Playing with Fire (Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 2) Page 11

  "No," Scapegrace said. "No, I've seen reflections, you can tell if something's a reflection. ..."

  "Not this one," Skulduggery told him. "She uses it practically every day. Over the past year, it's kind of . . . grown, so if I were you, I wouldn't feel bad about being fooled. If I were you, there's a load of other things I'd choose to feel bad about."

  "Like how you could have got away," Valkyrie said, "if you'd just kept walking, instead of coming over to gloat."

  "I could have got away?"

  "Free and clear."

  "And . . . and now?"

  "Now we're going to Bancrook," Skulduggery said, "and we're dropping you off at a holding cell along the way."

  "I'm going back to jail?"

  "Yes you are."

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  Scapegrace sagged miserably. "But I don't like jail."

  Skulduggery snapped the shackles into place around Scapegrace's wrists. "Today is not a good day to be a bad guy."

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  Chapter Seventeen

  GRAVE ROBBING

  THE remainsof Bancrook Castle stood on the top of a small hill. Valkyrie followed Skulduggery through the gaping hole in the wall that acted as its doorway. The castle was dark and quiet, and most of the roof had fallen in. Above them the sun was setting, and a startling orange had bled into the sky.

  They hadn't had time to stop off in Haggard after depositing Scapegrace at the Sanctuary, so the body of the reflection was still in the Bentley. It was a creepy sensation, looking in at it, seeing it lying there, cold and unmoving. Valkyrie kept expecting

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  to see it breathe, or to see some flutter of the eyelids, like it was only sleeping. But it just lay in the trunk, a thing, a corpse with her face.

  Skulduggery held up his hand and read the air, then nodded with satisfaction. "No one has been here for a long time. The Grotesquery must still be around here somewhere."

  They walked deeper into the ruins, clicking their fingers and summoning flames into their hands. The light flickered off the moss-covered stones that made up the walls. They took the steps leading down and passed beneath ground level. It was cold down here, and damp. Valkyrie pulled her coat a little tighter around herself.

  Skulduggery hunkered down, examining the ground, looking for any sign that the Grotesquery was buried underneath, and Valkyrie went up to a section of the wall and scraped away at a covering of moss.

  "Anything suspicious?" Skulduggery asked.

  "That depends. Are we treating ordinary walls as suspicious?"

  "Not particularly."

  "Then I got nothing."

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  She abandoned the moss scraping and glanced at her watch. Dinnertime at home. God, she was hungry. She thought of her reflection, about all the times it had sat at the table, pretending to be a part of the family, eating Valkyrie's dinner and speaking with Valkyrie's voice. She wondered if her parents were starting to love the reflection more than they loved her. She wondered if it would ever get to the point where she would be a stranger in her own home.

  She shook her head. She didn't like thinking those thoughts. They came regularly, unwelcome visitors in her mind, and they stayed far too long and they made too much mess.

  She focused on the positive. She was living a life of adventure. She was living the life she'd always wanted. It was perfectly understandable, every now and again, if she missed the simple little luxuries that she didn't have time for anymore.

  She frowned and turned to Skulduggery. "It's probably a bad sign when you start to think of your parents as mildly distracting luxuries, isn't it?"

  "One would imagine so." He looked up at her. "Do you wish you could go to the family reunion?"

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  "What? No, no way."

  "Have you been thinking about it?"

  "I haven't really had time, what with the world being in danger and all."

  "Somewhat understandable. But still, these things are important. You should try to seize the opportunity to reconnect with the people who matter to you most."

  She nearly laughed. "Are we talking about the same family here?"

  "Family's important," Skulduggery said.

  "Tell me, and be honest-- did you ever have an aunt as bad as Beryl?"

  "Well, no. But I did have a cousin who was a cannibal."

  "Really?"

  "Oh yes. When they caught him, he ate himself to hide the evidence."

  "He couldn't have eaten himself-- that's impossible."

  "Well he didn't eat all of himself, obviously. He left his mouth."

