ school, areyou?”

“Iam,yes.We’reinthesameYear.”

“Didn’tthinkhehadanyfriends.Alwaysthoughthewasabittouched,y’know?Inthehead,like.Abitstrange.”

Omenchuckled.“Ithinkwe’reallabitstrange.”

Herfacehardened.“I’mnot.What’reyoutryingtosay?YousayingI’mweird?”

Omenvisiblywilted,andValkyriewalkedover.

“MrsMatthews?”sheasked,extendingherhand.“I’mMissCain,Paul’steacher.Howdoyoudo?”

MrsMatthewsshookValkyrie’shand,herfrowndeepening.“Ah,what’shedone?Ishegettingexpelled,ishe?Nothingbutaburden,thatboy,sincethedayheburstouttame.”

“We’rejustheretotalktohim.Ipromiseyou,he’snotinanytrouble.I’mdreadfullysorry,what’syourname?”

“Myname?”

“Yourname.Yourfirstname.Whatisit,please?”

“Rose.”

Valkyrie kept shaking her hand, kept eye contact. “RoseMatthews, so good tomeetyou.RoseMatthews,thisisnotabigdeal.Whenyouthinkaboutthislater,you’regoingtoskipoverit.You’renotgoingtodwellonit,areyou,RoseMatthews?”

“I’mnotgoingtodwellonit,”MrsMatthewsresponded.

“Ofcourseyou’renot.There’snoreasonto.Whatwereyoudoingbeforethis?”

“Painting,”MrsMatthewssaid.

“Aportrait?Awall?”

“TheEnterprise.”

“AStarTrek fan,”Valkyrie said. “Well, you can go back to painting theEnterprise,RoseMatthews, and you don’t have to give our conversation another thought.You canignoreuscompletely,infact.Youhaveagooddaynow.”

“Haveagoodday,”MrsMatthewsmumbled,andwalkedbackintothehouse.

OmenglancedatValkyrie.“IwishIcoulddothat.Theydon’tteachitinschool.”

“Withgoodreason,”Valkyriesaid,steppingbackasByronGracecamedownthestairs.HesawOmenandfrowned,butwhenhisgazeflickeredtoValkyriehefroze.

“Youdon’thavetoworry,”Omensaidquickly.“Wejustwanttotalk.Byron,thisis—”

“Iknowwhosheis,”Byronsaidinanaccentasthickashismother’s.“AmI…amIunderarrest?”

Valkyrie shook her head. “Like Omen said, we just want to talk. Could you stepoutside?”

“I…Ican’t.They’llkillme.”

“A lot of lives are in danger,Byron.There’s a reason you didn’t gowith the rest ofthem,isn’tthere?It’sbecauseyoudon’twanttoseeanyonehurt.”

“Look,justleavemealone,OK?Youshouldn’tevenbehere.Thisismyhome.You’renotsupposedtocometomyhome.Mymamdoesn’tknowaboutanyofthisstuff.”

“Andshestilldoesn’t,”Valkyriesaid.“Stepoutside.Please.”

Byronhesitated,thendidassheasked,closingthedoorbehindhim.“Aroundhere,”hemuttered, leading them away from the road to the side of the house. They passed tworecyclingbinsandemergedinthebackgarden.Clotheshunglimplyonarotarydryer,andahighwallblockedoffthesun.

ByronturnedtoOmen.“Yougoingtotellpeople?”

“Aboutwhat?”Omenasked.

Byron laughedwithout humour, and spreadhis arms. “This.Where I live.Aboutmymam.AbouthowIreallytalk.”

“No,”saidOmen.“God,no.IdidthesamethingwhenI joinedCorrival,orat leastItried.IthoughtIcouldreinventmyself,butyou…you’veactuallydoneit.I’mnotgoingtotellanyone.”

“I just… I prefer being, y’know…Byron.” He stood up straighter, and his accentchanged,thoughthelookofhurtinhiseyesremained.“I’vealwayshatedlivinghere.I’vehated livingwith them.Mydad’sOK– he organised forme to go toCorrival once hefiguredoutwhatIwas.Butmymother…Shedoesn’tcarewhoIamorwhereI’mgoing.YouknowwhatIrealised?Shedoesn’tlikeitwhenI’mhappy.Isn’tthatawful?Myownmotherdoesn’tlikeitwhenI’mhappy.”

“IsthatwhyyoujoinedupwithJenanandtheothers?”Omenasked.

“IthoughttheyhatedordinarypeopleasmuchasIdid,”Byronsaid.“ButIwaswrong.Theyhatedthemmuch,muchmore.Imaynotlikemyfamily,butIdostilllovethem.”

“Sohelpus,”saidValkyrie.

“Idon’tknowanything,”Byronsaid.“Idon’tknowplansorschemesoranything.Liltwouldn’ttellusanything.”

“Yousawhim?Afterheescaped?”

Byronnodded.“Jenanroundedusup,tookusintothelibraryandthenLiltappearsfrombehind a curtain like a bloody stagemagician, expecting applause and all that.Nobody

clapped.Ithinktheothersweretoostunnedandtoo…tooscared,Isuppose.Liltbeingbackmeantthatsomerealorderswouldstartcomingin.”

“Whatdidhesay?”

“Hesaidthetimeisalmostuponus.Hesaidtheanti-SanctuaryhasbigplansforFirstWave.Hesaid themortal streetsaregoing to run redwithblood.Thosewerehisexactwords.WeweretoldtopacksomeessentialsbecauseweweregoingtoleaveCorrivalforgood.IfollowedLapseandGalltowardsourdormroom,but…”

“Youargued,”saidOmen.

“ItoldthemIcouldn’tdoit,Icouldn’thurtanyone.Iaskedthemtocomewithme,tojust…quit.TheysaidIwasacowardandatraitorandtowaituntilLethegothishandsonme.”

“Soyoucamehome,”Valkyrie said, “becauseyouknew it’dbe the last place they’dlook?”

He frowned. “What?No. I just… I justwanted to spend some timewithmy familybeforetheycameafterme.Ican’thidefromthem,notwhenIhavethis.”Hepulleduphissleeve.Asigilwastattooedontheinsideofhisforearm.

Omenpeeredcloser.“That’s…that’satrackingsigil.”

Valkyriewentcold.“Theyknowwhereyouare?”

“Yeah,”saidByron.“Why?”

Shelookedaround.“Wehavetogetoutofhere.”

Skulduggery’svoicecamefrombehind.“Andwhywouldyouwanttodothat?”

58

SmokeandNerogrinnedandSkulduggerystoodbetweenthem,hishandsinhispockets,his jacket unbuttoned, the chain of his pocket watch glinting against his waistcoat.Valkyriealteredhervision, just foramoment, just longenough towatch the tendrilsofcrackling grey that swirled around Skulduggery’s aura. It was fading. She could see itfading.

“Youcan’tleave,”Skulduggerysaid.“Wehavesomuchtotalkabout.I’vemissedyou,Valkyrie.Ihadjustgotyoubackandthenwewerepulledapartagain.”

“I’vemissedyou,too,”shesaid,makingsurehervoicestayedsteady.

Hetiltedhishead.“Thankyou.Thankyouforsayingthat.Itmeansalot.How’syourleg,bytheway?”

“It’sfine.”

“You’reprobablyannoyedthatIshotyou.”

Sheshrugged.“Icouldhavedonewithoutit.”

“Youunderstandwhy,though,don’tyou?It’simportanttomethatyouunderstand.”

“Ido.”

“Good,”Skulduggery said. “Good.You’ve been busy, apparently. I heard about yourencounterwiththisShakespeareperson.Didhehurtyou?”

“No.”

“You’resure?Ifhehurtyou,tellme.I’llkillhim.”

Nerochuckled,andSkulduggeryturnedhisheadslightly.

“Whyareyoulaughing?”heasked.“I’mquiteserious.IfanyonehurtsValkyrie,Iwillkillthem.Thatincludesyou.”

Nero’schucklefaded.

Skulduggery looked back to Valkyrie. “Cadaverous Gant wants to kill you, too, butdon’t worry about him. If he tries it, I’ll shoot him in the head. You’re safe. For themoment.Althoughwemight have to kill you in order to resurrectAbyssinia.Melior’sgoingtoseeifhecanmakedowiththelifeforcesofthetwoNeotericswehaveshackledupbackattheprison,but,ifweneedmore,I’mafraidyou’reonthemenu.Yourmagicis

unique,afterall.YoudrawyourmagicstraightfromtheSource.YoumaynotbeNeoteric,butyouqualify.”

“Luckyme.”

“Indeed.OrImightkilleveryonebeforeanyofthismovesforwardonemorestep.I’mgettingintothatsortofmood.”

SmokeplacedahandonSkulduggery’sshoulder.“Behave,Skulduggery.”

Skulduggery stiffened, andValkyrie’sheart plummeted.She activatedher aura-visionjustintimetowatchthecorruptionovertakehimoncemore.

Smoketookhishandaway.“Sticktotheplan.Understand?”

“Of course,” said Skulduggery. “Apologies, Valkyrie. I had a brief moment ofawakening.Itwasnice,butit’sgonenow.”

Valkyrie’smouthwasdry.Shecouldhavetappedtheauxiliumsigilonherhipthereandthen.ShecouldhavecalledinthreedozenCleavers,havethemteleportintothemiddleofBallyfermotandengageinabattleinbroaddaylight.Shecouldhaveputinnocentlivesindangerandriskedexposingmagictothemortalworld.

She could have done all these things with the tap of a finger. But her hands stayedwheretheywere.

“Soyou’regoingtodoit?”sheasked.“You’regoingtobetheonetokillme?”

Skulduggerynodded.“I thinkit’sonlyright,don’tyou?Afterallwe’vebeenthroughtogether?”

Shetriedsmiling.“Ikindawishyouwouldn’t.”

“Don’tdothat,”hesaid,andtookastepforward.“Don’tpretend.It’sme,OK?It’sstillme.Youcanbeyourselfaroundme,Valkyrie.I’vebeentryingtogetyoutobeyourselfsinceyoucamehome.Nothing’sworked,hasit?Youstillwon’tcomebacktome.”

“I’mdoingmybest.”

“Idon’tthinkyouare.Ithinkyou’vegivenup.”

Shedidn’tsayanything.

SkulduggerylookedatSmoke.“Youshouldhaveseenher,backinthegoodolddays.Shesparked.Shemeteverychallengehead-on.Shewasfearless.”

“No,”shesaid,“Iwasn’t.”

“Youwerefearlessineverywaythatmattered,”heresponded.“Youweremagnificent.Youwerefunny,andtough,andconfident,andamazing.Youdidthingsnooneelsecoulddo.Yousurvivedwhatnooneelsecouldsurvive.Justbeingaroundyoumademeabetterperson.Andnow lookatwhatyou’vebecome.Thisapologetic…shell.Meek.Timid.”Hisheadtiltedup.“Ordinary.”

“IfI’mnotworthyourtime,”shesaid,“thengospenditsomewhereelse.”

“I care for you too much to let your suffering continue,” Skulduggery told her. “Ithoughtyou’dcomeback.Ithoughtyou’dwakeup,findthatoldsparkagain…butnowIdon’tthinkthat’sgoingtohappen.”

“So…what?Areyougoingtoputmeoutofmymisery?”

Helookedatheranddidn’tanswerforamoment.Thenhesaid,“IthinkI’llhaveto.”

Shelookedintohiseyesocketstotheshadowswithinandhergazelockedthere,likehewaspullinghertowardshim.Shealmostdidn’tnoticeSmokepassingher,reachingouttotakeByron’sarm.

“Comeon,kid,”hesaid.“PartheniosLiltwantsaword.”

Byronshookhishead.“Idon’t…Idon’twantto.”

“Lethimgo,”Omensaid,tryingtopullSmoke’shandaway.

SmokeshovedOmenbackandValkyriecaughthimbeforehefell.

“Screwthis,”Smokemuttered,tappingByron’sarm.Byrongasped,andValkyriedidn’tneedheraura-visiontoknowhe’djustbeencorrupted.“Let’sgo,kid.”

Byronstaredathim,andnodded,thenstoppedandglancedbackathishouse.“Canyougivemeaminute?”heasked.“I’llberealquick,Iswear.”

Smokesighed.“What,youwanttokissyourmommygoodbye?”

“No,”Byronsaid.“Iwanttokillher.Please?”

“Fine,”Smokesaid.“Butbequickaboutit.”

Byrongrinned,andOmenbrokefreefromValkyrie’sholdandstoodinfrontofhim.

“Don’tdoit,”hesaid.

“Outofmyway,”Byronsnapped,tryingtoshovepast.

Omenwrestledwithhim.“Ican’tletyou.Ican’t.She’syourmum,Byron.Youjusttoldusthatyouloveher.”

“Hey,Byron,”Nerocalled.“Kickhisass.”

Byron stoppedwrestling and lookedatOmen, andOmen’s eyeswidened. “Now, justwaitasecond…”

Byronhithim.

“Hey!”Valkyrieshouted,andwenttopullByronback,butSmokewasinherway.

“Letthemscrap,”hesaid,eyesonthefight,notevenlookingatValkyrie,liketheywereintheplaygroundorsomething.Likethiswasnothingmoreseriousthanagame.

Valkyrie turned sideways and slammedher foot downon toSmoke’skneewith suchforcethatsheheardthesickeningsnap-crunchofbonesbreaking.Smokescreechedandfell,clutchinghisleg,rollingoverandscreechingsomemore.

Someonegrabbedherhair,yankedherheadbackandshewentstumbling.ItwasNero,cursingather,hissinginfury,andshetwisted,tookholdofhisjacketwithonehandandrammedtheotherintohisthroat.Hestaggered,gasping,hiseyeswide,andherkneesankintohisbelly.Shehammeredafistdownontothebaseofhisskullwhenhefoldedoverandhedropped,andshekickedhiminthehead.

OmenandByronrolledacrosstheground,Omentryingtotalkhimoutofitthewholetime.

ValkyrieturnedtoSkulduggeryashehunghishatontherotarydryer.

“Idon’twanttofightyou,”shesaid.

“Ofcourseyoudon’t,”hereplied.

Hedartedforwardandshemoved,absorbingtheblowonherupperarm.

