Skulduggery Pleasant - Until the End

Guilt & Loss

Tanith hadn't spoken in days. The hospital room was dark and cold but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore. Only Ghastly. Her loving Ghastly. Her Ghastly was dead.

A gentle sob escaped her lips and she slid further down the bed until she was staring, blankly at the ceiling. Moving hurt her and her bandaged stomach throbbed as she lay still.

She had been okay when she was fighting. She'd put her anger and hatred into getting back at those who threatened her, and in turn threatening Ravel.. But now she was stuck in her cold and dark hospital bed, with nothing to do but think about her Ghastly and no one left to punish. Ravel was dead. Skulduggery had made sure of that. The sadness had consumed her and was added to by her unexplainable shock at Sanguines death. As far as she knew, they'd barely know each other.. But she had the remnant-caused memory loss to blame for that. She'd killed the black cleaver in pure anger. Billy Ray's death had hurt her too, which she didn't understand.. And now she never would. He was dead too and so was his explanation that she so desperately needed.

Two years of her life had been stolen from her. The last two years Ghastly had lived and she didn't remember them. She didn't know what the last thing he'd said to her was. Or the last thing she'd said to him. She hoped it was something that had given him hope but she doubted it was..

Tears came to her eyes again as she whispered up to the ceiling

"I.. I'm sorry" her voice breaking as she spoke. Her sobs turned to full on tears as she broke down for the fifth time that hour and struggled to breathe through her consuming loss.

She rolled over painfully and looked out of the window. Roarhaven was being rebuilt quickly and the outer wall was almost recompleted. It had only been a week since Darquesse had gone.

They had won. But not all of them were there to see it.

Tanith got her breathing back under control and closed her eyes. All she could do now was sleep. Sleep or cry. As she slowly drifted away, she felt the emptiness in her chest where her heart was. Her heart which was now shattered into a million pieces.

"It always belonged to you." She whispered.