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Back Resurrection Save as PDF
Chapters (81)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. Glossary
  78. Dramatis Personae
  79. Keep Reading …
  80. The Skulduggery Pleasant series
  81. About the Publisher

Lethe walked forward. “There’s nothing fair about this world, Skulduggery. We don’t always get what we want, do we? For example, I bet you want to walk away from this encounter, isn’t that right? I bet you want to live, yes? But you’re not going to.”

Skulduggery observed him. “Seven against two,” he said. “And, as you can undoubtedly tell, Valkyrie injured herself in the fall.”

“It’s not seven against two,” said Lethe. “It’s right against wrong. It’s me against you. If you win, you walk away. If you lose, you die, and we take Valkyrie here.”

“I see,” Skulduggery said. “Well, that seems reasonable.” He took off his hat, handed it to Valkyrie. She stepped back.

“Before we begin,” Skulduggery said, “can I ask what your magical ability might be?”

Lethe chuckled again. “You can ask.”

19

Lethe went at him and Skulduggery let him come.

He started with a kick that Skulduggery swayed away from. He spun with a back fist that got nowhere near. Next he sprang, twirling in the air like a Cleaver, and Skulduggery dodged back.

Valkyrie’s left shoulder was on fire. She glanced away from the fight, to Lethe’s friends. All of them, apart from Melior and the guy in the ill-fitting suit, were grinning, enjoying the spectacle as Lethe leaped and lashed out and Skulduggery just kept out of his way. It looked like it would only be a matter of time before one of Lethe’s attacks landed. They were anticipating it. This was sport to them.

But Valkyrie knew better.

Lethe was good, of that there was no doubt. As quick and agile as a Cleaver, he threw in a load of extra moves that almost caught Skulduggery out. But Skulduggery kept out of reach, watching him, observing him. Understanding him.

And then, once he’d absorbed enough information, Skulduggery acted.

He stepped inside a wild hook and flipped Lethe over his hip.

Lethe hit the ground and rolled, came up to his feet in one smooth motion. He bounced on his toes like a boxer for a moment, and moved back in again.

Skulduggery stayed where he was.

Lethe spun with a kick and Skulduggery stepped forward, tripped him, and Lethe executed a one-handed cartwheel to avoid hitting the ground a second time.

His friends cheered and clapped. They had no idea what was about to come.

Lethe changed tactics. He stopped with the spinning and the whirling, and came in straight and strong. His hands flashed. Skulduggery covered up, didn’t even try to block the strikes, but when he got close enough he reached out, grabbed Lethe and pulled him in to an elbow to the jaw.

Lethe stumbled away. His friends laughed.