“I thought they hated ordinary people as much as I did,” Byron said. “But I was wrong. They hated them much, much more. I may not like my family, but I do still love them.”

“So help us,” said Valkyrie.

“I don’t know anything,” Byron said. “I don’t know plans or schemes or anything. Lilt wouldn’t tell us anything.”

“You saw him? After he escaped?”

Byron nodded. “Jenan rounded us up, took us into the library and then Lilt appears from behind a curtain like a bloody stage magician, expecting applause and all that. Nobody clapped. I think the others were too stunned and too … too scared, I suppose. Lilt being back meant that some real orders would start coming in.”

“What did he say?”

“He said the time is almost upon us. He said the anti-Sanctuary has big plans for First Wave. He said the mortal streets are going to run red with blood. Those were his exact words. We were told to pack some essentials because we were going to leave Corrival for good. I followed Lapse and Gall towards our dorm room, but …”

“You argued,” said Omen.

“I told them I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t hurt anyone. I asked them to come with me, to just … quit. They said I was a coward and a traitor and to wait until Lethe got his hands on me.”

“So you came home,” Valkyrie said, “because you knew it’d be the last place they’d look?”

He frowned. “What? No. I just … I just wanted to spend some time with my family before they came after me. I can’t hide from them, not when I have this.” He pulled up his sleeve. A sigil was tattooed on the inside of his forearm.

Omen peered closer. “That’s … that’s a tracking sigil.”

Valkyrie went cold. “They know where you are?”

“Yeah,” said Byron. “Why?”

She looked around. “We have to get out of here.”

Skulduggery’s voice came from behind. “And why would you want to do that?”

58

Smoke and Nero grinned and Skulduggery stood between them, his hands in his pockets, his jacket unbuttoned, the chain of his pocket watch glinting against his waistcoat. Valkyrie altered her vision, just for a moment, just long enough to watch the tendrils of crackling grey that swirled around Skulduggery’s aura. It was fading. She could see it fading.

“You can’t leave,” Skulduggery said. “We have so much to talk about. I’ve missed you, Valkyrie. I had just got you back and then we were pulled apart again.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” she said, making sure her voice stayed steady.

He tilted his head. “Thank you. Thank you for saying that. It means a lot. How’s your leg, by the way?”

“It’s fine.”

“You’re probably annoyed that I shot you.”

She shrugged. “I could have done without it.”