Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain

Chapter 34 - The Diablerie

Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Solomon – Raven

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Chapter 34

Valkyrie spoke for hours with Nadia on Tanith's phone, all through the time her friends were going to arrest Batu and the Diablerie. Finally, Nadia's parents requested she join them for dinner and Valkyrie realised how hungry she was, so they let each other go with an 'I love you' and overly cutesy air kisses because they were quickly descending into that type of couple. Valkyrie went in search of food.

She made herself some pizza, putting on a large one since she was pretty sure she had to feed Peregrine and Fletcher too. They were still practising and getting along a lot better. She hoped they stayed that way. It made her life easier.

Smelling the food, they both teleported into the kitchen, almost giving her a heart attack.

She was silent but they talked about small things, commenting on how many hours the Dead Men had been gone and when Wolf would be back from his own trip in the Arctic. Looking at the clock, Valkyrie was sort of concerned herself but without a phone to call on, or rather, when she wasn't meant to have a phone to call on, she didn't have any way of contacting them.

A small part of her, the nasty, bitchy part, really hoped something bad had happened and Crow was wishing desperately he could contact her. It was his fault after all. She mentally smacked herself after as it would be the rest of her family that suffered, but it didn't take away the hope of him regretting his actions. She placated her conscience with the fact she was fourteen, she was allowed to be mean and bitchy for at least a few more months. That's what everyone said about fourteen year olds anyway.

Sighing, she sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes.

"You look tired," Peregrine said after a moment. Both of them were looking at her. "I assume Pleasant is still mad about whatever happened yesterday?"

"Yeah," she said after a moment. "He's overstepping the line. Grounded me. He said he can't trust me because I spoke to someone he doesn't like."

Peregrine laughed grimly. "I never liked Pleasant. Always thought he was too hot-headed, too vindictive, too quick to judge and always too certain he's right. I had hoped he wouldn't do that to you when I heard he got himself a kid to raise. Too much power for a man like him."

"He's never done it before," she suddenly defended. "He's usually great. I think he's mad at the person I talked to and was afraid they would hurt me. But his fear and anger got mixed up and he's overreacting to teach me a lesson. Doesn't make me less mad but I think that's where his head is. Idiot."

Peregrine didn't look convinced, but Fletcher nodded agreeably.

There was a buzz from the alarm and Valkyrie let out a sigh – they were back. The door was closed, and the alarm shut off. Standing, Valkyrie put her plate in the sink and went to greet her friends, intending to ignore Crow.

But it wasn't the Dead Men standing in her hall.

She threw herself back into the kitchen before they saw her, knowing immediately it was Rose, Gallow and Krav. The two males sat up and looked at her with alarm.