The Cleaver rammed his heel into Ghastly's shin and whacked the back of his helmet against his nose, then kicked both legs into the air and over his head, slipping out from under Ghastly's arms. His hands went to the ground and he continued the movement, sending both boots into Ghastly's face.

Ghastly fell back, and the Cleaver held the handstand for a moment, then dropped back to his feet as Skulduggery came at him.

Skulduggery summoned fire and hurled two handfuls into the Cleaver. The flames didn't catch, but they did throw him back, and Skulduggery threw a lightning-fast jab that he followed with a right hook. He didn't seem to mind that he was. .h.i.tting a helmet, and Stephanie noted with satisfaction the way their opponent was sent stumbling.

The Cleaver recovered quickly, however, and they started trading punches and kicks, elbows and knees. She watched them block and lock and counterlock, all the while moving around each other in an elaborate and brutal dance.

"Stephanie!" Skulduggery called out as he fought. "Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to! I don't know how to stop him!"

333.

Tanith s.n.a.t.c.hed her sword off the ground and grabbed Stephanie's arm. "We have to go," she said firmly, and Stephanie nodded.

They ran back the way they had come. As they were pa.s.sing into the office, Stephanie glanced back and saw the Cleaver spin with a kick that sent Skulduggery to the floor. In one fluid movement, the Cleaver got a toe under the staff of the scythe, flicked it up, and caught it, and then he was running after her.

Stephanie burst into the dark alleyway. Tanith pressed her hand against the door as she closed it-- Stephanie heard her mutter, "Withstand"--and a polished sheen spread across its surface.

"That'll hold him for a minute," she said.

They ran for the Bentley. The Cleaver pounded on the door behind them, but it wouldn't open, and it wouldn't break. The pounding stopped.

They reached the Bentley, and Tanith looked at Stephanie. "Do you have the key?"

A window exploded, high up near the warehouse's roof, and the White Cleaver dropped and landed in a crouch in the middle of the alley, shards of gla.s.s raining down with him. He straightened up, unfolded his arms, and raised his head.

334.

Tanith stood between the Cleaver and Stephanie, holding the sword in her left hand. She cradled her injured right arm by her side. The Cleaver twirled his scythe slowly.

Skulduggery and Ghastly leaped through the broken window. The Cleaver turned, and Ghastly crashed into him.

"Start the car!" Ghastly yelled.

Skulduggery pressed the keyring and the locks sprang open with a beep, and they jumped in. The engine roared to life.

"Ghastly!" Skulduggery shouted. "Let's go!"

Ghastly slammed a punch into the Cleaver and rolled to his feet, but the Cleaver kicked out and Ghastly stumbled. The scythe flashed, the staff whacking against Ghastly's jaw. He dropped to his knees.

"Ghastly!" Stephanie screamed.

Skulduggery opened his door and went to get out, but Ghastly raised his eyes, shook his head.

"We're not leaving you!" Skulduggery shouted.

The Cleaver stepped up to Ghastly, ready to swing the scythe.

"You've got to," Ghastly said, ever so softly.

335.

He lowered his head and clenched his fists, his eyes closed. As the Cleaver swung, the ground seemed to latch onto Ghastly's knees. It spread instantly, turning his legs to concrete, then his torso, his arms, his head, his entire body in the time it took the scythe to cross the s.p.a.ce between them, and when the Cleaver tried to take his head, he could only chip at the neck. Stephanie instinctively knew what he'd done--this was the last Elemental power, earth, the power Skulduggery had described as purely defensive, and purely for use as a last resort.

The White Cleaver looked directly at Stephanie as Skulduggery put the car in gear. They left them there--the White Cleaver and Ghastly--and sped through the city streets.

Chapter Twenty-six.

The Last Stand of . . .

336.

eachan Meritorious waited in the shadow of Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral, watching the world go about its business. There were times when he felt guilty about hiding magic from the ma.s.ses, when he felt sure that they would embrace the wonder and the beauty if only they were given the opportunity. But then he would come to his senses and realize that humankind had enough things to be worrying about without a subculture that they might see as a threat to their very validity. As an Elder, it was his job to protect 337.

the outside world from truths they weren't yet ready to know.

Morwenna Crow walked up, her dark robes flowing over the gra.s.s. She was as clean and as elegant as the day he had first met her.

"It's not like Skulduggery Pleasant to be late," she remarked.

"Sagacious said he sounded urgent," Meritorious said. "He may have run into some difficulty."

Morwenna looked around the corner of the cathedral, to the busy street beyond the railing. The bright lights, amber and yellow, framed her face. She seemed almost angelic. "I don't like meeting out in the open like this. We're too exposed. He should know better."

"Skulduggery picked this place for a reason," Meritorious said gently. "I trust his judgment. He's earned that much, at least."

They turned as Sagacious Tome appeared beside them, fading up from nothing.

"Sagacious," Morwenna said, "did Skulduggery say why he wanted to meet us here?"

Sagacious looked nervous as the materialization completed and he became solid. "I'm sorry, Morwenna, he just told me to make sure both of you were outside the cathedral."

338.

"This had better be good," she said. "We don't have a lot of time to spare these days. Serpine could strike anywhere, at any time."