Hecircledher.“Thefourthtimewemet,youfainted.DoyourememberhowIcaughtyou?That’swhereourfriendshipbegan,withyouinmyarms.That’showit’llend.”

“Third,”shesaid.

“Sorry?”

“Itwasthethirdtimewemet.We’donlyspokentwiceupuntilthatpoint,atthewakeandthereadingofthewill.”

He shookhis head. “Wehadmetyears earlier,whenyouwere just a baby.ThiswasbeforethingsgotstrainedbetweenyourparentsandGordon,andhewasbabysittingandIvisited.Youwereadorable.”

“Istillam.”

Helaughed.“Thereyougo,”hesaid.“AflashoftheoldValkyrie.”

Hetriedtograbherandsheswattedhishandaway,movingtohisrightasshedidso.

ShecouldseeOmenandByronthrowingpunches,bloodyingeachotherup.

“Rememberthatwigyouusedtowear?”sheasked.“Beforeyougotthefaçade?”

“Istillhaveit.”

“Seriously?”

“It’sagoodwig.”

“It’saterriblewig.It’swaytoofuzzy.”

“Fuzzywasinthatyear.”

“DidGhastlyapprove?”

“Ican’trecall.”

“That’sano.”

He laughed, reached for her, then whipped his hand up when she went to block,catchingherwithabackhandacrosstheface.Shestumbled,handtoherstingingcheek,blinkingbacksuddentears.

“Help!”Smokeroared.“Somebodyhelpme!Ineedmedicalattention!”

“Ithinkyou’vedamagedmyfriend,”saidSkulduggery.

“He’s not your friend,”Valkyrie said. “I’m your friend. Dexter and Saracen, they’reyourfriends.Ghastlywasyourfriend.Smoke—”

“Smoke’s a bad influence,” Skulduggery said. “He’s that child your mother alwayswarnedyouabout,theonewhobringsoutyourworstside.”

“That’s right,” said Valkyrie. “And I can’t believe you’re letting it happen. I can’tbelieveyou’relettingsomeoneelsedictatehowyoubehave.I’mnottheonlyonewho’schanged,youknow.Backintheolddays,youregowouldneverhaveallowedthis.”

“AreyousayingI’vebecomemorehumble?”heasked,amused.

“No,”shesaid.“Justmoreordinary.”

Amomentpassed,slowandheavy.

Sheturnedherheadamillisecondbeforehestruckher,andhewasgrabbingherjacketto make sure she didn’t fall back out of range. His elbow jabbed into her shoulder,deadeningherleftarm.Shedidn’tknowwhathitherthen,afistoranotherelbow,butherheadsnappedbackandtheworldblurredandsuddenlyshewasfallingtoherknees.

Heretrievedhishatwhilehewaitedforhertorecover.

Smoke was alternating now between screaming and sobbing. Nero gave out theoccasionalmoan.OmenandByronwerebackontheirfeetbutnotfighting.Theypantedforbreathandglaredateachother.

Slowly, Valkyrie stood up. Skulduggery punched her and she went down again,flattenedontothegrass,theworldgrowingmuteandgrey.

Hecrouchedoverherandsnappedapairofcuffsontoherwrists.Shefelthermagicdrain.

“Goddammit!” Smoke shouted. “Skulduggery! Stop wasting time with her and helpme!”

“Butofcourse,”Skulduggerysaidinstantly.HewalkedovertoNero,hauledhimtohisfeet. “Take us to Coldheart,” he said. Nero tried to push him away and Skulduggerywrenchedhisarmbehindhim.“I’munderorders,remember.Iwillbreakyouintobitsifyoudonotteleportusallinthenextfiveseconds.”

“Ican’t!”Neroyelped.“IthinkImighthaveconcussion!Shekickedmeinthehead!”

“Thenjust thefourofus.”Skulduggerytookouthisgun,pressedit toNero’stemple.“Three.Two.One.”

“OK!”Nerocried,andthegreyskyturnedintoagreyceiling.Theywereinside, inacavernousroom.

Skulduggerylookedather.“WelcometoColdheart.”

59

SkulduggeryandValkyrieandSmokeandNerovanished,leavingOmenandByronallbythemselves.

“Theyleftmebehind,”saidByron.Hesoundeddisappointed.

“Thisisyourchance,”Omensaid.“Getoutofhere.Run.”

Byronfrowned.“Why?”

“MrLiltwantsyoudead,Byron.Yousplitfromthem.He’sgoingtowanttokillyou.”

“Lilt’snotgoingtokillme,”Byronsaid.

“Hewasgoingtokillyouanyway,evenbeforeyousplit.Iheardhimsayit.”

Byronconsidered it for amoment. “Maybe,”he said. “Maybe I’ll run after I killmymother.”

“What?No.Comeon.”Omenstoodinfrontofhim.“Youhaveachancetogetaway.Youdon’twanttokillher.”

“Yes, I do,” said Byron. “I hate her. I hate them both. They’re small andweak andgrubbyandtheyhateme.”

“No,theydon’t.Theyloveyou.”

“They’veneverlovedme,”Byronsaid.“Whyareyoutryingtohelpthem?Yourparentsarethesame.”

“What?Myparentsdon’thateme,Byron.”

Byronsneered.“Yes, theydo.Everyone inschoolknowsit.Yourparents loveAuger.TheylovetheChosenOnebecausetheycanbeproudofhim.Whenwasthelasttimetheywereproudofyou?”

“You’rewrong.Youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.”

“You’resodumb,”Byronsaid,and laughed.“You’resostupid.AxeliaLukt’sparentsknow your parents. She toldme ages ago that your folks go out of theirway to avoidmentioningyouinconversation.AlltheytalkaboutisAuger.They’retryingtoforgetyouevenexist.”

Omenshookhishead.

“Face it. They hate you, and you know it, and you’d kill them, too, if you had thechance.Soletmepass,orI’llkillyoufirst.”

Slowly,Omenunclenchedhis fists and stoodaside.Byron shoulderedhimoutof theway.He’dalmostmadeit tothetreeswhenOmenwrappedanarmroundhisthroatandpulledhimback.Theywentdown,butOmenhadthechokeontight,andsqueezedtighter.Byron struggled for a lot longer than he should have, and Omen knew he was doingsomethingwrong,buthedarednot letgo.Eventually,Byron’s strugglesweakened, andOmenwaitedtwosecondsafterhe’dgonelimpbeforereleasinghim.

Omenlaythere,gettinghisbreathback,keepinghiseyesontheunconsciousboy.Hefeltbadaboutwhathe’dhadtodo,butproudthathe’dbeenabletodoit.IfonlyAxeliahadbeenheretowitnessit.Orhisparents.

He sat up slowly. His face was swollen and his ribs were sore. He got to his feet,groaningashedidso.Histongueprobedeachofhisteeth,checkingthatnoneofthemhadbeenknockedlooseduringthefight.Hecheckedhisnosenext.Byronhadwhackeditwithhiselbowastheywererollingaround.Ithurtlikehell,butdidn’tappeartobebroken.

Hetookouthisphone,anddidn’tknowwhotocall.Whenitsuddenlybuzzedtolife,healmostdroppedit.

“Hello?”hesaid,bringingittohisear.

“Omen!”ItwasTemper.ThankGod.“What’sgoingon?Whereiseveryone?”

Omenpuzzledoverhowtoexpressthis.“Thingshavehappened,”hesaideventually.

“Valkyrieisn’tanswering.”

“She’sbeentakenprisonerbySkulduggery.”

“Aw,man…”

Omennodded.“Iknow.AndIwasinafight.”

“Whowith?”

“Aboyinmyclass.”

“Didyouwin?”

“Well…he’sunconsciousandI’mnot,soIsupposeIdidn’tlose.”

“Welldone!”

“Thankyou.Whatdowedonow?”

“I’mstill inNewYork,soI’mgoing toneedNever tocomegetme. Ihaveaway tostopallofthis.IjustneedtotalktoRichardMelior.”

“Buthe’sabouttokillValkyrie.”

“Why’shegoingtodothat?”

“ToresurrectAbyssinia.”

“HowmuchdidImiss?”

Omenlookedaround.“Like,alot.”

“Comegetme,Omen.”

“Butthey’reallinColdheartPrison,andwedon’tknowwhereitis.”

“I’ll call theHighSanctuary, see ifmaybe they’vemanaged to track it down. In themeantime,youcallNever.”

“Idon’tknowifhe’llanswer,”saidOmen.“LasttimeIspoketoher,hewasreallymadwithme.”

Tempersaid,“Beyourcharmingbest,slick.Valkyrie’slifedependsonit.”

60

Omensteppedoffthebusjustashiscallwasanswered.“Never,thankGod,youhavetohelpus!”

“Ican’t,”Neverwhispered.“I’mintheHighSanctuary.SurroundedbyCleavers.”

“What?”saidOmen,collidingwithacrowdofpeoplehurryingtheotherway.“Why?”

“TheSupremeMagebroughtmein.”Neversoundednervous.Verynervous.“Atfirst,IthoughtIwasintrouble,y’know,forallofusgoingtoSanFrancisco?AndI thought,IsweartoGodifOmenDarklyhasgotmeexpelledI’mgoingtokillhim.Butitwasn’tthat.TheSupremeMageneedsmetobringabunchofCleaverstohelpyourfriend.”

Omenstartedwalking.“Whatfriend?”

“Youronlyotherfriendapartfromme.Themurderousone.”

Omen’seyeswidened.“Valkyrie?Dotheyknowwheresheis?”

“Ithinktheyknowhowtofindher,yeah.TheSupremeMageisgoingtodrawasigilonmyarmtolinkmetoanauxiliumonValkyrie,whateverthatis,andthenwewaitaroundforhertoactivateit.Apparently,allIhavetodoisclosemyeyesandteleportandI’llendup right beside her. That’s blind teleporting,Omen. I haven’t done that before. I don’tthinkanyonehas.I’mterrified.”

“Never,you’regoingtobefine.Youcandothis.You’reanatural–MrRennisalwayssayingthat.Ibelieveinyou.”

“Yeah,”saidNever.“Thanks,Omen.Thatactually…thatactuallyhelps.”

“ButI’mgoingtoneedyoutonotdoit.”

HecouldhearNever’sscowl.“WhywouldInotdoit,Omen?”

“Because arriving with a bunch of Cleavers might not be the best idea,” Omenexplained.“IwasjusttalkingtoTemper.Apparently,hecanfixeverything–hejustneedsto talk to Doctor Melior, and Melior will probably be with Valkyrie. So, when theSupremeMagedrawsthatsigilonyourarm,I’mgoingtoneedyoutocomegetme,thenpickupTemperinNewYork,andthenwecanalldotheblindteleportingthing.”

“Noway.Noway,Omen.TheSupremeMageherselfaskedmetodothis.”

“AndI’maskingyoutodosomethingelse.”

“She’stheSupremeMage.”

“AndI’myourfriend.”

“Sheoutranksyou!”

“Andyou’remybestfriend,Never.Iwouldn’taskyoutodothisunlessIthoughtitwasthebestthingtodo.”

Never’svoicewashushedbut somehow loud. “Youdon’tknow thebest thing todo!Youdon’tknowanything!Namemeoneclassyou’redoingwellin!Namemeonepieceof homework you didn’t have to copy off me! You cannot ask me to do this, Omen,becauseyouareanidiotandIcan’ttrustthatyou’dknowagoodideaifithityouwithabrick!”

“I’ll be on O’Connell Street,” Omen said. “Outside Eason bookshop. I hope you’llcomegetme.”

“I’mnotgoingtodoit,Omen.I’mnotgoingtodoit.”

“Ihopeyoudo.”

Omenhungup.

61

Shehurt.

Shewassittinguponthebunk,herbackagainstthewall,herlegsstretchedout,andhermouthopen.Herlipswereburst.She’dwashedsomeofthebloodoffatthesink,leftthecrackedporcelainstainedwithredhandprints.Herjawhurtlikehell,butthey’dremovedherpacketofleaveswhenthey’dtakenherphone.

Shewasn’t shackled anymore, thoughherpowerswere still bound and the auxiliumsigil,invisibleuponherskin,wasuseless.Thecellsawtothat.Skulduggerystoodoutside,stillasastatue,lookinginather.Hishatcastadeepshadow,hidinghisskull.

“They’regoingtokillme,arethey?”sheasked,hervoicedull.

“Everyone dies,” Skulduggery responded. “Youmight get lucky and come back as askeletonlikeme.Wouldn’tthatbefun?Wecouldhaveallsortsofadventures.”

“Wealreadyhaveallsortsofadventures.”

“Skeletonadventuresaredifferent.There’smoreroomforpuns.”

Shetalkedcarefullywithruinedlips.“Youdon’thavetoguardme,youknow.Ihavenoideahowtoescapefromaprisoncell.”

“I’m not guarding you,” Skulduggery said. “I’m protecting you. CadaverousGant iseagertoendyourlife.”

“Why?BecauseJeremiahWallowfellwhenhetriedtokillme?Howisthatmyfault?”

“ImentionedthistoCadaverous.Hedidn’tseemtocare.Somepeoplelikerevengetoomuch.Itisapotentsourceofstrength.”

“Fairenough.Thanksforprotectingme,though.”

“Smoketoldmetodoit,incaseyouthinkmyattitudetowardsyoumaybesoftening.Istillverymuchwanttokillyou.”

“You’renotgoingtokillme.”

“Isthatso?”

“You’refightingback.”

Hisheadtilted,shiftingtheshadowslightly.“Youcan’tseemyaura.”

“Idon’tneedto.Icantell.You’refightingSmoke’sinfluence.”

“I’mnot sureyou’re right, tobehonest.Youmaybe in for adisappointment. If youlike, I couldpunchyou tokeepyourexpectations low.Thatway, if Idoendupkillingyou,itwon’tcomeastoomuchofasurprise.”

Shesmiled,butthesmilemadeherlipshurtsoshestopped,waitedforthepaintopass.Whentheyhadreturnedtotheirformerthrob,shespokeagain.“DoyouthinkI’vewastedmytime?”

“Onwhat?”

“Onfeelingsorryformyself.I’vebeenbackinIrelandforhalfayearandnowitlookslikeI’mgoingtodie,andIhadallthistimetospendwithmyfamilyandIdidn’t.Ididn’tspenditwithyou,either.”

“Andyouthinkyou’vebeenfeelingsorryforyourself?”

