“There is a sorcerer named Myosotis,” he said, “from Germany. You first met her a few months ago, and got along very well, I have to say. You both get quite annoying when you talk, but again, I’m used to that, too. Myosotis is, amongst other things, a spy. What makes her so very good at her job is the fact that once she moves out of sight, you forget all about her. The human mind can’t retain any information concerning Myosotis at all. We’ve actually had this conversation eleven times over the past few hours. You always have the same reaction.”

“Bull.”

“That’s the one.”

“You’re serious?”

“Quite serious.”

They emerged on the other side. Torches hung in rusted brackets on the walls, and they followed the flickering trail of light through the darkness.

“Her power doesn’t work on me because of my fabulous mind – and the fact that I have no physical brain,” Skulduggery continued. “And if she could turn her power off, I’m sure she would.”

“You’re sure who would?”

“Myosotis.”

Valkyrie frowned. “Who?”

“Ah,” Skulduggery said. “You’re forgetting about her already.”

“That’s amazing,” Valkyrie said. “Forgetting about who?”

“The spy, the girl who’s been taken captive.”

“Right,” Valkyrie said, “the rescue mission. Gotcha. Who has taken her?”

“The inhabitants of this place. It was once a prison of sorts, hundreds of years ago. Now it’s a refuge for sorcerers who can’t bear to live on the surface. The people down here are… damaged. Some are quite dangerous.”

“And what was…”

“Myosotis.”

“And what was Myosotis doing down here?”

“The Sanctuary in Berlin sent her over to investigate the disappearance of one of their own. He was last seen around these parts, so the natural assumption would be that he found his way down here. And disappeared.”

Valkyrie nodded. “And we’re here to rescue him.”

“No, we’re here to rescue Myosotis, the operative sent to rescue him. If we happen to rescue him along the way, it’s a bonus. But she is our main priority.”

“Who is?”

“Oh dear God,” Skulduggery muttered. “This is astonishingly aggravating.”

He froze and she stopped, splayed her hand, felt the air move against her skin, and then she heard something, a whisper from behind.

They spun, but there was a rush of dark figures and Skulduggery went down in a tangle of arms and legs. Someone hit Valkyrie and she stumbled, couldn’t do anything to stop the boot that smashed into her. She went back, rolling on the hard ground. Rough hands grabbed her, hauled her up. There was a crowd around Skulduggery, lashing in kicks, throwing down punches. Valkyrie’s arms twisted and she cried out, feeling them twist almost to the point of breaking.

The crowd stopped kicking Skulduggery. They stepped away, and through the gaps she saw him, on the ground and not moving. All eyes turned to her.