“She trusted me. In whatever sick form it took, she actually believed she loved me. She believed I loved her back, even as Lord Vile. Her mistake was to tell me her plans. She wanted me by her side, you see – king to her queen. She planned to kill Mevolent at a feast he was hosting – she was gambling that a move so ridiculously bold would actually be well received by those in attendance. Kill Mevolent in front of everyone and watch them bend the knee. She was probably right, actually. It probably would have worked.”

“What … what happened?”

Skulduggery took off his hat, adjusted the brim. “Mevolent held the feast and, even though China and Serpine and Baron Vengeous were in attendance, it was Abyssinia who was seated at Mevolent’s side. She must have felt like all her work had paid off – that she was among his most trusted. Her plan – our plan, or so she thought – was to wait for the toasts. When they were both standing, I would strike, incapacitating him. Then she would take his head.

“The courses were served. I didn’t eat, naturally. I didn’t drink. I watched them all. They talked and laughed and got full and got drunk. Even Abyssinia drank too much. Overconfidence, I suppose. Mevolent stood up, singing Abyssinia’s praises for all to hear. But, when Abyssinia rose to toast him in return, I ran my sword through her back.”

Valkyrie didn’t say anything.

“Mevolent gave me the opportunity to fight and kill,” Skulduggery continued. “Abyssinia would have ended the war far too quickly. There would have been no one left to battle if she took over. The world would burn and she would sit in her throne and laugh. So, before she could recover, I lifted her off her feet, walked to the window and tossed her through. She fell to the rocks. It was a long way down.”

“Christ.”

“Yes.”

“That’s … I don’t know what to say.”

“The story isn’t over.”

“Oh, God. Maybe I do need to sit down.”

Skulduggery stood and she took his place on the edge of the bed. “Carry on,” she said.

“Her body wasn’t where it should have been,” Skulduggery said. “We found a trail of blood leading away and then … nothing. But there was no way she could have survived that. The sword was enough to have killed her, let alone the fall. It was assumed that animals had taken her corpse away, or even cannibals.”

“Cannibals?”

“There’d been reports of cannibals in the area. Anyway, the war went on. I killed and butchered old friends and innocent people and I did so without one shred of remorse. And then I had my epiphany.”

“Epiphany?”

“My moment of clarity.”

“I know what the word means, I just want to know what this particular epiphany was.”