Skulduggery cried out as Serpine threw him backwards, crashing into Ghastly. The two smashed into the wall, and fell limp. Valkyrie turned in a full circle, taking in the hell that stood before her.
Dexter Vex and Saracen Rue lay in a crumpled heap, both unconscious after being thrown through wall, but Dexter seemed to be quickly regaining consciousness. Erskine Ravel slumped into the muddy soil around fifty miles away, covered in small cuts and bruises after Serpine had used his red right hand on him. Obviously Ghastly had been behind Skulduggery when Serpine had thrown the skeleton, and hit his head on the wall, falling unconscious; however he, like Dexter, was slowly regaining consciousness. Even as Valkyrie watched, he coughed and stirred, and Dexter blinked open his eyes, trying to get his bearings. Anton had previously been thrown through a shack, and was nowhere to be seen; Valkyrie presumed that he, too, was unconscious. She turned back to Serpine, her left fist full of shadows, her right burning with fire.
"Just you and me, pretty boy." She murmured.
"Look, Cain!" he bellowed. "All your friends have fallen. You are the last Dead Man standing. How do you feel now that none of your comrades are there to protect you?"
"Honestly?" Serpine nodded eagerly. "I'm honoured." She said sarcastically. Nefarian frowned, and tried a different approach.
"Any last words, Valkyrie?" he asked sweetly. She contemplated all the words she knew for a moment.
"You have big ears." Cain smirked and then attacked, throwing shadow daggers and balls of flames that lit up the dark sky. She didn't stand a chance.
Serpine whipped off his glove, and pointed his red right hand at her. There was nothing Valkyrie could do to stop herself convulsing in agony, her magic failed her and she arched her back as Serpine raised his hand, feeling herself float higher into the air before she was released. At quite a speed, she was flung backwards into the river behind the battlefield. As she cracked her head on a rock and fell into the cool, deep water, she noticed Nefarian disappear into thin air. Valkyrie Cain blacked out, slowly sinking to the bottom of the river.
Dexter groaned, and blinked open his eyes, scrambling off Saracen and trying to refocus his vision. He saw Valkyrie facing Serpine alone, using magic he'd never seen before. He could see Serpine whip off his glove, and Vex tried to call out, to warn Valkyrie, but his throat was dry and sore, and he couldn't form words. A smirk appeared on their opponent's face, and he seemed to be speaking to Val, before he snapped his hand, and she cried out in agony. Dexter watched as Serpine raised his hand, grinning at the Cain's pain as she arched her back and her magic failed her. Then, he dropped his hand, and Valkyrie flew across the battlefield, smashing her head against a rock in the nearby river. Dexter jumped up as his friend slipped beneath the surface of the river and Nefarian disappeared, running with a limp to the shimmering water. He saw Valkyrie black out, falling to the riverbed below, and without a second thought, jumped in after her.
Vex held his breath even though his lungs screamed for air, his blonde hair turning dark in the water. He swam further down, and grabbed Valkyrie around the waist, before manoeuvring himself around and kicking off the sand. He swam up and up, and even though the surface seemed a million miles away, didn't falter or slow down. Finally, Dexter broke the surface, gasping for air. Cain was limp in his arms, and he heaved her onto his back, swimming to the riverbank. He gently pushed her off his back and lay down next to her, still sucking in huge breaths. Valkyrie coughed up water, rolling over onto her stomach and pulling herself up onto her elbows. Dexter glanced over, seeing for the first time how badly injured she really was.
Val had definitely come out of the fight the worst, but she was still holding on. Obviously she had been tortured by Serpine, but she had also been stabbed in the stomach when jumping in front of Erskine to protect him. Her clothes were becoming darker with all the blood she was losing, and Dexter saw little bruises and scratches up her arms. It was only then that he realised she had stopped coughing up water and started coughing up blood. His friend collapsed onto the floor, unable to hold herself up on her elbows anymore.
"Shit…" Dexter murmured, crawling over to her. He shook the girl gently, but her eyes were closed as she coughed out blood again.
"Val? Valkyrie? Oh god, stay with me, please." He started to tear up. "Please." Dexter said quietly.
I can't leave them. I can't. I can hear Dexter now… he's shaking me… but oh god, I – I'm coughing up blood, I'm dying. Darquesse… help…
And why should I help you?
Valkyire called to the dark recesses of her mind desperately as she slipped into death.
"NO!" Dexter yelled. He shook Valkyrie vigorously, tears streaming down his pale face. She's stopped breathing. Her heart isn't beating anymore.
"Dexter…" Someone murmured from behind him. It was Ghastly, supporting Ravel with an arm under his shoulders. Anton stood behind them, and he supported Saracen in a similar way. Skulduggery stood alone. His head was tilted to the side, but he didn't say anything – for this was his anger, his rage.
He killed her. The skeleton thought. He killed my partner. Pleasant looked on at the scene before him. Valkyrie's limp body, her dark, wet hair sprawled across the ground, her blood staining the green grass. Dexter was shaking her, and the others looked on in sorrow.
"She didn't deserve that." Saracen muttered. "She was a good soul. The love and life of our group. Look what she did. She sacrificed herself for us." He turned away, unable to look at her body any longer. Anton placed a hand on Dexter's back, and Vex looked up at him with tears in his eyes and sorrow plastered onto his face. Sorrow and regret.
"She's not coming back." Shudder said quietly.
"I-if I had woken up sooner…" Dexter reflected.
"Dex," Erskine said weakly, "You can't blame yourself. She…" he trailed off, seeing Skulduggery turn his back on them and walk away. The others followed, and Dexter stole a last glance at her, just wishing he had been quicker, before reluctantly following the Dead Men – minus one.
"Did you… really think… you could get rid of me that easily?" a weak voice called from behind. The Dead Men whipped around, and Skulduggery was first by his partner's side, kneeling by her, holding her hand. Valkyrie chuckled and reached up, pulling his skull in for a kiss.