“I just got her thinking about you,” Valkyrie said, helping him attach his other arm. “Put the idea in her head that you were waiting to pop out. I figured she’s that unstable, all she has to do is think something will happen, and it’ll happen. Then I got her to touch you. Easy, really.”

“You are magnificent,” he said.

“Yeah,” she grinned. “I know.”

“I’m astonished that worked.”

“Yeah,” she grinned. “I know. Do you need help with your legs?”

He suddenly shoved her to one side and rolled to the other as a great blade of darkness sliced through the space between them. She saw Craven, his face a frozen mask of desperation, about to send another blade towards them. Skulduggery propped himself up into a sitting position, his gun in his hand. His forefinger was bent backwards so he pulled the trigger with his middle finger.

The shot rang out and Craven flipped backwards, a bullet between the eyes.

Skulduggery swivelled, emptied his gun at Melancholia, but the shadows looked like they were obeying her again. They caught the bullets and she stood there, twenty paces away, seething with anger. “You tricked me.”

“That’s what the smart do to the stupid,” Valkyrie said, getting up while Skulduggery dropped the gun and worked at reattaching his legs.

“So now what are you going to do? Team up? I’m going to kill you from here the moment you do something to annoy me.”

“Well, then,” Valkyrie smirked, “I guess we won’t do anything to annoy you, you moron.”

Melancholia immediately raised her arms.

“Wait!” Skulduggery said from the ground. “Now, just wait a moment. Melancholia, Valkyrie is very sorry that she annoyed you.”

“No I’m not.”

Skulduggery got up, swaying a little. “Valkyrie, please, let me handle this. Melancholia, I know you’re very confused right now.”

“I’m not confused at all,” Melancholia answered.

He clicked his bent fingers back into place, hissing slightly with each one. “Are you sure? Not even the slightest bit? You still want to kill everyone?”

“More than ever. And I want to thank you, by the way, for the opportunity to kill you in front of Valkyrie for a second time. That’s just… delicious.”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” Skulduggery said, and waved a hand. His tuxedo jacket floated over to him. He put it on, and straightened his bow tie. “If I get lost,” he said to Valkyrie, “you need to find a way to stop me.”

She frowned at him, but he was already looking back at Melancholia.

“You think you can beat me?” Melancholia said with a laugh. “I killed you with a thought, you ridiculous thing. I killed you, I defeated Lord Vile… what else do you have to throw at me?”

“That wasn’t Lord Vile.”