The sphere broke apart into a thousand tendrils and Valkyrie’s heart lurched in dreadful and sudden fear – but the tendrils flowed up under Skulduggery’s sleeve, up his arm, making his jacket bulge. They twisted at his shirt collar, curled out of his eye sockets, and then he arched his back and it was like he inhaled, and the shadows were sucked back inside his ribcage.

“See?” Valkyrie said. “Told you it’d be fine.”

Skulduggery buttoned his shirt back up. “You told me no such thing.”

“Yeah, but I thought it. How does it feel?”

He fixed his tie, and brushed lint from his lapel. “It feels …” he said, “angry.”

“Yikes.”

“It was necessary. Even if I don’t have to draw on my Necromancer power for the three tests in Meryyn ta Uul, I dare say it’ll be handy for when we go up against Darquesse. Engineer, thank you very much for your help. And your discretion.”

The Engineer bowed, and they left.

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery. “What are the chances of us just giving Ravel to Darquesse if she asks?”

“Slim. Ravel is the one thing we know she wants. Apart from that, we’re blind. We have no idea where she’s going to go or what she’s going to do because we don’t know what else is driving her.”

“I should know what she wants,” Valkyrie said. “I mean, shouldn’t I? I’m her. OK, I’m not her now, but surely I was in her mind long enough to pick up a few things. Right?”

“In theory.”

“So question me,” Valkyrie said, turning to him. “Go on. Interrogate me. I have the answer. I must have the answer. I just can’t recognise it. I don’t know what’s useful to you. Get it out of me.”

“Interesting,” Skulduggery said. “That might actually work. Very well, let’s give it a go. What does Darquesse want?”

“I have no idea,” said Valkyrie, then frowned. “That’s a terrible start.”

“It’s less than auspicious, I’m forced to admit,” Skulduggery said. “Valkyrie, Darquesse is you. She’s your dark side. Your bad mood. She’s still you, but she’s growing. Evolving.”

“Are you saying I’m not evolved?”

“She’s evolving beyond you. Into what? What is she becoming?”

“What we’ve always feared,” Valkyrie said, her voice so quiet it actually surprised her. “A god.”

“And what do gods do, given the chance?”

“They punish people.”

“Not all gods.”

“All the ones I’ve heard about,” she said. “The Faceless Ones were insane and ruthless and so mean and nasty that even though they can’t exist here in physical form, they still want to get back in just to punish us for kicking them out in the first place.”

“But Darquesse isn’t like that.”