Darquesse frowned. "Did we do anything on St Patrick's Day?"

He continued to strip the armour away. "We were on a stake-out. It was you, me and Fletcher. For the first hour, he wouldn't shut up. Then you started insulting him."

"Oh," Darquesse said. "I remember."

"It was five hours with the three of us stuck in a room, and then another four hours with just the two of us, after Fletcher couldn't take it any more."

Darquesse laughed. "I've never seen him sulk so hard."

"That was a good day for me," Skulduggery said. "I didn't have to hit anyone. I didn't have to shoot anyone. I just sat around and talked to my good friend and partner, Valkyrie Cain."

"And insulted her boyfriend," Darquesse grinned.

"Indeed."

Valkyrie shrugged. "Ex-boyfriend now, of course."

"Fletcher was always going to be your ex-boyfriend, from the moment you met him. He's just finally caught up with where he's supposed to be."

"What a nice way of looking at it."

The last bit of Skulduggery's armour joined the pile. "Maybe you should share that with him the next time you see him."

"Maybe." She looked round at the shattered gla.s.s and the mess. "I'm tired."

"I don't blame you."

"People saw us. That taxi driver. He saw me."

"That's what people like Scrutinous are for."

"I'm me again, by the way."

"I know."

Valkyrie let out a deep breath. "Did you see what I did? I was practically dead and I healed myself. How did I do that? I don't even know what kind of magic it was. It certainly wasn't Elemental, and it was like no Adept discipline I've ever heard of. It didn't follow any of the rules."

"I don't know, Valkyrie."

"I wonder what else I can do?" she said, and heat rose in her face. "I mean... I don't want to know. I don't want anything like that to happen again, I just..."

"I know," Skulduggery said. "You're just wondering."

"Yeah," she said. "Exactly. It was... amazing. I was flying, for G.o.d's sake. Me. On my own. I was doing all these incredible things..."

Skulduggery held his hand over the armour, and the various sections melted into each other. He picked up what was left. "Power is intoxicating."

"That's a good word for it."

"And like any intoxicant, it's also addictive."

She fell silent.

They climbed the stairs and stepped out through the window. Dawn was on its way. Valkyrie took out her phone to check the time. It fell to pieces the moment it left her pocket.

"Huh," she said. "I think I need a more impact-resistant phone."

Skulduggery took out his. "Three missed calls, all from Ghastly."

"At least he's alive."

Skulduggery wrapped one arm around her waist, and they rose up off the pavement. "Thanks to you," he said.

They flew over the city, the wind gently boosting them. The flashing lights and the sirens faded and Valkyrie looked to the approaching horizon, fighting the voice in her head. She used to love it when Skulduggery would take her into the air. The pure sensation of flying used to make her smile so, so wide. But now she wanted to pull away, to flatten out and go like a rocket. She wanted to do it herself. She wanted to feel that level of power again.

Soon, the voice in her head told her. Soon.

Chapter 60.

Tattletale

armth and sunshine never really seemed to reach Roarhaven. It was as if it had its own extra layer of atmosphere that kept out anything that could possibly lighten the mood of its citizens. The same dour faces peered at the Bentley as they pa.s.sed, unimpressed with the activity that was making the Sanctuary hum.

The Bentley stopped right at the end of the main street, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie looked at all the sorcerers streaming in through the Sanctuary doors. Today, they were to be honoured by the guests and the Council of Elders for their work to prevent the Pa.s.sage, and for their efforts to save the lives of the people who were gathering. Ravel had a.s.sured them it would be a quiet ceremony.

"It doesn't look quiet," Valkyrie said.

"Indeed it does not," Skulduggery murmured.

"Are they going to give us medals, or something? Maybe vouchers? I could use some vouchers."

"There's going to be speeches. Everyone of importance will want to stand up and give a speech. I hate speeches. They're only good when I give them."

Valkyrie sighed. "How long before it starts?"

"Ten minutes."

She opened the car door. "I'm going for a walk."

"You better not be late."

