End of the chapter 106 (from the book) and the part I'm writing from:
"I love you" Valkyrie blurted out.
Skulduggery didn't look back.
Chapter 107
Skulduggery was centimetres away from stepping into the Accelerator when he stopped, turned around and looked at Ravel. "Sorry." Skulduggery said softly. "But you should have known better than to get on my bad side. In my whole life, I have never met anyone who has turned out to be as stupid as you. But I swear to you, I am sorry. But I am also, far too important to die."
Ravel was looking him dead in the eye. He stood up, and seemed to know what Skulduggery was going to do, like when they had fought together, always knowing what the other was thinking and what he was about to do. Ravel looked at the floor and said, "Remember me for who I was, Skulduggery. And you, Valkyrie." He looked up at them both, and he seemed like he was going to smile, but then faltered when he saw their solemn expression. Skulduggery grabbed Ravel's arm and turned towards the Engineer. "One soul," he said. "Willingly given."
The Engineer looked at them both for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well." He said. But then Ravel started struggling, and broke free, and ran towards the door. Valkyrie moved, blocking his exit. He looked at her, and punched her. Pain rocketed through her and she staggered back, her nose bloody and broken, and her vision swimming in front of her. She went to hit him in the jaw but he blocked her and punched her stomach. She doubled over and before she could react, he kicked her head and she fell, hitting the floor, but then Skulduggery was there, with his gun pressed to Ravel's temple.
"Don't you dare think for one second that I wouldn't shoot you." Ravel froze, but then chuckled.
"Of course you won't shoot me. You need me," the laughter in his voice growing with every word. "You won't risk anything that could kill me." Skulduggery tilted his head, and shot Ravel's foot, the crimson blood spilling out onto the floor.
"Walk over to the Accelerator and get into it before I shoot you again." Skulduggery said quietly. Ravel stood still. "Now," Skulduggery said, his voice rising. But Ravel turned and went to jump over Valkyrie's body, when Skulduggery shot the back of his knee. Ravel's leg buckled and Skulduggery was pressing the gun against Ravel's head.
"I can't stand properly. You shot my foot on one leg and my knee on the other." Ravel protested.
"I don't need you to stand," Skulduggery said. "I can drag you."
He started dragging Ravel towards the Accelerator. Ravel sighed and said, "I didn't want to have to do this." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a pistol. "I made a promise to myself, you know. To never use this gun. It only has one bullet in it, and the bullet is made of solid gold. I suppose you could say I kept this as a souvenir. I took it from Mevolent, in that other dimension, whatever it was. But now," he pointed the gun at Valkyrie's limp body. "It looks like I'm going to have to use it. Drag me one more step and she dies." Skulduggery froze. "Now drop your gun," Skulduggery dropped it.
"Why not shoot me?" Skulduggery said. "I am the one dragging you, so shoot me."
"Nah," Ravel said, and looked at Skulduggery. He stood up, slowly, grimacing. "It's more fun this way. And don't even think about fighting me, Skulduggery. I will shoot her."
The Engineer suddenly spoke. "Two minutes, thirty-five seconds," was all it said. Ravel's gaze flickered towards the Engineer and away from Skulduggery, only for a second, but it was all Skulduggery needed. He hit Ravel on the side of his head and before he could react Skulduggery kicked his hand and the gun clattered to the floor. He grabbed Ravel and shoved him towards the Accelerator. "You were going to be remembered as a hero," Skulduggery said quietly. "But now we'll remember you for who you really are. A coward." And he shoved Ravel into the Accelerator. The Engineer nodded and pulled a lever. Ravel screamed and the lights on the Accelerator went off, and this time, Skulduggery didn't look back.
* * *
When Valkyrie woke she was lying on a bed in the medical wing in the Sanctuary. "Where's Ravel?" she said and sat up quickly, but then she felt dizzy and needed to lie down again. But she swung her legs out of the bed and stood up. Tanith walked over to her and said "From what Skulduggery told me, Ravel was shoved into the Accelerator and died." She looked around like she was making sure no one was listening. "Look, Val, are you feeling better? Because I need to tell you something." Tanith sat down on the bed, and Valkyrie sat too.
"I'm feeling great." Valkryie said, even though her head throbbed and there was still dried blood around her nose. "What's up?"
