A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Skulduggery, Erskine, Wreath, Billy-Ray, Finbar, Ghastly or Argeddion. Thanks go out to ANNIE for reviewing. This chapter gets a little dark, so hang in there!

I turned to look at Death. My Death. "But he can't do that, can he? He can't just make them make you go away, can he?" I asked and the look of loving fondness that passed over her skeletal features broke my heart. She touched my face then laid her hand gently over my heart. "I will always be with you, dear one. Always."

"I don't understand."

"If we are separated, ever, look in your heart to find me. If you truly need me, then look in my heart and you will find me. We'll never truly be separated, no matter what he does."

"Is that what you think?" My head whipped towards the giant viewing screen.

Every screen in the room had Argeddion's smiling face on it. The terrible thing was, he didn't look evil. If anything a lulling sense of benevolence and security flooded me the moment I saw him. "Hello, my dear." He said, locking eyes with me. "It's a pity you lost your full powers when you've at last learned to use them for good."

I just stared and nodded. Anything he said sounded fine with me and as much as I loved my Death, as much as I knew something would go horribly wrong with his plan, I didn't resist as the picture seemed to flicker. How could I? Darquesse would have destroyed him to save the world, but I just watched, helpless.

"I know you agree with me, even as Darquesse you would have. Didn't you try to grant immortality yourself? I'm just strong enough to do it."Argeddion's gaze shifted away from me and his smile broadened. "I am now addressing the entire world, on every screen available. I bring you good tidings and a chance to step forward as a planet. Can you imagine a world with no death? Picture it, my friends, young and healthy forever."

An ad of all things came on, with Argeddion's soothing voice speaking over a touching scene. Against the backdrop of a park a little boy ran for his grandmother, and just as he reached her loving embrace she vanished from the screen. "Is death really inevitable?" He asked. "Do we really need to loose those we love or can we stay with them forever, just as we are now?"

"You're halting the aging process? How?" Death asked, clearly vexed but he went on as if he hadn't heard her and I was sure he had.

"Recently some terrible statues and things arrived." The statues of Death, so beautiful to people just a few days ago appeared on the screen with ominous music to underscore them. I gritted my teeth, wanting to scream in frustration as he went on. "Such ugly statues, such hideous tributes to the final triumph of death over us all."

"Looks like Death didn't do you any harm. How about giving the rest of us the right to choose at least? It ever occur to you that we might not all want to live forever?" Billy-Ray snarled as he and Calamity jeered in response and it shook me free of my trace.

"So you can stop disease now, can you? Listen to yourself, Argeddion! You're not God, no one is! Yes, I tried to help my friends and family, but I realize now how hideous a mistake it would have been. We aren't meant to live forever. Knowing it ends is what gives life meaning and makes it such a precious gift." But he droned on about the wonders of eternal life and good health until the power to the screen was cut and Erskine gathered us all around him tensely.

"I don't know what plan the fool has, but we fight back. I never majored in science but even I know we need death on a daily basis. Cells die in us, diseases too." Death nodded. "Unless that's too small to be your department?" He asked flicking a questioning glance to her.

"No, I handle it all. This has happened before. Life can make a grim parody of my functions, but they will give you several weeks at most. I'm more worried about the first victims of violence, those fighting in wars, those praying to die so that their suffering ends."

"Can't you cheat? Take them early?" Erksine pleaded and she shook her head sadly.

"No. You may put the screens back on, I can already feel my power in this world fading. It's starting. The others see me as evil." We did as she asked and Argeddion turned his attention back to me. I could only wonder who the others were and what right they felt they had to take her away.

"There you are. I could still see and hear you, you know. Valkyrie, my dear, I am the one trying to help you. I feel nothing but love for you and all of humanity." The terrible thing was, he wasn't lying. "Skulduggery being a good husband and your unique family aside, how can you let the repulsive and evil creature anywhere near you?" He asked. "Can't you see that she is tricking you? She's evil, pure evil."

"I don't believe you."

"Really? You fear her, don't you? That's proof enough." He asked and my stomach flipped. I wanted to say that a healthy fear of death kept us from dancing in traffic. But was it death we feared? Or the pain of an accident, and a fear, deep down, that we might not die? That there would be no escape from the pain, ever, and if he has his way there wouldn't be. I realized then I had to speak up for her.

"No, I don't fear her." I said, and he looked shocked. "Do I want to die? Of course not. But we have to die, Argeddion. If nothing else then to make room for those who come after us. How can you expect people to do anything but curse you when they can't die? What happens when food runs out as it will? And water?"

"You're misguided. But I'll still save you. And I repeat: you fear her."

"No, I respect her. And I love her." I put an arm around Death. "Do you think if she wanted to she couldn't take me right this second? She couldn't take you or anyone? But she has perfect timing and she's part of a bigger picture we can't see. I know you mean well, you always have but I'm begging you to think this through. You aren't going to get the paradise you are hoping for, only God can do that."

"I'm your salvation." He said and then the screen went black.

Death had rules, and even she had to follow them. Although Argeddion had wormed his way to Life's side and presented his case, she couldn't tell us how to get there. We had to figure it out on or own. And several days after his appearance, she was gone. The statues and art remained, but Death herself was gone.

And everyone around the world celebrated. We knew from Death talking to us we'd have a little window of time before her hold was broken completely. A few days, a week at most to reach Life and convince him, her or they that a terrible mistake had been made. And we had no idea how.

We were sitting in a café, really having nothing we could do except go into the Sanctuary eventually, when a man dressed in black approached us, carrying his ever present cane. I smiled to see Wreath and stood up to hug him. "You're back! But how?"

