Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain

Chapter 114 - Skulduggery continues his decent

For reference ~

Tanith is exactly: six months, two weeks, five days

Valkyrie is four days in a coma

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Chapter 114

Sleep was difficult to find, but once she was unconscious, she stayed like that until ten the next morning. She had a few blissful moments between sleep and wakefulness where she felt almost nothing at all and stretched through a smile. Then she sagged back into a fatal position as anxiety and some other funny feeling she didn't like filled her belly.

Unfortunately for Nadia, she couldn't stay there wallowing because there was a whole family waiting to do things and she might be holding them up, especially if they wanted to visit Valkyrie and Anton, so she pulled herself out of the gigantic bed and shuffled through her bag for her toiletries.

Once she had cleaned her face, toned it, moisturised and given herself a strict talking to, she dressed and went down to see what was happening, hoping some breakfast might still be around even though it was now about to be eleven.

As soon as she was downstairs, though, she saw she had no reasonable chance of eating even if there was food because Skulduggery Pleasant was already sitting in an armchair by the window and Tanith, Erskine, Dexter and Saracen were sitting around also. They were talking in soft voices but went quiet when she came into the room.

"Nadia," Tanith said, giving her a smile and encouraging her to come closer. She did and sat next to Tanith. "We were talking about how to rescue Solomon."

Nadia's eyes widened a little in shock, but then she nodded quickly and sat back to let that conversation continue.

"We can't take on all the Spider's how we are," Erskine said in a low, but reasonable, voice. He didn't look happy but didn't look as panicky as he had been when the Spider's location had been brought up the day before. "And I can't go there. I know we're down two people, maybe Ghastly too, but I can't go there again."

"That's fine," Dexter said in a strong voice of finality. "We wouldn't expect you to. This needs to be an in and out mission, quiet and quick without anyone noticing we were ever there. And it needs to be quick. They might move on. They might have already moved on."

"They'll know I would have told you where they were," Skulduggery warned. "Anyone going near there will cause the whole place to get ready to kill you, and they always have wanted us all dead. I wouldn't be surprised if they killed Craven for leaving me behind. The only reason they would have remained behind and stayed there is if they are waiting for us."

"Seems about right," Dexter agreed, sitting back in his chair. "No matter what, we are all we have. Tanith and Erskine aren't going, so it's me and Saracen. An easy in and out."

"I can go," Skulduggery said immediately, his head tilting at Dexter. Nadia was suddenly stuck with how much Valkyrie copied her friends.

"You're too involved," Saracen said, glaring at Skulduggery. Nadia couldn't help but agree. "You're not going."

Skulduggery made a move like he was going to argue, but then he sat back a little. She could never tell what he was thinking or felt. "Okay."

"Good," Dexter said, glancing at Saracen who glared down Skulduggery for a few more moments before letting it go.

"Well, I need to get going," Tanith said, pulling herself off the sofa at a strange angle that was apparently most comfortable. "Erskine, are you okay to drive?"