  "Oh my God, would you shut up, you're being-- Car."

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  "I'm being car?"

  "No," she whispered, letting her flame go out. "There's a car coming."

  He extinguished his own flame and grabbed her hand, and they sprinted for the steps, ducking back as headlights swept by, and then ran on. There was another set of stairs leading up, up through the caved-in roof, to the top of the ruins. The steps were covered in moss and slippery, but these things didn't seem to matter to Skulduggery.

  They emerged into the gloom of the evening, as the sun was finally melting into the horizon. They pressed themselves to what was left of the castle's battlements and peered over.

  The black Jeep was parked directly beneath them. They watched a white van approach and stop. Seven people got out, wearing blood-splattered clothing. The Infected.

  Baron Vengeous and Dusk got out of the Jeep. Vengeous still had the cutlass in his belt, but if he had found Lord Vile's armor, he wasn't wearing it.

  Dusk spoke with Vengeous, then issued orders to the Infected, and they took a long wooden crate from the white van. Everyone but Dusk followed

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  Vengeous into the ruins.

  Valkyrie switched positions and peered down the crumbling steps, into the castle. Vengeous approached the only wall that was still intact, and she heard his voice, though she couldn't make out the words. Dust started to rise from the wall, and it began to shake. The topmost stone came loose and fell. Within moments the wall was tumbling down, the stones falling on one another and rolling into the shadows, and the small room behind it was revealed.

  Valkyrie was up too high to see into this room, but she knew what it contained. Vengeous sent the Infected in.

  She peered over the battlement at Dusk, who was leaning against the Jeep, keeping lookout. Then she turned to Skulduggery.

  "Sanguine isn't here," she whispered.

  "Not yet, no."

  "Please tell me it's time to call for backup."

  "It's time to call for backup."

  "Oh good."

  She dug her phone out of her pocket, dialed, and waited. When the Sanctuary's Administrator

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  answered the phone, Valkyrie passed the information on in hushed tones. She hung up and nodded to Skulduggery, and held up both her hands with her fingers extended. Ten minutes until the Cleavers arrived.

  The Infected reemerged, carrying a figure between them. It looked like a mummy, all wrapped in dirty bandages, but it was huge, and judging by the difficulty with which the Infected were moving, it was heavy.

  They carried it toward the open crate. One of the Infected lost his grip, and the body of the Grotesquery nearly fell.

  Vengeous flew into a rage, threw the offending Infected to the ground, and glared, his eyes glowing yellow for a moment. The Infected tried getting up, but something was clearly wrong. His body started trembling, shaking uncontrollably. Even from here, Valkyrie could see the panic in his face.

  And then he exploded in a mist of blood and fleshy chunks.

  "Oh my God," Valkyrie whispered.

  "Stay here," Skulduggery said, and started moving.

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  She frowned. "Where are you going?"

  "I have to delay them until the Cleavers arrive. We can't afford to lose track of them-- not now."

  "Well, I'm going with you."

  "No you're not.
You're important to Vengeous and we don't know why-- until we do, you're staying out of sight."

  "Then I'll stay up here and, I don't know, throw stones, and when you're finished I'll go down and help out."

  He looked at her. "In order to finish, I'll have to have defeated six Infected, Dusk, and Vengeous himself."

  "Yeah. So?"

  "The Infected I can manage."

  She frowned. "And Vengeous? I mean, you can beat him, right?"

  "Well," he said, "I can certainly try. And trying is half the battle."

  "What's the other half?"

  He shrugged. "Hitting him more times than he hits me." He moved to the battlement. "If things go wrong, I'll lead them away. Once it's clear, get back to the car. If you don't see me in five minutes, then I've probably died a very brave and heroic death.

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  Oh, and don't touch the radio-- I've just got it tuned right where I want it and I don't want you messing that up."

  And then Skulduggery placed his hand on the top of the battlement and vaulted over it, and disappeared.

