The Dying of the Light (57 page)

“That is not possible, I am afraid. Is there a problem?”

“There is,” Skulduggery said. “That’s not going to work for us.”

“I’m afraid there is no way around it.”

Skulduggery observed him. “Do I have to fight you now? Right at this moment?”

Porcelain eyebrows rose slightly. “Well … No, I suppose not.”

“Can I come back?”

“It is most unusual,” said the Guardian, “but yes. The tests will only be reset after I am engaged in combat.”

“So I can walk straight here and there’ll be no one to stop me?”

“Precisely.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.”

The Guardian bowed. “I shall await your return.”

Skulduggery turned, looked up at the balcony. “We’re going back to Roarhaven.”

here’s someone up ahead,” her dad said.

Valkyrie woke, launched from a troubled sleep like she’d been shot from a cannon. Her body ached. Her broken hand alone made her want to cry. The minivan was slowing as it approached an elderly man, smiling in the headlights. When they came to a stop, he walked to the driver’s side as the window wound down.

“Afraid the road’s closed, folks,” he said. “A few trees down. Where you headed?” But when the elderly man saw Valkyrie, his expression changed. “Ah, excuse me, I didn’t realise. Carry on.”

He nodded to them and stepped back, vanishing into the darkness.

“He’s with the Sanctuary,” Valkyrie said. “We can keep going.”

Valkyrie’s dad put the minivan in gear and they started moving again.

“Slight change of plan,” Vex said, like he’d been waiting for her to catch his eye. “China would throw me in a cell as soon as look at me, so I’ll be fading into the shadows once we’ve arrived. If any of you try to signal to the guards up ahead that something isn’t right, I kill Alice. That’s the first thing I do. We all clear?”

“We are,” said Valkyrie.

Vex smiled straight at her. “And as for you and your sparkly new powers, if you even
think
about using them against me, I’ll kill Alice and then kill you before you’ve even learned how to aim properly.”

Valkyrie’s mum shifted in her seat. “Could you please stop threatening my children, Mr Vex? I would very much appreciate it.”

Vex smiled. “But of course, Melissa. My apologies.”

“I don’t see anything,” her dad muttered. “You said there was a huge wall and a gate. You said there was a city.”

“Give it a few more seconds,” Valkyrie said.

And then, suddenly, Roarhaven. One moment there was the road the headlights picked out, long and narrowing, hedged in on both sides by thin trees. The next, a brightly-lit wall, high enough to fill the windscreen and block out the stars.

Her dad went to brake when it materialised, but stopped himself. They drove on to the open gate.

Cleavers and sorcerers stood guard, and a man named Krull waved them to a stop. He went round to the passenger side, and Valkyrie lowered the window.

“Welcome back,” said Krull, his eyes flickering over the people in the minivan. Valkyrie doubted he could make out Vex, sitting in the dark in the back.

“Thanks,” she said. “We’re just headed to the Sanctuary.”

Krull nodded, but made no sign he was going to let them through. “Interesting times we’re living in,” he said.

Valkyrie gave him a nod. “Yes they are.”

“Mind stepping out for a moment?”

“All of us?”

“Just you, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Sure,” she said, hesitating only a little. She glanced back at Vex, wondering how tense he was, wondering if he’d react to this. But he just sat there, an outline in the dark.

Valkyrie undid her seatbelt, opened the door and went to get out. When she was halfway out, Krull grabbed her wrist, yanked her forward. She hit the ground and tears sprang to her eyes and there was suddenly a lot of movement and a lot of shouting. Her folks were telling Krull to leave her alone, the sorcerers around her were telling them to stay in the minivan, and Krull was commanding her to lie still. Cold steel closed round her right wrist and she felt her magic dwindle. It snapped shut round her left wrist and jarred her broken bones.

“I’m Valkyrie Cain!” she cried, Krull’s knee in her back.

“For all I know you’re Darquesse,” Krull said, grabbing the back of her collar. He hauled her to her feet, slammed her against the minivan. “You move and we kill you, you understand me?”