“Haven’tI?”

“Idon’tthinkso.Evenifyouwere,sowhat?Youdowhatisrightforyou,Valkyrie.”

“IjustthinkI’vewastedsomanyopportunitiestoletthepeopleIloveknowthatIlovethem. And my folks have been so patient with me. They’ve given me all the space IneededwithoutevenknowingwhyIneededit.Everyfewdays,MumorDadwouldsendmeanewmessage.Nevertopressureme,just to…includeme,Isuppose.Tokeepmeinvolved.IfIdienow,they’llneverknowhowmuchIappreciatethem.”Shelookedaway.“I’vegotsomethinginmyhead.Arecurringthought,ora…abelief.Itresurfaceseveryonce inawhile.Sometimes I feel that I’malreadydead,youknow?Like I’manactualcorpse.That’sweird,isn’tit?”

“Foranyoneapartfromme,thatwouldbeconsideredunusual,yes.”

“Ithought,maybe,becauseIhavethisbelief,thatI’dbeusedtoitbynow.Theideaofdeath,Imean.Buttheprospectofrealdeath,ofactualdeath…It’sstillterrifying.Idon’twanttodie,Skulduggery.”

“You’reprobablynotgoingtohaveachoice.”

“Iwanttoseemyfamily.”

“I’mgoingtokillyou.”

“Stopsayingthat.”

“I’msorry,Idon’tmeantoupsetyou.IsthereanythingIcandototakeyourmindoffyourimpendingdemise?Ajoke,perhaps?Awittyanecdote?”

“IsupposeyoucantellmewhyyouquitasCommanderoftheCityGuard.”

Hetiltedhisheadagain,thistimeatanamusedangle.Sheknewallhisangles.“You’renotgoingtogiveup,areyou?”

“Hey,youoffered.”

“OK,”hesaid,“I’lltellyou.DoyourememberChina’slittleCouncilofAdvisors?”

“Vespers,PraetorandDrang.”

“All of whom are new additions,” Skulduggery said. “Drang succeeded Warheit asGermanGrandMage,VespersreplacedGravesasEnglishGrandMageand,mostrecently,Praetortookoverfromamannamed—”

“Cypher.”

“Yes.ChinahadgivenCyphercontroloftheAmericanSanctuarybecausehe’dfedherinformationbackwhenhispredecessorwasincharge.Cypherwasambitiousandcunning,andthatgothimthejob.Buthisambitiondidn’tstopthere.HesawwhatChinahadandwanteditforhimself,sohetriedtohaveherassassinated.”

“Butyoufoiledit,”saidValkyrie.

“Naturally.But,whileinourcustody,oneofthemembersoftheCityGuardgotalittlecarriedawayintheinterrogationstage,andCypherwaskilled.”

“ThatYonderguy,right?Theonewhodoesn’tlikeyou?”

“That’s the one. Some people called his actions overzealous. Some called itmurder.China quite liked the rumour going around, that we’d executed Cypher in his cell fordaringtoopposetheSupremeMage.Shefeltitsetahealthyprecedent,andYonderwasreleasedwithareprimand.Iresignedthenextday.”

Valkyriepickedsomedriedbloodfrombeneathherfingernails.“Sowhywouldn’tyoutellmethis?Youquitbecauseyoudidn’tlikethewaythingsweregoing.What’ssobadaboutthat?”

“Thatwasthestraw,Valkyrie.Thecatalyst.Buteverythingleadinguptothatpoint…that’s the part of the story I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to tell you aboutSomnolent.”

Shefrowned.“Who’sSomnolent?”

Buthewasalready turninghishead to the soundof anopeningdoor, then footsteps,gettingcloser,andmuttering.Skulduggerysteppedback,clearingthewayforDestriertowalkpast.Hisheadwasdown,hisbrowfurrowed,hisfingersmovinglikehewastappingasmall,distortedkeyboard.

“Destrier?”Skulduggerysaid.

Destrierspunsuddenly,eyeswide,likehewasshockedtofindhimselfamongpeople.“Yes,”hesaid.“Yes,sorry,I…Igotlostthere.Foramoment.Inmyhead.”Heglancedintothecell.“You’vegottobringher.Thegirl.TheValkyrie.Letheisreadytobegin.”

“Excellent.”

Destriernodded.Hewenttomoveoff,thenstopped,turned,hesitated.

Skulduggerysteppedintohislineofsight.“Andwhereareyougoing?”

“Work,” Destrier said. “Going to continue my work. I’m not sure… I don’t knowwhere,though.”

“Back through there is where Lethe is,” Skulduggery said, pointing. “That’s wherewe’regoingtoresurrectAbyssinia.Isthatwhereyouwanttogo?Ithoughtyou’dfinishedworkingonthatcontraption.”

“Finished,yes,”Destriersaid.“Otherworktodo.Mywork.Importantwork.Mustbetheotherway.”Heturnedagain,hurriedon.

Skulduggery watched him go. “What an odd, odd man.” He took down a pair ofshackles that had been hanging from the bars of the next cell over, and tossed themthrough.“Putthoseon,”hesaid.“Yourrightwrist,thenbackuptothebars.”

Movingslowly,painfully,sheeasedherlegsoffthebunk,scoopeduptheshacklesandstood.“Wecangetoutofherenow,”shesaid.

Hetookouthisgun,aimedatherleg.“I’llshootyouagain.”

Sheclickedthecoldmetaloverherrightwrist.

“Comebacktome,”shesaid,walkinguptothedoor.“Skulduggery,forGod’ssake,it’stimetosnapoutofit.Please.Forme.”

Helookedatherforamoment.“Valkyrie…?”hesaid,hisvoicesoft.

“Yes!Skulduggery,yes!”

He laughed. “No,only joking, Iwasn’t snappingoutof it, Iwas justbeinghilarious.Youmightnotbeinalaughingmood,though,whichisunderstandable.You’reprobablygoingtodieinafewminutes.Turnaround.”

Sheturnedandhereachedthroughthebars,clickedtheshacklesoverherotherwrist.Whentheyweresecure,heopenedthecelldoorandmotionedwiththegun.Shesteppedout.

“How will you feel afterwards?” she asked, leading the way to her own execution.“WhenI’mdeadandyou’renotunderSmoke’sinfluenceanymore?Howareyougoingtofeelwhenyou’rebacktonormalifyoukillmetoday?”

“Prettybad,Iwouldimagine.”

Shelookedbackathim.“Sodon’tkillme.Don’tkillanyone.”

“No…Iseeyourpoint,butI’mstillgoingtodoit.Iwantto,youknow?Iwanttokillyou.”

Rightbefore theyreachedthedoor,she turned.“Skulduggery…pleasedon’tdo this.Workwithme.You’veseenthevision.Someofit,atleast.You’veseenwhathappensifAbyssiniacomesback.Wecanavoidallofthat–allofit–ifyoucomebacktome.Youjusthavetofightit.Fightthem.I’mbeggingyou.”

“Ithoughtyoudidn’tbeg.”

“You’remyexception,”shesaid.“Youalwayswere.”

Skulduggeryreachedforherslowly,brushingastrandofhairoffherfacewithaglovedfinger.Thenhereachedfurther,openingthedoorbehindher.

“It’llbeoversoon,”hesaid.

62

Theyemergedontoatierofprisoncellsthatcircledawide,emptyspace,andthevolumeoftheworldsuddenlytwistedupto11.Convictscheered,raged,cursedather,shoutedathousand threats thatcompetedagainsteachother in their race tobeheard.Sheglancedupwards.Itwasalmostdizzying.Tieraftertierofhatredandangerandbarelycontainedviolence.Skulduggerywrappedanarmroundherwaistandtheyfloatedovertherailingandacrossthegaptothewide,flatdiscthathoveredaboveacracklinglakeofenergy.

They touched down on the dais. Three metal Xs, skilfully welded and attached tohydraulicarms,stoodwaiting.Shedidn’tknowwhatthecurvedmetalplateswerefor,but,judgingbytheclaspsondisplay,ValkyrieguessedthatthoseXswerereservedforherandthetwootherpeopleonthisplatformwhowerewearingshackles.Shedidn’trecognisetheoldermen,buttheylookedterrified.Memphis,resplendentinaredjacketandblackshirt,grippedthearmofoneofthemandRazzia,cladinherusualtuxedo,madesuretheotherstayedput.Nerowastoobusyholdinghisheadtoevenglanceherway,andSmokesatonthegroundamidallthosefallenscythes,franticallychewingleavesandclutchinghisleg.

Lethewasexaminingametaltripodthathadbeensetupnearatable.No,notatable–more likeamortuaryslab.Uponthatslabwere twowoodenboxes.Thebiggeronewasplain,without any ornamentation. The smallerwas carvedwith intricate symbols. Thatwas theone containing theheart;Valkyriewouldhavebether lifeon it, if her lifehadbeenhers tobet.Shewonderedifshe’dbeable to lungefor theboxandtoss it intothelake of energy before anyone stopped her, but Skulduggery’s fingers tightened ever soslightlyonherarm.

“Let’snot,shallwe?”hesaidsoftly.

Lethe looked up. “Finally,” he said. “We are ready to proceed. Where is the gooddoctor?”

Meliorappearedonthetier.Helookedexhausted,andwouldn’tmeetValkyrie’seyes.Hepeereddownatthelakeofenergybelow.

“Carefulnow,”Lethecalled.

Melior took a running jump on to the dais. He stumbled slightly as he landed, andRazziacheered.Ignoringher,hehauledthreethick,transparenthosesoutofalargesack.HedroppedthehosesbetweentheXsandthetripod,andwalkeduptoValkyrie.Hedidn’tsayanything,justraisedhishandtoherface.Itstartedtoglow,thewarmthovercomingherpain,andwhenhetookhishandawayherlipswerehealedandherjawdidn’tache.

“Hey,”Smokesaid,gettingupandhobblingover.“Dome.Fixmyleg.”

“Andmyhead,”saidNero.“IthinkIhaveconcussion.”

“Ican’t,”saidMelior.“Ineedmystrengthfortheresurrection.”

NerosaggedandSmokestoppedchewingleaveslongenoughtoglare.“Youfixedhermouth.”

Meliornodded.“AndnowIneedtoconservemyenergy.”

Smokegrabbedhisshirt.

“Heynow!”saidLethe.“Leavethegooddoctoralone,there’sagoodboy.”

Reluctantly,Smokereleasedhishold.HeturnedhisglaretoValkyrie.

“Thatfeelgood?”heasked.“Itdoesn’thurtanymore?Idon’tthinkthat’sfair,doyou?Ithinkthatmouthofyoursshouldbepunchedalloveragain.”

He drew back his fist and Valkyrie crunched her forehead into his face. Smokestaggeredback,silentatfirst,handscoveringhisnose,butthehowlgrewandexplodedasbloodrandowntohischin.“Shebrokemynose!”hehollered.“Shebrokemykneeandmynose!”

Letheshrugged.“Youprobablyshouldn’tbesocareless,then.Limpaway,MrSmoke.Wedon’thavetimeforsilliness.Memphis,Razzia,pleasemoveMrCollupintoposition.”

Collup tried gamely to struggle, but therewas nothing he could do to prevent beingpressedupagainst the firstX.Theclasps that snappedaroundhis ankleswerebound–Valkyriecouldsee thesigilscarved into themetal.Memphis took theshackles fromtheoldman’swrists,tossedthemasideasRazziasecuredhishandsabovehishead.

Onceall theclaspswereclosed,RazziaopenedCollup’sshirt, thenswungthecurvedplateacrosshischest, locking it inplace.Theplatehadahole in itscentre,asbigasadrinkscoaster.Satisfied,shesteppedbackandthehydraulicarmliftedtheXoffthedais.Meliorstoodnearby,calculatingangles.Whenitwasaboutsevenmetresoverhead,levelwiththefourthtier,Meliorgaveasignal.Thearmstoppedmoving,buttheXwhirredandslowlyturned180degreesuntilCollupwashangingupsidedown.

“MrRutnext,”saidLethe.

MemphisreachedoutbutRutpulledaway,scrambledback,ranfortheedgeofthedais.Rightontheedgehefroze,eyeswideningwhenhesawthelakeofenergybelow.

“Youcan’tescape,Tanner,”Lethe said. “This is aprison, remember?Let’s just calmdownandgiveourliveswithoutcomplaint,whatdoyousay?”

Memphisgrabbedhim,hauledhimback.Theyclaspedhim to theXand secured theplateacrosshischest,thenthearmliftedhimhighintotheairandhe,too,turnedtillhewasupsidedown.

“Andfinally,”Lethesaid,“MissCain.”

ValkyrieglancedatSkulduggeryasRazziaandMemphiscameforward,butshestartedwalking before they reached her. They stepped aside, allowing her to position herselfagainstthefinalX.

“Nowthat’swhatIliketosee,”Lethesaid.“Alittledignityinyourfinalmoments.”

The clasps were tight around her ankles. Razzia removed the shackles and Valkyrieraisedherarms,allowingherwriststobeclasped.Cadaverouswatchedher,irritationonhisface.Sheknewhe’drathershestruggleandbeg.Shelethereyesdriftawayfromhim,likehewasn’teventhere.

RazziapulledValkyrie’sT-shirtdowna little, then swung thecurvedplateacrossherchest.Itwascoldagainstherskin.

“Raise her up,” Razzia said, and the hydraulic arm jerked a little, then lifted herrelativelysmoothlyoffthedais.Withnothingtostandon,herfullbodyweighthungfromthecold,uncomfortableclasps.Shelookeddown.Funny,ithadn’tlookednearlyashighfromdownthere.

WhenshereachedtheothertwoXs,thearmstopped.Shecouldlookstraightintothecellsofthefourthtier,andtheconvictsleeredather,shoutedthingsthatsheignored.TheXstartedtoturn.Itwasanunsettlingsensation.Sheexpectedtheclaspstobreakatanymoment.Herhairgotinhereyes.Whenshewasfinallyupsidedown,coinsspilledfromherpocketsandhitSmokeonthehead.

Hehowled.Shejoinedinthelaughter.Shecouldn’thelpit.

“Letmedoit!”Smokeyelled.“Letmekillher!”

ThelaughterdiedasCadaveroustookholdofSmoke’sshoulderandleanedin.“You’renotevenonthewaitinglist,MrSmoke.I’mtheonewhogetstoendherlife.”

