Skulduggery Pleasant_ Death Bringer - Derek Landy [82]
“Burn? Why do you burn?”
“Because of my scars.”
“Ah yes, the scars. I’ve been meaning to ask about those.”
Craven stepped forward. “I can explain to you—”
“I want her to do it. Melancholia?”
“He carved symbols on to me,” Melancholia said. “It took months. It was painful. But it needed to be done. I was the Death Bringer, and I needed my power. It’s all worth it now. Every moment I spent screaming. It’s worth it.”
“Then it’s true,” Tenebrae said, turning to Craven. “You carved her up to loop the Surge, didn’t you? That’s why she needs to recharge constantly.”
“I did what had to be done,” Craven said primly.
Tenebrae grabbed him, shoved him back against the wall. “You arrogant fool. That level of power isn’t natural for her. There’s no telling what will happen.”
A fit of anger overcame the Cleric, and he struggled to break Tenebrae’s grasp. Were he so inclined, Tenebrae would have found such a display of impotent fury fascinating. As it was, all he felt was disgust. He released his hold, wiping his hands on his robe as Craven stumbled away from him.
“I did what had to be done!” Craven shouted. “I did what you didn’t have the imagination to do!”
“She can’t be relied upon,” Tenebrae said. “There’s no telling when she’ll be back to full strength. There’s no telling if she ever will. She is not the Death Bringer!”
Something came at him, something dark and terrible, and it hit him and Tenebrae spun head over heels through the air. He crunched into the wall and dropped to the stone floor. Agony raced from his shoulder across his chest. A collarbone was broken. Maybe a rib. Hissing in pain, he looked over at Melancholia, standing there, the mud dripping off her.
“I am the Death Bringer,” she said calmly. “I’m the one you’ve all been waiting for.”
His vision dimmed suddenly. “No,” he whispered, and then his life was dragged from his body.
Chapter 31
Fuel
ison Dragonclaw laid out his torture instruments on the table. Knives, saws, pliers, hammers, neatly arranged one by one. Valkyrie watched him.
When he was done, he hauled Skulduggery to his feet and shoved him against the wall, then went over to Valkyrie, did the same to her.
“You’re not so tough now, are you?” he asked, his smile revealing small teeth behind that wispy goatee. “I bet you’re really regretting the way you treated me. Now it’s my turn. Now I get to inflict some pain.”
She didn’t answer him. She barely heard him.
“We’ve not finished treating you badly,” Skulduggery said. “The moment we escape from these shackles, we’re going to do it all over again.”
“Even if escape were possible,” Dragonclaw replied, “you’d be too late. The Death Bringer is about to change the world.”
“You hope.”
“It is a scientific inevitability.”
“There’s no such thing.”
Dragonclaw stopped what he was doing, and looked round. “There is no such thing as a scientific inevitability?”
“Nope.”
“And what about, for instance, gravity? If I drop an apple, it will not fall?”
“Not necessarily.”
“You are ridiculous.”
“Just because an apple falls one hundred times out of a hundred does not mean it will fall on the one hundred and first.”
“I thought you were supposed to be a rational man.”
“I am a rational man, but haven’t you heard? I’m also insane. It gives me a unique perspective on things.”
“Here is what I am going to do,” Dragonclaw said. “I’m going to pull you apart.”
“Your High Priest doesn’t want me harmed.”
“He doesn’t want you dead. He was quite agreeable to my harming you.”
“If you separate my bones from each other, my consciousness could dissipate.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll leave most of you intact. The torso and the head, probably. Maybe I’ll remove the jawbone. It might stop you talking.”
“I wouldn’t like to bet on it.”
“Once you are incapacitated, I will then take apart your young apprentice.”
“I’m not his apprentice,” Valkyrie muttered.
“She’s my combat accessory,” Skulduggery nodded. “But you won’t get a chance to do any of that, I’m afraid. We’re going to get free in the next few minutes and then you’re really going to