Another panicked move by Melancholia sent a tentacle of shadow whipping for him. He saw it coming and ducked, weaving under it, but the tentacle flexed at the last moment before it dissipated, and it caught him in the side of the head. He stumbled, and Melancholia struck, sending him spinning backwards.

Something heavy landed on Valkyrie’s back as she tried to get up. A mass of shadows, keeping her pinned to the floor. She cursed and strained, but couldn’t move.

Skulduggery groaned. Melancholia was doing something to him. Shadows curled out from the cuffs of his jacket, out around his collar, through the buttons on his shirt. But then Valkyrie saw the expression on Melancholia’s face. She was frowning – not with intent, but with curiosity. Whatever was going on with Skulduggery, Melancholia wasn’t the one doing it.

Skulduggery arched his back and darkness burst from his chest in a steady stream, writhing and twisting in the air, collecting on the far side of the room. A shape formed, the stream broke from Skulduggery, and the shape became solid. A tall man, encased head to foot in black armour that shifted and moved on his body. Valkyrie stared.

Lord Vile hadn’t been hiding in a cave or an old base somewhere – he’d been hiding within Skulduggery himself.

Melancholia stepped back, her eyes wide with fear. Lord Vile held out his arm and his hand lengthened to a sharp point that flew at her. She cried out, barely managing to deflect the strike. He went at her again, and again, and she stumbled from each attack, her hair in her eyes. The darkness that had been holding Valkyrie down was gone, and she got up, watching Melancholia being stalked like a deer.

“Help me!” Melancholia cried. “You can’t let him kill me! Please!”

The Death Bringer, begging for help. The only person who had the power and the intention to kill three billion people, begging for someone to step in and save her. Valkyrie wasn’t going to do it. She couldn’t do it. She had to let Vile kill her. It was the only way to save all those lives.

“Valkyrie!” Melancholia called. “Please help me!”

And suddenly Valkyrie was running, and she was running straight at Lord Vile, while every part of her mind screamed at her to stop. But her body kept going, it wouldn’t listen, and Vile waved his hand and she went flying back through the air. As she spun, she saw shadows grow from beneath Melancholia’s robes, and then she felt the air shift around her. Her trajectory changed and she fell against Skulduggery, who staggered slightly as he caught her.