'How dramatic,' Serpine said, and raised his hand. Stephanie saw the Book lift off its pedestal and hover there for a moment; then he grunted impatiently and let it drop again.
'I told you, that's not going to work!' Tome said. 'It's how close you are to getting it. It doesn't have to be physically close; it isn't a physical barrier. It's a mental barrier!'
Stephanie held her breath. She was behind the pillar next to them. Serpine's voice was so close, he could have been speaking right into her ear. 'So with you, the final Elder, remaining, the barrier isn't sufficiently weakened to let me through, is that right?'
'Yes, but that's not my fault! I did what I could!'
'Yes you did, yes you did. And now there's one more thing you can do to help solve this little problem.'
'What are you talking about?' Tome asked, and then his tone changed suddenly, became afraid.
'What are you doing? Point that thing somewhere else, Serpine. I'm warning you, point that —
'
There was a black flash, and silence.
After a moment, she heard Serpine's footsteps move off again, and Stephanie took a peek. He was walking slowly, concentrating on the Book, his back to her.
This was the only chance she was going to get.
She crept out from behind the pillar, ignoring the fresh pile of dust at her feet. There was no way she could close the distance without giving herself away. He'd hear her, sense her, whatever. But he was holding the Scepter in his hand so loosely. ...
Stephanie narrowed her eyes and stepped forward.
He had heard her and was turning, but she didn't care. The Scepter was coming up, the black crystal starting to glow. She flexed her fingers and splayed her hand, snapping her palm and pushing at the air, and the space around her hand rippled and the Scepter flew from Serpine's grasp — flew away from them both and hit the far wall.
Serpine hissed in anger and turned. They heard the Scepter start to sing as Skulduggery sprinted. He dived into the air, and the space around him shimmered and he shot forward. He crashed into Serpine, taking him off his feet.
They hit the pedestal and it toppled, the Book falling as they sprawled onto the ground.
Skulduggery was the first to stand, and he hauled Serpine up, shoved him against a pillar, and fired off a punch that jerked his head back. '
Serpine lunged, but Skulduggery snagged his wrist and stepped in and then under the arm. He turned and wrenched, and Serpine yelled in pain as a loud crack echoed through the chamber.
Serpine tried gathering purple vapor in his hand, but Skulduggery batted the hand away and chopped into the side of his neck. Serpine gagged and dropped back, and Skulduggery kicked his legs out from under him.
'You never could fight worth a damn,' Skulduggery said, standing over him. 'But then, you didn't need to, did you? Not when you had lackeys to do the fighting for you. Where are your lackeys now, Nefarian?'
'I don't need them,' Serpine muttered. 'I don't need anyone. I'll crush you myself. Grind your bones to dust.'
Skulduggery tilted his head. 'Unless you've got an army tucked away in that fancy coat of yours, I sincerely doubt it.'
Serpine scrambled up and rushed at him, but Skulduggery drove in a kick and brought his closed fist down onto his shoulder, and Serpine fell to his knees.
Stephanie had to get to the Scepter before Serpine recovered. She was pushing herself off the ground when she realized that the Book of Names was lying open right beside her. She glanced at the pages, and the columns of names started to rearrange themselves before her eyes. She saw her own name written there, but she looked up when she heard Skulduggery grunt.
Serpine was on his knees, but his lips were moving, and the wall behind Skulduggery came alive with hands that reached out and grabbed him. Skulduggery was pulled back, and Serpine stood. There was a series of dull cracks and pops as Serpine's broken bones mended and realigned.
'Where are your oh-so-clever taunts now, Detective?'
Skulduggery struggled against the grip of a dozen hands. 'You've got big ears,' he managed to say, before he was pulled even farther back, into the wall, and then he was gone.
Serpine looked over, saw Stephanie, saw how close she was to the Scepter.
He snapped out his hand and a thin purple tendril whipped toward the Scepter. He pulled his arm back and the Scepter flew off the ground, but Stephanie lunged and managed to grab it.
She was jerked off her feet, but her grip was strong and the tendril broke, becoming vapor, and she hit the floor. She heard a crash and looked around as a table hurtled straight at her. She tried to dive out of the way, but she wasn't quick enough.
It hit her and she screamed, dropped the Scepter, and clutched at her broken leg. She shut her eyes against the tears of pain, and when she opened them again, Bliss was walking into the room.
'Where have you been?' Serpine snapped.
'I was delayed,' Bliss answered. 'But you seem to have done fine without me.'
Serpine narrowed his eyes. 'Indeed. Still, there's one more adversary to deal with.'
Bliss looked at Stephanie. 'You're going to kill her?'
'Me? No. You are.'
'I'm sorry?'
'If you want to reap the rewards of this night, you have to get your hands a little bloody.'
'You want me to kill an unarmed child?' Bliss asked doubtfully.
'Look on it as a test of your commitment to our lords and masters. You don't have a problem with that, do you?'
Bliss looked at him coolly. 'Do you have a weapon for me, or do you just want me to beat her to death with a large stick?'
Serpine took a dagger from his coat and lobbed it over to him. Bliss snatched it out of the air and held it, testing its weight.
Stephanie felt her throat go dry.
Bliss looked at her but didn't say anything. He just sighed and hurled the dagger, and Stephanie made a face and turned her head . . .
. . . and heard Serpine laugh.
She looked back. The dagger hadn't touched her. It hadn't even come close. It was in Serpine's hand. He had caught it before it had sliced into his glittering left eye.
'I thought as much,' Serpine said.
Bliss flung himself at Serpine, but Serpine ripped his glove off and raised his red right hand, and Bliss collapsed. Serpine listened to him scream for a few moments before dropping his hand, and Bliss gasped.
'No doubt you want to kill me,' Serpine said as he approached him. 'No doubt you want to rip me limb from limb, and with your legendary strength, I know you could do it and not even exert yourself. But answer me this, Mr. Bliss — what good is legendary strength when you can't get close enough to use it?'
Bliss tried to stand, but his knees gave out and he hit the ground again.
'I'm curious,' Serpine continued. 'Why the pretense? Why go to all this trouble, why put yourself in this position? Why didn't you just stick with the detective?'
Bliss managed to shake his head. 'We mightn't have been able to stop you,' he said. 'I know you, Serpine . . . you always have plans to fall back on. You were too ... dangerous . . . too unpredictable. I needed you to get the Scepter.'
Serpine smiled. 'And why was that?'
Bliss echoed that smile with one of his own, albeit a drained and sickly version. 'Because once you had the Scepter, I could predict your actions.'
'So you predicted my invulnerability?' Serpine laughed. 'Oh, well done.'
'No one's invulnerable,' Bliss whispered.
'Yes, well,' Serpine said with a shrug. 'You're certainly not.'
Stephanie watched in horror as Serpine again pointed his right hand and Mr. Bliss contorted in agony. His screams reached new heights, and just when it seemed he could take no more, Serpine picked him up and, with his