“Ah-ah,”Skulduggeryresponded.“Wehadadeal.Ifwegettothispointandwe’rebothstillalive,wesquareoff.”

“Wedon’thavetimeforthat,”saidCadaverous.

ThebloodwasrushingtoValkyrie’shead.Shefeltwoozyandill.

“Cadaverous has a point,” Lethe said. “We had an arrangement, this is true, butcircumstanceshavechanged.Eventshavetranspired.WearenowatacrucialjunctureandI’mafraidwecan’tdelayitforaduel.”

“So,”Cadaveroussaid,“Ikillher.”

“We,uh,wemightn’tneedtokillher,”Meliorsaid.“Wemightonlyneedthelifeforceofthefirsttwo.Thatcouldbeenough.Theonlyreasonweevenhaveathirdisontheoffchanceweneedextra.”

“Sothereyougo!”Lethesaid,clappinghishands.“Youmightget thechancetodueloverheryet!Memphis,attachthehosetoMrCollup,ifyouplease.”

Memphistookholdofoneendofthefirstbitofhoseandranitupintothetripodfrombeneath,thenwenttotheotherendandpickedupthenozzle.Slingingthehoseoverhisshoulder,heclimbedthehydraulicarmwithease.Collupwatchedhimcome.Hetriedtostruggle.Theprisonerslovedit.Theycheered.

Memphis reached theX and swung out of itwith one hand.He took the nozzle andjammeditintotheholeinthemiddleofthecurvedplateoverCollup’schest,thentwisted,lockingitinplace.Hedroppedthen,tumblingelegantlyinmid-airbeforelanding.

Lethe went to the slab and stood there, hands over the carved box. He hesitated amoment,thenopenedit,andtookoutAbyssinia’sheart.

Valkyriecouldn’tseeitthatwell,butitlookedsmallanddryandprettyunimpressive.Shedidn’tsayanything,though.Shewastoobusynotpassingout.

LetheturnedtoMelior.“Richard, ifyouwouldkindlygetthisshowontheproverbialroad…”

Meliorappearedfrozentothespot.“I…Ican’t.”

“We’vemade iteasy onyou,Richard.Our sacrificial lambsarekillers.You’lldo theworldafavourbydispatchingthem.”

Meliorstilldidn’tmove.Lethewalkedovertohim,putahandonhisshoulder.

“Iunderstand,”he said. “You’reconflicted.Youdon’twant to release a centuries-oldevilintotheworld,butthenagainyoudon’twanttoneverseeyourhusbandagain.That,Richard,isaconflict.Thatisatruedilemma.Ionlyaskthatyoulistentoyourconscience.Youdowhatisrightforyou,Richard.Forgetaboutthethreepeopledanglingoverhead–twoofwhomareself-confessedmurderersofperfectlyinnocentpeopleandthethirdbeingultimately responsible for the senseless deaths of 1,351 poor unfortunate souls. Forgetaboutthat.Forgetabouttheirredfaces.ForgetaboutallthepeoplewhowilldieasaresultofAbyssinia’s return.That’snoton you.That’s onus.We are doing thiswillingly. Butyou?Youhavebeenforcedintothisposition.Youdon’thaveachoice.IfyouchoosenottoresurrectAbyssinia,youwillnever,everseeSavantVegaagain.Youwillcondemnhimtohis fate.But, if you choose to do this, Savantwill be returned toyou,youhavemyword,andyouwillbothbeallowedtoleave.”

Meliordidn’ttakehiseyesfromtheheart.“Andthenwhat?”

“Theneventswillunfold,”saidLethe.“Abyssiniawillsucceedinherplans,orshewillnot.Thatpartofthetalehasnothingtodowithyou.Doyouwantyourhusbandback?”

“Yes.”

“Thenbyallmeans…proceed.”

Meliorapproachedtheslab.Heraisedhishandsovertheheart,buthesitated.

“No,”hesaid,sosoftlyValkyriebarelyheardhim.

“Sorry?”Letheasked.“Whatwasthat?You’dratherneverseeSavantagain?”

Meliorsteppedawayfromtheslab.“Ican’tberesponsibleforwhatAbyssiniawilldo.”

“Youwon’tbe,”saidLethe.“Wewill.Ijustexplainedthis.”Helookedaround.“Didn’tIjustexplainthis?”

Melior shook his head. “Iwon’t do it. Iwon’t be a part of something thatwill takeinnocentlives.”

Razzialaughed.“Toldyou.”

“Hush,”Lethe said, andRazzia grinned.ValkyriewatchedLethewrap an arm roundMelior’sshoulders.“Richard,Iunderstand.Ido.AndIdon’tholditagainstyou.You’reagoodman.Wetriedmakingiteasyonyoubygivingyoudastardlyvillains,butyouhavemorals.Thatistobeadmired.However,Icannotallowyourmoralstogetinthewayofourplans.”Helookedup,andsaidloudly,“MrLilt.”

Valkyrieturnedherhead.Shewatched,upsidedown,asagroupofkidswereshovedtothe railings around her. She recognised one of the men doing the shoving from hisphotograph.

“Which one first, Doctor Melior?” Parthenios Lilt called down. The kids lookedconfused.Scared.SomeofthemworeCorrivalAcademyuniforms.

Meliorhadgonepale.“Whatareyoudoing?Letthemgo.They’rechildren.”

“Butthey’renottotallyinnocent,”Lethetoldhim.“ThesearetheFirstWave.They’reon-boardtheAbyssiniatrain,Richard.Theyharbourdarkthoughts.Badapplestoaone.Andwewillkillthemall,everybadappleinthebarrel,untilyoudowhatwewantyoutodo.”

Someofthekidsstartedtostruggle.Twoofthemwerealreadycrying.

“MrLilt,”Lethecalled,“whoisyourfavouritestudent?”

Liltpondered.“IthinkitwouldhavetobeJenanIspolin,”heanswered.

Letheclapped.“JenanIspolin,StudentoftheYear!Throwhimdownfirst,MrLilt.”

Liltseizedalankyboywhostartedtopanic,butcoulddonothingashewastippedovertherailing.

“Stop!”Meliorshouted.“Stop!I’lldoit!”

Letheheldupahand,andLiltpulledJenanback.Thekidswereledaway.ValkyriesawLiltpatJenanontheshoulder, likeithadallbeenpartofanact.ShewonderedifJenanbelievedhim.

Meliorstoodattheslab,andhishandsbegantoglow.

Valkyriedidn’tknowwhatshehadexpected–beamsoflight,maybe,orsomekindofweirdchanting–butallMeliordidwasstandtherewithhisglowinghandsandhiseyesclosed,andtheheartdidn’tdomuchofanything.Itjustlaythereonthetable.

Herheadpounding,ValkyrieglancedacrossatRutandCollup.Theylookedscared.

Melioropenedthesecondbox,andtookoutaglassglobe,aboutthesizeofabowlingball.TheSoulCatcher.Helifteditontothetripodwhereitsettled,snuginitsperfectlyproportionedrecess,andimmediatelyahundredsigilsglowedalongthetransparenthoseleadingtoCollup’sX.

“Please,”Collupcalleddown.“I’msorryforallthethingsIdone.Pleasedon’tkillme.I’msorry.”

“I’msorry,too,”Meliorsaid,andplacedhisrighthandontheSoulCatcher.

Collupscreamedsosuddenly itmadeValkyrie jerk inherclasps.Orange lightspilledfromthenozzleathischest,fillingthetubewithitsviolentsplendour,thesigilsburningbrightlynow,strainingtocontainthepowercoursingthroughit.Collup’sscreamsturnedtoalong,agonisedhowlashisskindriedandwrinkledwhileValkyriewatched,andhisbody hollowed out and his bones snapped in their confinements. His life force flowedthroughthehoseandfilledtheSoulCatcherandwhenitwasdoneMeliorliftedhishandandthehosewentdarkandCollup’sheadlolledforward.

HisrighthandtremblingafewcentimetresabovetheSoulCatcher,Meliormovedhislefttotheheartonthetable.Withalookonhisfacelikehewasbeingforcedtoplungehishand into boiling water, he took a deep breath and once again placed his hand on thechurningsphere.Hejerkeduprightastheenergypassedthroughhisbodyandoutfromhisfingertips.

Theheartsoakeditup,soakedupeverylastbitof it,andwhentheSoulCatcherwasemptyMelior took his hands away.He stepped back, pale and exhausted,watching theheart.

Theheartlayonthetable.

LethelookedatMelior.Meliorkeptlookingattheheart.

Andthenitbegantobeat.

63

Itwas no longer small and dry. The heartwas larger now, and it glistened, and it beatfaster.Stronger.

Itsprouteditsfirstartery.

It happened quickly after that. The arteries grew, were joined by thickening veins,linkedtocapillariesthatspreadoutwards,thatgrewpiecesofmeat,andfromthosepiecesorgansformed,lungsandkidneysandnowbone,aspinalcordgrowingrightthereonthetable, a nervous system being birthed, maturing, and Valkyrie saw nerve clusters andvertebraeandamassofcellsbecomingabrain.Around thatbrainaskullwas forming,whileelsewheretherewereribscurlingprotectivelyaroundtheorgansandmeatcoveringtheribsandshesawclaviclesandahumerusandapelvicboneandfemurs,itwasgrowinglegs, and themeat was spreading and the veins were spreading and then it all sloweddown.

“Welldone,Richard,”saidLethe,examiningthehalf-thingthatlayonthetable.“Welldone.”

“Icanhearher,”Cadaveroussaid.“Icanhearherlouderthanever.Clearer.”

Razziagiggled,tappingherhead,listeningtothevoice.“Shewantsmore,”shesaid.

Memphisdisconnectedthefirsthosefromthetripodandattachedthesecond.

TannerRut looked atValkyrie, but therewasnothing either of themcould say.TheybothstaredatCollup’scorpseasMemphisclimbedthehydraulicarm.RutclosedhiseyesasMemphisreachedhim.

“This won’t hurt a bit,” Memphis said, grinning, as he inserted the nozzle into thecurvedplate.Helockedit.

MeliorputhishandontheSoulCatcherandthehosesuckedoutTannerRut’slifeforce.Valkyriedidn’twatchhimdie.Hetriednottoscream,butthatdidn’tlastlong.Thankfully,it was over in seconds, and then hewas nothing but a dried-out husk andMelior wastransferringhisenergyintoAbyssinia.

The birth continued, spurred onwith renewed vigour. Valkyrie became aware of thesilence. The prisoners weren’t cheering any more; they were staring. Whether infascination or revulsionValkyrie didn’t know.On her part, itwas a definitemixture ofboth.

Abyssiniawasatherfullheightnow.Herbodywascurleduplikeafoetusinthewomb.Her internal structure complete, skinwasbeginning to form. It spread likepaint.Silverhairsproutedandgrewlong.

ThentheSoulCatcheremptied.

Lethe stood besideRazzia and Smoke,watchingMelior as the doctor ran a glowinghandoverAbyssinia’sbody.

“Well?”Letheasked.“Isitdone?”

“Almost,”Melior said, his voice crackingwithweariness.He looked up atValkyrie.“I’msosorry,”hesaid.“Weneedjustalittlemore.”

The convicts cheered and hollered, rattling cups against the bars of their cells, andMemphismadetojumpdown.

“Stay where you are,” Cadaverous said. “I’ll do it.” He grabbed the final hose,swappingitoutfor theonein thetripod.Butashereachedfor thenozzle it leapedintoSkulduggery’shand.

“Andhowdoyouintendtogettoher?”Skulduggeryasked,liftingoffhisfeet.

“Lethe!”saidCadaverous.“Wehadadeal!”

“Ireallydon’tcare,”Letheadmitted.

Cadaverousseethed,andglaredupwards.“I’llkillyou.”

SkulduggerymadeanamusedsoundandcamelevelwithValkyrie’seyes.

“Hello,”hesaid.

“Hello,”shesaidback.

“Yourfaceisveryred.”

“IfeellikeI’mabouttopassout–whichwouldbeablessing,bythelooksofthings.”

“Killher,”Lethecommanded.

Skulduggeryignoredhim.“Ihavehugelyenjoyedourtimetogether,Valkyrie.Youareone of only two people I have ever known capable of surprisingme on a nearly dailybasis.Youareextravagantandwonderful.”

“You’renotsobadyourself.SorryIsaidwhatIsaidatMelior’splace,bytheway.”

Hisheadtilted.“Whatdidyousay?”

“Whenweweretalkingaboutresurrectingpeople.Isaid—”

“Ah,”hesaid,“youaskedhowmanypeoplethatI’velostwouldIlovetoseeagain.AsIrecall,youapologisedatthetime.”

“Yeah,well,I’mapologisingagain,becauseIstillfeelbadaboutit.”

“You’reforgiven.”

“Thankyou,”shesaid.

“AndIapologiseforcallingyourbrain‘semi-remarkable’.”

“Thatdidhurt,butyou’reforgiven,too.”

“That’sverygraciousofyou.Youdon’tseemdauntedbytheprospectofdying.”

“IsupposeI’mnot,”shesaid.“IthinkI’vebecomealittleimmunetotheidea.Isthatweird?”

“Notforme,”Skulduggerysaid.“Foryou…possibly.”

“I think Imightdeserve it, though,don’tyou? Just a little? Idon’tknow. Imightbetalkingnonsense.Hangingupsidedownisdoingweirdthingstomybrain.”

Belowthem,LethewasproddingSmoke.

“Skulduggery!”Smokesaidtightly.“Justkillherandbedonewithit!”

“Inamoment,”Skulduggeryanswered.

Valkyriewas in the perfect position to see the look onSmoke’s face, as the surpriseovertookthepain.

“Huh,”Skulduggerysaid.“Idisobeyedanorder.”

“Killher!”Smokeshouted.“Doitnow!”

Skulduggerybroughtupthenozzle,tappeditagainsttheslotoverherchest.“Ifeeltheurgetodoit,”hesaid.“ButIhavetoadmit,thereissomeurgencylacking.”

“Becauseyou’refightingit,”Valkyrietoldhim.“You’reabouttobreakfree.”

“Drainher!”Smokeyelled.

Skulduggery’shandsjerkedbeforehepulledthemback.

“Thisisanoddsensation,”Skulduggerymurmured.“You’rereallynotafraid?”

