She watched Skulduggery talk to them, nodding and pointing, issuing commands. She didn’t even understand how any of this was possible. She wanted to travel back in time, back to before she knew the truth. If only she hadn’t followed Wreath, left herself open to attack, then Tenebrae would never have had the chance to spoil everything. Skulduggery turned, walked over, and Valkyrie suddenly felt sick, like her insides were rotting away.

“Are you OK?” he asked her.

She nodded.

“Wreath and Craven are unaccounted for – we don’t know how many others. We have teams out searching, but I don’t like our chances. We’ll head back to the Sanctuary, brief the Council.”

“Not me,” Valkyrie said.

“What?”

“Not me, all right? I’m tired, and I’m bruised, and I just want to go home. I don’t care about any of this any more. I’m going to let other people save the world this time.”

“Listen, I know you’ve been through a lot, but—”

“Enough,” she corrected, standing up. “I’ve been through enough. In the last few days, I was slashed half to death, I was healed by a monster who once dissected me, I was betrayed and attacked by Solomon Wreath, who I thought was my friend, and then… you.”

“Valkyrie…”

“There is absolutely nothing you can say to make this better, so don’t even try.”

“You’ve got to understand—”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said, and walked away.

She could have called Fletcher, but she really didn’t want to come up with a lie to tell him that would explain her mood. She got a lift into the centre of town from one of the sorcerers she knew, and hopped on a bus. She sat with her arms folded, leaning her head against the cool window. The bus would go over a bump and she’d rock slightly. She didn’t think of anything. She just looked at the seat in front and let the bus take her to Haggard.

She got off and cut through the small park, walked through darkness instead of the brightly lit Main Street. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. All she wanted to do was pick up her baby sister and hug her.

The lights were off in her house, and there were no cars in the driveway, so Valkyrie let herself in the front door. Her family wasn’t in. She went up to her room, but her reflection wasn’t there. Frowning, she took out her phone, dialled a number and waited.

The call was answered, and she heard her own voice say, “Hello?”

“It’s me,” Valkyrie said. “Where are you? Where is everyone?”

“We’re at the hospital,” the reflection said.

Alarm pulsed through Valkyrie like electricity and she gripped the phone tighter. “What? What happened? Is it Alice? Is something wrong?”