Skulduggery nodded. “You’re in awe of me.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Splendid,” he replied.

“You sure frightened him,” Valkyrie said.

“Who, the boy? Did I?”

“For a moment it looked like you were going to kill him.”

“It did?”

“It did.”

“Fancy that,” he said.

“You said you were unhinged.”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, I did. Quite clever, yes? You see, if they think I have been driven mad, they will struggle to predict my actions. I become very, very dangerous to them, and hopefully, that will make Guild do what we want.”

“And you’re not, right?” Valkyrie said cautiously. “You’re not unhinged?”

“Oh, God, no,” he laughed. “No, I’m perfectly sane. Now then, do you want to tell me about that ring you’re wearing?”

“Oh,” she said. “That.”

“Solomon Wreath is teaching you Necromancy, isn’t he?”

“I needed the extra strength to get you back,” she explained. “I’m only a trainee Elemental – I need all the help I can get, you know?”

“And now that I’m back?”

“Sorry?”

“You said you needed that ring to get me back. So now that I’m here, is that it? Are you going to throw it away?”

Valkyrie felt the cold metal around her finger and how comforting it had become lately. “If you want me to,” she said slowly.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” Skulduggery didn’t say anything so she had to continue. “I suppose throwing away another set of powers, I mean, it doesn’t really make sense. It’s a weapon I need to get the job done.”

“And being an Elemental isn’t enough to do that?”

“When I’m powerful enough, sure, and especially with all those new things you can do, but I’m still learning. And I’ve got another few years before my magic settles, right?”

“That’s true,” Skulduggery nodded. “You’ll probably be twenty, maybe twenty-one, before you have to choose one style over all the rest.”

“And after that, I can’t switch?”

He hesitated. “It’s not impossible. But it is rare.”

“But I can keep using the ring until I’m about to settle, can’t I, and then give it back?”

“As easy as that?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Strength is addictive.”

“I can handle it.”

“Solomon Wreath is not to be trusted.”

“He saved my life last night.”

Skulduggery snapped his head to her. “What happened?”

“Uh, Crux got into my house and tried to kill me. I could have handled it. I don’t mean Wreath saved my life, but he, you know, he helped. China’s people set up a perimeter around Haggard though, so nobody magical can get in without being noticed. Except me of course.”

“Right,” Skulduggery said, yanking the wheel sharply. “I need to have a word with Wreath.”