Skulduggery Pleasant_ Death Bringer - Derek Landy [158]
“I do, of course,” Wreath said, and bowed slightly. He looked at Valkyrie. “I’m expecting great things from you, my dear.”
She nodded, didn’t answer. The shadows swirled, and he was gone. She walked over to the Bentley. “Is it time?”
“Yes it is,” Skulduggery said. They got in the car, and slowly pulled away from the kerb.
Valkyrie frowned. “We’re going the wrong way.”
“Are we?”
“The Sanctuary’s behind us.”
“Oh dear.”
They kept going. Valkyrie smiled. “Are they going to be upset?”
“Probably,” he admitted. “But I just couldn’t subject you to an entire afternoon of people telling us how great we are. We don’t need people to tell us that. We know. If I were you, though, I’d turn off your phone.”
“Good idea,” she said. As she dug her new phone out of her pocket, she asked, “Where are we off to?”
“China’s library. She left me a message to come and see her as soon as we can. I think that takes priority over a needless ego boost, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
They left Roarhaven by the dusty road that linked it to the outside world.
They were lying, of course, and they both knew it. It wasn’t the speeches that kept them from the ceremony, or the hand-shaking or the polite smiles. It was the fact that they were being celebrated for actions they couldn’t be proud of. The only way to beat Melancholia had been for Skulduggery to become Lord Vile, and the only way to beat Lord Vile had been for Valkyrie to become Darquesse.
“There’s something wrong with us,” Valkyrie murmured as they drove.
“Yes, there is.”
“What are you going to do with the armour?”
“Seal it away. It’s the only thing I can do.”
“You might need it again.”
“Hopefully not.”
She turned her head to him. “If Darquesse comes out again and I can’t regain control, you’re going to need some way to stop me. You can’t let me kill my family, Skulduggery.”
He looked at her. “That’s not going to happen.”
“We saw it happen.”
“We saw a vision of one possible future.”
“You have to stop me,” she said, switching her gaze to the road ahead.
He was silent for a moment. “I will,” he promised, his voice soft. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
China and Eliza Scorn were fighting in the street when they reached the tenement building. The Bentley screeched to a halt and Skulduggery and Valkyrie leaped out.
“Hey!” Valkyrie roared. “Get away from her!”
Scorn rammed China into the side of the car. China staggered, caught a punch right on the hinge of the jaw that dropped her to her knees. Scorn kicked her full force in the belly and China folded.
Skulduggery’s gun was in his hand. Scorn crouched low, using China as a shield.
“Don’t shoot,” Scorn called.
“Stand up and move away,” Skulduggery ordered.
“So you have a clear shot? I don’t think so.”
China moaned as she sucked in air. “Kill her,” she managed. “She’s… got a… bomb.”
“I have a bombshell,” Scorn corrected, “of information.”
“What’s that in your hand?” Skulduggery asked.
Scorn smiled. She was holding a small black cylinder with a red button on top. “OK, fine, I do have an actual bomb too. A few bombs, in fact. Small ones, but you work with what you’ve got. They’re spread around the library, and there are a few in China’s apartment, too. Don’t worry, there’s nobody up there. No one’s going to get hurt.”
Skulduggery thumbed back the hammer of his gun. “Drop the switch.”
“I’m not going to do that.”
“If you press that button, you’ll end up in a cell.”
“I don’t think I will. I think, when I do press this button, you’re going to let me walk away.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because I have information you’re going to find very interesting. I’ve been researching this over the last few months, actually. Do you remember the day your family died?”
“It’s always amusing,” Skulduggery said, “when someone tries to use that to goad me into doing something.”
“Oh, I’m not goading you. I’m genuinely asking.” Ever so slowly, Scorn stood up straight. “I wasn’t even in the country at the time. I think I was in Spain, doing a thing. Anyway, Nefarian Serpine – great guy, by the