Meritorious watched Sagacious smile sadly.

"That's very true," Sagacious said. "And if I may, I just want to take this opportunity to let you both know that in the times when we were friends, they were great times indeed."

Morwenna laughed. "We're not dead yet, Sagacious."

And then he looked at her, and his smile turned to something else. "Actually, Morwenna, you are."

The Hollow Men converged and Sagacious faded to nothing. Meritorious didn't even have time to register the betrayal before he saw Serpine striding toward them, holding the Scepter. The Elder instinctively conjured a protective shield that made the air glimmer, but when the crystal flashed, the black lightning came right through the shield like it wasn't even there. Then there was--nothing.

The Administrator charged through a crowd outside the Olympia Theatre, drawing a chorus of angry shouts and curses. He stumbled but managed to stay up, managed to keep running. He glanced behind.

339.

He couldn't see anyone pursuing him. He didn't think he had been seen, but he couldn't be sure. He had been standing by the car when Nefarian Serpine had appeared. He had seen Meritorious explode into dust and ash, seen the black lightning strike Morwenna Crow as she tried to rush her enemies.

He had ducked down, terrified. Tome had betrayed them. Tome had betrayed them all. So the Administrator had abandoned the car and started running.

He had to get back to the Sanctuary. He had to warn the others.

Chapter Twenty-seven.

No Calm Before the Storm

340.

Skulduggery had given her money, and Stephanie had gone in to pay while he refilled the Bentley's tank. As she waited for her change, she looked at the chocolate bars on display and tried remembering the last time she'd eaten chocolate. She always ate chocolate when something bad happened, but these days chocolate just wasn't enough.

Everything was going wrong. Tanith was injured, Ghastly was nothing more than a statue, and now they had the White Cleaver to worry about. It was getting to the point 341.

where Stephanie didn't know why they were bothering to fight anymore, although she'd never say that to Skulduggery. He seemed to think she was like him--never give up, never surrender. But she wasn't. The only reason she didn't tell him this was that she liked the way he thought of her, and she didn't want to disappoint him. But the truth was, the Valkyrie Cain he thought he knew was a lot stronger than Stephanie Edgley could ever be.

She walked back outside. Skulduggery was slotting the petrol nozzle back into the pump. Tanith had gone to soak her hand in the same healing solution she had told Stephanie to use.

Now that they were alone, Stephanie didn't quite know what to say. Skulduggery screwed the petrol cap shut and stood there, perfectly still. With his hat on and his scarf hiding his jaw, it could have been a mannequin standing there for all the difference it made.

"I'm sorry," Stephanie said.

He looked at her.

"If it wasn't for me, Ghastly would be . . . he'd be with us. It's my fault he had to use the earth power." She fought to keep her voice from trembling. "How long will he stay like that, do you think?"

342.

Skulduggery took a moment. "I sincerely don't know, Valkyrie. It's the most unpredictable power we have. He could be stuck as a statue for a day, a week, or a hundred years. There's no way of knowing."

"I've ruined everything."

"No--"

"That Cleaver was after me. Ghastly was forced to--"

"Ghastly wasn't forced to do anything," Skulduggery interrupted. "It was his choice. And it wasn't your fault. Serpine sent his a.s.sa.s.sin after you to hurt me. It's what he does."

"He sent him after me because he knew I wouldn't be able to defend myself. He knows you're looking after me; he knows I'm your weak spot."

Skulduggery tilted his head. "Looking after you? Is that how you see this? You think I'm babysitting you?"

"Well, aren't you? I've got no magic, I can't fight, I can't throw fire or run on ceilings. What use am I to you? I'm weak."

Skulduggery shook his head. "No, you're not. You haven't trained in magic or combat, 342.

343.

but you're not weak. Serpine underestimates you. Everyone underestimates you. You're stronger than they know. You're stronger than you know."

"I wish you were right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm me."

Stephanie heard a phone ring as Tanith walked into the light of the forecourt. She had wrapped a bandage around her wrist. The magical properties of the healing mixture would already be working to reduce the swelling and mend the damage.

Tanith held her phone to her ear. Stephanie didn't like the way her face seemed to slacken as she listened to whatever was being said.

She hung up without replying. "Skulduggery," she said softly. "You have your phone on?"

"Battery's low," he said.

"They've been trying to contact you. The Administrator, the Sanctuary."

"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked.

"The Elders," Tanith said, her voice empty. "Sagacious Tome betrayed them. The Elders are dead."

Stephanie's hand was at her mouth. "Oh G.o.d."

"Tome's been working with Serpine all along.

344.

He's a traitor. Like Bliss. They're all traitors. Skulduggery, what are we going to do?"

Stephanie looked at him, praying that he'd come up with a great new plan, a scheme to ensure victory and a happy ending. He didn't answer.

"Did you hear me?" Tanith continued, the emptiness in her voice giving way to sudden anger. "Are you even listening? Do you even care? Maybe you don't. Maybe you want to die again, maybe you want to join your wife and child, but hey! We don't want to die, okay? I don't. Valkyrie doesn't."

Skulduggery stood there. A mannequin. Silent.