"Valkyrie," said the detective as they reached the first staircase. "When has the possibility of us losing ever stopped me?"

"I don't think it has," Valkyrie replied with a grin.

"Exactly." Skulduggery took the stairs first, followed by Valkyrie and Fletcher; Ghastly gingerly helped the Archangel maneuver up them, and Tanith brought up the rear in case Gabriel tripped. "The rules don't need to have been explicitly stated for them to be there. The fact is, you used an advantage you knew I wouldn't have and wouldn't know about, and that, my friend, is cheating."

"I always wondered what would happen if he ever met someone as stubborn as him," Ghastly murmured to Tanith over his shoulder.

"It's like watching an old married couple in a reality show," Tanith agreed.