“I am the Death Bringer,” Melancholia continued. “I am the ultimate Necromancer. Who are you? You’re Valkyrie Cain’s dark side in the body of her reflection. You’re nothing but a collection of spare parts. And they were all scared of you? Really?” Melancholia laughed. Her eyes were black, and black steam rose off her. “It’s me they should have been afraid of. You thought you were a god? Maybe you are. But even gods can die. And I? I am death.”

“Melancholia,” Valkyrie said.

Melancholia looked up, blinking those black eyes. “Valkyrie,” she said, sounding dazed. She sharpened. “Yes. Sorry. Getting carried away with the whole power thing. Are my eyes black? They feel black.”

“They’re black.”

“Cool.” Melancholia glanced at Vile. “Let’s do what we came here to do.”

Their shadows moved like a thousand tiny snakes, burrowing slowly into Darquesse’s body. Darquesse screamed as blood ran. This time there would be no healing. This time there would be no surviving. They were going to kill her slowly, and make sure there was not even a sliver of life left behind.

Valkyrie’s hands started to tingle. She unzipped her jacket, pulled it halfway down her arm. The tattoo was pulsing. Not long now. She could almost feel her invulnerability about to slip away. It didn’t matter. Darquesse was done. Defeated. All they needed was another few seconds and then those shadows would split her apart, and it’d all be over.

Darquesse clasped her hands before her. Vile and Melancholia didn’t notice. Darquesse’s arms started to tremble. Silver light spilled from between her fingers.

Very, very bright light.

Valkyrie ran forward. “Stop her!” she screamed. “Don’t let her—”

But it was too late.

Darquesse opened her hands.

78

The silver light exploded outwards and consumed the world.

79

It swallowed Vile and Melancholia.

80

a deafening rush of air

the world filled with fragments

bricks and masonry

and glass and

wood and metal

Valkyrie thrown

tossed

and

spun

buildings torn down.

folded

like

paper.

streets cr         d.

um   e

pl

lamp posts snap

p

e

d

81

And then everything was silent.

82

There was a wind.

Valkyrie didn’t know where it had come from. Just a moment ago it had been a still day.

A moment?

A minute?

An hour?

But now there was a wind, a strong wind, catching the clouds of dust and spinning them into little tornadoes.

She turned over

83

on to her back. Dust in her eyes. Dust in her mouth.