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Back The Dying of the Light Save as PDF
Chapters (115)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Table of 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. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. Also by Derek Landy
  115. About the Publisher

Thought this whole thing was in the past, did you? This little voice in your head? You thought just because Darquesse was gone you were alone in here? Or maybe you thought she left and took all your badness with her.

Seriously?

That’s what you thought?

If she did take all your badness with her, then why the hell are you doing what you’re about to do?

Valkyrie stuffed some leaves in her mouth, chewing quickly, forcing herself to swallow. The pain in her hand lessened. She used her torn, dirty, bloody T-shirt to wipe her eyes and nose.

filthy dirty filthy dirty filthy dirty filthy

She took the Sunburst from her pocket, laid it carefully on the table. Then she took the Sceptre from the bag, and put it beside it.

Tell her you love her. Go on. Tell her.

“I love you,” Valkyrie said.

Hypocrite.

“I love you, Alice. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. What I’m … what I’m about to do, it … it kills me.”

Yeah?

Not as much as it’s going to kill her.

With her left forefinger – broken and crooked – she pressed down on the sigil on the back of the gauntlet. Gritting her teeth, she dragged her finger clockwise, and the sigil lit up.

Then she held her right hand over Alice’s little body.

She realised she was speaking, repeating I’m so sorry so fast it almost became one long word.

She had to do it. She could not think of anything else to do. Darquesse needed to be stopped. Skulduggery’s plan was too uncertain. The Sceptre was the only thing that was guaranteed to work.

So do it. Kill her. Kill your sister.

Alice babbled away in her own private baby language, her bout of crying completely forgotten. She blinked up at Valkyrie and smiled, showing dimples. The most beautiful child in the world. She reached for the gauntlet and Valkyrie snatched her hand away instinctively.

“No touch!” Valkyrie heard herself say.

Somewhere in her mind, she heard mocking laughter.

She lowered her hand again.

“I love you,” she said, and pressed her finger to Alice’s forehead.

91

There was a crack, and her heart lurched as her baby sister went limp. Valkyrie’s mind turned to ice. She almost ripped the gauntlet off without deactivating it. She pressed her broken finger into the sigil until it stopped glowing, then dropped the gauntlet on to the table and grabbed the Sceptre.

Her powers were acting up again. She saw the Sceptre anew. She saw the magic inside it suddenly churn as it recognised its new mistress.

Then she dropped it, grabbed the Sunburst star and pressed it to Alice’s chest.

“Please work please work please work please—”

The star gave a little beep as a pulse went through Alice’s body.

And nothing happened.

“NO!” Valkyrie screamed. “NO! PLEASE!”