Skulduggery – Crow
Anton – Bear
Ghastly – Panda
Dexter – Wolf
Saracen – Weasel
Erskine – Snake
Solomon – Raven
Corrival – Pa
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Chapter 106
"Dexter," China smiled when she saw them. "And Valkyrie, what a pleasure to see you both."
"I like your dress," Valkyrie replied. It was a black suit dress that stopped at the knee and had a slit up one leg. China also wore four-inch deadly looking heels that put her level with Valkyrie. It would have got her heart going, except she'd seen China in many outfits on many occasions and had become almost as immune to her powers as her brothers, although they had given in to China willingly in the past. It was easy to see why someone would willingly allow themselves to fall to their knees for China. She'd had a dream of it once.
"Thank you, Valkyrie," she said, a bit of playful flirt in her voice. "I'm glad you like it. Come, let us talk in the apartment. I know what you're after."
Valkyrie and Wolf smirked at each other and followed the woman. Valkyrie admired it for a moment before sitting with Wolf across from China.
"Have you heard anything about the ones that captured Skulduggery and Solomon?" Wolf asked.
She nodded once, slowly. "I've heard a lot." She spoke seriously. "I will tell you what you don't know first. You're dealing with mercenaries. A group most commonly called the Wild Brothers."
"Never heard of them," Wolf confirmed.
"I know. They're led by a man called Pippin Black. He started the group about a century ago with a handful of men and boys doing small jobs and heists, but in the last thirty years they've been picking up speed, so to speak," China told them, moving a pen ever so slightly. "But they haven't done anything of this level before. To take on the Dead Men, within the Sanctuary, and capture Skulduggery himself? I can only assume Skulduggery is blinded by love."
Valkyrie grunted and nodded. "Who's their employer?"
"I don't know," she frowned. "There are many mages that would like to hurt the Dead Men, Necromancers and Skulduggery in particular, so you have a lot of suspects. Or there's the chance they're doing it for the personal gain. Reputation."
"Do you know where they are right now?" Valkyrie asked.
"I heard they travelled to The Old Mill," she nodded, giving Valkyrie a look that said she knew everything that happened before that also. She nearly blushed, but China's serious look gave her hope she wouldn't let the cat out the bag. China was particularly fond of Valkyrie, so she doubted the lady would want to out it. "I also heard a rival mercenary group attacked them."
"Who?" Wolf asked quickly.
"Patience," she laughed softly. "I do not remember; they were an insignificant group of up starters. Regardless, they never came back. I heard the Wild Brother's travelled south from there."
"To your brothers' home," Valkyrie told her.
China raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?"
"We've been given permission to kill Bliss if we have proof he's on their side," Wolf said, an edge to his voice, some warning, some hardness.
YOU ARE READING
Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain
Fanfiction(This story is written as a fanfiction, but can be read as a story without having read any of the books.) Valkyrie Cain, the adoptive daughter of the Dead Men, has had a life full of love and magic. But as she gets older, times become scarier and sh...