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  Chapter Eighteen

  OLD ENEMIES

  VALKYRIE EDGED up to the battlement, peeking down as Skulduggery landed gently. Dusk turned his head like he had heard something, but then looked the other way. Skulduggery crept up behind him, wrapped an arm around his throat, and hauled him back.

  Dusk struggled, tried to release the grip, but Skulduggery was cutting off the oxygen to his brain, and Valkyrie knew it would be over in moments. Once Dusk had gone limp, Skulduggery laid him on the ground.

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  The entire thing had been done in complete silence.

  Skulduggery crept to the castle entrance, and Valkyrie moved to the very edge of the collapsed roof, lying flat and peering over.

  The Infected had managed to place the mummified figure into the crate without dropping it again. Valkyrie saw their eyes narrow when Skulduggery walked in. Vengeous still had his back to him.

  "Hello, Baron," Skulduggery said.

  She saw Vengeous stiffen slightly, then turn.

  "Of course," Vengeous said. "Whom do they send to try and take me down? Not even a man. Not even a monster. They send you."

  Skulduggery gave a little shrug. "How've you been, Baron?"

  "You taint me," Vengeous said, disgust in his voice. "Even being in your presence, it taints me. I can feel it in the air. Even these Infected, these half-Undead, even they are more worthy of my time than you would ever be."

  Skulduggery nodded. "So, you married, or anything? Do I hear the pitter-patter of tiny evil feet?"

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  "I will destroy you."

  "You're still upset about that time I made you explode, aren't you? I can tell."

  "You never stop talking, do you?"

  "I don't have to talk," Skulduggery said. "I can be quiet." A moment passed. "So, who've you got in the crate? Is it the shriveled, lifeless, patchwork corpse of the Grotesquery? Am I right? Because if it is, I'm afraid I can't let you take it. I could, you know, give you its big toe, or something, as a keepsake, but that's about it."

  "What you are saying, skeleton, is blasphemous."

  "You're the one who dug up your own god."

  Vengeous started forward, taking his cutlass from its sheath. "I wish I didn't have to kill you now. I wish I could see the fury it would wreak upon you for this blasphemy."

  "You do realize I've got no skin to cut, right?"

  Vengeous smiled again as he approached. "This sword is woven razor, the same process they use to make the Cleavers' scythes. It will shear through your bones."

  "Ah," Skulduggery said, taking a step back.

  Vengeous was almost upon him. "What's this?

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  No jokes? No taunts? Let me see how confident you are now, you abomination."

  Skulduggery's hand went into his jacket and came back out with his revolver. He aimed it squarely at Vengeous's face. Vengeous froze.

  "As it turns out," Skulduggery said after a moment's consideration, "I'm still pretty confident."

  "Are you going to shoot me?" Vengeous sneered. "I wouldn't be surprised. What would a thing like you know about honor? Only a heathen would bring a gun to a sword fight."

  "And only a moron would bring a sword to a gunfight."

  Vengeous scowled. "As you can see," he said, "you are vastly outnumbered."

  "I usually am."

  "Your situation has become quite untenable."

  "It usually does."

  "You are within moments of being swarmed by these filthy creatures of undeath and torn apart in a maelstrom of pain and fury."

  Skulduggery paused. "Okay, that's a new one on me."

  "Kill him!" Vengeous barked.

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  The Infected started forward and Valkyrie saw Skulduggery wave his arm, and a gust of wind raised a cloud of dust to obscure her view.

  She glimpsed Vengeous backing up, shielding his eyes. There were gunshots, flashes of fire, and guttural snarls of anger, and the Infected flew backward through the air.

  When the dust cleared, only Skulduggery and Vengeous were left standing.

  "Six shots," Vengeous said. "I counted. Your gun is empty."

  "You're assuming I didn't reload in all the confusion."

  "And did you?"

  Skulduggery hesitated. "No," he admitted, and put the gun away.

  Vengeous took a moment to look around. "The girl," he said. "Cain. Where is she?"

