Skulduggery Pleasant_ Death Bringer - Derek Landy [152]
“We’ll get you to the Sanctuary,” Valkyrie told her. “There’s a doctor there. Its name is Nye. You’re going to love it.”
Melancholia tried to rise, then laid her head back on the ground. “You know,” she murmured, “I don’t think I want to kill millions of people any more.”
“That’s good.”
“Now I only want to kill you.”
Valkyrie grinned. “Well… it’s progress, I suppose.”
“Help me up, you lazy cow.”
Valkyrie laughed again, then she saw the shadows shifting in the tunnel and her heart plummeted. She pushed herself away from the car, forced her legs to run to Melancholia, but it was too late. The darkness reared up and held her back, and Lord Vile emerged into the night.
“Skulduggery!” she cried. “Please listen to me! She’s hurt! She’s damaged! She’s not the Death Bringer any more!”
Lord Vile ignored her. Melancholia started to crawl away, and a black claw grew from Vile’s fist.
Valkyrie pushed through the darkness, went stumbling, managed to fall beside Melancholia. She grabbed her. “Kill me,” she whispered. Melancholia tried to push her away, but Valkyrie gripped her tighter. “Kill me. It’s our only chance.”
“What are you—”
With the last ounce of her strength, Valkyrie punched. It wasn’t a good punch, and it wasn’t a strong punch, but it did the job, and Melancholia’s anger flared.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she growled. Her eyes narrowed.
Valkyrie took a breath, immediately felt cold. She could sense Melancholia reaching out with her mind, using her last reserves to expand the death bubble around them both. Then the bubble retracted, and Valkyrie started to go with it, started to leave her body. As she was pulled gently closer to Melancholia, she paused a while to examine what was happening. Her body’s heartbeat slowed. Her brainwaves began to flatten. The bio-electricity in her body dampened. She was leaving her shell behind, and her thoughts were becoming clouded. She was about to lose who she was. Her identity was in her personality, and her personality rested in her body. Fascinating. The whole process was so very fascinating.
She couldn’t allow it to happen, of course. She pulled back, felt her synapses firing again, felt her heart quicken, felt her body around her. Melancholia’s eyes were closed. It was all too much for her, the poor thing. Still, she’d done her job. She’d endangered Valkyrie’s life, and awoken the beast within.
Darquesse stood up, and looked at Lord Vile. “Be honest,” she said. “You’ve been looking forward to this, haven’t you?”
Vile opened both hands, pulling shadows from the mouth of the cave. They curled and thrashed behind him, then rose in a giant wave that rolled towards her. Darquesse fell to one knee under the onslaught. It was a test. He was testing her, seeing how strong she was. When the wave was gone, she lunged. He ducked under the punch and grabbed her low, lifting her off her feet, taking her to the grass. His fists came down, battering her face. She tried to wrap her legs around his waist but his armour expanded, keeping her from locking her ankles together. His fists were hammers, driving her down into the ground, the earth giving way beneath her. An extraordinary sensation.
She reached up with one hand, her fingers gripping his armour, and she pulled him down to her as she rose up, slamming her forehead into his armour-plated face with enough force to break boulders. Vile swayed slightly and she heaved herself out of the depression she had made, flipping them both over, just like Skulduggery had taught her. Had taught Valkyrie. Whatever.
She pushed herself to her feet and kicked, her boot finding a perfect spot on Vile’s ribs. She kicked again, and again, shunting him along the ground. He tried to get up and she grabbed his head, started twisting, aiming to pull the whole thing right off. Shadows flew at her, covered her face, cutting off her oxygen. She felt Vile slip from her grip and lashed out blindly. Her left hand connected with him and the shadows went away as Vile stumbled back.
They observed each other, and Darquesse smiled,