Le Début |Skulduggery Pleasant

Chapter 23: Thoughts on Dying Horribly

Belle Èclipse's POV:

The Elders were most certainly not happy.

Eachan Meritorious and Sagacious Tome spoke in hushed voices at the other end of the Sanctuary meeting room. Meritorious was calm but solemn. Tome was livid and panicking. Skulduggery, Valkyrie and Tanith were all sitting at a table together, Tanith was cleaning her sword while the other two sat in silence. I was sitting in the corner by myself, trying to rid myself of the memory of kissing Nefarian.

I closed my eyes and brought my knees to my chest, resting my forehead on them. I always had a weakness for Nefarian. He was my first love, after all, he was the first person in my life that I had a romantic relationship with. But he did such terrible things, and one of them was to me. I felt physically sick at the fact that I had kissed him. 

I felt a strong hand touch my shoulder and I jumped and saw Ghastly standing beside me. 

"We're leaving now, Belle," He said softly. 

I nodded and stood up. I looked at Skulduggery and he turned his head slightly to look at me but then looked back at the others.

"Cheer up, everyone," He said, a new brightness to his voice. "Since we're all going to die horribly anyway, what's there to be worried about?"

"That's a brilliant way to look at it," I muttered sarcastically but agreeing with him in my head.

We left the Sanctuary and the Bentley was waiting for us outside, gleaming and looking brand spanking new. We got in and I sank into the back seat, feeling exhausted. 

"Are you okay, Belle?" Skulduggery asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Just a little tired. I'm going to take a nap," I said, my eyes fluttering closed.

~Vision~

I was in the Respiratory of the Sanctuary, watching as Nefarian got closer and closer to the Book of Names. Sagacious Tome was standing next to him and they seemed to be arguing about something. Nefarian suddenly raised the Sceptre and killed Sagacious, turning him to dust. 

The vision flashed to something else and suddenly Skulduggery was here, and he was being dragged into the wall as Valkyrie was on the ground, Mr Bliss was also nearby. I on the over hand was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Tanith.

The vision flashed again and I was in the room with all of them, Skulduggery pointed the Sceptre at Nefarian and it fired. I watched as Nefarian turned to dust. It seemed to happen in slow motion, I watched as his beautiful emerald green eyes, the ones I fell in love with, slowly turn to dust.

The vision me fell to her knees and a single tear slid down her cheek. Skulduggery walked over to her and helped her up, then moving to Valkyrie, also helping her up and it seemed like her leg was broken. They walked out of the Respiratory.

~Vision End~

I woke up gasping and looked around, realising that I was still in the Bentley. Skulduggery and Valkyrie both looked at me in confusion. 

"Are you okay?" Valkyrie asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," I looked to Skulduggery and the vision of him killing Nefarian flashed in my mind. "Perfectly fine."