A sore spot? Not necessarily. "I just don't have patience for people who say stupid things." It was an understatement when it came to describing how short Rita's temper was, but Skulduggery could consider himself warned.

To her surprise, however, the man's next move was to invite Rita to join him that night. The mage furrowed her brow, confused both by the sudden offer and by his interest in the morgue of all places. What was that about? ... Well, maybe she'd ask later.

"... Fine by me," she decided after taking a few moments to think. "I was going to go myself, so it's probably better to work together than to get in each other's way." And in her condition, things like competition or obstacles were best kept to a minimum. "There's just one thing I have to take care of first. It shouldn't take long. I'll meet you when I'm done."