of the stage.
Gruesome Krav. Murder Rose. Billy-Ray Sanguine. Jaron Gallow. Murder Rose was carrying Tanith’s sword.
“You’re part of it,” Tanith breathed.
Guild smiled at her coldly. “Part of what, Miss Low?”
He realised that she was looking beyond him, and he turned, frowning. Gallow struck him and Guild fell to his hands and knees. Murder Rose giggled and kicked him, and he slumped sideways and lay still.
“Kill them,” Gallow said.
Krav leaped on to the stage and charged, knocking Ghastly off his feet. Rose sprang at Tanith and Tanith flipped over her head, and Sanguine came at her. His straight razor missed her throat as she spun, her boot catching him in the gut.
Murder Rose whipped the sword and Tanith dodged. The red-lipped madwoman was smiling as she advanced. Tanith didn’t have time to try anything fancy – this woman was far too good.
Ghastly had slipped out of Krav’s hold and was firing punches into the grey man’s side. Tanith was about to shout a warning that his punches would have no effect, but Ghastly quickly worked that one out by himself. Krav grabbed him again.
Tanith positioned herself with her back to Sanguine and the opportunity just proved too irresistible. Still struggling for breath, he lunged for her and she twisted, caught him and sent him stumbling into Murder Rose’s path. The sword was knocked from Rose’s hand and Tanith crashed into her.
Kenspeckle ran up behind Krav and placed his glowing hands on his back. Krav jerked in surprise and an instant later he screamed and whirled in sudden pain. Kenspeckle was knocked over and Ghastly pushed at the air, hurling Krav off the stage.
Sanguine snatched Tanith’s sword from the ground and grinned, a blade now in each hand. Tanith shoved Murder Rose away from her and dodged as Sanguine swung, the steel little more than a bright blur between them. He was unused to wielding a weapon of that size, however. He swung too wide and she was on him before he could correct his mistake. Her hand closed over his as she kicked his knee, and she batted the razor away and then hammered her fist on to his forearm. His hand sprang open and she yanked her sword away from him.
“Enough,” Gallow called and immediately Sanguine withdrew. Murder Rose glared at Tanith, but she strode back the way she had come without argument. Gruesome Krav stood, snarling, and followed. He stooped to pick up Thurid Guild as he went.
“No doubt the boy has teleported to safety,” Gallow called to them from the gloom. “He probably did so the moment he sensed trouble, as we expected.”
“You’ll never catch him,” said Ghastly.
“Nor do we have any wish to try. Instead, we want him delivered to us. Give us the boy and we will return the Grand Mage to you.” He gestured to Thurid Guild’s unconscious body, held casually in Krav’s arms. “Somewhere nice and public, so you won’t make a fuss. The Liffey Bridge, at noon tomorrow. If you’re late, he’s dead.”
And then they were gone.
He was parked down the street, far enough away to be discreet yet close enough to see the door. It was a cold night and he was wearing a thick coat. He was an Elemental, and every so often there would be a flickering light in the car as he heated himself up.
“One of the Diablerie?” Valkyrie asked. They were across the road and further down, standing at the corner. The evening wind caught the rain and slipped it over Valkyrie’s collar. Water trickled down her back and she shivered.
Skulduggery didn’t seem to notice the weather. He shook his head. She wished she had a hat like his, or even one of his scarves. “That’s a Sanctuary agent,” he said. “Guild will have them watching all known associates. He’s trying to cut us off.”
“Then they’re probably watching Kenspeckle’s place too,” she said miserably. She really wanted to go somewhere warm and dry.
A car passed too close to the kerb and kicked up a large puddle. A year ago, her clothes would have protected her, but today the puddle water found its way through in a half-dozen places, and Valkyrie tightened up and barely managed not to squeal.
She glared at the car as it drove on, happy and oblivious, and turned to Skulduggery. “Just call China. Tell her to bring the Sceptre, and we’ll meet her and put the new crystal in, and then I can go somewhere to change my clothes. I’m wet and I’m freezing.”
“China’s phone will be monitored.”
“So how are we going to meet her?”
And then the Sanctuary agent started his car and pulled out sharply on to the road. They watched him speed away.
“That’s worrying,” Skulduggery mused.
“You think it’s a trap?”
“Either that or there’s an emergency somewhere in the city. Still,” he said, injecting some brightness into his voice, “you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, unless of course it’s made of wood. Let’s go.”
They hurried across the street, scanning their surroundings for any sign of an ambush. They reached the tenement building without incident and climbed the stairs. Valkyrie’s feet squelched in her boots.
They got to the third floor, where the thin man opened the door when Skulduggery knocked and beckoned them in with a movement of his eyes. The library was practically empty as they walked through its labyrinth of bookcases.
China Sorrows was waiting for them. Her dress was red silk. On the table beside her was a case made of oak. A symbol, like a shark’s tooth piercing a star, was etched into the wood.
“People are scared,” she said, in a tone that made it clear she didn’t approve. “You have every sorcerer in the country getting ready to either fight or run. It’s bad for business.”
Skulduggery nodded. “The end of the world usually is.”
“I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” China sighed, “no matter how caustic it may be. Do you have a crystal?”
“Yes, we do.”
She passed her hand over the oak case and the symbol on the wood glowed for a moment. The case clicked and opened, revealing a golden rod, held in place by silver clasps. The clasps split apart slowly and China lifted the Sceptre of the Ancients from its box.
“You’ve already removed the old crystal,” Skulduggery noted.
“I wanted to examine it. If I had known there was a chance that a single touch might have turned me to dust, I probably would have let someone else do it.”
She handed the Sceptre to Valkyrie, who took the black crystal from her pocket. She slid it into the empty slot. It was a bigger crystal than the last one though, and it was taking some effort to fix it in place.
While Valkyrie worked, Skulduggery looked at China. “You realise what this means, don’t you? We need your word that if the gateway opens, you’ll be by our side.”
“Considering the fact that, as the Sceptre’s owner, I’m the only one able to actually use it, you had better hope that I am.”
“I need a guarantee, China.”
“I don’t give guarantees. You’re just going to have to trust me. And that’s all you’re going to get.”
Valkyrie tried pushing the crystal