Tanith looked at her, but she had a far away look in her eyes, the look of one who is trying to conceal pain and loss and sorrow, but she managed to smile. "I'm going away. Maybe I'll travel. I might even help the monster hunters, if I see them. But I didn't want to tell anyone. I'm only telling you, because I probably won't see you again, and I wanted to say goodbye, personally. I don't mind who you tell, but tell them goodbye, from me." Tanith smiled, and before Valkyrie could say anything, she stood up and walked away, and out the doors. Valkyrie watched her go, but when she saw the door swing shut she tore her eyes away and scanned the room for Skulduggery. She saw him standing quietly in the corner, his hat back on his head. Valkyrie wondered when he had put it back on. He couldn't stand to be without it, after all. Valkyrie smiled, and stood up.
She started walking towards him when Synecdoche came hurrying over. "I'm sorry, but you have to lie down. You still need time to heal, your skull caved slightly after you were kicked in the head but we managed to fix that, but you might have a concussion and-" but Valkyrie just walked past her. Synecdoche faltered, and stopped talking. She sighed, and walked away.
Valkyrie reached Skulduggery and smiled. She couldn't help herself- she hugged him. "Ow," Skulduggery said. "You're practically crushing me."
Valkyrie stopped hugging him, and beamed at him, but then her smile faded. She punched him, and he yelled indignantly.
"You idiot! I thought you were going to kill yourself! You absolute idiot!" Valkyrie shouted at him.
"Valkyrie, please lets go outside. People are staring." Skulduggery said calmly. Valkyrie glared at him, and then sighed.
"Fine," she said. They walked out of the Medical wing in stony silence. It was Skulduggery that broke it.
"So," he said. "You love me, huh? I made your life better?"
"Shut up." Valkyrie said through gritted teeth. "Shut up."
Skulduggery stopped walking and tilted his head in amusement. He started to talk, but Valkyrie cut him off by saying, "I would've said anything. I thought you were about to die."
"Hey," Skulduggery said softly. "It's ok." He hesitated, then hugged her. He said something while he hugged her, something short, but then he broke off the hug and started briskly walking forwards. Valkyrie grinned, but asked, "What did you say? I didn't quite hear you." Skulduggery coughed, but stopped again, and looked at her. "I said" he said, his voice quiet and soft, but with a hint of something Valkyrie had never heard in it before. Was it- anxiousness?
"I said," he repeated, a little louder this time. "That,"- then the level of his voice dropped almost to a whisper. "That I -"
But he was cut off by a man dressed impeccably, who hurriedly said, "Grand Mage Sorrows wants to see you both immediately. She says it's urgent." He walked off, in a most business-like manner.
Skulduggery coughed again and started walking. Valkyrie couldn't stop grinning, and Skulduggery looked at her. He sighed. "I shouldn't have said that," he said.
"Ah, but you did. Now I can make fun of you," Valkyrie said, grinning even more.
They turned a corner and went down a white, empty corridor. The atmosphere changed dramatically - the further they got down it, the colder it became, until Valkyrie was shivering with the cold.
Suddenly there was laughter, a cold, penetrating laughter, which could only have come from the lips of a madman, one who had a dark and twisted mind full of murder and hate. Valkyrie suddenly felt guilt seeping through her, and had a sudden longing to go home, to stop fighting, to see her parents, and her sister, her poor, poor sister. She stopped and said, "Do you hear that?"
"Yes," Skulduggery murmured quietly, looking around, trying to see where the laughter was coming from. They stood still, all the while the laughter was seeping through them and making Valkyrie feel guiltier and guiltier.
"Come on," Skulduggery said, and started walking forward fast. "Don't listen to the laughter. It makes you feel guilty. We've got to get out of here."
But Valkyrie didn't move. She was frowning slightly. "Come on!" Skulduggery said impatiently, but still Valkyrie didn't move.
"I want to go home." She said quietly. "I want to go home." She repeated, louder this time. "I don't care if China wants to talk to us, it can wait until tomorrow, can't it?" She said, lifting her head up and looking at Skulduggery. He didn't move for a minute, but then said, "Alright."
They started walking again, and when they finally reached the end of the corridor the laughter died away until it was just an echo in the distance. They reached the Bentley, and got in.
