Skulduggery Pleasant_ Death Bringer - Derek Landy [37]
“Then why did you apologise?”
“I’m… not sure.”
“Do you want me to finish your homework?”
“Yeah. Good. You do that.”
The reflection nodded, stepped out of the mirror and sat at the desk. Unsettled, with no clear reason why, Valkyrie went back downstairs. Halfway down, someone knocked on the front door. Valkyrie crossed the hall, opened the door, looked out into darkness.
Melancholia stood where the garden path met the pavement. Her hood was down, the breeze playing with her hair, a smile playing on her lips.
“Hello, Valkyrie,” she said, then held her arms out to either side and said, “Surprise.”
Chapter 13
Shadowknives
alkyrie felt something cold twist in her gut. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice brittle and sharp. “This is my home.”
“I know it is,” Melancholia answered. “I’ve heard Cleric Wreath mention the pier in Haggard so many times that it was really no trouble finding you. So this is where you live, then. How… mundane.”
Melancholia smiled as she approached. The hem of her robes flowed over the ground like a river of shadows. “What’s wrong? Nothing to say? You usually have lots to say. Are you feeling all right? Are you sick? Are you ill? You don’t look ill. Are you putting a brave face on it? You have nothing to prove to me, you know. I respect you for who you are. And who are you again? Oh yes, that’s right. Absolutely nobody.”
“Whatever you want,” Valkyrie said, struggling to keep her anger down, “it can wait, OK? My baby sister’s inside.”
Melancholia’s smile grew wider, and now Valkyrie could see the multitude of symbols that scarred her face. “You have a sister? I didn’t know that. Do you think she’ll grow up to be as ordinary as you, perhaps? How does it feel, to suddenly go from being the saviour of the world back to being some insignificant little schoolgirl?”
“I’m not going to tell you again. Get away from my house.”
“You do not order me around, little schoolgirl. I am the Death Bringer, and you’ll always be a silly little child playing grown-up games. I used to be like you, in a way. I used to be scared. I didn’t understand what was going on. But then this happened, and all this power came to me, and it all became so, so clear.”
Valkyrie shook her head. “What did Craven do to you?”
“What did he do? He did nothing. He released the power I had inside.”
“No. He changed you. Look at yourself, for God’s sake.”
“Cleric Craven recognised my potential.”
“He tortured you.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Nor would I expect you to. It’s funny, seeing you stand there, all scared. I’m used to seeing you in your special black clothes that protect you from harm, always with a smirk on your face. You’re not smirking, Valkyrie. I distinctly remember a smirk when you told me that I would have to start worshipping you. Isn’t that what you said? But you’re not the Death Bringer. You don’t get to save the world. I do. And so you should really start worshipping me.”
“Leave,” Valkyrie snarled, then stepped back inside the house, slamming the door. She turned as the shadows in the hallway lengthened and met in the middle of the floor, swirling, thickening, growing. Melancholia emerged from the maelstrom.
“My power is practically limitless,” Melancholia said softly. “I’d describe the sensation to you, but words would not be sufficient. To understand what it’s like to be a god, you’d really have to be a god. Like me.”
“Get out of my house.”
“I could destroy you and no one would be able to do anything about it. I would tear you from your family. Your friends would be powerless to stop me. The Skeleton Detective? I’d make him watch.”
Valkyrie said nothing.
“What’s this? No comeback at all? Silence? I’m starting to think that you are scared of me. I bet your heart is beating much, much faster, isn’t it? I bet your mouth is dry.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to admit that you’re scared of me.”
“And then you’ll leave? Fine, I admit it. I’m scared of you. I’m terrified of you. Now leave.”
Melancholia smiled. “I don’t think you’re being genuine.