Wreath sat down shakily as if the lack of Necromancer energy in the world had weakened him. "I don't know, to be honest, and it seems I arrived back to bedlam."

Skulduggery nodded his agreement. "There's no use listening to the radio anymore. If it isn't one of Argeddion's motivational speeches about loving one another, it's this." He gestured at the speakers on the outside of the café and we all winced.

Music had stopped being played days ago, replaced by endless talk shows and people just fought over whether the absence of death was a sign from some Divinity of the end of the world or not. I listened idly as the sides tore into one another and smiled bitterly. I had a sinking feeling the dead wouldn't be rising up and joining us, and worse still, I didn't feel well.

Neither did Skulduggery. He looked every day of his centuries and he was slower and slower to get up in the mornings. It was as if his soul were taking tiny test flights and it killed me to see my husband wearing out, becoming weak, but he rallied and put on a brave face as we all stared listlessly into our cups. "Come on." He said over his coffee. "Cheer up, Valkyrie. The kids can honeymoon forever now. They seem to be fine."

I nodded glumly. They were fine. They were from both of us and closer to real life than Skulduggery. "And the Necromancers are back, yay." I said feebly and we exchanged weary smiles with Wreath.

"Necromancers, of course, want to save the world, and this time we'll have to do it with you by our side." He replied and I hoped we wouldn't be too late.

At the Sanctuary Skulduggery paced as Wreath looked on in concern. "Death told you she is everywhere, but Life is with us as well." Skulduggery said as he stopped pacing. "Is that true? Are you here, listening? Surely you can see this is wrong?" He asked as he leaned suddenly against the wall wearily, but no response came. Wreath helped him to a chair, murmuring his agreement that a search to find Life was our only solution. Death after all had been spirited away and we had no way to find her.

Sensitives were sent for and Finbar did his best but if Life was anywhere it wasn't where he could be found. "Sorry." He apologized. "I can sense there are people around the world, searching. Not many, that's true, but they are looking for a way to reach Life or Argeddion. Who, despite his radio talks and his appearances on TV is proving impossible to find. It's like neither one is part of this plane anymore, you know?"

"What about Death?" Wreath asked and Finbar just shrugged unhappily.

"I know he meant well, but I also know he couldn't see the terrible harm that would come out of his plan. And the bad thing is, to be honest, the future's a total blank." We all shivered in response. Finbar and the others were thanked for coming then were home to their families fearing the worst.

"Hey, maybe he can make people stop fighting." Erskine tried.

Ghastly sighted. "That I can still disagree with you proves he can't. People aren't going to stop fighting or going to war. It is part of human nature to be willing to fight for those we love. But he was convinced he could change human nature by taking away the threat of death and as powerful as he is, he can't."

We drove home in weary silence and I idly parked myself in front of the TV. I had hardly eaten since Death had went away, I couldn't. I knew the nightmare the world would spin into and without being able to go Darquesse I could do nothing about it. And, shortly after her disappearance Lord Vile and all other Necromancers found themselves helpless. Instead of one final stand with the dead at our side as she'd promised all the death energy was leaving the planet.

And as nature hates a void the overbalance was already showing. Plants growing out of control, patients failing to respond to treatments to halt diseases. For every good thing people thought they were getting new nightmares were spilling into the world at a terrifying rate. Disturbing news reports about a final solution that would vaporize people in need of a merciful end were going on, I watched the screen as one scientist stared at a doctor in horror. "We don't know whether or not it would work. Without death would they die or would the helpless victims would still be alive and aware, spread out into atoms or not?"

Skulduggery came in with coffee and sat wearily beside me. "I tried, Valkyrie, but I couldn't find my way back to the land of the dead, none of us could. Even vampires and zombies tried to help."

I looked at him sharply. "I didn't want you to know in case we failed or got trapped on the other side but I've been taking teams out. Ghosts were sought but those with us are trapped here with us forever."

"We have to keep trying." I said but after a fruitless search of yet another graveyard for any energy with a group of Necromancers who were desperately trying to help I sat down against a tombstone with a sigh. "This is it, then. We live forever, and it goes on forever and we'll never be released from our suffering. What about the first car crashes, Skulduggery? What about war?"

Wreath sat down to my other side wearily. He no longer had the energy to fight with Skulduggery. "Haven't you heard the grand news? Argeddion has global peace talks underway." He said grimly.

Skulduggery sighed in response. "Even if he makes a perfect world where nothing can go wrong and nothing bad happens, we all heard Death. Life can only keep up his charade at her natural processes so long. We have to rescue her, as absurd as that sounds, but how?"

Wreath shrugged. I thought of something. Something so stupid it might actually work. "Doesn't anyone remember what she said?" I asked, jumping up excitedly. Wreath stared blankly, they all did. "About being in our hearts. About looking in hers."

"I doubt she meant it literally." Skulduggery pointed out faintly.

"No. Remember we all kept wondering why all the gifts? There must be something in the heart of them. It can't hurt to try." And try we did. Skulduggery sped us home, glancing at me hopefully.

"I hope you're right. I don't think I or the others have much longer." He said and I nodded grimly. Anything not purely alive was fading. Dying in a world without Death as Life overbalanced everything. Skulduggery barely managed to make it home and I had to drag him the rest of the way in. I set him down on a kitchen chair gently and he collapsed forward, his bones separating and his skull falling from the top of his spinal colum. I stared at my husband too shocked to scream. This time he really was dead, and there would be no getting him back.

Well, is it the end for Skulduggery and the world? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.