Shegavehimasadsmile.“Idon’tdielikethis,”shesaid.“Idieonmyknees.”

“Memphis!”Letheshouted.“Youdoit!”

“Taking care of business,” Memphis muttered, and jumped from Tanner Rut’s X toValkyrie’s.

Beforehereachedit,Skulduggerywavedhishandandhewasknockedoffcourse.Hefell,screaming,intothelakeofenergyandwasinstantlyvaporised.

“Well,that’stornit,”Skulduggerysaid,droppingthenozzlewhilehishandwenttothelatchesonherclasps.He freedher limbsandhermagiccameback toher, floodinghersystem.

Belowthem,LetheshovedNero.“Gethim!Teleporthimintothelake!”

“Myheadhurts…”

“Doit!”

Nero scowled and fixedhis eyesonSkulduggery asSkulduggery thrust his left handdown, the air rippling, while at the same time his right fist spun behind him. Nero,focusingonlyontheattackinghand,teleportedtoaspaceaboveSkulduggeryanddroppedontohim,catchingtherightfistjustbehindtheear.Nero’sheadsnappedbackandhefell,too dazed to stop himself from crunching down on to the platform. He rolled over,clutchinghisleftshoulder,screaming.

Thecurvedplate swungawayandValkyrie immediatelyplummeted,buther fallwascurtailedbycushionsofairthatrolledinbeneathher.ShefoundherselfturnedrightwayupandthenshewasdriftingdownbySkulduggery’sside.

“Iknowwhatyou’re thinking,”Skulduggeryannounced. “Yououtnumberus.You’vegot us trapped in a prison full of people who hate us. But I need you to understandsomething.Whenwe’retogether,ValkyrieandI, thereisnothingwecannotaccomplish,andnonumberofenemieswecannotovercome.”

Theylandedgently.Immediately,Valkyrietoppledover.

Skulduggerylookeddownather.“Youruinedthat.”

“My legs are asleep.”Shewinced, and thumpedher thighs. “Ah.God.Ow.Pins andneedles.”

Skulduggerylookedupattheirenemies.“Youcanignorethispart.”

CadaverousandRazziaranathim.SkulduggerybattedRazziaasidewithawallofair,but Cadaverous dived at him, took him backwards. Skulduggery spun, flipping the oldman over his hip, but Cadaverouswas a lotmore durable than he looked.He grabbedSkulduggeryandpulledhimdown,andtheywentrolling.

Valkyriegottooneknee,stillwincingasthebloodreturnedtoherfeet.Sheglancedupand Lethe was almost upon her. She jerked back, white lightning bursting from herfingertips. It caught him in the chest, sent him whirling to the ground. She stood up,stampedherfeetafewtimes,turnedtohelpSkulduggery.

Thensomeonewhistled.Thatwhistlewasjoinedbyanother.Andanother.Suddenlytheworldwasfilledwithwhistling.

Valkyrielookedup.Thecelldoorswereopen.Theconvictscrowdedthetiers.

Andtheystartedjumpingdown.

64

ThefirstfewconvictstoreintoSkulduggerywithanunholyvengeance,butoneofthemlandedrightnexttoValkyrie,stumblingslightly.Shedroveherkneeintothepointofhischinandheslumpedbackwards.

Sheturnedtothesoundofamaniac’sbattlecry.Along-hairedprisonermadetheleapdown,herfacecontortedwithhatred.Butshemissedthedaisbyagoodarm’slengthandkeptfalling.Thismadesomeoftheotherprisonersrethinktheirplans.

Movement behind her and Valkyrie spun, but was too late to dodge Razzia’s lunge.Theywentdown,rolled,gotupagain,andRazziapunchedValkyrieandValkyriepunchedRazzia.

“I’vebeenwaitingforthis,”Razziasaid,grinning.

Valkyriedidn’tknowwhattosaytothat,soshesaid,“OK.”

RazziakickedatValkyrie’slegandValkyriebackedoff,rubbingthespotwherethekickhadlanded.Theprisonreverberatedwiththecheersofitsinmates.Shecircledtoherright,andRazziastayedclose,withthatwidesmileandthosecrazyeyes.

Valkyrierushedher.Razziatriedsteppingawayandkicking,butValkyriewastooclose.Shewrappedanarmroundthekickinglegandswepttheotherone,landedontop.Theywrestledthere,rollingandtumbling,strugglingforthedominantposition.Whenevershecould,ValkyriefiredapunchintoRazzia’sribs.Whenevershecould,Razziareturnedthefavour.

SuddenlyValkyriewasontopandwrenchingRazzia’sarm,turningherontohersideandkneelingonherhead–buttherewasaflashofyellowandaprisonerdroppedontoher.Theworld tilted and shewas no longer holdingRazzia.The prisoner had her. Shecouldsmellhishotbreath.Shecouldfeelhisclawinghands.Shelashedout,gotaluckyshotintothesideofhisneck.Hiseyesbulgedandshepushedhimoff.Scrambledup.

Another prisoner landed.He stumbled and used hismomentum to knock her off herfeet.He fellon topofher, tried topinher there.Shedugher thumbs intohis eyesandsquirmedoutfromunderneathashescreamed.

Shestoodandcaughtafistinthejaw,tilted,wentdown,rolled,cametoastopwiththeleft sideofherbodyhangingovernothingbut air.She rolledaway from theplatform’sedge.Aprisonercameather,facealivewithintent.Whitelightningdancedbetweenherfingertips.

Sheblastedhim.

Sheblastedanother.

Someoneyankedherhairandpulledherintoaheadlockandshegrabbedhimbetweenthelegsandtwisted,thenblastedhimoffhisfeet.

She turned, panting. The platformwas crawlingwith yellow jumpsuits. Skulduggerywasdealingwithabunchofthem.Anotherbunchwerecomingforher.

AndRazziawasdisappearingunderanotherbunch.

Valkyrie leaped in, herknee crunching into the faceof a convictwho’dbeen rainingdownpunches.RazziakickedanotherawayandValkyriegrabbedherhand,hauledherup.Razzia elbowed and headbutted. Valkyrie stomped and hammered. They stood back toback and dealt viciousness to thosewho dared get close.When they’d cleared a space,theystartedusingtheirmagic.

Suddenlytheyhadnomoreenemieslefttofight.Theconvictsstillontheplatformwereeitherunconsciousortooinjuredtobeathreat.Theotherconvicts,stillonthetiers,hadquietened down considerably. Skulduggery extricated himself from a pile of beaten,moaningbodies.Cadaverouswasstillundertheresomewhere.

“Thisdoesn’tmeanwe’remates,”Razziasaid.

Valkyrielookedround.“Sorry?”

“This,”saidRazzia.“Itdoesn’tmeanwe’remates,y’know.”

“Oh.No,I…Ididn’tthinkitwould.”

“Allright,”Razziasaid,nodding.“Justsowe’reclear.”Shewalkedfortheedge.“Hey,skeletonman.Boostmetotheotherside,wouldyou?”

Skulduggery lookedatValkyrieandsheshrugged.Heechoedtheshrug,andused theairtocarryRazziatoanemptytier,whereshevanishedintothecorridorbeyond.

“OKthen,”Skulduggerysaid,“isthateveryone?”

“Notquite,”saidLethe,slowlygettingtohisfeet.

Skulduggery grunted, unimpressed by the turn of events. Valkyrie tapped a fingeragainstthesigilonherhip,feltitglowwarmly.

“I’veneverseenanyonebreakfreeofSmoke’sinfluencebeforeitwearsoffnaturally,”Lethe said. “I alwaysknewyouwere special, Skulduggery. I gather it’swhyAbyssiniaspeakssohighlyofyou.”

“Yougather?”Skulduggerysaid,circlingtoLethe’srightwhileValkyriecircledtohisleft.“Shedoesn’tspeakdirectlytoyou?”

“Sadly,no,”Letheanswered.“Theonlyvoicesinmyheadaremyown.”

“Itmustbelonely.”

“Finally,”Lethesaid,“someonewhounderstands.”

SkulduggeryhurledtwofireballsthatexplodedagainstLethe’schest.Theydidn’tcatch,buttheyforcedhimbackastepandValkyrie’shandslitup.HerlightningcaughtLetheontheshoulder,spinninghimasSkulduggeryranandjumped,hiskneecrashingintoLethe’ssternum. Lethe ducked under Skulduggery’s next attack and grabbed him, butValkyriewrappedanarmaroundhisneckandpulledhimaway.

Letheturned,reachedforherandsherammedanelbowintohismaskanddodgedbackbeforehisfistcouldfindher.

SkulduggerylashedakickintothebackofLethe’slegandLethegrunted,lookedlikehemightgodownforthebriefestofmoments…buthestraightenedupagain.

“Ah,teamwork,”hesaidastheycontinuedtocirclehim.“Itwon’thelpyou,youknow.”

Valkyrielookedaround,expectingabattalionofCleaverstoteleportinatanymoment.

Lethe picked up a fallen scythe, twirling it expertly before locking it in place by hisside.

“I’mwaiting,”hesaid.

AnotherscytheroseintoSkulduggery’shands.Hedidn’tbothertwirlingit.

“Whenyouseeanopening,”hesaidtoValkyrie,“blasthim.”

China’ssquadofCleaversstillhadn’t teleportedin,soValkyriepickedupascytheofherown,startedcasually twirling itasshecircled.She twirled itone-handed, then two-handed, then finished the twirl one-handed again. Skulduggery andLethe observed hersilentlyandsheraisedaneyebrowatthemboth.

LetheattackedSkulduggery so suddenly thathebarelyhad time toblock,barelyhadtimetosidestepandparryandtwistaway.Butthat’showfightslikethesewerefought–withbarelyenoughtime.Valkyrietookthreequickstepsandswipedlow,thenbroughtthescythe blade up high.Lethe dodged the first and blocked the second, respondedwith aswipeofhisownlikesheknewhewould.Shecountered,crackedherstaffintohisknee,rammedhershoulderintohischestandslashedathishead.Thetipofherbladescrapedalineinhismask,butdidn’tpuncturethrough.

“Unusualstyle,”Lethesaid,backingaway.HisheadturnedfractionallytoSkulduggery.“Youdidn’tteachher.”

“No,Ididn’t,”Skulduggerysaid.“Asever,Valkyrieisfullofsurprises.”

He used the air to nudgeLethe off balance and swung his scythe. The instant Letheblocked,Skulduggerymoved,changinguphisangles,goinglowthenhighthenlowagain.Staffs cracked and blades scraped. Valkyrie came in, tried a broad slash to mess withLethe’srhythm,buthekepthistempoaswellasanyCleavershe’deverseen.

Lethe backed away and now Valkyrie and Skulduggery were fighting side by side,pursuing him across the disc, all three of them stepping carefully over the unconsciousbodies at their feet while their weapons blurred and clashed. The exhilaration of thatmomentpumpedthroughValkyrie’sveins,feedingstrengthintohermuscles,sharpening

her reflexes. Skulduggery’s support allowed her to try things, to risk moves that drewLetheout,openedupopportunities.Victorywasmeresecondsaway.

And then it started to shift. The flow changed. Reversed. Now it was Valkyrie andSkulduggerywhoweresteppingbackwardsandLethewhowaspressing theattack.Hisscythemoved impossibly fast.Heblocked their strikes likeheknew theywerecoming,battingasidetheirbladeswithsomethingakintocontempt.HespunwithakickthatsentSkulduggerystumblingandwhackedhisscythe’sstaffintothesideofValkyrie’sface.Shedroppedherownscytheas shewent to theground.She lay there, too stunned to think,whileSkulduggeryplungedbackintothefight.

Darquessewanderedintoview.“Todayisagoodday,”shesaid.“ThismorningIalmosttastedanapple,andthisafternoonIgettowatchyoudie.”

“Helpus,”Valkyriemuttered.

Darquesselaughed.“AndwhywouldIdosomethingstupidlikethat?Ifyoureallyneedhelp, though,maybeyou should tap that sigil again.What’s it called, anauxilium?Thelookonyourfacewhennobodyarrivedtosaveyou,alookofsaddisappointment…I’llneverforgetit.”

Valkyrieturnedover,gottoherhandsandknees,waitingforherheadtostopspinning.“IfIdie,you’llhavenoonetotalkto.”

The grin faded fromDarquesse’s face. “So Iwon’t have to endure yourwhiny self-loathing.IthinkI’llbeOKwiththat.”

Valkyriekepthervoicelow.“Youhateme,right?”

“Obviously.”

“Andyetyoustilltalktome,becauseyouknowyou’dgonutsotherwise.Soeitherhelpusorsayyourgoodbyes.”

ValkyrieclamberedupasSkulduggerycrashedintoher.

“You’vegothimontheropes,”Valkyrieassuredhimastheyuntangledthemselves.

Skulduggerynodded.“That’sjustwhatIwasthinking.”

Lethestoodthere,armswide,awaitingtheirnextattack.

“Ihaveanidea,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Astrategy?”Valkyrieasked.

“Moreofatactic.”

“What’sthedifference?”

“Astrategyisaplan.Tacticsarethemanoeuvresyouemploytoachievethatplan.”

“Hecanhearus,though.”

“Thatdoesn’tmatter,”Skulduggerysaid.“Thistacticissosimpleitdoesn’tmatterifheknowsit’scoming.”

“Thisshouldbeinteresting,”saidLethe.

“Werushhim,”Skulduggerysaid.

Valkyriefrowned.“That’sit?”

“Itis.”

“Werunathim?That’sthemanoeuvrewe’reemploying?Running?”

“And,whenwegettohim,westarthittinghim,”Skulduggerysaid.“That’sthebeautyofthiswholething.Itendswithushittinghim.Intheface.”

“Idolikethatpart,”Valkyrieadmitted.“Buttherestsoundsabitiffy.”

“He’llneverexpectit.”

“I’mexpectingitrightnow,”Lethesaid.

“He’slying,”Skulduggerywhispered.

Valkyriethoughtforamoment,andshrugged.“OK.Let’sdoit.”

“You’rebothinsane,”Lethesaid.“Iloveit.”

Skulduggeryrolledhisshoulders.“Ready?”

Valkyrieputahandonhisarm.“Waitasecond.We’llgoonmymark.”ShewatchedDarquessewalkuptoLethe,hesitate,andputahandthroughhishead.Lethehadnoideaitwashappening.

