This was ridiculous. Sitting round a table, holding hands, staring into a flickering candle. This was a bad seance in a bad TV show. She had Skulduggery on one side and Cassandra on the other, and across from her was the placid face of Finbar Wrong.

She wondered how long they’d have to sit like this.

After a few minutes, Finbar’s chin dropped to his chest. He was asleep. Again.

Stephanie bit back the ridicule. If she said something and interrupted whatever the hell was happening, they’d probably have to start again. The best thing she could do was wait until everyone else at this table realised the stupidity of what they were—

“Valkyrie?” said Cassandra. “Can you hear me?”

Stephanie took a cautious look around. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Valkyrie’s ghost to appear, perhaps?

“Valkyrie,” Cassandra said again. “If you can hear me, give me a sign.”

Nothing. No ghost. No lightning strike. The candle didn’t blow out. Not one thing. Just as she’d thought.

“I can hear you,” Finbar mumbled, without raising his head.

Stephanie frowned. She was about to point out that Cassandra wasn’t talking to him when he muttered something else, then said, “Skulduggery? Where’s Skulduggery?”

“I’m here,” Skulduggery said. “I was beginning to think you were lost to us.”

Finbar’s mouth twitched into a brief smile. “Sorry. You’re not going to get rid of me so easily.”

Stephanie’s eyes widened. No way.

“Valkyrie, what can you tell us about where you are?” Cassandra asked.

“It … it’s dark here,” Finbar said. “Cold. Finbar is like … his mind is at the far end of a bridge, and you’re just beyond that. You’re this dim light …”

“Do you know where you are physically?” Skulduggery asked. “Where is Darquesse right now? What’s she doing?”

Finbar’s frown deepened. “Experimenting,” he said. “Experimenting with magic. Expanding her abilities. When she’s like this, I can … I can talk, and she won’t notice.”

“Hold on there,” Stephanie said. “Wait a second. How can we be sure that you’re really Valkyrie?”

“You don’t get to speak to me,” Finbar said, his voice sharpening. “Last time I saw you, you tried to kill me. Skulduggery, why is she here?”

“Stephanie’s helping,” Skulduggery said.

“You can’t trust her.”

“He can’t trust you,” said Stephanie, the anger rising.

Finbar pointed a finger straight into Stephanie’s face. “Shut. Up.” His arm collapsed back on to the table. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll deal with her when I’m back in control. So how do I do that?”

Cassandra sat forward. “Valkyrie, we’re going to need you to focus.”

“I’m focused.”

“Not now. We need you to prepare yourself, psychically, for what we have to do.”

“Uh,” said Finbar, “how do I do that?”