against his belly and as she lifted she launched herself forward. Obloquy yelled as he hit the ground, Valkyrie on top, and Ryan saw her first headbutt go in before he reached the top floor and lost her to sight.
Staggering slightly, Ryan ran on, no idea where he was going or what he would do when he got there. The mall was terrifying at night. The few lights that were on cast the deepest shadows. Anyone could be hiding in those shadows.
Foe stepped out ahead of him and Ryan yelled and changed course and ran into a potted plant, tripped over it and sprawled on to the floor.
“I’d ask you to activate the Machine,” Foe said, walking up, “but I don’t have the time for an argument. So I’m going to be rude. I hope you don’t mind, me being rude. It’s nothing personal. I’m not going to kill you. Don’t think I’m going to kill you. I’m just going to cut off your hand a little bit. You might die from blood loss or trauma or shock – let’s not kid ourselves – but you will not die from me cutting off your hand. When you think about it like that, you have nothing to fear from me or my giant knife.”
Foe took a machete from his jacket.
Ryan crawled away on his hands and knees, panting too hard to get up.
“I know some people say they like the thrill of the chase,” Foe said, stepping on Ryan’s ankle and pinning it there, “but I’m not one of those people. The only thing I care about is ending this world.”
Ryan collapsed, and rolled over on to his back. “Why?” he gasped. “Why do you want to… want to kill everyone?”
Foe looked down at him, and shrugged. “Because it’s Wednesday.”
The machete swung down and Ryan screamed and Skulduggery crashed into Foe from behind. They both went stumbling off. Ryan sat up, looking at his hand, making sure it was still there. He realised he was still screaming so he stopped that and looked around. Skulduggery kicked at Foe’s knee, grabbed his head when he bent forward and cracked it against a narrow pillar. Foe staggered and swung a fist, but Skulduggery stepped inside the swing, latched on and started hitting him with elbows. It was all very violent. Ryan’s mother, if she’d existed, would not have approved.
“Skulduggery!” Valkyrie shouted from below them.
“Ryan,” Skulduggery muttered, as Foe grabbed him round the waist and slammed him back against the wall, “could you take a look and see what she’s shouting about now?”
Ryan got up, hurried to the railing, looked over. Mercy and Obloquy were down and not moving, but Valkyrie was backing away from Samuel, who was lurching towards her, bent over like he had stomach cramps.
Ryan looked back. Foe had his arm wrapped around Skulduggery’s neck from behind, and he was dragging him like he wanted to pull Skulduggery’s head from his spinal column. Skulduggery twisted but Foe adapted, turning his hold into a headlock. Skulduggery reached up, his gloved fingers digging into Foe’s eyes. Foe jerked away and lost his grip and Skulduggery pushed against him, tripping him with a sneaky sweep to the ankle. Foe went down and Skulduggery landed on top of him.
“Well?” Skulduggery asked as he pounded Foe with punches.
“Uh, I don’t know,” said Ryan. “Samuel looks like he’s about to throw up.”
Surprisingly, Skulduggery and Foe stopped fighting and they both looked over.
“He’s doubled over?” Foe asked, panting for breath.
“Yeah,” said Ryan.
Foe looked at Skulduggery, and they both stood up.
“You’re on your own,” Foe said, and ran.
Ryan frowned, looked down at Samuel again. Samuel’s moan of pain drifted up, and then suddenly it turned to a growl. Samuel straightened, digging his fingers into his shirt and ripping it open. No, not just his shirt. His skin, too. Samuel ripped his flesh and his clothes from his body, from the bone-white body that lay beneath. His hands, and even from where he stood, Ryan could see the claws on those hands, tore Samuel’s
Staggering slightly, Ryan ran on, no idea where he was going or what he would do when he got there. The mall was terrifying at night. The few lights that were on cast the deepest shadows. Anyone could be hiding in those shadows.
Foe stepped out ahead of him and Ryan yelled and changed course and ran into a potted plant, tripped over it and sprawled on to the floor.
“I’d ask you to activate the Machine,” Foe said, walking up, “but I don’t have the time for an argument. So I’m going to be rude. I hope you don’t mind, me being rude. It’s nothing personal. I’m not going to kill you. Don’t think I’m going to kill you. I’m just going to cut off your hand a little bit. You might die from blood loss or trauma or shock – let’s not kid ourselves – but you will not die from me cutting off your hand. When you think about it like that, you have nothing to fear from me or my giant knife.”
Foe took a machete from his jacket.
Ryan crawled away on his hands and knees, panting too hard to get up.
“I know some people say they like the thrill of the chase,” Foe said, stepping on Ryan’s ankle and pinning it there, “but I’m not one of those people. The only thing I care about is ending this world.”
Ryan collapsed, and rolled over on to his back. “Why?” he gasped. “Why do you want to… want to kill everyone?”
Foe looked down at him, and shrugged. “Because it’s Wednesday.”
The machete swung down and Ryan screamed and Skulduggery crashed into Foe from behind. They both went stumbling off. Ryan sat up, looking at his hand, making sure it was still there. He realised he was still screaming so he stopped that and looked around. Skulduggery kicked at Foe’s knee, grabbed his head when he bent forward and cracked it against a narrow pillar. Foe staggered and swung a fist, but Skulduggery stepped inside the swing, latched on and started hitting him with elbows. It was all very violent. Ryan’s mother, if she’d existed, would not have approved.
“Skulduggery!” Valkyrie shouted from below them.
“Ryan,” Skulduggery muttered, as Foe grabbed him round the waist and slammed him back against the wall, “could you take a look and see what she’s shouting about now?”
Ryan got up, hurried to the railing, looked over. Mercy and Obloquy were down and not moving, but Valkyrie was backing away from Samuel, who was lurching towards her, bent over like he had stomach cramps.
Ryan looked back. Foe had his arm wrapped around Skulduggery’s neck from behind, and he was dragging him like he wanted to pull Skulduggery’s head from his spinal column. Skulduggery twisted but Foe adapted, turning his hold into a headlock. Skulduggery reached up, his gloved fingers digging into Foe’s eyes. Foe jerked away and lost his grip and Skulduggery pushed against him, tripping him with a sneaky sweep to the ankle. Foe went down and Skulduggery landed on top of him.
“Well?” Skulduggery asked as he pounded Foe with punches.
“Uh, I don’t know,” said Ryan. “Samuel looks like he’s about to throw up.”
Surprisingly, Skulduggery and Foe stopped fighting and they both looked over.
“He’s doubled over?” Foe asked, panting for breath.
“Yeah,” said Ryan.
Foe looked at Skulduggery, and they both stood up.
“You’re on your own,” Foe said, and ran.
Ryan frowned, looked down at Samuel again. Samuel’s moan of pain drifted up, and then suddenly it turned to a growl. Samuel straightened, digging his fingers into his shirt and ripping it open. No, not just his shirt. His skin, too. Samuel ripped his flesh and his clothes from his body, from the bone-white body that lay beneath. His hands, and even from where he stood, Ryan could see the claws on those hands, tore Samuel’s
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