My Fate: My Twisted Fate

Chapter 17

Enjoy!

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Morrigan landed in an alleyway beside China's building. 

She was still invisible, but she poked only her head around the corner anyway. 

Nobody was around and she didn't see Skulduggery's car. 

She breathed a sigh of relief. 

She touched the joint of her left wing, they both stood straight up, and dissolved into her back. She didn't feel it happen.

Morrigan crept around the building. It was dark, but the streetlights were on. She hoped there was no vampires around. She hated vampires.

She jogged into the building and up to China's apartment. 

As soon as she was in the corridor to China's apartment, she became visible again.

She found the door and hesitated. Why was she doing this? This woman was probably going to kill her. What could she possibly say to make everything ok?

But Morrigan was curious. She needed to know what this woman knew.

She took a breath and knocked. The door opened after a moment. China stepped to the side and let Morrigan in.

China motioned to a chair and Morrigan sat as China sat on the couch. They regarded each other for a moment.

"Would you like a coffee?"

"If you swear not to poison it."

China studied her, then stood up. "I'm not going to poison you."

She went to the kitchen for coffee, and Morrigan looked around. It was a huge place, though not as big as the library.

China returned and handed her the cup. Morrigan eyed it warily before she took it.

"You're a very suspicious person, aren't you, Miss McCord."

"Morrigan. And yes. I've had to be, with everything that's happened in my life."

"That's quite understandable. So, tell me. How do you know?"

Morrigan looked across at China. "I told you. I remember. It was my family. I want to know why you said we need to discuss things. What things? I'm sick of everyone keeping secrets from me. The looks I get, the comments that are made. I just want to know who everyone thinks I am."

China raised her eyebrows. "You don't know who you are? Well, that's interesting. Does Skulduggery know who you are?"

Morrigan sipped her coffee slowly. "How would he know who I am? I'm just an annoyance to him."

China tapped her chin. "Skulduggery told me you are friends with Ghastly Bespoke."

Morrigan nodded. "Yes, he is a good friend. He told me what the Dead Men was. A military unit or some such thing. I didn't know anything about that, so when you mentioned it earlier, I asked Ghastly. All he told me was who was part of the Dead Men."

China looked at Morrigan for a long time. 

Morrigan shifted uncomfortably in the chair, sipping her coffee.

"It seems there is a big secret everyone is hiding from you, Morrigan. Why they haven't told you is beyond me, but I'm guessing they want you to find out for yourself."

Morrigan tilted her head. "What won't they tell me? I have too much to deal with right now, and I'm sick of people tiptoeing around me. Why won't they just be straight with me?"

China was smiling at her. An odd smile, but a friendly one. "I'm not sure if I'm the right person to tell you, I'm afraid."

Morrigan frowned. "Then why bother asking to come back here?"

"Because, my dear, I had to see for myself if you were who I think you are."

Morrigan didn't change her expression. In fact, her frowned deepened. "And who exactly do you think I am? I'm here now, you may as well tell me."

China pondered for a few minutes and then sat forward. "If I tell you, you have to do something in return for me."

"And what's that?"

"You have to swear never to tell Skulduggery that it was me that night."

Morrigan didn't stop frowning. 

She didn't understand all this, and her head was hurting from all the effort it took to grasp everything.

"Why would he care what you did?"

China just sat and waited, watching her.

"Ok, fine, I won't say anything to him. And in return you tell me who you think I am. Fair trade. Now tell me." Morrigan was getting frustrated with all this back and forth nonsense.

"Perhaps you better put down your coffee."

Morrigan did as she was told and shifted in her seat again. China sat forward and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"It wasn't just your family that night. It was Skulduggery's as well."

Morrigan frowned. "So, you hurt both our family's that same night? That's why you don't want me to tell him?"

"Your family. And Skulduggery's." China said it slowly. 

Morrigan didn't understand what China was trying to tell her, but she said nothing. 

She must have looked confused though because China gave her a small smile.

"Morrigan, you and Skulduggery had the same family."

Morrigan frowned again then widened her eyes. "What?" She laughed. "You can't be serious..." China had a dead serious expression on her face and Morrigan stopped laughing. "You are serious...But that would mean..."

China nodded.

"Skulduggery Pleasant is your father."