She grinned. "Would I do that to you?"

She got out, and the Bentley moved on. She crossed the street. There would be enough hand-shaking and polite smiles as it was a she didn't need to turn up early and subject herself to more.

"Here she is," said a voice from behind her, "the hero of the hour."

She turned, watching warily as Solomon Wreath approached, his cane tapping the pavement. "Are we going to start fighting?"

"Why ever would we do that?" he asked, smiling.

"I'd say I'm not the Necromancers' favourite person right now."

"Oh," he said, "that. That'll pa.s.s, Valkyrie. You've got nothing to worry about a the Order poses no threat to you. Especially here in Ireland. The Temple is empty. The Elders say they're going to tear it down, or convert it into something that could be used by the Sanctuary. I'd say such a move would be sacrilegious, but no one would care."

"I certainly wouldn't."

"There you go." He sighed, and looked at her. "How is our little Death Bringer, anyway?"

"Unconscious," Valkyrie said, "and she'll remain that way for a long time. Doctor Nye induced a coma. It was the safest thing to do, apparently. Her power was surging and looping and going nuts. She could have gone off at any time."

"Gone off ?"

"Like a bomb, Nye said. Like a small nuke, in fact. All that uncontrolled magic just... exploding. Scary stuff. And all because of you and your friends."

"Craven was not a friend."

"I meant Necromancers in general."

"Oh. Then yes, it was all our fault. But look on the bright side. n.o.body died."

Valkyrie frowned. "Lots of people died."

"But n.o.body you like. Everyone at the Ball got up and walked away, didn't they?"

"I suppose. Scapegrace got his head chopped off, though."

"I don't know who that is."

"You don't have to. I don't really like him, anyway."

"See? Happy endings all round. Any word on Vile?"

Valkyrie shook her head. "He disappeared. Hasn't been seen since."

"Melancholia must have really thrown him about the place. O'Connell Street is in ruins."

"Yeah," Valkyrie said, "she must have."

"Your friend Scrutinous has undoubtedly been working overtime to keep the truth of what happened out of the news reports."

"Ruptured gas mains are terrible things."

"Makes you wonder, though, with all that damage, why Vile didn't just kill her."

"He didn't have to. He'd sabotaged her power. He didn't need to do anything else."

"But this is Lord Vile we're talking about. He's not the kind to leave jobs half done."

Valkyrie shrugged. "Well, the next time I see him, I'll ask him, OK? And what are you going to do now? Join a Temple in England? America?"

Wreath hesitated. "The Order isn't too keen on taking me back, actually. Even though I've been exonerated of all wrongdoing, they feel my presence might tarnish their good standing in the rest of the world, or what there is of it. They'd rather everyone just forgot about the Pa.s.sage for a few years. I don't really see that happening, but Necromancers have a proud history of sticking their heads in the sand. No, Valkyrie, I'm basically going to walk the earth. Walk from place to place, meet people, get in adventures."

"Like Jules, in Pulp Fiction."

"Something like that, yes."

"Cool."

"Or I could stay here, and you could continue your lessons in Necromancy...?"

"I'll keep practising on my own, thank you very much."

"You might need this," he said, and tossed her a black ring, identical to the one Melancholia had destroyed. "It's empty, and waiting for you to pour your magic into."

"Thank you."

He smiled. "It's hard, isn't it? Giving up power like that?"

She looked away. "You have no idea."

The Bentley pulled up beside them. Skulduggery got out.

"Detective Pleasant," Wreath said. "All's well that ends well, eh?"

"I don't want to see you around for a while," Skulduggery said. "Nothing personal, you understand."

"I do, of course," Wreath said, and bowed slightly. He looked at Valkyrie. "I'm expecting great things from you, my dear."

She nodded, didn't answer. The shadows swirled, and he was gone. She walked over to the Bentley. "Is it time?"

"Yes it is," Skulduggery said. They got in the car, and slowly pulled away from the kerb.

Valkyrie frowned. "We're going the wrong way."

"Are we?"