She turned back the way they had come, and took a deep breath. “He’s up,” she said. “On his feet. I can feel him. I can feel his energy. It’s not like the others. But it’s strong. I… there’s something… there’s something blocking me…”

“What are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to take his soul.”

Valkyrie punched her, right across the jaw. “I’m not going to let you kill him, you nutcase. You think I’d ever choose you over him?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Melancholia said, her voice quiet. “I can’t do it. He’s cocooned himself away, I can’t… I can’t kill him.”

“Good.”

Melancholia glared up at her. “If I can’t kill him, how are we going to stop him?”

“We’re not,” Valkyrie said. “We’re going to run and hide, that’s what we’re going to do. What the hell is wrong with you, anyway?”

“I’m covered in blood and you’re still going to ask me that?”

“No, I mean what did he do to you? That isn’t just a cut he gave you.”

“These symbols,” Melancholia said reluctantly. “They’re designed to take the power of my Surge and loop it around my body continuously.”

“I know,” Valkyrie said. “Craven turned you into a self-charging battery. So what?”

Grimacing, Melancholia held her wounded arm up. The gash cut diagonally across her flesh, splitting symbols. “Vile’s damaged me. The power isn’t looping like it should. I’m not recharging like I should. It’s going wrong.”

Valkyrie knelt by her. “Release the energy you stole.”

“Get us out of here.”

“Release the energy, then I’ll help you.”

“He’s after us!” Melancholia snapped. “If he catches us, I’ll need all the strength I can find! And you want me to just release half of it?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Release it now, at once, immediately, or I walk away and leave you here.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“It’s you or my friends, and I’m always going to pick my friends.”

“Help me up before he comes. We can argue about this later.”

Valkyrie stood back. Leave her here, said the voice in her head. Vile will kill her, the energy will return on its own. Leave her. She’s not worth it.

Valkyrie gave Melancholia another few moments, then she turned and started to walk away.

“You can’t be serious,” Melancholia said. “You’re really going to abandon me?”

Keep walking.

“You’re really going to let him murder me?”

Don’t look back.

“Fine!” Melancholia shouted. “Fine! I’ll release it!”

Valkyrie turned, and waited.