“Then I don’t know what to say to you, China. I don’t know how I can—” Her voice caught suddenly, and tears came to her eyes.

China waited.

Valkyrie swallowed and looked away again, feeling the sting in her throat that warned her she was about to cry. She growled instead, and that made China smile.

“That’s a little of the old Valkyrie,” she said. “You always did hate to show weakness.”

But Valkyrie shook her head. “Wasn’t weakness I hated,” she said. “It was losing control.” She swallowed again, took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “It wasn’t the thousand faces I didn’t know. It was the one face I did.” Valkyrie put her hands through her hair, fixing it, recognising even as she did so what a transparent attempt at nonchalance it was. “I needed the Sceptre of the Ancients to fight Darquesse, but it was bonded to my sister.”

“And you couldn’t use it until it was bonded to you,” China said slowly. “So you …”

“I killed her,” Valkyrie said. “She was dead for a few seconds, long enough for the bond to be severed. I used the Sunburst to revive her, the Sceptre bonded with me and I used it against Darquesse. All’s well that ends well.”

“It must have been an unimaginably difficult thing to do.”

“To murder my sister? I’ve done easier things.”

“But you revived her.”

“But I murdered her. You can say your part as much as you like – my part will always be louder. That’s why I walked away.”

“And yet you came back.”

“That may have been a mistake.”

China folded her arms, her chin dipping to her chest. “What you had to do, for the greater good, was horrible. So, if you’ve lost your nerve, tell me. Just tell me and get it over with. I’ll hug you and send you on your way. I’ll give you a squad of Cleavers to protect you until all this is over, and we’ll stop them from resurrecting Abyssinia ourselves.” She raised her eyes. “Is that what you want, Valkyrie?”

Valkyrie looked away. “Might be for the best.”

China shrugged. “If that’s true, say the word and it’ll be done. Say yes.”

Valkyrie opened her mouth, but the word was taking its time to build.

“You mentioned the trained investigators I have on the City Guard,” China said, “like they’d notice something you wouldn’t. Like they’d be better than you. You seem to have forgotten that you were trained by the best.”

“I’m not a detective, China.”

“Your badge says differently.”

“I can’t do this without him. You know that.”

“You don’t have a choice. Skulduggery Pleasant is your enemy now. You’ve never faced anyone like him before. But he’s never faced anyone like you, either.”

“He’ll kill me.”

“He’ll certainly try.”