Skulduggery Pleasant: Books 4 - 6

“Strong and silent, eh?”

“I suppose. Also the sun was going down.”

“Ah, OK. He probably didn’t want to turn into a horrible monster and tear you apart on your first date.”

“I’m sensing that you don’t like him very much.”

“Well, no, on account of the horrible monster part. Do you?”

“Like him? No. I don’t even know him.”

“Well, all right then.” Fletcher seemed satisfied. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You already did.”

“Can I ask you another?”

“Can you ask me somewhere my parents won’t hear?”

He took her hand and in an eyeblink they were standing on the roof of Bespoke Tailor’s. These days, teleportation didn’t even make Valkyrie dizzy.

“Ask away,” she said.

He hesitated and then said, very casually, “Do you think things will return to normal for you when we get Skulduggery back? You and him, out solving crimes and having adventures and stuff?”

“I expect so. Don’t see why they wouldn’t.”

“That’s good,” he nodded. “It’s nice that it’s finally coming to an end, isn’t it? After everything we’ve all done and been through.”

“These past few months have been terrible,” Valkyrie admitted.

“Yeah, I know. But at the same time, like, I’ve actually been, you know, enjoying it.”

Valkyrie said nothing.

“Not in a bad way!” he added, laughing. “I didn’t enjoy the fact that he was lost, or that you’ve been so worried about him. I just mean that, for me, being part of everything, it’s been good. I’ve liked being part of a team.”

“Right.”

“So, I mean, I was thinking, I was wondering, do you think he’d let me tag along on your cases?”

Valkyrie took a sudden breath. “I…I really don’t know.”

“I’d be pretty useful, you have to admit. No more driving everywhere in that ancient car of his.”

“He loves the Bentley. And so do I.”

“I know, I know, but still, maybe you could mention it to him, when he’s back.”

“I will,” she said. “I’ll mention it.”

“Unless you don’t want me around.”

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. “Did I say that?”

“No, but…Actually, yes, you have said that, a lot.”

She shrugged. “That’s only when you annoy me.”

“Have I annoyed you lately?”

“You’re annoying me now…”

Fletcher grinned and Valkyrie held out her hand. “Downstairs.”

He took her hand and bowed. “Yes, m’lady.”

Instantly, they were in the backroom of Bespoke Tailor’s.

“You can let go of my hand,” said Valkyrie.

“I know I can,” Fletcher responded. “I just choose not to.”

She rotated her wrist, forcing him to release her in a relatively painless manner.

They smelled coffee and heard conversation, and emerged into the shop to find Tanith and Ghastly Bespoke sitting at the small table by the wall. Ghastly was shaking his scarred head in disgust.

“What’s wrong?” Valkyrie asked.

“Dreylan Scarab got out of prison yesterday,” Tanith told her.

“Who’s Dreylan Scarab?” asked Fletcher.

“He’s the assassin who killed Esryn Vanguard.”

“Who’s Esryn Vanguard?” asked Fletcher.

Valkyrie was thankful Fletcher was around. Finally, somebody who knew even less than she did.

“Vanguard was an ex-soldier who became a pacifist,” Ghastly said. Valkyrie noticed the edge of a bandage poking out beneath his shirt collar. She didn’t mention it. “This was, what, maybe 200 years ago? He talked about a peaceful resolution to the war with Mevolent, one that didn’t require one side vanquishing the other.”

“Common sense in other words,” said Tanith. “This was well before my time, but I remember my parents talking about him.”

Ghastly said, “Mevolent grew tired of him constantly chipping away at his troops’ morale and conviction, so he sent Scarab to assassinate him.”

“And 200 years later,” Tanith said, “Scarab completes his sentence and is freed. I’m surprised he lasted that long actually. After a couple of years in a bound cell, sorcerers start ageing again. I think everyone expected old age to finish him off.”

“He should be dead,” Ghastly said quietly. “He murdered a great man.”