"I'm going to shut off the pain for two seconds," she said. "The moment it's off, you teleport us straight to the throne room or I'll kill you."

She tightened her grip on the reflection and turned off the pain. Remit took a moment to gasp, and then they were upstairs as Serpine dived at Vengeous, red hand going for his face, but Vengeous batted the hand away and flipped him over his hip.

Valkyrie turned on the pain before Remit tried anything sneaky.

Skulduggery staggered to his feet and pushed at the air. Vengeous picked up one of the unconscious Redhoods, using him as a shield, and the displaced air rippled around him.

The glass case stood open, and the Sceptre lay on the ground beside it, totally ignored by the three men fighting.

"The next time I turn off the pain," she whispered into Remit's ear, "you either teleport us out of here, to the same field as last time, or I'll have Nefarian Serpine kill you. Understand?"

He gurgled something that sounded like "yes".

She held out her hand and pulled at the air and the Sceptre flew into her grip. "Skulduggery!" she shouted.

Skulduggery was too busy getting punched by Vengeous to look around, but Serpine heard her and immediately abandoned the fight. She glared, but threw him the Sceptre to free up her hands.

She whipped the shadows at Vengeous and they struck him across the back. He whirled, eyes blazing yellow, and Valkyrie felt her body start to vibrate. The feeling vanished when Skulduggery kicked at Vengeous's knee. He cried out, stumbled, and Skulduggery took the opportunity to stagger out of his reach. Valkyrie's arm started to ache.

The door burst open, and Lord Vile and Mevolent strode in.

Vile stopped suddenly, his head tilting. Skulduggery gave him a little wave, then jumped into the air, shot like a cannonball towards Valkyrie. She turned off the pain and Remit breathed in relief.

"Teleport," she commanded. Skulduggery's gloved fingers grazed her shoulder and then she was outside, in the field, in the dark, Remit on his knees, her reflection to her right, Serpine holding the Sceptre and- "That," said Skulduggery, hovering beside her, "was very well timed." His feet touched down. "We should all be proud of our running-away skills."

"I'm very proud of mine," said Serpine, running a sleeve across his cut lip.

Valkyrie turned on the pain and Remit gagged and resumed his trembling. "My arm hurts," she told Skulduggery. "We have maybe thirty seconds." The reflection tightened her grip.

Figures detached themselves from the dark around them, China and Shudder the first to emerge from the gloom.

"Astonishing," said China. "You actually did it."

"Thanks to you," Skulduggery responded. "We're very grateful for everything you've done to help us, but you didn't have to risk coming here."

"So many fine sorcerers died in this field just twenty-four hours ago," China said. "Their blood is still fresh. It sticks to my shoes. Did you see Meritorious?"

"Yes," Valkyrie said. "He didn't want to know what the plan was, or what the plan might be. He's still alive, and he's in pretty good spirits for someone chained upside down on a wall."

China smiled. "That is good news. I'd hate for Mevolent to take his frustration out on him. He's a good man. You didn't manage to kill Mevolent, did you?"

"Sadly not," said Skulduggery.

"How unfortunate for us," China murmured. "May I see the Sceptre?"

Serpine walked over, handed her the weapon.

"Uh," Valkyrie said, "we only have a few moments."

"I know," China said, turning the Sceptre over in her hands. "Oh, it's beautiful. It's everything I thought it would be."

Skulduggery stepped forward, his hand out. "Indeed. It's just a pity it won't work here."

She nodded absently. "Not yet, anyway."

Skulduggery went for his gun but Shudder's Gist burst screaming from his chest and slammed into him. Skulduggery rolled and Valkyrie grasped the shadows out of sheer instinct, but the reflection put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. China hadn't taken her eyes off the Sceptre, but the sorcerers around her were powered up and ready to attack. Even Serpine stood there with his arm outstretched, his red right hand flexing. Valkyrie let the shadows dissipate, and raised her hands in surrender.

Skulduggery got to his feet. The Gist snarled and snapped at the air above him, but he ignored it and focused his attention on China. "While Mevolent lives that thing is useless."

"Mevolent won't be alive for ever," she responded, finally raising her blue, blue eyes, "especially now that he doesn't have his favourite toy. And once he's dead and I take over, no one is going to argue with the lady who wields the Sceptre."

The world flickered. "Skulduggery," Valkyrie said, gripping the reflection's good hand.

He hesitated. "China, we need that Sceptre. We'll bring it back once it's done."

"And that is something I just can't risk."

"Skulduggery!"

Skulduggery's whole body was rigid as he stalked over to Valkyrie. The world flickered again, and again, and he put a hand on her arm.

"Don't come back here," China said. "If we ever see you again, we'll kill you."

And then China and the others were gone, and Valkyrie was standing in the field in her own reality, with Skulduggery and her reflection on either side of her.

"Damn that woman," Skulduggery said softly.

or the first time in weeks, Kitana was scared.

She'd left Doran to play his video game and went flying, searching for Sean and trusting her gut to lead her in the right direction. Doran's blunted stupidity was starting to eat away at her patience. Sean, at least, had a mind of his own. She'd flown above the clouds, feeling herself get closer and closer. She'd eventually come to a small town in the middle of nowhere behind a stagnant lake and some dead trees, and landed on the hill overlooking the whole place. At the edge of this town there was a low, circular building. She had felt him. He was in there, somewhere. And so was Elsie. Kitana had felt her presence, and her mouth had twisted. Stupid, fat, ugly Elsie. Always there. Always hanging around, trotting after them ever since they were kids, impossible to get rid of. Like a bad smell.

She had been standing here, on this hill, when the four people in robes came into view, hovering in the air above the entrance to the circular building. Kitana knew who they were. Not their names. She didn't know their names, or anything about their lives. But she'd recognised a part that she shared with them. These people had been visited by Argeddion, just like she had.