“Three…”Valkyriesaid,“two…one.”

Darquesse’s hand crackled with energy and Lethe stiffened, and a moment laterSkulduggeryandValkyrieslammedintohim.Theytumbledtotheground,ValkyriefallingthroughDarquesse,whosagged,drainedbytheeffort.SkulduggerypunchedandValkyriedropped elbows, and then Skulduggery flipped Lethe on to his front and shackled hishandsbehindhim.

“Willthatdoit?”Valkyrieasked,pressingherkneeintothesmallofhisback.“Thisisanecronautsuit.Doshacklesworkonthesethings?”

“Theywork,”Skulduggerysaid,pressingLethe’sfaceintotheground.“Wheredidyouhearaboutnecronautsuits?”

“I’mnotcompletelyuselesswithoutyouaround,youknow.”

“Ineversaidyouwere,”hereplied,amused.

“Ican’tbelievethatworked.”

“Thereisgeniusinsimplicity,”Skulduggeryremindedher.

Darquesseliftedoffherfeet.She’dgonegravelypale,herforeheadcoveredwithalightsheenofperspiration.ShecaughtValkyrie lookingatherand turned,driftedaway fromthedaisandpassedthroughthewall.

“Whereishe?”Meliorasked.

Valkyrie looked back, butMelior wasn’t talking to her or to Skulduggery – he wastalkingtoLethe.

Hecameforward,fistsbunched.“Where’sSavant?Tellmewhereyou’vebeenkeepinghim.”

Skulduggerystraightenedupandheldhimback.“We’llgetall theanswersyouwant,butgiveusspace.”

“Space?”Meliorrepeated,almostlaughing.“He’shadmyhusbandforfiveyears!Forfive years, he’swalked aroundwith that knowledge in his head and I couldn’t say onethingaboutitbecauseofwhattheymightdo.ThisisthefirsttimeI’veeverseenthismanbeatenandthisismyfirstchancetoaskhimandheisgoingtotellmewhatheknows.Ifhe’dsnatchedsomeoneyoulove,MrPleasant,wouldyoubeinclinedtogivehimspace?”

Skulduggery’sheadtilted.“IsupposeIwouldn’t.ButIcan’tletyounearhim.Sorry.”

Meliorglared.“Youreallythinkyoucanstopme?”

Skulduggerydidn’tgetachancetoanswer.

He stepped within arm’s reach of Azzedine Smoke, lying there half covered byunconsciousconvicts,andSmokelunged,grabbedSkulduggery’slegwithbothhandsandsomeinternalswitchflickedinsideValkyrie’smindandshesawthedarknessswirlaroundSkulduggery’saura,fasterthanbefore,thickeranddarker.Smokewasputtingeverythingintothis,everythingintooverpoweringSkulduggery’sessence,andthenitwasdone.

SmokelookedbackatValkyrie.“Killher,”hesnapped.

Skulduggeryturned.

Valkyrieraisedahand,butheknockeditasideandhither,afist to thejawthatspunher, sent her to her knees. His gun flew into his hand, and he pressed it to Valkyrie’sforehead.

Theroomstopped.

“Skulduggery,”Valkyriewhispered.

65

Onherknees, all strengthhavingabandonedher,bruisedandbatteredwithher left eyeswellingshut,Valkyriecouldonlywhisperhisname.

Hestoodoverher,onehandholdingafistfulofherhair,theotherholdingthegunthatfelt so cold against her forehead. He burnedwith darkness. Smoke’s sicknesswrappedaroundhim, twistingandseething, infectinghimuntil therewasnotoneglimmerofhistrueselfremaining.

She wasn’t scared. That surprised her. She wasn’t scared, she was just sad. Soincrediblysad.Thiswaswhatshedeserved,ofthatshehadnodoubt.Shewasakillerwhodeserved tobekilled, amurdererwhodeserved tobemurdered.Herdeath, violent andbloody, was inevitable. If it hadn’t been at his hands, it would have been at someoneelse’s.Ifnot today, thentomorrow,ornextweek,orahundredyearsfromnow.ButshecouldnomoreescapeherfatethantheEarthcouldescapeitsorbitofthesun.

He stoodoverher, his fingeron the trigger.Time slowed.NotDestrier’sdoing.Thiswas her perception of the moment of her own death, and time was generous in thisinstance,inordertoallowhertofullyappreciatetheexperience.

Shethoughtofhersister,andherparents,andherdog,andshethoughtofOmenandNeverandMilitsa.ShethoughtofTanith,andwishedshe’dhadachancetosaygoodbye,andthoughtofGhastlyandGordon,andwonderedifshe’dseethemagain.Shethoughtofpeople and places and times, but only as sensations, memories of emotions that sherecognisedasclearlyasfaces.Theyfloodedhermind, lingeringbothaneternityandaninstant,and thenshe thoughtofSkulduggery, themanstandingoverher,andshehopedhe’dneversnapoutofthis.

“Iloveyou,”shesaid,andclosedhereyes.

66

Theshotfilledtheroom.

67

“Iloveyou,too,”Skulduggerysaid,andValkyrieopenedhereyes,watchingthefierceredofhisauraburstingthroughtheblacklikethesunthroughstormclouds.Herearsrang,thegunhavinggoneoffsoclosetoherhead.Theredswirled,overcomingSmoke’sdarkness,burningsofiercelythatshehadtoswitchoffheraura-visionbeforeitblindedher.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Smokedemanded,hobblingonhisgoodleg.“Whatthehellareyoudoing?”

Skulduggeryturnedandpushedattheair,andAzzedineSmokeflewbackwardsoffthedais,andfelltothelakeofenergybelow.

It was so incredibly surreal. Valkyrie was supposed to be dead, yet life seemeddeterminedtocontinue.

Shewatched,dazed,asLethegrabbedMeliorandshovedhimovertoAbyssinia’sbodyontheslab.

“Useme,”Lethesaid,attachingoneofthehosestothetripodandpressingtheotherendintohischest.“Usemylifeforce.I’maNeoteric.Mylifeforcewillwork,won’tit?”

“I…Idon’tknow,”Meliorsaid.

“It’sover,”Skulduggerysaid.“You’vefailed,Lethe.Letitgo.”

Letheshookhishead.“It’snotover.It’snot.Richard,killmenow,rightnow,andyougetSavantback.Ipromiseyou.Isweartoyou.That’swhatyouwant,isn’tit?Aboveallelse?”

“I…I’mnotgoingtokillyou…”

“Doit,”Lethesaid.“I’mtheonewho’skepthim fromyou. Itwasme. Itwasallme.Don’tyouunderstand? Idid it. I ruinedyour life, and Ihave torturedSavant everydaysincethen.Everysingleday.Haveyourrevenge.Killme.”

Skulduggeryraisedhisgun.“Don’tdoit,Richard.”

“Killmenow,”saidLethe.

Then Never teleported in, but, instead of bringing with her dozens of Cleavers, herhandswereontheshouldersofOmenDarklyandTemperFray.

“Stop!”Tempershouted,handsouttowardsMelior.“Don’tdoanything!”

“Killmeandyou’llgetSavantback,”Lethesaid.

“Killhimandyou’llkillSavant!”Tempercountered.“Richard,afewhoursagoIspokewithamutualfriendofours–TessaMehrbano.”

Meliorfrowned.“So?”

“SheknewSmoke.Forweeks leadingup toSavant’sabduction,shesawSmokepourhiscorruptionintoablackrubbersuit–Lethe’sblackrubbersuit.”

“Killme,”Lethegrowled.

“LetheisSavant!”Omenblurted.“Letheisyourhusband!”

Meliorfroze.

Skulduggeryloweredhisgun.“Smokedrenchedthenecronautsuitwithhispower,”hemurmured.“Oncetheysealedit,Savantwasstuck.Hehadnoescape.”

“They’relyingtoyou,”Lethesaid.

“Theaffectations,”Skulduggerycontinued,“thevocaldistortions,thedeliberatespeechpatterns…itwasalltodisguisethemanbeneath.”

Meliorhesitated,thenshookhishead.“Savantisapacifist,”hesaid.“Hecouldn’thurtsomeoneifhetried.”

“He’saquicklearner,”saidSkulduggery.“Averyquicklearner.That’shispower,isn’tit?That’swhyLethefightsthewayhedoes.That’swhyhelosesuntilhe’slearnedyourmoves.Oncehe’s seenyou inaction,oncehe’sgoneupagainstyou,heusesyourownskillsagainstyou.”

Meliorlookedup.“Isthat…isthattrue?”

WhenLethedidn’tanswer,Melior’sskinstartedtoglow.

“You’vebeenherethewholetime?”Meliorpressed.“Thelastfiveyears,you’vebeenrightinfrontofme?”

Lethedroppedthehoseandgrabbedhim.“Killme!”

Melior’senergyburstfromhim,flingingLetheback.

Temperrushedover,butLethewasn’tgettingup.Temperkneltbyhim,startedworkingatthefasteningsaroundhisthroat.

SkulduggeryhelpedValkyrietoherfeet.“AreyouOK?”heaskedgently.

“I’lllive,”shesaid.

Temperpulledthemaskaway,andMeliorgaveastrangledcrywhenhesawthefaceofhisunconsciousbelovedbeneath.

AtremendousfeelingofdéjàvuwashedoverValkyrieandherskinprickledwith thememoryoffierycoalsandswirlingsteam.Animage,asingleimagefromhervision,ofagirlstruckbyasearingblastofenergy,andshesawNeverstandinginfrontofherandshelookedup,tothetierabove,wheretheconvictsroaredandjostled.Shesawafiercelight

growingaroundaprisoner’shand,andthearmstraightening,andshelaunchedherselfatNever,shovingheroutofthewayaspainexplodedinherleftshoulder.

Theforceoftheblasttwirledher,actuallytwirledherinplace,andonceshewasdonetwirling she staggered, gasping andholdingher arm, coming to a stop against the slab.Blood ran like a burst faucet. So much blood. So red. So warm. Dimly aware ofSkulduggerywavinghisownarm,shewatchedastheconvictwiththeglowinghandwaspluckedfromhisperchandtossedscreamingintothelakeofenergybelowthem.

Valkyrie blinked. Temperwas running over to her.Behind him,Omen helpedNeverbacktoherfeetandSkulduggerywaspointing.Pointing.

Whatwashepointingat?

Shefelthandsonhershoulders.Longfingers,weakbutdesperate.Hungry.SheturnedherheadasAbyssiniasatupbehindher,mouthopen,inhalingValkyrie’sessence,herlifeforce,hersoul,andValkyriegasped,awareoftheheatrushingfromherbody.

Abyssinia’seyesopened,lockedontoValkyrie’s.

Someoneelse’shand, closing roundherwrist, and theworld speededupandTemperwashaulingher towards theothersasAbyssiniaswungher feetoff the table.Abyssiniastood,gazingathernewhands,lookingdownathernewbody,asmilespreadingacrosshernewface.

Shewasback.Shewasalive.

Abyssinialookedatthemallandlaughed,andNeverteleportedValkyrieandtheothersaway and suddenly they were outside, in a courtyard with Corrival Academy’s SouthTowerloomingoverthem,andValkyrie’skneesgavewayandsenthertrippingoverLetheandshewentdowninatanglewithNeverandMelior.

She breathed, quick and shallow. Skulduggery crouched over her, pressing his handsagainstherwound.Hewasissuingorders.Peoplewerepanicking.Valkyriejustkepthereyesonhim.

68

Ithadbeenaroughfewdays.

Flanerywastiredandcranky.He’dlefttheOvalOfficebymid-afternoon,takingcallsand holding meetings instead in the Executive Residence. He had the TV on in thebackground. Every few seconds, he’d look away fromwhoever was talking to flick toanothernewsnetwork.Heknewheshouldsticktothefriendlychannels, thesmartoneswithsmartjournaliststhatunderstoodhimandwhathewastryingtodo,but,likeanitchhecouldn’tscratch,healwaysfoundhimselfgoingbacktotheoneswhosaidmeanthingsabouthim.

Itwasn’tthattheydidn’tgetit–heunderstoodthatnow.Itwasn’tthattheycouldn’tseethe terrific thingshewasdoing. Itwas that theyhadanagenda,and thatagendawas toruinhim.Theywerestackedwithliarsandfraudsandpeoplewhohaditinforhim.

Irritated, he started to cut meetings short, skipped phone calls and then cancelledbriefingsaltogether.Hewantedtobealonewiththetelevision.Hewantedtostewinhisownhatred.

Hisphonerang.Thecellphonethatonlythreepeopleontheplanetknewabout.

Hehesitated,andanswered.“Hello?”

“Mr President,” aman said, “it is an honour to finally talk to you, sir.My name isPartheniosLilt.Ithinkit’sabouttimewemet.”

69

“Hello?”

Sebastianknockedagainontheopendoor.Stillnoanswer.Hewalkedintothegloom,pastthesuitcasesinthehall.

“Bennet?Youhome?”

Hefoundhiminthedarknessofthekitchen,sittingatthetable,halfamugofcoffeelefttogocoldinhishand.Sebastianflickedonthelight.

“It’smyson,”Bennetsaidwithoutlookingup.“Kase.He…he’sstaying.I’mmovingbuthe’s…not.He’llbelivingwithhismotherand…andConrad.Hesayshe’llseemeinacoupleofweekswhenthingshavesettled.”

“I’msorrytohearthat,”saidSebastian.

“I’velostmyfamily.I’velostmyjob.TheonlythingIhaveleft…isher.”

“Darquesse.”

Bennetdidn’tanswer.Hewipedatearfromhiseyeandsniffedloudly,thenclearedhisthroat.Helookedup.“Whatdoyouneed?”

“Sorry?”

“Yousaidifyouhelpedme,thenI’dhelpyou.Youhelpedme.Itdidn’tworkout thewayIwanted,butyoustillhelpedme.Sowhatdoyouneedinreturn?”

Sebastian took off his hat, held it in both hands as he took a seat. His chin itchedbeneathhismask.“Therearetwotypesofpeopleinthisworld,”hesaid.“ThetypewhofearDarquesse,andthetypewhoworshipher.Idon’tfearher.”