Her face was squashed against the glass. Her mum stared at her from the other side, horrified. On the seat behind, Vex was inching towards the far door.

“You killed my son,” Krull said into Valkyrie’s ear.

Her insides went cold, and began to churn. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But that was Darquesse, that wasn’t—”

“You killed him here, during the battle. Four weeks ago. Back when you
were
Darquesse.”

“I wasn’t in control. Krull, I’m sorry, I am, but—”

He grabbed her broken hand and squeezed and Valkyrie screamed.

“A few of us have been wondering why exactly Sorrows let you back into the fold,” Krull said in her ear. “We think it’s because she likes you. You and the Skeleton Detective. You’re her favourites. Makes us wonder why the hell she’s in charge anyway. Who the hell elected her? Who voted her in? I certainly didn’t.”

“Please, you’re hurting me.”

“You’re damn right I am.”

“You know I’m not Darquesse,” Valkyrie said through gritted teeth.

“I know no such thing.”

She tried to turn into him, but he slammed his whole body weight into her and she cried out again. That was too much for her dad to take, and he threw open his door. The Cleavers grabbed him when he got out. Now that they were distracted, Vex reached forward, slid open the side door to make his escape with Alice. He clearly figured his plan was falling apart. But Valkyrie’s mum dived on him, and they tumbled out of the minivan and then Valkyrie was pulled away from the window.

She twisted, rammed her shoulder into Krull’s chest. She kicked at his knee, got his shin instead. She heard him growl in pain and he hit her and bright lights flashed and she fell to her knees. Then he grabbed her hair, started dragging her backwards, and through the tears in her eyes she glimpsed something on the wall overhead, and it was dropping and spinning, and Tanith landed beside her.

She didn’t even see the strike, but she heard it connect, and Krull went stumbling against the minivan. Tanith stalked up to him, her hand closing round his throat, her fingertips digging in behind his windpipe. She pinned his head against the corner of the vehicle and he gagged.

“Key,” she said.

Krull fumbled in his pocket, fished out a small key. Tanith snatched it from him, smacked him in the jaw and he dropped. Tanith helped Valkyrie stand, and unlocked the shackles.

“See to your folks,” Tanith said. “I’ll take this little charmer to cool off in the cells.”

Valkyrie nodded, not even waiting around to watch Tanith drag Krull off by the ear. Clutching her left hand, she hurried round to the other side of the minivan. The Cleavers were just allowing her father back to his feet. A pretty lady, Korb, was with them, apologising profusely.

Her mum was on her knees, her back to Valkyrie.

‘Vex,” said Valkyrie. “Where is he?”

“Ran off,” said Korb, looking round. “There was a bit of a scramble but he hightailed it when he saw us closing in.”

“No,” Valkyrie breathed. “Alice.”

Her mum stood, and turned, tears in her eyes and Alice in her arms. “Still asleep,” she said, laughing. “Can you believe that? Still asleep after all that? What an amazing sister you have.”

“What an amazing mum,” Valkyrie said, running forward and hugging them both.

Wiping the healing mud from her hand, Valkyrie entered the Room of Prisms by Skulduggery’s side. Synecdoche had patched her up, eased her bruises and mended her broken fingers, and now she felt great. She felt refreshed, strong, and she had a cool new array of magic powers she hadn’t even explored yet.

China was resplendent in red. She sat atop her throne like an ice queen, gazing down at her loyal subjects – the Monster Hunters, Saracen, Fletcher, Wreath and Tanith. Standing within arm’s reach of the throne was the Black Cleaver.

“Thank you for joining us,” China said, in a tone that made it impossible to gauge whether or not she was being sarcastic. “Has everyone been briefed on the latest developments? We all know what’s been going on? Valkyrie, where are your parents?”

“In the Dining Hall,” she said. “The chef’s making them something special and Alice is bringing the roof down with her crying.”

“So I’ve heard,” said China. “Have you told them that it’s not safe for them to leave the Sanctuary?”

