LITMIR.BIZ

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at him, but Sanguine rolled, his straight razor flashing across Valkyrie’s leg, but failing to cut through. Then he was up and she pushed at the air. It caught him in the shoulder and he spun right around, and came at her again.

      He slammed into her and she sprawled over the coffee table, spilling the glossy magazines across the carpet. She tried to get up, but slipped on one of them. His knee came towards her. The world flashed and her head jerked back. He lifted her and threw her against the wall then he was up against her, his straight razor pressing into her throat.

      “Hush,” he whispered.

      She couldn’t stop him from cutting her throat if she tried. She stopped struggling.

      “Good,” he said and smiled. “You actually came here alone, by God. You must be really mad to leave the skeleton behind. Did you think you could take me?”

      “Yeah,” she said through clenched teeth.

      “Now that, I think we can both agree, was a mistake. Do you think I’m going to kill you? I should. I definitely should. Do you think I should?”

      Valkyrie didn’t respond.

      “You’d probably say no, even if you thought I should, so I don’t know why I’m askin’ you.”

      “Why didn’t you kill them?”

      “The broad and the kid? Saw no reason to. Only had ’em to force Guild to detonate the Engine. Despite what you may think, I don’t generally kill without good reason. It’s usually money, but sometimes it’s whim and I had neither. But killin’ you, princess, now that is somethin’ I have a very good reason for. You took my magic. You fouled up our plan. Where’s my dear ol’ daddy?”

      “Skulduggery has him.”

      “So he could be in shackles or he could be dead – you never know with that guy, huh? Here’s the thing I find amusin’– y’all call me a psycho an’ yet you keep missin’ the point. Your friend Skulduggery is an ice-cold killer. I mean, that guy is seriously unhinged. Takes one to know one, right?”

      “He’s adjusting.”

      Sanguine laughed. “Now that’s a good one! That’s one I should try! ‘I didn’t mean to kill all those nuns and orphans, Detective – I’m adjustin’!’ Oh, that is funny. But I think you’re misunderstandin’ me. It wasn’t his recent trip abroad that sent him nuts – he’s been nuts the whole time. Y’all just haven’t seen it.”

      “If you kill me,” she said, “he’ll kill you.”

      “I have no doubt. Which is why it is a very good thing that I have decided not to kill you. Dusk called a few minutes before you rang – he was hightailin’ it out of there before the bomb went off. He told me he bit you and I can see by the lovely wound on your neck that he wasn’t lyin’. He told me he bit you and he told me that I should probably reconsider my whole ‘I want to kill Valkyrie Cain’ thing, like he’s doin’. Do you know why he told me that?”

      “I don’t.”

      “You don’t? Do you want me to tell you why he told me that? Do you?”

      “Sure.”

      He smiled. “He tasted your blood. You’ve got very special blood. Do you know that?”

      She glared at him. “Yes.”

      “No,” he said. “I don’t think you do. See, you figure you’re descended from the Last of the Ancients and that’s it, that’s the scope of your uniqueness in its entirety. I’m here to tell you, little lady, that that ain’t so. You got a whole host of other things goin’ for you. Not to give you too big a head or nothin’, but everythin’ about you screams important. And I’m talkin’ grand scale important. Everythin’ I hear about you just reinforces that whole idea that you, my dear, are a very special girl.

      “When I broke into the Necromancer Temple, I heard some of ’em talkin’ about you. They called you the Death Bringer. By the look on your face, I can see that you know what that is. You’re their Great Dark Hope apparently, now that Lord Vile’s gone. Imagine that. You and Lord Vile – one of a kind, huh? Ain’t that somethin’?”

      He began tapping the blade against her skin.

      “It’s a big responsibility now. The Death Bringer’s the one to save the world, ain’t that right? Are you ready to save the world, Valkyrie? And I don’t mean save it from evil men or from twisted gods. I mean save the world from itself. Do you think you’re worthy?”

      “I don’t know.”

      “Well, you’re honest. I’ll give you that.”

      He tapped the blade and she waited until it was no longer touching her skin, then she slammed the darkness into him. He flew backwards, head over heels, his sunglasses dropping to the ground.

      “Damn it,” he growled, “I said I ain’t goin’ to kill you, didn’t I? Didn’t I say that?”

      “But you didn’t tell me why.”

      He got up slowly, brushing down his clothes. He looked at her without needing eyes. “I get the feelin’ bad things are goin’ to happen, and I get the feelin’ that you are goin’ to be smack dab in the middle of it all. I ain’t killin’ you because, honestly and truly, li’l darlin’, it’s a lot more fun to keep you alive. That, I think, will be my real revenge.” His smile returned and he nodded to the sunglasses at her feet. “You mind?”

      She picked them up, thought about crushing them, but then tossed them to him.

      He put them on. “Much obliged.”

      “The next time I hear that you’re back in the country,” Valkyrie said, “I’m going to assume you’re here to kill me and I will go after you. And I won’t let you walk away.”

      “I’m sure you’ll do your best,” he nodded. “Say goodbye to all of ’em for me, will you? Especially the sword lady. I’ve taken quite a shine to her, I ain’t too embarrassed to say it.”

      “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”

      Sanguine laughed. “Good luck to you, Valkyrie Cain. You got a lifetime of dark days ahead of you, if I’m not mistaken. I’d enjoy the quiet moments while you can.”

      He tapped a finger to his temple in a salute then turned and walked away.

      

      alkyrie took a taxi back to Croke Park just as the crowds were leaving the stadium. Half of them were singing; half of them weren’t. She didn’t know who’d won the game. She didn’t care.

      She called Skulduggery and he told her where he was. She went round to the back of the stadium, slipping by a Staff Only sign. She saw Cleavers loading Springheeled Jack into the back of a van. He was kicking and struggling. They closed the door and his pleas were instantly cut off.

      Skulduggery stood with Ghastly and Shudder by the No Entry door. Caelan stood apart from them. They all turned and watched her as she approached. She didn’t say anything.

      Davina Marr led Scarab to a second van. She got in behind him, a Cleaver joined them and the van followed the other one away. Sorcerers filed into the stadium, their job being to cover up whatever needed to be covered up.

      “Dusk and Remus Crux are unaccounted for,” Ghastly said. “Vaurien Scapegrace too, though I don’t really know if he counts.”

      “I

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