The next surge was completely expected, but this time they were better prepared. Solomon grunted breathlessly at the pain scraping past his ka, but shadow was shadow and the sensation was more akin to being side-swiped than taking a blow. It hurt, but it was tolerable.

Skulduggery's death-aura shot out and Solomon reacted instinctively with his own, his eyes flashing properly red yet again. He realised too late that though Skulduggery's aura was bending around Raine's shield as if everything inside it simply didn't exist, that same shield was of Solomon's making, and his aura shot straight into it and took Raine's soul. The cold of her death felt soothing, but at a distance--he needed to bring her to him to use her.

Damn it. Can you--

Yes.

The luminescent shadows joined with the darkness, and a flurry of blue-patterned butterflies attacked Skulduggery until the skeleton's death-aura broke. Only then was it was safe for Solomon to cut off his own without having his own soul taken, and he put Raine back where she belonged with a grimace, focussing his attention on harassing Skulduggery with shadow-puppets until the skeleton's rage faded again. "Raine?"