At the first sound of pain coming from her mother, Karath had sprung to her feet, gazing in horror at the scene unfolding before her. It was Skulduggery who pulled her from her frozen state. Not ever did he want to have his daughter watch her mother suffering from Serpine's red hand.

"Kara! Look at me! Look at me! Don't watch! Kara!"

In a fast swivel the girl turned to her father, wrapped her arms around his body and buried her face at his chest. Skulduggery winced and grimaced from the pain as the knife in his shoulder shifted and cut through another inch of flesh but no sound came from his mouth. His mind was dazed and blank. This was a dream, he would be waking covered in sweat and his hair sticking to his brow. He would wake. Now. Wake! But of course he did not.

Skulduggery's gaze was fixed on his wife's curled up figure on the floor, he barely registered her sobs and begs that now mingled with the screams. Something inside his head screamed at him to do something, free her, think of a master plan and get his family out of there.

Kill Serpine.

It was this thought that catapulted him back to the here and now and his eyes became dark with hatred. His features bore an expression that seemed unsure whether to settle on grim or desperate.

"Kara", he whispered and waited until his daughter looked up. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks now and her green eyes were puffy and red from crying. "Kara, darling. You have to trust me now. Pull the knife from my shoulder and cut my bonds."

The girl's eyes widened for she realized of course that drawing a knife from a body caused a lot of distress and she shook her head, hesitantly. "I can't … hurt you."

A shrill scream echoed through the hall and Skulduggery closed his eyes, feeling tears fighting their way through the lashes and a sob rose up in his throat making his voice thick. "It is the only way to save your mother. Kara, please, you have to trust me."

With a shaky hand Kara reached out to the hilt of the dagger and closed her small hand around it, while never breaking eye contact with her father. When he nodded once she slowly and carefully started to pull the blade from the shoulder.

Skulduggery wanted to scream, to yell at her to move faster but his face remained stoic and he flinched but occasionally when the pain became close to unbearable. The last thing Kara needed now was him telling her that the slower she moved, the more pain she was causing him and thus he remained quiet, swallowing even the littlest moan that threatened to come over his lips. Finally, the dagger was out and Skulduggery visibly relaxed, his breath was hitching and he had to stifle yet another moan.

Kara wrapped her arms around her father once more as if she were hiding her face from the terror behind her and shakily started to saw at the ropes.

"Serpine, stop this madness! Please!"

The screaming ceased and quiet whimpers took their place. Surprised, Serpine turned his head to his arch enemy. "So soon? I haven't even started yet."

"Let them go -"

"And have Nemesis take your place among the Dead Men? Having her leading the attacks? As much as I like seeing women in key positions, I cannot possibly do that. She shares your believes which are quite different from mine last time I checked."

"It is fine, Skulduggery", Nemesis now spoke up. She had taken the chance and gotten to her shaky legs. Skulduggery could see the pain edged in her face and the way she stooped ever so slightly showed him that she was still fighting to overcome both the physical pain as well as the Nashers. Their eyes locked and Nemesis nodded. Do everything it takes to save her. Everything, her look was telling him.

Suddenly, his suppressed magic returned like a flood might overtake a village when the dam cracks and eventually breaks. He hoped the little gasp that escaped his mouth went unnoticed by Serpine as his bonds were cut entirely.

Nemesis saw the slight change of expression in Skulduggery's face, a certain tension and determination that had begun to become more prominent among fear and hopelessness. She had no idea what he was up to or whether he had an even remotely decent plan, yet she acted fast. Hurtling at Serpine she gave Kara time to move out of the way and Skulduggery to snap his fingers and fill both his hands with furious flames.

The first fireball hit Serpine in the back and his coat took to burning. Skulduggery did not waste time drawing his arm back for another precise toss but smashed into Serpine, pressing his flaming hand into his chest. Now, his torso was blazing bright with the flames licking at the fabric of his clothes.

Skulduggery and Nemesis leaped back, warily watching the scene before them, ready to throw another fireball or swing a well aimed punch to knock Serpine out, who was staggering about the hall like a drunk candle. And then he straightened up and laughed. With a swoosh the flames died out and the patches of skin and clothes that only seconds ago had been charred and smoking, looked like no flame had ever touched them. Serpine had remained unharmed and unscathed and a broad grin appeared on his triumphant face.

"Nothing like good acting, right?" In the blink of an eye his expression changed from amused by their petty attack to downright scornful. "Did you really think you two could stand against someone like me?", Serpine shouted. "Fireballs and punches! Pathetic! I will show you what real magic is!"

A dismissive gesture of his right hand and Nemesis was sent careening back against the wall, her body smashing into it, pressing the air out of her lungs. The impact had been so hard, she couldn't have gone without bones broken.

"That has always been your weakness hasn't it? You don't kill unless it is truly necessary but let me tell you that in my case it would have saved the both of you a lot of trouble."

"We are no executioners, Serpine. You will be brought to justice but not by us; we will be the ones delivering you to the Elders", Nemesis hissed, pain showing in her features.

"And I cannot let that happen." Serpine laughed. "You should have killed me when you had the chance. Count this on you, Skulduggery and watch closely", Serpine whispered and his index finger that was still pointed at Nemesis to keep her in place against the wall described a small half circle in the air.

Nemesis' neck broke like a twig.

No. A dream. Nothing more. You will wake up and she will be lying next to you. She is safe. Kara is safe. Just a dream.

Don't be silly, a little voice spoke within him. This is no more a dream than the ongoing war outside this castle's gates. She is gone. She will never return and you know it. She is dead. Dead.

Karath's screaming and Serpine's laughing, violently pulled Skulduggery from his thoughts. His head was spinning and he had no control over his legs anymore, staggering two steps back. It was surreal how Nemesis lay there on the stone floor, her neck bending to an unnatural degree while her green eyes that had been so full of life only moments before, stared blankly at the ceiling.

Kara ran to her mother, heedless of the danger Serpine posed. However, he let her reach Nemesis and kneel beside her. Curiously he watched the girl cry silently over her mother's corpse, her slim body shaking violently from the sobs.

"Fascinating, isn't it? How emotion can mess with a person's head. But you will see, in a few days she will have forgotten her sorrow and be the same as ever. Provided, you save her of course but I am not a monster. I challenge you to a duel with blades. Fair and square, no cheating. If you beat me, you and your daughter are free to go, obviously. If I win … well, let's not get into detail."

Skulduggery slowly turned his head to Serpine and while his ashen face showed no emotion, apart from the hot tears on his cheeks, running from his burning eyes that shone with flaming hatred stirred up by sorrow. Although Serpine was physically weaker than Skulduggery, he had the audacity to challenge him to a duel with swords. What was he thinking? Did he have another ace up his sleeve? In the end it was the prospect of receiving a weapon that made him agree with the horrendous terms. When at last he spoke his voice was hoarse and barely audible. "I accept."