Ravel hefted the spear and closed in. Skulduggery approached from the left. Darquesse smiled as she watched them come, moving slightly to avoid giving Saracen a clean shot.

“No you’re not,” she said. “If I surrender, you’re going to kill me immediately. I’m far too dangerous to be kept alive. Where would you put me? Not even the Cube could contain me now. No, you’re going to kill me. You just want me to make it easy on you by allowing you to get in close enough to do it. Sneaky, Skulduggery. Very sneaky.”

“Thought it was worth a try,” Skulduggery said. “I like this suit and I’d hate to see it crumpled.”

“Oh, yes, that’s the one you die in, isn’t it? In Cassandra’s vision? It’s a nice one, I have to admit. You look good in black. Dashing, even. I’m glad you didn’t try something silly like wearing the navy pinstripe. As if putting on different clothes would alter what’s going to happen. We’ve both seen it. We both know how you’re going to die. Out here, in the streets. Erskine and Saracen, though … now your deaths remain a mystery. Do I kill you here? Do I kill you now, or later? How badly injured are you? How long does it take you to die? Is it quick and merciful or slow and protracted? Questions, questions … And speaking of questions – Saracen, are you going to take this opportunity to finally tell us what your power is?”

“You’ll die wondering,” said Saracen from above.

“I like your optimism,” Darquesse responded. “But you all know I can kill you with a click of my fingers.”

“So click,” said Skulduggery.

Darquesse smiled.

Figures blurred past Valkyrie, forcing a startled cry from her lips. She hadn’t even heard them run up, and here they were, leaping off the edge of the building, diving gracefully into the square, spinning to land silently on their feet.

The vampires fell upon Darquesse. They may not have been as savagely powerful as their night-time selves, but they were strong and agile, and proved enough of a distraction to make Darquesse forget about clicking her fingers. There were twelve of them, twelve or fifteen, it was hard to count they were moving so fast. Darquesse lashed out, caught two of them by pure chance, but the others weren’t giving her time to get her bearings. She backed off, the vampires a constant whirling threat, avoiding her grabs and smacking her hands down when she raised them. Skulduggery went with them, jabbing at her with the sword whenever a space opened up.

Valkyrie’s attention was diverted by the cracks in the ground behind Darquesse, cracks that hadn’t been there a moment ago.