Shadows only entertainment had been that screen, apart from the torture. She saw everything. She saw them figure out her location. She saw Valkyrie crying, she was crying a lot lately. She saw Skulduggery talk encouraging words to Dexter. She saw Valkyrie and Fletcher going out to eat dinner. She saw Rose Red. She watched the talk about Murder Rose. She had beaten Murder up once. It was fun. She saw Valkyrie in the infirmary resting and thinking. She read the things Valkyrie wanted to say to her parents.

It was at that stage that Shadow had started crying. She watched China be generous. She saw Valkyrie and Skulduggery. They were so go together. He almost seemed to lose his ego around Valkyrie, it was amazing to watch.

She saw Dexter pace his room, ready to go to the sanctry at any moment. She saw Skulduggery's reckless driving. She heard the angry protests. She saw the plans, the fights, the tears, the smiles, the love and friendship of her friends and she wanted nothing more than to join them.

The screen remained every moment of the day even through her torture. Mevolent seemed to be growing restless. He paced during her torture, didn't trade witty banter. He was disgruntled. That made Shadow happy. It meant that Valkyrie and the others were posing as more than a slight annoyance. That was a problem itself because Mevolent might think it worth to go after them. Shadow would kill him for it if he did. The good think was he knew it. He knew that if he dared murder one of them Shadow would be angry enough to break through the bounds torture then murder him.

On the afternoon of the sixth day of the third month after her capture Mevolent made a surprise visit. He stood in front of the cell. Shadow stirred from her slumber and sat up. She had just finished healing herself after this morning's torture. She stared at him and he stared back. Had this been another man he would be lying on the floor in the foetal position begging for forgiveness. Mevolent was not any other man.

Shadow stood. "What do you want Mevolent? I was planning on sleeping."

"I want to ask you a question."

"Sorry I'm not single."

"I don't want to date you and technically Dexter Vex never asked."

"Fine then be that way. The question still stands. Ask your question now."

"I want you to fight with me when your friends show up. I want you to kill all of them slowly and painfully. Leave them heartbroken."

"Now why on earth would I do a stupid thing like that?" Shadow asked wanting to know whatever supposed hold he had over her.

"I know your secret."

"Which secret?" Shadow sighed.

"The one about you when you were a naughty girl."

"Oh. That secret. The secret that only Skulduggery and Gordon knows. Well this changes everything."

"So you'll join me?" Mevolent asked.

"What? No. It means I have more of a reason to kill you now."

"I thought you'd see reason."

"What you tell everyone and I go to jail? You know that I could kill you in an instant. So don't threaten me. You wouldn't like to be dead now would you? You want to live. If you do then don't try my patience."

"Says the girl in the cell," Mevolent retorted slightly scared.

"If you know my secret then you know that a cell will pose no threat to me. I will be out of here in five seconds. And you can tell that it won't take much to reach it don't you? How else do you think I can heal myself without light? Your little violet shadow did something. I don't know what but it made me a bit unstable."

"You are insane."

"And now you know why your torture has no affect on me."

"You think you can get out of here do you?"

"I don't have time for your stupid little questions when the answer is obvious. Now leave me," Shadow replied and turned around showing that she was the boss here.

Mevolent didn't like that. He left though. He didn't have a choice. He had a meeting with an important person. His daughter. She had been a mistake but she didn't turn out to bad. She was the perfect little psychopath and she was of use to him now. So he took her in. He had an army to build, Fights to win and objects to take out of his storage space. He needed to make everything ready and convenient. He was so close to his goal and he'd get there with or without Shadow Irate.