"Almost. Hound of the Black Moon. Terrible creatures. They're virtually extinct now, but they were ruthless, savage things."

"Ruthless, savage things," Skulduggery said, "that were only ruthlessly savage for one night every few years, at a lunar eclipse. So no matter how much power Vengeous pumps into that thing, the Grotesquery will not be strong enough to open a portal until the Earth, moon, and sun line up, which won't be for another-- "

"Two nights," China said.

Skulduggery sagged and his head drooped. "Well that's just dandy," he muttered.

They were on the motorway, heading to Haggard. "So," Valkyrie said, "a legendary battle, eh?" Skulduggery turned his head to her. "I'm

sorry?"

"The battle between you and Vengeous, the legendary one. What happened?"

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"We had a fight."

"But why is it one of the most talked-about battles of the war?"

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe people had nothing else to talk about."

"China said you were badly injured. Is that why you don't like him? Because you were injured?"

"I don't like him because he's evil."

"So it's got nothing to do with him injuring you?"

"It's because he's evil," Skulduggery said grumpily.

They stayed on the motorway for another five minutes, then took the off-ramp. The roads became narrower, and curved between darkened fields and lone houses, and then orange streetlights appeared on either side and they were driving into Haggard.

They reached the pier, and the Bentley stopped.

"Tomorrow's going to be a big day," Valkyrie said.

Skulduggery shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. If we can keep Vengeous out of the country, we've got nothing to worry about."

"And if we can't?"

"Then we have a whole lot to worry about, and

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I'm going to need you rested and alert."

"Sir, yes sir," she said, raising a mocking eyebrow. She opened the door and got out, and moments later the Bentley's taillights disappeared into the darkness.

Valkyrie stood beside the pier for a moment, watching the dark sea churn at the rocks and play with the small boats moored nearby. She liked watching the sea-- its power made her feel safe.

Back when Valkyrie Cain was known as Stephanie Edgley, she didn't know much about life outside of Haggard. It was a small town, tucked into the east coast of Ireland, and things there were always so quiet and peaceful and so, so dull.

That all changed when Nefarian Serpine murdered her uncle. Gordon was a best-selling novelist, a writer of horror and fantasy, but he was also a man who knew the Big Secret. He knew about the subculture of sorcerers and mages, about the quiet little wars they had fought. He knew about the Faceless Ones-- the terrible dark gods, exiled from this world-- and the people who wanted them to return.

In the days that followed, she had met the Skeleton Detective and learned that she had a

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