And then a few moments later, the doors had opened and he came out. Argeddion.

She'd known it was him even though she was much too far away to make out his face. His presence was undeniable. There were some people behind him. She sensed Elsie, but gladly ignored her. Her focus was on Argeddion as he had lifted into the air, surrounded by the four sorcerers. She smiled, delighted.

And then these little balls of light had shot out of them, into Argeddion, and by the way the sorcerers fell she knew they were dead before they hit the ground.

Kitana had stared. No. This didn't make any sense. She'd ducked down in case Argeddion saw her. She didn't want him to see her. She didn't want him to do to her what he had done to them. She'd flown off, as fast as she could, convinced he was after her. But every time she looked back all she saw was empty sky.

She spent hours in the sky, exhausting herself. Finally, she returned to the house they were staying at. She hesitated before opening the door, terrified of finding Argeddion standing there, waiting for her.

Instead, she found Doran, still playing that ridiculous video game.

She told him what had happened and finally sat.

"He killed them," she said. "He killed them like they were nothing. They were floating in the air and then... boom."

Doran's eyes widened. "They exploded?"

"No, you idiot. They dropped dead."

Doran shrugged. "It'd have been better if they exploded."

"Oh my God, can you please have one single thought occur to you? He killed them. He didn't even have to wave a magic wand they fell out of the air dead. It was no effort to him. He can kill us the same way."

"Why would he want to?"

"Because once his experiment is over, he's not going to need us any more. He'll kill us and we won't stand a chance."

"Argeddion wouldn't kill us. He made us like this. You heard what he called us. His children. He wouldn't kill his children."

"He didn't call us his children, he just called us children. He's not on our side, Doran. The only people on our side are us."

He blinked dumbly. "So, like, what do we do?"

"We're going to have to kill him."

"How?"

"How do you think, genius? With the magic he gave us. We're going to catch him by surprise, throw everything we have at him, and then we're going to tear him apart."

"You make it sound easy."

"Because it will be. If there's anyone he's going to let his guard down around, it's us. We owe him everything. He'll never expect it."

"Can... can I finish my game?"

Kitana looked at him, looked at his big stupid face and suddenly longed for Sean's company. "Sure," she said. "You can finish your game."

Doran breathed in relief, and resumed playing. She thought about burying her fist in his head, but forced herself to walk into the other room. Moron. Moron. She needed Sean now more than ever, needed his sensitivity to balance out Doran's dull thuggery.

And then Sean stumbled in through the back door. He stared at her, like he couldn't believe he'd found her.

"About time you got here," she told him. "We've got a mission. We're going to kill Argeddion. You in?"

"I... Kitana, I just escaped from a cell, I don't know if I'm-"

She glared at him. "Dammit, Sean, stop your whining. We can't put this off because we don't know how long we have left. We're going to kill him and we're going to kill him as soon as possible. And if your sensitive little soul can't handle that-"

"I can handle it," Sean said defensively.

Kitana gave him a smile. "I knew I could count on you."

kulduggery used the air to lift the reflection up to the bedroom window, and Valkyrie guided it in from inside. It sagged and she grabbed it, kept it standing.

"Sorry," it mumbled.

She waved to Skulduggery and he headed back to wait in the car. She helped the reflection over to the mirror, but it hesitated. She realised it wanted to stand by itself so she let it.

"I want to thank you," it said, "for coming back for me."

Valkyrie didn't answer.

"A lot of people wouldn't have bothered. They wouldn't have risked it. They would have just left me down there. I'm glad you didn't. I'm glad you saved me."

Saved it? It stood before her beaten and mutilated. "It's my fault," Valkyrie said. "I should have stayed with you. I should have kept out of trouble, like you said. If I'd have done that, none of this would have happened."

The reflection shook its head. "You came back for me. That's what matters."

"They tortured you."

"And if you give me your permission, I'll block that out." It looked at her with its one eye. "Believe me, Valkyrie, you don't want these memories..."

Valkyrie swallowed. "Thank you."

"Thank you. I just... I needed to say that now. That's all."

It stepped into the mirror and Valkyrie tapped the glass, and all the injuries and blood went away and she looked at herself while the memories settled. She remembered reaching for the reflection in the field while people died around her, and she remembered being the reflection, reaching for Valkyrie. And then she watched herself disappear, and she was hauled to her feet, herded into the Barge with all the other prisoners, and then it went blank.

She realised she was shaking.

Her mum was making toast for Alice when Valkyrie walked in, and Alice herself was sitting on the floor, grinning. Valkyrie scooped her up. "Good morning," she said, and Alice giggled.

Her mother turned. She looked surprised and... something. Something else. "I didn't hear you come home. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," Valkyrie said, "it was fun. Didn't get much studying done, though."

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about that. You work too hard as it is."

"I am a hard worker," said Valkyrie, frowning slightly. "Everything OK?"

"Yes. Everything's fine. I mean..." Her mother hesitated, then turned fully and gave a sad smile. "I lost my job."

"What? Mum..."

"It's OK, it's OK. I knew it was coming, I suppose. We all did. Bank branches are closing down all over the country so it was really only a matter of time before it hit us. It's worse for the others. At least Des has the company, and I was down to three days a week anyway to look after the little Miss here..."

"And we have all of Gordon's money," Valkyrie reminded her.

Her mother shook her head. "That's yours. He left it to you."

"Yeah, but it's yours, too."

Her mum turned, spread butter on the toast. "Nope, that's not how it works."

Valkyrie laughed. "Of course that's how it works. He didn't just leave it to me, he left it to all of us. I don't care that my name was the only name on the piece of paper. All his royalties and stuff are ours, not mine."