Pleasantly Raising Cain

A Dead Soul (Part 5)

While she drove Tanith listened to the broken girl who sobbed in the back seat. Her heart was tearing in half.

Of course she should've seen this coming. Valkyrie had finally decided that it was time to end it all. To escape from the pain of this world. Without Skulduggery, Valkyrie was lost.

Maybe Tanith should just let her go. She was still considering living after Ghastly died. And if Valkyrie decided that's what she wanted, then Tanith wasn't about to stand in her way.

Although her parents would. They weren't ready to let her go yet. But then again they didn't understand what she was going through. Skulduggery had been her partner, her best friend, her one true love. And he was gone.

Valkyrie had her head buried in the car seat and her sobs were being muffled. Tanith had tears in her eyes now as she parked the Edgley's car and carried Valkyrie into the Sanctuary.

She caught a lot of curious looks from sorcerers as she cradled Valkyrie in her arms. Most of them knew about the girl's depression. A lot of them understood. Some of them didn't know, and didn't understand exactly what had happened to Skulduggery. Tanith thought that was a good thing. The less people knew, the better.

Synecdoche looked worried when Tanith walked in carrying a sobbing girl. Synecdoche stoked Valkyrie's hair and motioned for Tanith to put her on the bed she had prepared for her. Tanith obliged and waited while Synecdoche examined the crying girl.

"Why did got stop me?!" Valkyrie cried. "I'm sick of this life! I can't stand this pain anymore! Please I want to die so badly! There's nothing else for me to live for and I've had enough!"

Tanith was crying now. Synecdoche healed the cuts on Valkyrie's arms and spoke quietly to the girl. Valkyrie nodded violently.

"Yes! Please just end it!"

Synecdoche turned to Tanith. "I'm going to let her die," she said and Tanith nodded. She understood.

"And while you're at it," Tanith whispered. "Do me as well."

Synecdoche's eyes widened in shock, then she regained herself as she remembered that Tanith had lost Ghastly. Synecdoche nodded slightly and took out two syringes from the drawer.

Tanith took deep breaths, knowing that they were going to be the last ones she ever took. Valkyrie was doing the same.

"I'll just say that you died on the way here from too many injuries," Synecdoche told Valkyrie. The girl nodded and Tanith saw a tear roll down her cheek as the needle went into her arm...