Valkyrie grabbed his hand and pulled him from the door as the Faceless One reached out to drag him back. China kept the riders away then she took hold of Skulduggery’s other hand and all three of them jumped into the portal.

Yellow flashed bright and was gone, and something tangled with Valkyrie’s legs and she fell. Instead of falling on to hard ground and sand though, she fell on to grass, still wet from hours-old rain.

She blinked her sight back, realising she had tripped over Skulduggery’s feet and that they had both fallen. China had stayed upright of course, and she was commanding Fletcher to close the gateway. Valkyrie watched the portal shrink down almost instantly, then vanish.

They stood up and Fletcher stepped out of the circle. They all watched Skulduggery as he looked around at Aranmore Farm.

“Good God,” he said softly. “I’m home.”

“How are you?” China asked. For the first time Valkyrie noticed the blood on China’s clothes and how pale she was.

Skulduggery’s head tilted and he paused a while before answering. “I’m fine,” he said. “You’ve been shot.”

“I’m OK now.”

Fletcher walked up and handed over the Murder Skull. “I think this is yours.”

Skulduggery took the skull in one hand and looked at it. “Handsome devil,” he murmured. And then, “Why are there unconscious people lying around the place?”

“Guild sent some of his agents to stop us,” China said. “There are probably more on the way.”

“Then let’s not be here when they arrive.” He looked at Valkyrie and took a moment. “You saved me,” he said.

“I did,” she said.

She was expecting a hug. She didn’t get one.

“Good job,” said Skulduggery and started walking.

14 THE FACT OF THE MATTER

14
THE FACT OF THE MATTER

A t the back of Sanguine’s mind there lay a question that would squirm, now and then, into his thoughts. How many of these men would he have to kill to get what he wanted?

He was confident he wouldn’t have to kill Scarab. Scarab was focused on the bigger picture – vengeance on a grand scale. Springheeled Jack wasn’t likely to get in his way either. Jack simply wanted to pay back everyone who’d ever wronged him. Sanguine could appreciate that.

But the others…They all wanted the same thing. Their prime motivation was revenge on the same person.

Valkyrie Cain.