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Back Resurrection Save as PDF
Chapters (81)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. Glossary
  78. Dramatis Personae
  79. Keep Reading …
  80. The Skulduggery Pleasant series
  81. About the Publisher

She found China two minutes later, striding through the corridor, surrounded by anxious mages and security.

“Let her through,” China commanded, and pulled Valkyrie in beside her as she walked. “My word, you look dreadful.”

“What’s going on here?”

“Parthenios Lilt has escaped,” China said bitterly. “We don’t know how it happened yet – all our surveillance has been disabled. It would appear that we have a traitor in our midst. Your nose is broken, by the way.”

“I know,” said Valkyrie. “And I also know who freed Lilt.”

“You do?”

Valkyrie reached out, grabbed the collar of the traitor and dragged him back towards her. Everyone stopped walking, and China leaned in and glared.

“You’re going to suffer,” she said quietly. “The rest of your life is going to be a catalogue of pain and darkness and suffering, you snivelling little toad.”

Tipstaff paled.

50

“Some people are just not meant for this kind of life,” Pleasant said. This was the thirteenth topic of conversation he’d broached since they’d set off, and it was all Cadaverous could do to not drive the Cadillac off this quiet coastal road. “I’ve known them, you’ve known them – it’s plain to see. We can pretend it isn’t. We can pretend they belong, that they fit … but the truth is like a good trap – inescapable. Take your friend Jeremiah, for instance.”

Anger immediately started to flow through Cadaverous’s veins. “Be careful what you say about him, skeleton.”

Pleasant waved a gloved hand airily. “I have no wish to speak ill of the departed, even though that has never stopped anyone from speaking ill of me. I just wish to highlight the difference between your partner … and mine.”

“Jeremiah was a burning light in the darkness.”

“He rolled off a metal platform and fell into the fiery pit beneath. He was definitely a burning light somewhere. My point is, we each gave time and attention to someone else. Our positions could very easily be reversed right now – Jeremiah might be the one still living, and Valkyrie might be the one to have died. The difference between them is that Valkyrie was meant for this life. Jeremiah, sadly, was not.”

Cadaverous braked. A car behind honked angrily and veered round.

“Jeremiah became my reason,” Cadaverous said. “Before I took him under my wing, I was lost. I was despairing. And then I met him, and I recognised that he could be better than I ever was. He just needed the guidance. I know what you’re thinking. I know what everyone thinks. Minds go to sordid places. But the bond between Jeremiah and myself was a thing of purity.”