The human flesh he had tried to remove still clung in places to his vampire skin, and it looked raw and red and painful. His right hand was tipped with talons, but his left was human, and still had a watch strapped to its wrist. His face was the face of a man, a handsome man who now had a scar, but the fangs of a vampire had split his gums and torn his lips.
Valkyrie flexed her fingers, waited until her head was clear. Dusk wasn't moving.
She thrust her hand out and now he did move, grabbing her wrist before she had the chance to push at the air. He hauled her up and spun her around, grabbed her from behind and exposed her throat.
Valkyrie froze.
The vampire's laugh was guttural. 'I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to turn you. You will be like I am.'
She tried to speak, tried to say something, but her words had been taken from her. She felt his breath on her skin.
'Do you know who you're going to kill first, Cain?' he asked. 'Do you know who you are going to rip apart, because the bloodlust will be the only thing that matters? Your parents.'
'No,' she breathed.
'For what you've done to me, for the scar you've inflicted and the pain you're causing me right now, I'm going to make sure that when the time comes, you'll be begging me to let you kill your own parents.'
And then a voice. 'Dusk.'
The vampire turned and there was someone there, in the dark, leaping at them. Valkyrie felt an impact and fell forward. She heard the vampire hit the sand and snarl. She looked back as the two figures clashed.
The one who had saved her — she had thought it was Skulduggery but saw now that it was not —
was fast, as fast as Dusk. He wore a ragged old suit and a battered top hat.
Dusk swiped and the figure in the top hat ducked, his own fingernails raking across the vampire's belly, drawing blood.
Dusk roared in anger and the figure flipped, driving a foot into his face. Dusk dropped back, then suddenly lunged. He caught the newcomer in mid leap, taking them both into the surf. Claws slashed, and the man in the top hat cried out.
Valkyrie grabbed a stone, flat but thick, and heavy. Dusk was on his feet, above the newcomer, and Valkyrie ran at him and slammed the stone onto the back of his head. Dusk dropped slightly, and the newcomer kicked up, catching Dusk full in the face.
Valkyrie felt the air between them and she splayed both of her hands, hitting Dusk in the back and taking him off his feet. He splashed into the waves.
The newcomer suddenly sprang straight up, disappearing into the dark.
Dusk was rising out of the water, his human face contorted with hatred. His mouth, which had been tightly closed against the salt water, opened in a snarl. He couldn't see the man in the top hat, but he glared at Valkyrie and moved toward her. At the last moment he looked up, in time to see the newcomer dropping down on top of him.
The newcomer's heels slammed into Dusk's upturned face, and the vampire crumpled into the wet sand.
Valkyrie watched the man in the top hat examine his wounds and mutter.
'Is he dead?' she asked.
'Naw,' he answered, a little out of breath. 'Just sleepin'.' He spoke with a thick London accent. 'Savin' people ain't normally my thing, but I figure since he was after you, you've got somethin' to do with Vengeous, am I right?'
'Well. . . I'm trying to stop him, yes.'
'Good enough. See, they roped me into doin' 'em a favor. Didn't appreciate that. So, here I am, doin' you a favor. That big guy, the ugly one? They're keepin' him at Clearwater Hospital.
Don't know what you can do with that information, but if it messes up Sanguine's plans, then I'm happy.'
He doffed his hat to her and started to walk off.
She frowned.
'You're Springheeled Jack.'
He stopped and turned. 'Yes I am, love.'
'You're a bad guy.'
His smile was unpleasant. 'Right again.'
She stepped back. 'You're meant to be in prison. Tanith put you there.'
Jack frowned. 'You know Tanith Low?'
'Of course.'
'She's . . . she's close?'
'She's somewhere around here, yes. She's with Skulduggery.'
'Oh, bloody 'ell,' Jack said, looking around nervously. 'Oh, that's not good. 'Ave I just helped 'em?'
'I'm afraid you have.'
'Oh for . . . oh for 'eaven's sake. Well that's just . . . That's just typical, that is. Don't tell either of 'em I was here, right? I saved your neck. Literally, your neck I saved. Promise me.'
'Are you going to leave the country?'
'I'm leavin' now.'
'Then I'll tell them tomorrow. If any of us are still alive.'
'You're a right lady, you are. G'night now. And good luck.'
And with a leap and a bound, Springheeled Jack was gone.
Chapter Thirty-eight
THOSE ABOUT TO DIE...
The Earth's shadow was starting to creep across the face of the moon.
The convoy stopped on a quiet road, and engines were cut and headlights snapped off. The Cleavers jumped from the backs of the trucks, making not one sound as they lined up and waited for instruction.
Valkyrie swung her leg off Tanith's bike and took off the helmet. She was nervous. Her palms were sweating and her teeth wouldn't stop chattering.
'Feeling okay?' Tanith asked, keeping her voice low.
'I'm good,' Valkyrie lied. 'I'm grand. We're just, you know, we're about to fight a god, like.'
'Part of a god,' Tanith corrected. 'Parts of other things too.'
Valkyrie looked at her and shook her head in wonder.
'You're actually looking forward to this, aren't you?'
'Hell yeah. I mean, fighting a god, part of a god, hybrid god, whatever. As you say, this is big. This is major. I've fought all kinds over the years, but ... a god. Assuming I survive this, where do I go from here? What would top fighting a god?'
'I don't know,' Valkyrie said. 'Fighting two gods?'
The Bentley pulled up, and Skulduggery and Mr. Bliss got out. Skulduggery took off his coat and scarf and left them in the car.
Skulduggery and Bliss approached, and the Cleavers stood to attention. Valkyrie had to fight down the irrational urge to salute.
'Billy-Ray Sanguine and the Grotesquery are in a derelict hospital just north of here,'
Bliss said, addressing them all. 'The vampire known as Dusk is currently in our custody, but the whereabouts of