Bennetnodded.“Soyouwanttobepartofourclub,isthatit?Youdidn’thavetohelpmeouttodothat.Youjusthavetoturnup.Don’tknowifyou’venoticed,butthereisn’texactly a line of people clamouring to join.Wemeet once aweek.We pray.We sharestories.”

“Doyoutrytocontacther?”

Bennetlaughed.

“What’ssofunny?”

“She’sgone,MrPlagueDoctor.She’snotcomingback.TheSanctuarypeoplehitherwith an illusion, made her think she’d killed everyone, and she left us for another

dimension. She’s not coming back because she doesn’t think there’s anything to comebackto.”

“Sowhydoyoupraytoher?”

Bennetwentquietforamoment.“BecauseIsawfirst-handwhatshecando,andwhenyouwitness something like that you… you understandwhat it’s like to seeGod.Youunderstandyourowninsignificance.Yourplace.And…andsomethingelsetoo.You…you…”

“Youfallinlove,”saidSebastian.

Bennetlookedup.“Yes.Isuppose…Isuppose,comparedtothat,Odettadidn’thaveachance,didshe?Shewasrighttoleaveme.Thisisallmyfault.”

“HaveyouheardofSilasNadir?”Sebastianasked.“Doyouknowwhathedid?”

“Theserialkiller?”

“That’s him. He shunted Valkyrie Cain back and forth between this reality and theLeibnizUniverse.”

“Thewhat?”

“TheuniversewhereMevolentisstillalive.”

“Oh,”saidBennet,“yes.So?”

“Thepathwayisopenstill.TheShuntersherecannowgetoverthererelativelyeasily.AndtheShunterstherecancomeoverhere.MoreShuntersarebeingtrained,probablyinbothrealities.”

“So?WhatdoesthishavetodowithDarquesse?”

“We’llneedaShunterandawaytotrackher,”Sebastiansaid.“GettingaShunterwillbeeasybecauseofallthisrecentactivity.That’sourfirststep.”

Bennetsata littlestraighter.“You’re tellingme that there isanactualchance thatwecouldcommunicatewithDarquesse?”

“Ihaven’tworkedallofitoutyet,andI’llneedtimeandalotofluck–but,ifI’mright,wecandomorethancommunicatewithher.That’swhyIneedyourhelp,Bennet.Ineedyourhelptobringherback.”

70

Omensatontheedgeofthefountain,facingtheclockmonument,listeningtothesplashofwater and letting it overwhelm the distant sound of evening traffic. Itwas cold anddark,buttheCirclewaslitupprettily.TheHighSanctuarylookedmajesticfromthislowangle,acrossbetweenafairytalepalaceandheaven’slobby.

TheDarkCathedralwasalso litup,but thisonlyservedtoaccentuate itssevere linesandintimidatingsplendour.IftheHighSanctuarywasthefirststepintoheaven,theDarkCathedralwassurelythefirststeponthewaytohell.

Someonesatbesidehim,andOmenshuffledoverslightly.

“They’reworriedaboutyou,”SkulduggeryPleasantsaid.

Omen looked up in surprise. Skulduggery was wearing a façade. Omen had neveractuallyseenoneinreallife.Theclean-shavenfacelookedreal.

“Your headmaster was about to send out a search party,” Skulduggery continued. “Iaskedhimtogivemealittletime,letmelookforyou.Itoldhimyou’dbeenthroughalotinthelastfewdays.”

“Thankyou,”saidOmen.“CanI,uh,askyouaquestion?Aboutyourfaçade?”

Skulduggerysmiled.“Sure.”

“WhentheSupremeMagedidit,whenshecarvedthesigilsintoyourbones,whatdidsheuse?Wasitherfingernailorascalpelpenoroneofthoseheat-knives?”

“Ascalpelpen,”hesaid.“Youhaveaninterestinthelanguagesofmagic?”

Omennodded.“Thoughwedon’treallygettocarveanythinginclass.It’smostlyjustworkingoutanglesanddepthsandstuff.Canshereallycarvesigilswithherbarehands?”

“China?Yes,shecan.”

“Wow.I’llneverbeasgoodasher.”

“Probablynot,”saidSkulduggery,“but itwon’tbebecauseyoudon’thave the talent.You’llneverbeasgoodasherbecauseshe’soverfourhundredyearsolderthanyouandsheneverstopslearninghowtobebetter.Whenshefirstgavemethefaçade,itcouldonlybeusedforahalf-houreachday,anditonlycoveredmyface.Butshe’sbeenaddingtoit,improvingitovertheyears.”

“It changes each time, right?” Omen asked. “That’s what I heard. Every time youactivatethefaçade,it’sanewface.Whydon’tyoujustgetyouroldface,theoneyouhad

whenyouwerealive?”

“I’m not that man any more,” Skulduggery said. “Wearing his face would be nodifferenttowearingthefaceIhaveonrightnow.They’reallmasks.”Hisglovedfingerstappedhiscollarbonesthroughhisshirt,andthefaceflowedaway,disappearingunderhiscollar.

Now that his skull was on show, people glanced at him as they passed. They wereprobablywonderingwhoOmenwas,maybethinkinghewassomeoneimportant.Hefeltthatchargeofprideandthen,inevitably,theemptinessthatfollowed.Hewasusedtothis.HewastheChosenOne’sbrother,afterall.

“Doyouknowif there’sbeenanysignofJenanandtheothers?”heasked.“It’sbeentwodaysandtheteacherswon’ttellusanything.”

“Stillmissing,”Skulduggerysaid.“EverySanctuaryaroundtheworldissearchingforthem, and forLilt, andwe’re all keeping awatch forColdheart to reappear.We’ll findthem.Eventually.”

“Why does shewant them?”Omen asked. “Abyssinia, Imean. She has her gang ofpsychosandaprisonfullofconvicts.Whatdoesshewantwithabunchofschoolkids?”

“I don’t know,” Skulduggery said. “That is annoying, I’ll grant you, and it’s not asensationIameitherfamiliarorcomfortablewith.Doyoumind if Iaskyouaquestionnow?Whyareyououthere?It’scoldandyou’reshivering.”

Omenshrugged.“Ikindofgetthefeelingthateveryone’smadatme.”

“Whywouldyouthinkthat?”

“Becauseeveryone’smadatme.”

“Noteveryone,surely.”

“The teachersaremad thatNeverdisobeyed theSupremeMagebecauseofme.TheyseethatasreflectingbadlyontheAcademy,andtheyblameNeverandNeverblamesmeandtheyalsoblameme,Ithink.”

“Well,yes,”saidSkulduggery,“Isupposethat’strue.”

“Andmyparentsaremadbecauseof,well,allofit,andAuger’smadbecauseIdidn’ttellhimwhatwasgoingonandIcouldhavegotmyselfkilled.”

“Fairenough.”

“Andthen,even thoughnoneof thekids inschoolknowI’minvolved inanyof this,they’restillmadatmebecausetheyjustdon’tlikeme.”

Skulduggerynodded.

“Andthat’sit,really,”saidOmen.

“That’snotsobad!”Skulduggerysaidcheerfully.“Ithoughtit’dbemuchworse!That’sonlyadozenor sopeople!Plentymorehavebeenmadatmeover theyears.You’llbefine.Bestthingtodoisjustnotthinkaboutit.”

“Right.”

“See?Isn’tthatbetter?”

“Idon’tknow.I’mstillthinkingaboutit.”

“They’llforgiveyou,”Skulduggerysaid.“Youdidagoodthing.Abravething.They’remad because they don’t want you risking your life. They’re mad because they care.Because they love you. Obviously, I’m not talking about your classmates or yourheadmaster here.Theyhave legitimate reasons to bemad at you.But family,Omen…familyforgives.”

“Yeah.Ihopeso.”

“Ifitmakesanydifference,”Skulduggerysaid,“I’mproudofyou.”

“Youare?”

“Absolutely.AlthoughIsincerelythoughtyou’dbeabetterfighter.”

Omensmiledawkwardly.“Yeah.”

“Iwasrighttothinkyoutrainedwithyourbrother,wasn’tI?”

“Oh,yes,”Omensaid,noddingquickly.“Iwasthere,everysingletime.Theybroughtinexpertsfromloadsofmartialarts,loadsofothercombatsystems…Iwasonthemat,sameasAuger,foreveryoneofthem,andI’dleavethematattheendofthedaybatteredandbruisedandexhausted.”

“Soyouweretaughttofight?”

Omennoddedagain,thenshookhishead.“Well,no.You’vegottounderstandthatallofmyparents’attentionwasonAuger,andeverythingwasgearedtowardshim.So,whileIwasthereforeverymomentofhisfighttraining,Iwasreallyonlyneededto…gethit.”

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“I’msorry?”

“A few of the instructors, they calledme theHuman Punchbag. That’s kindawhat Idid.”

“Youstoodthereandgothit?”

“Yes.”

“Foryears?”

“Yes. Auger didn’t like to do it, but the instructors always needed someone todemonstrateon,so…”

“That’squiteanextraordinarywaytoberaised,Omen.”

“Life in theDarklyhouseholdwasprettyunconventional,”Omenadmitted. “Doyou,uh,thinkIcangetbetter?”

“Atbeinghit?I’mnotsure.Youseemprettygoodatit.”

“Andwhatabouttheotherpart?Thehittingback?”

Skulduggeryobservedhim for amoment. “I thinkyou can improve,” he said at last.“AndIdon’tthinkit’dtakeyoulong.EvenastheHumanPunchbag,you’dhavepickeduponhowtomove,howtofall,howtoabsorbdamageandkeepgoing.I’dsaythebiggestobstacletoovercomewouldbeachangeinmindset.”

Heleanedin.“Youthinkofyourselfastheweakone,Omen.Youthinkofyourselfasunimportant.That’sgot tochange.Youneed to figureoutyourownvalue.Youneed tofaceuptoyourownworth.Thefirststepinwinningafightforsurvivalisunderstandingwhyyoudeserve tosurvive.Youhaven’tdone thatyet. Justbecauseyourbrother is theChosenOnedoesn’tmeanyou’reanylessvital.”

“OK.”

“AndsayingOKdoesnotmeanyouunderstand.”

“Sorry.”

“Andstopapologising.”

“OK.”

“You’ve got some excellent combat instructors,” Skulduggery said, “and somewonderfulteachersinyourschool,butonlyyoucandecidewhoyouwanttobeinlife.”

Omen nodded, and Skulduggery stood up. “You’d better get back to school, Omen.You’reprobablyinalotoftroublerightnow.”Henodded,andwalkedaway.

Omenjumpedtohisfeet.“WhatdoIdo?”heblurted.

Skulduggeryturned.

“Idon’twant togoback tobeingordinary,”Omensaid.“Iwant todo this. Iwant tohelpyou.Iwanttohelppeople.IknowI’mjustfourteen,andI’mnotlikeValkyriewas,I’mnotawarriororwhatever,butyouwantedmetostartvaluingmyself,so…soIwasnotuseless.”

“Ofcourseyouweren’t,”Skulduggerysaid.Awomanwalkedby,gawkingathim,andSkulduggery ignored her. “The fact is, we couldn’t have done this without you. YouidentifiedPartheniosLilt,yourescuedTemperFray,youbroughtusLethe’strueidentity.”

“Really?”saidOmen.“Ididallthat?”

Skulduggerystraightenedhistiejustafraction.“Youstillhavealottolearn,youhaveclassestoattend,andI’mnotgoingtothrowyouhead-firstintodangerlikeIdidValkyrie.Butyou’reoneofusnow,Omen,andwe’llcallyouwhenweneedyou.”

Omenstoodthereandblinked,abigdumbsmilegrowingacrosshisfaceashewatchedSkulduggerywalktohiscar.ACityGuardwasthere,pointingatthecarandthenpointingat the sign that saidNO PARKING. Omen heard Skulduggery laugh as he got behind thewheel.

You’reoneofus.

Hewasoneof them.Hewaspartof it all.Hewaspartof thegroup.Thegang.Theteam.Hewasn’tuselessorpointless.Hewasn’tawasteofspaceorawasteofskinorawasteofperfectlygoodair.HemayhavebeentheChosenOne’sbrother,buthewasn’ttheChosenOne’sBrother.Notanymore.

HewasOmenDarkly.Hewaswhoeverthehellhewantedtobe.

71

SkulduggerypulledupoutsideGrimwoodHouse.Valkyrieopenedthefrontdoor,letXenaboundout into thecoldnight togreethimwhilesheheadedupstairs.Herphonebuzzedwhenshereachedthelanding.

Shestoodstillasshereadthemessage,feelingtheloveandthewarmthineveryoneofhermother’swords.Shethoughtcarefullyaboutherreply,startedwriting,thendeleteditandstartedagain.

Shedeletedthat,thenhesitated,fingershoveringoverthekeys.

Finally,shejustwroteLookingforwardtoit!andpressedSEND.

Skulduggerystumbledin,Xenadoingfiguresofeightroundhislegs.

“GoodGod, dog,”Valkyrie heard him say as he closed the door behind him. “Calmdown.Calmdown, I said.Howcanyou expect us to have a cordial relationship if youcan’tstaystillforonesecond?Sit.Xena,sit.”

Xenacockedherheadathim,andsat.

Skulduggerybrusheddoghairfromhissuit.Anothergloriousthree-piece.“Goodgirl.”

“I’mimpressed,”Valkyriesaid,andbothSkulduggeryandXenalookedup.“Sheonlyeverobeysmyinstructions.Shemusthaveacceptedyouassomesortofauthorityfigure.”

“Inmuchthesamewaythatyouhave.”

Valkyriegrinned.“Yeah.Totally.”

“Howareyoufeeling?”

“Grand,”shesaid.“Fine.Shoulder’shealed.Notevenascar.”

“Andyourotherinjury?”

“Havingsomeofmylifeforcesuckedout?Ihavenowaytogaugemylevels,butIfeelfine.”

“Good,”Skulduggerysaid,andgesturedtoasmallpotonthehalltable.“Isthatnew?”

“Ipicked itupearlier today,”shesaid.“Iwas thinkingaboutwhatyousaid,y’know,regardingthewholeredecoratingthehouseidea,puttingmyownstampontheplace.SoIvisitedafewfurniturestores.”

“Youvisitedafewfurniturestores,andallyouboughtwasthispot?”

“Babysteps,Skulduggery.”

