“Craven!” Melancholia cried. “Get her off me!”

And still Valkyrie hit her, trying to get through the arms that Melancholia held up to protect her head. Not one thought was given to Craven. Craven wasn’t important. The only important thing was to smash Melancholia into unconsciousness.

“Craven!” Melancholia screamed.

A fist of shadows collided with Valkyrie, shunting her off, sending her sprawling. Melancholia clambered to her feet as Craven hurried over.

“Are you OK?” he asked. “Is there anything I can—”

Melancholia reached out, and a tendril of darkness coiled around Craven’s neck and tightened. “You were going to leave me,” she snarled, spitting blood. “You were going to let her kill me.”

“No,” Craven gasped.

“You wanted her to kill me, so that you wouldn’t have to try and do it yourself, didn’t you?”

Craven dropped to his knees, his face red, his eyes bulging.

Melancholia stood over him. “But you’re too much of a coward even for that, aren’t you? You couldn’t take the risk that she wouldn’t be able to finish me. You were terrified of what I’d do to you.”

Craven was unable to speak. The only thing he could do was nod. The tendril released him and he fell forward, sucking in air.

“You’d do well to remember that fear,” Melancholia said, as she turned back to Valkyrie. Blood covered her face. Her lips were split and her nose appeared to be broken.

Valkyrie got up slowly, fists clenched. She suddenly flicked her hand, grabbing shadows of her own, but Melancholia brushed them aside. Darkness curled around Valkyrie’s arm and yanked the ring from her finger. It dropped to the ground and bounced, and Melancholia slammed her heel down on to it. The ring shattered, blackness flowing back into Valkyrie.

“And that,” Melancholia said, “is the main flaw with Necromancy. Destroy the object and you have all that magic, but nothing to focus it with. Look at me. Do you see any reliance on an object for me? No. I am beyond all that. My body is all I need to focus my power.”

“Congratulations,” Valkyrie said. “But you’re still going to die.”

“And how do you think that’s going to happen? Are you going to try hitting me, like a barbarian? That won’t happen again, little girl. I underestimated your savagery, and you spoiled my good mood.”

Valkyrie smiled. “You think I’ve spoiled your good mood? Then you’re really going to hate him.”

Melancholia frowned and turned, and saw Lord Vile striding towards her.

Chapter 54 - Monster, Murderer

Chapter 54
Monster, Murderer

ile fired off sharpened shadows and Melancholia stumbled back, eyes wide in terror. “Help me!” she screamed.

Craven stood with his mouth open, his feet stuck to the floor. Melancholia fell to her knees while Vile pummelled her. “Craven! Help me! Or I’ll kill you!”