“You want to take her place?” Scorn asked, eyes narrowed.

“If you make one move towards me,” Valkyrie said, “Skulduggery will kill you. Leave. Now.”

Scorn observed her for another few moments, and then that smile returned. “Of course, Detective Cain. Whatever you say.”

She cast another glance down at China and her smile widened. Then she moved off, disappearing into the crowd.

China turned over on to her back. Her face was a mess. Swollen and cut and bloody. She held her arm against her ribs, and every breath seemed to hurt. She grimaced, forced herself to sit up. She didn’t raise her eyes. “I won’t blame you,” she said, her voice tight with pain, “if you walk away.”

“Good,” Valkyrie said, and she did just that.

Chapter 61 - My Twilight

Chapter 61
My Twilight

he first time she’d met China, Skulduggery had warned Valkyrie not to trust her. She could only be relied upon to serve her own best interests, he had said, and people like that were the most dangerous kind.

But since then, even Skulduggery’s attitude towards China had softened. They’d all been through so much together. They’d fought side by side. They’d faced death and overcome certain destruction. China had been shifting, ever so slightly, from her throne of neutrality to being an ally who could be depended upon. And ever since Valkyrie had lost Tanith, China had become something even more – she’d become a friend.

But now all that was over. Because of his own past, Skulduggery could forgive a great many sins. But this? Being directly involved in the murder of his wife and child? Valkyrie feared that it would be asking too much of him to forgive a crime of that magnitude.

She hadn’t heard from him in two days. She kept expecting a call from Ghastly, informing her that Skulduggery was in custody, charged with the unlawful killing of China Sorrows. But as the darkness drew in on another day her phone, thankfully, remained silent.

She was in no mood for Caelan that night. He tapped on her window and she stared at him for the longest time, then pointed behind him, at the pier, and he nodded, and vanished. She got dressed, sneaked out.

“I’m sorry,” he said when she neared.

“For what?”

“For not being there when you needed me. You went through all of that without me.”

“It’s grand, OK? Forget about it.”

“But I failed you, Valkyrie.”

She sighed. “I can’t do this any more.”

“You can’t do what?”

“Caelan, whatever we have, it’s over, all right? We never went out, but we’re breaking up, even so.”

His beautiful eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”