“Indeed.”HecrouchedbesideXena, scratchedunderher chin and thenpointedupatValkyrie.“Xena.Xena,fetch!”

Xena’searsprickedupandshestoodonallfours,andValkyriegaspedather,lockingeyesforamomentbeforebreakingintoarun.SheheardXenasprintingupthestairsafterher,andmadeittothebedroombeforefallingtothefloorandcurlingup,handsoverherhead.

Xenachargedinandclimbedalloverher,jabbinghersnoutunderneathValkyrie’sarms,licking her facewhileValkyrie laughed.Valkyriewrapped her arms round the dog anddraggedhertothefloor,kissingandpettingher,andXenarolledontoherback,fourpawsintheair,waitingforherbellytobescratched.

ValkyriedutifullyscratcheditasSkulduggerywalkedintotheroom.

“I’vemissedthatsound,”hesaid.

“Whatsound?”

“You.Laughing.Ihaven’theardyoulaughin…awhile.”

“Maybeyoushouldtrybeingfunnier.”

“Oh,Isincerelydoubtthatit’smyfault.”

“Ofcourseyoudo,”Valkyriesaid,smiling,andgotup.Xenastayedexactlywhereshewas.

“AmIkeepingyoufromanything?”Skulduggeryasked.“IjustthoughtI’dfillyouinonthelatestgoings-oninRoarhaven,butifyou’rebusy…”

“YoucanfillmeinwhileIgetchanged,”saidValkyrie,walkingtoherwardrobe.“DidyouspeakwithOmen?”

Skulduggery nodded. “I know you’re not entirely convinced of the wisdom of hiscontinuedinvolvement,butIbelievehe’llsurpriseyou.”

“He’salreadysurprisedme,”Valkyriesaid,pickingoutherclothesanddroppingthemontothebed.“AsdidNever.Idon’tmindinvolvingthem–Ijustdon’tthinkweshouldputtheminanyactualdangerfromhereonout.Wouldyouagree?”

“Intheory.”

Shesighed.“Skulduggery…”

“YousawtheDarklyboysinyourvision,whichmeansOmenhassometroubleinstoreoverthenextfewyears,withorwithoutus.Ithinktheleastwecandoishelphimprepare.Deniedtheproperguidance,he’snotgoingtobeready.Heneedsus,Valkyrie.”

Shegaveareluctantmurmur.“Butwe’regoingtotrytokeephimalive,aren’twe?He’sareallygoodkid.Idon’twanttoseeanythingbadhappentohim.”

“We’lltryourbest.”

“Fairenough.Turnround.”

Skulduggeryturnedhisbacktoher,andshestartedundressing.

“How’sSavant?”sheasked.

“Recovering,”hesaid.“Heonlystartedtoregainhisindependencethismorning.He’sgotalotofworkaheadofhim,alotofrehabilitation.He’sgottoreconnectwithwhohewas.DoctorMeliorishelpinghim,asyouwouldexpect.It’sgoingtobehardonbothofthem.Asidefromtheextraordinarycircumstancesoftheirsituation,tolosesomebodyforthatlongandthentogetthemback…”

“Youthinkthey’llmakeit?”

“Theyloveeachother.Loveconquersall.”

“That’ssurprisinglyupbeatofyou.”

“Ihavehadmyfaithrestored,Valkyrie.Humanitywilldothattoyou,everyonceinawhile.BeneathLethe’smaskwasagoodmancloudedbyotherpeople’sdarkness.He’llstepintothelightagain,Ihavenodoubt.”

“Love conquers all,” she echoed. “Is that what’s going to happen between you andAbyssinia?Nexttimewemeether,areyougoingtorunintoeachother’sarmsingloriousslowmotionwhilemusicswellsinthebackground?”

“SeeingashowthelasttimewespokeIwascuttingherheartout,Isincerelydoubtit.”

“Howworrieddowehavetobe,Skulduggery?Nowthatshe’saliveagain?”

Skulduggeryhesitated,thenstartedtoturn.

“Oi,”shesaid.“Eyesfront,MrPleasant.”

Heturnedback.“Ah,yes,sorry.We’lldealwithit,Valkyrie.We’lldealwithAbyssiniaandwithheranti-Sanctuarythesamewaywedealwitheverything:withremarkablestyleandunerringgoodgrace.”

“Thatdoessoundlikeus,”Valkyrieadmitted,pullingonafreshT-shirt.“I’mdroppingintoseethefamilytomorrow,bytheway.”

“Youare?”Skulduggerysaid,soundingpleased.

“SentMumatextbeforeyouarrived,justtocheckthey’dallbehome.”

“Andhowareyoufeelingaboutthat?”

Shedidn’t answer for amoment. “Nervous,” she said. “I don’t knowwhat I’ll say. Iknowhowit’sgoingtogo,though.MumwillbecoolandDadwillbemakingstupidjokesand I’ll be sitting there, trying to remember how I used to actwhen Iwas comfortablearoundthem.”

“It’ll come to you,” Skulduggery said. “You’ll slip right back into place there.WhataboutAlice?”

Valkyrieshimmiedintohertrousers.“Whatabouther?”

“Doyouthinkyou’llbeabletorelaxwhenshe’saround?”

“Idon’tknow.Ireallydon’t.”

“Doyouwantmyadvice?Giveyourselfalittletime.Andallowinthepossibilitythatsomedayyoumightforgiveyourself.”

“Yeah,”shesaid.“Tellyouwhat–I’llforgivemewhenyouforgiveyou.Deal?”

“Deal.”

She sat on the bed, pulled on her boots. “Seriously, where is all this new-foundoptimismcomingfrom?”

Heshruggedagain.“Evenapessimistcanfeeloptimisticaboutcertain things. I thinkthatemergingfromSmoke’sinfluencehasallowedmealittleperspective.AfteryouleftforAmerica,Itookawrongturnsomewherealongtheway.Iletmyprioritiesslip.Thingshappened.Mistakesweremade.”

“AndnowthatI’mback?”

“You’rebackandsoamI.Backtomyoldself.ThepersonIliketobe.”

“Good,”saidValkyrie,standing.“I’mquitefondofhim,too,justsoyouknow.Youcanturnroundnow.”

Hedidso,andtiltedhisheadassheslippedonherjacket.“Youlookgood,”hesaid.

Sheglancedatherselfinthemirror.Theblackclungtoher.“Yeah,”shesaid.

“Andyouareback,aren’tyou?”heasked.“Nomorethoughtsofleavingagain?”

“WherewouldIgo?EverythingandeveryoneIcareaboutishere.But…Skulduggery,you’vegottounderstandthatI’mnot…I’mnotthesamepersonIwas.TherearetimeswhenIdon’tevenrecognisewhoIusedtobe.ThentherearetimeswhenIglimpseher,you know?When Imanage to forget everything that’s happened and I just go back tobeing…normal.”

“Youwerenevernormal.”

Shesmiled.“Normalforme.”

“Mostpeopleintheworldwalknice,sunlitpaths,”Skulduggerysaid,“andwhentheylook down they see their shadows clinging to their feet – attached but apart. Theirshadowsarenotthem.ButyouandIwalkadifferentpath.Ourshadowsarewithinus.Wecan’tignorethemorforgetthem.They’reapartofwhoweare,andtheyarevitaltooursurvival.

“Youmaynotlikethedarknessinsideyou,butitallowsyoutodothingsotherpeoplecan’t,orwon’t.Andallthoseothers–thegood,thebad,theordinary–theyneedpeoplelikeustoprotectthem.”

“Andwhataboutwhenwe’retheonesendangeringthem?”

“We’lljusthavetohelpeachotherfindourwaybacktothelight.”

“Ilikethat,”shesaid,andwalkedovertohim.Xenawasstillonherback,herpawsinthe air. Valkyrie put her hands on Skulduggery’s chest. “Your tie’s crooked,” she said,adjusting it. “I can’t have you looking dishevelledwhen you’re out withme. I have aprettyterriblereputationtoprotect.”

“We’regoingout,arewe?”

“Ofcourse,”shesaid.“Wehavemysteriestosolve,andadventurestoundertake,andIneedmypartnerlookingdapperbymyside.”

“Arewetakingthedog?”

“Thedogisstaying.Tonightit’sjustyouandme.”Shegavethetieaslightadjustment,andnodded.“There.Perfect.”

“Areyouwithme?”heasked.

Shelookedupathim.“Untiltheend,”shesaid.

Glossary

MagicalDisciplines

Therearetwomaintypesofsorcerers–Elementals,whopossesstheabilitytomanipulatefire,earth,waterandwind,andAdepts,whosewidevarietyofdisciplinestendtobemoreaggressive.

TheThreeNames

Youarebornwiththreenames.Yourgivennameiswhatyouwerecalleduponbirth,butthiscanbeusedtoexertsomerudimentarycontroloveryou.Yourtakennameiswhatyouuse toprotectyourself fromthatcontrol.Your truenameishiddenfromyou,and is thesourceofallyourmagic.

DramatisPersonae

AliceEdgley:Valkyrie’ssix-year-oldsister.

TheAncients: thefirstsorcerers.Exiledtheirgods,theFacelessOnes,fromthisreality.Alldeadnow.

BaronVengeous:OneoftheMevolent’sThreeGenerals.Fierce.Loyal.Deceased.

CadaverousGant:American.Dangerous.

ChinaSorrows:Intelligent.Beautiful.Nottraditionallytrustworthy.

Darquesse: Valkyrie’s true name come to life.Mass-murderer. God. No longer in thisreality.

TheDeadMen:Skulduggery,Ghastly,DexterVex,SaracenRue,AntonShudder,ErskineRavel,Hopeless(laterreplacedbyLarrikin).

TheFacelessOnes:Araceofsuper-poweredgods.Insane.

FletcherRenn:EnglishTeleporter.Young.Ridiculoushair.

GhastlyBespoke:Elemental.Tailor.MadeValkyrie’sarmouredblackclothes.Deceased.

Gordon Edgley: Valkyrie’s uncle. Skulduggery’s friend. Believed the Edgleys weredescendantsfromtheLastoftheAncients.Deceased.

LordVile: One ofMevolent’s ThreeGenerals.Necromancer.Merciless. Skulduggery’sdarkside.

Mevolent: Elemental.Disciple of the FacelessOnes.Worst of theworst.Waged awaragainsttheSanctuaries.Deceased.

Mevolent:Alternate-realityversionofouruniverse’sMevolent.Verymuchalive.

NefarianSerpine:One ofMevolent’s ThreeGenerals.Murdered Skulduggery’s familyandSkulduggeryhimself.Deceased.

SkulduggeryPleasant:TheSkeletonDetective.Wearsexquisitesuitsexquisitely.

TanithLow:English.Wall-walker.Carriesasword.

Tipstaff:AdministratorattheSanctuary.

ValkyrieCain:Ayoungladywithalotonhermind.

He’sdead.

She’scool.

Evildoesn’tstandachance.

Readthefirstbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries!

MeetSkulduggeryPleasant:detective,magician,warrior.

“Adebutthatbringsamuch-neededtwisttothemystery/fantasygenrewithitswisecrackingdetectivehero”TheNewYorkTimes

He’sdead.

She’scool.

Evildoesn’tstandachance.

Readthesecondbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries!

Vengeous.Dusk.Sanguine.Threeofthedeadliestkillersaliveareintowntoresurrectanunstoppablecreatureofhorrifyingpower…AndonlySkulduggeryandValkyriestandin

theirway.

He’sdead.

She’scool.

Evildoesn’tstandachance.

Readthethirdbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries!

You’veseenitallbefore:somebadguywantstobringabouttheendoftheworld.Afewpeoplegethurt,sure,buteverything’sallrightintheend.Well…notthistime.

He’sdead.

She’sdeadly.

Thebadguysdon’tstandachance.

Readthefourthbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries…

Skulduggeryisgone,suckedintoaparalleldimension.

Thereisnoofficialplantosavehim.

ButValkyrie’sneverhadmuchtimeforplans…

He’sdead.

She’sdeadly.

Thebadguysdon’tstandachance.

Readthefifthbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries…

WithValkyriestrugglingtoprotectherdarksecret,Skulduggeryandthegangaremorevulnerablethanever,justasaplagueofbody-snatchingRemnantsarereleaseduponthe

world…

He’sdead.

She’sdeadly.

Thebadguysdon’tstandachance.

Readthesixthbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries…

TheDeathBringerhasrisen.SkulduggeryandValkyriehavesevendaystouncovertheNecromancers’secretbeforeit’stoolate.Theclockisticking.LordVileisloose.And

afterthisonenothingwilleverbethesameagain.

He’sdead.

She’sdeadly.

Thebadguysdon’tstandachance.

Readtheseventhbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries…

Magicisadisease.Acrosstheland,normalpeoplearesuddenlydevelopingwildandunstablepowers.Wieldingthemagicofthegods,they’resettoteathecityapart,unless

someonestandsuptothem.

ForSkulduggeryandValkyrie,it’sgoingtobeanotheroneofthosedays…

He’sdead.

She’sdeadly.

Thebadguysdon’tstandachance.

Readtheeighthbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries…

Twowarsrage.OneisawarbetweenSanctuaries–awarofloyaltyandbetrayalandlast,desperatestands.TheotherisawarwithinValkyrieCain’sownsoul.Ifsheloses,

Darquessewillrise.

Andtheworldwillburn.

He’sdead.

She’sdeadly.

Thebadguysdon’tstandachance.

Readtheninthbookinthebestselling

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTseries…

FollowingthelossofValkyrieCain,SkulduggeryPleasantmusttrackdownDarquessebeforesheturnstheworldintoacharred,lifelesscinder–andsohedrawstogetherateam

ofsoldiers,monsterhunters,criminals…andValkyrie’sownmurderousreflection.

Noteveryonegetsoutofthisalive.

TheSkulduggeryPleasantseries

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANT

PLAYINGWITHFIRE

THEFACELESSONES

DARKDAYS

MORTALCOIL

DEATHBRINGER

KINGDOMOFTHEWICKED

LASTSTANDOFDEADMEN

THEDYINGOFTHELIGHT

RESURRECTION

THEMALEFICENTSEVEN

ARMAGEDDONOUTTAHERE

(aSkulduggeryPleasantshort-storycollection)

TheDemonRoadtrilogyDEMONROAD

DESOLATION

AMERICANMONSTERS

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