  "She had to stay home, unfortunately. It's a school night, so . . ."

  "Pity. I would have liked her to see me kill you." Vengeous laid his cutlass on the ground. "And I won't be needing a sword to kill you."

  He strode toward Skulduggery, who raised his hand.

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  "Um, since you're not going to be using it, can I?"

  Vengeous almost laughed.

  He punched, and Skulduggery darted low and to the side, but Vengeous was expecting the maneuver, and he brought his clenched fist down on Skulduggery's shoulder blade. Skulduggery tried to move in for a throw, but Vengeous shifted his weight slightly and stuck out his foot, and Skulduggery went tumbling. His leg hit the crate, and he fell onto the Grotesquery.

  Vengeous roared and reached in, grabbing Skulduggery and hauling him out. He sent out a right hook that cracked against Skulduggery's jaw. He followed it with a left cross, but Skulduggery managed to raise his arm in defense. The block turned to a strike to the throat, as sudden and savage as a snake. Vengeous coughed and fell back, and Skulduggery kicked the inside of his leg.

  Vengeous kept his guard close, protecting his head, but dropped it low when Skulduggery kicked for his ribs. The kick was a feint and turned to a step, and Skulduggery swung a punch, but Vengeous caught it, his left hand closing around Skulduggery's right wrist. Vengeous surged upward and in, his right elbow hitting Skulduggery's right

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  shoulder like a bullet. Vengeous torqued his body and took Skulduggery off his feet and threw him to the ground, landing heavily on top of him.

  Skulduggery's left hand came up to Vengeous's face, the fingers flexing, and Vengeous swatted the hand away before Skulduggery could push at the air. Vengeous punched, again and again, and grinned down at him.

  "I'd hate to be you," Vengeous said. "A skeleton who feels pain. None of the advantages of a flesh-and-blood body, and all of its weaknesses. Whoever brought you back should have left you where you lay."

  Skulduggery groaned.

  Some of the Infected were back on their feet, and they looked at Skulduggery as he lay there. Vengeous stood and brushed the dust from his clothes. He picked up his cutlass.

  "I'm going to cut you," Vengeous said, "into little, tiny pieces. I'm going to take a small part of your skull and turn it into some dice. Maybe I'll use the rest of you as keys on a piano. I wonder, skeleton, would you still be alive? Would you be conscious, if you were dice, or keys on a piano?"

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r />   "Always wanted a life in music," Skulduggery mumbled.

  Valkyrie couldn't watch any more. She got to her feet. "Hey!"

  Vengeous looked up to the collapsed roof and saw her.

  "Heard you've been looking for me," she called out.

  "Miss Cain," Vengeous said with a smile. "So you are here."

  "That girl," Skulduggery muttered, "never does what she's bloody told."

  "You want me, Baron?" Valkyrie shouted. "Come and get me!"

  And then she stepped back, and Vengeous started running up after her, and she went to the battlement and flung herself over.

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  Chapter Nineteen

  ON THE RUN

  T his is so stupid , Valkyrie thought to herself as she ran.

  Her foot hit a rock and she almost fell. She didn't know where she was going or what she would do. She had no plan at all, whatsoever.

  She ignored the trail and ran deeper into blackness. She could hear her pursuers now, the commands being shouted to the Infected.

  She could hear the van, and when she looked over her shoulder, she glimpsed its headlights, bobbing like crazy over the uneven ground.

  Then the world left her and she was falling.

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  She hit the side of the hill and started to roll. The ground leveled off and she hit a patch of briars that tried to get in at her through her clothes. The headlights came around the bend and she flattened herself, the briars tearing at her hands and hair. She dragged herself through as the headlights hurtled toward her.

  Missing her by a handbreadth, the van roared by.

  Valkyrie stayed a moment to catch her breath, then ripped the briars away and got up.

  There were shouts from all directions. The Infected almost had her surrounded, and the only reason she was still free was because they hadn't realized it yet.