“I told them. They don’t know the truth about Alice and the Sceptre, but I doubt they’re planning on going for a walk anyway. They already asked a Cleaver to go out and bring back baby food and nappies. It had never occurred to me that you could buy nappies in Roarhaven.”

“It truly is a wonderful place,” China said. “To business, then, and before we begin, I’d like to introduce you to a new guest. Though, of course, I use the word ‘like’ in its loosest possible sense.”

The door opened, and Tanith muttered something as Billy-Ray Sanguine walked in. He flashed a smile of perfect white teeth, a smile that faltered slightly when his eyeless gaze fell upon Tanith.

“Folks,” he said in greeting. “Once more we appear to be on the same side. This is getting to be a habit.”

“Mr Sanguine,” China said, “please tell the room what you told Mr Tipstaff.”

“Darquesse is preparing,” he said. “She’s had to take some time for her power to soak through her new body. She also said something about needing to absorb Valkyrie’s essence in order to be whole.”

“Gross,” said Valkyrie.

Skulduggery tilted his head. “Darquesse is not at full power?”

“That’s what it sounds like. But she will be soon. I’m talking a day or two – tops.”

“We need to draw her in now,” said Saracen. “Before she’s ready to face us.”

“But
we
need to be ready to face
her
,” China said. “Skulduggery, do we have any kind of a time frame?”

“The city will never be ready,” he answered, “but we can make a decent stab at it. We’ll need the night. Tomorrow morning, we’ll take Ravel out of the circle that’s keeping him hidden. Once Darquesse senses him, she
should
be drawn straight here.”

“She will be,” said Sanguine, nodding. “I reckon punishing him was her last act that’s even remotely human, and there’s a part of her that’s clinging to that.”

“When she gets here, what do we do with Ravel?” Donegan asked.

China sat back. “We arm him.”

Saracen frowned. “We what?”

“It’s in his best interests to help us,” China explained.

“I am not fighting beside that man,” said Saracen. “He murdered Ghastly, for God’s sake. Shudder is dead because of him. Skulduggery, come on, talk some sense into her.”

“Actually,” China said, “it was Skulduggery’s idea.”

Valkyrie’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“Ravel will fight alongside us or he’ll spend the rest of his life in agony,” Skulduggery said. “He doesn’t have a choice. I don’t like it any more than you, but we’re going up against an enemy the likes of which we’ve never faced. We need everyone we can get – and at least we know how Ravel fights.”

“This is unbelievable,” Saracen muttered, but said no more.

“We have three God-Killer weapons,” said China. “Mr Sanguine here has a fourth, but I doubt we’d get that off him without a fight.”

Sanguine grinned. “Not a chance.”

“Three God-Killers, then. Skulduggery, Saracen and Ravel will wield them. There is another out there, of course, the most powerful, but Dexter Vex has run off with it. If anyone encounters him over the next few hours, feel free to liberate the Sceptre from his person.”

“What good will that do?” Valkyrie asked. “It’s bonded to my sister. No one here is laying a finger on her, even if we
do
get the Sceptre back.”

“I wasn’t suggesting that at all,” China said, but failed to elaborate on what she
was
suggesting. “And speaking of secret weapons,” she continued, “we have one last weapon to take into account.” She produced the Deathtouch Gauntlet from somewhere behind her, and put it on the arm of the throne.

“I told you,” Valkyrie said, “I’m not wearing that. I don’t even need it now that I’ve got my freaky new powers.”

“New powers that we’ve never seen before,” China said. “White lightning, a type of energy we have yet to identify … We don’t even know what to classify your discipline as.”

“
Freak
sounds good to me,” said Sanguine.

China glanced at him. “And yet nobody asked you. Valkyrie, without knowing what you can do or how to control it, I’m afraid you need every advantage you can get. Take the gauntlet. Please.”

Valkyrie shook her head. “I’ve seen myself wear it in the vision, just before Darquesse kills my family. My family is here
now
, China. Because of Vex, we have to keep them close. We can’t even let them leave. The vision is coming true. If I wear that, I’m allowing that future to happen.”