The sorcerers threw everything they had at Darquesse, and Darquesse killed every last one of them.

But that wasn't strictly true, was it?

Skulduggery Pleasant walked through the mess of blood and body parts, his hands in his pockets, whistling The Girl From Ipanema. That had always been one of his favourites. He got about two metres away, and stopped.

"Valkyrie," he started.

"Wrong," she said, in a bored tone. This wasn't boring of course. She was going to kill Valkyrie's partner. Technically he was more than a partner, to Valkyrie anyway. She didn't know what he thought of that… idea.

"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Valkyrie."

"That's not possible. Valkyrie's busy."

"And what is she doing?"

"She's busy killing all of these people."

"No. You did that, not her."

"Wrong, again. We're the same person. Valkyrie is doing all of this just as much as I am. What do you think of that, Skully?"

"It's Skulduggery."

"Nope, Skully just sounds better, you know?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you, Darquesse."

"That's not a very good plan, Skully."

"Why is it not a very good plan?"

"Because I don't like people who disagree with me. And I kill people who I don't like."

Skulduggery sighed. "You won't be killing me."

"Why not?"

"Because Valkyrie is still there. She won't let you."

Darquesse laughed loudly. The sound echoed. "You say that like I need her permission."

"Of course you don't. But, while Valkyrie is still inside you, you can't kill me."

"I'm afraid I still don't understand."

"The thing is Darquesse, Valkyrie doesn't know these people. They don't mean anything to her. So while she may not like it, she can't actually do anything to stop you from killing them."

"But with you it's different, yes?"

"I'm glad you're seeing my point."

"I'm really not. So, you mean more than these people? Lovely. Valkyrie still can't stop me."

"Indeed. However, as much as you don't show it – you might not even realise it – I have just as much a meaning to you as I do to Valkyrie," he said smugly.

Darquesse's stomach fluttered. "That's the most ridiculous thing that anyone has ever said to me."

"It's not though, is it?"

"Want a bet?"

"Not particularly."

"Well there you go."

She raised her hand, ready to push at the air, knock his skull from his head, but found that she couldn't. He was right, goddammit.

"See?"

She glared at him. "Why are you so annoying?"

Skulduggery chuckled. He actually chuckled. "There you are, Valkyrie."

"Still Darquesse."

"But Valkyrie's poking through now, isn't she? She's getting harder to control."

"No."

"Right. I believe you."

She continued to glare. Skulduggery stepped towards her. She panicked. "Stop!"

He cocked his head at her. "Are you scared of me?"

"No."

"I think you're scared that I'll bring Valkyrie back. You should be, Darquesse."

Darquesse laughed. "Right! You're not getting Valkyrie back, Skulduggery, sorry to disappoint." She strode towards him, readying her magic to blast it through his skull. He just stood there, looking at her.

Then Skulduggery moved.

But instead of revealing a weapon, or even running, he tapped the symbols etched onto his collarbone. A false face flowed up over his skull. A pretty good one, all things considered.

Not as good as the skeleton though,she thought. Darquesse smirked as she felt Valkyrie fighting to get out.

The same high cheekbones, the same square jawline. Brown eyes, messy hair, late twentys. Nice, but not nice enough to be noticed while walking down the street. The perfect disguise. She paused two steps away from him.

"What are you doing?" asked Darquesse. He took another step forward.

"I'm getting Valkyrie back."

"Well you're not doing a very good-"

Skulduggery kissed her.

And Valkyrie kissed him back.

Explosions went off in her head, and her stomach did somersaults. She could feel Darquesse inside her, smirking. She shut that off, and concentrated on the one thing she had been hoping for for a decade.

They broke apart and Valkyrie smiled. Her eyes were watering, but she didn't care. Heck, she didn't even think about the tons of people she'd killed. "That was a nice plan."

"Oh, it wasn't a plan. I thought of it in the few seconds before you presumably were going to rip my head off."

"That was Darquesse."

"Right, sorry. I thought of it in the few seconds that Darquesse was about to rip my head off."

She laughed. "That's much better." Valkyrie felt a tear roll down her cheek and Skulduggery wiped it away.

"Are you okay?" he asked, serious now.

"I'm fine, I'm grand, and it's just, you know, we're standing in the middle of a slasher film." Valkyrie paused. "But much worse." She paused again. "And I'm the slasher."

"That was Darquesse."

She tilted her head – a habit she'd picked up off of him. "Are you using my words against me?"

"No, then it would be you who was ripping my head off."

"Point taken."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"You don't have to be okay with it."

"Right."

"And if I say this, and you don't agree, then-"

Valkyrie laughed. "I love you too."

"Oh. Good."

They stood in silence for a minute, then Valkyrie asked a question.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

"About me loving you?"

"Yeah."

"Years now."

"Hm. Me too, when you think about it. I wonder how we didn't see it."

"I know."

"Tanith had mentioned it a few times, but I didn't really believe her."

He nodded. "I think we should go. We're standing next to a pile of… dead bodies and you're covered in blood."

"Yeah."

They walked to the Bentley.