Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain

Chapter 131 - The Confrontation

Chapter 131

Valkyrie didn't quite understand how it happened, but there was a flurry of movement, fists and running and then she, Skulduggery, Carrie and Simon were fighting in an alleyway beside the building. Valkyrie could still feel the heat of the roaring building even as far away from it as she was, and even more painfully, she could feel Carrie's teeth biting into her arm through her jacket.

Screeching, Valkyrie smacked her back and ducked when Simon aimed a gun at her. He shot but Valkyrie didn't know where the bullet went. She jumped back up and tackled Carrie with all her rage, slamming them both into the wall, grabbing the cackling woman's hair and cracking her skull back against the bricks.

Another gunshot rang out at the same moment mortals screaming reached higher pitches and the building's roof collapsed in on itself.

Simon glanced at it before taking off running, and the woman spat in Valkyrie's face. Valkyrie didn't waste even a second, she punched Carrie with her fist and broke a knuckle – and probably Carrie's head too, if she hadn't before.

Cursing and knowing she was breaking a lot of rules, Valkyrie took off down the alleyway after Skulduggery and Simon, using screams and gunshots as her way of finding them with all the chaos around her. Thinking quickly, Valkyrie pressed the 'one' on her mobile until it beeped and she knew her family was all receiving signal of her location – they'd come and help she hoped – but she didn't think they'd ever get to her in time. There was another gunshot and this one sounded more like Skulduggery's gun. Grinding her teeth, Valkyrie shoved a woman out of her way and barrelled down a deserted street until she saw Simon fly across the road and roll to his feet with one of the biggest, nastiest grins Valkyrie had seen on an idiot.

Only a moment later, the Skeleton Detective came strolling out of a shop through the wall he and Simon had cracked open.

Trying to stay undetected, she jumped behind a tree bordering the road and looked out at them. They both had guns, and she was sure they both had bullets left. She checked her phone and saw she already had a message from Anton. He was in the hotel though, so she didn't even spare a look at it.

What was she meant to do? Simon was mocking Skulduggery but was also backing away. Quickly, Valkyrie snuck a look at Skulduggery, and he looked vicious – prowling towards Simon with deadly intent, Valkyrie was sure, but she didn't see his gun. He was his most angry when he put his weapon away so he could beat people by hand.

They were almost level with her tree now. She just needed Simon to lead Skulduggery closer and she'd... she'd...

She'd what? What was she able to do to Skulduggery, other than dissolving his bones? Clenching her eyes shut, Valkyrie hoped she'd think of something soon.

.*****.

Nadia's POV

"You okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, just folding clothes," Tanith said, one hand on her stomach as she stared at a little yellow duck onesie on her lap. "How are you holding up?"

Nadia shrugged and kneeled on the floor next to Tanith, who was in her nursery rocking chair, and began to fold the pile of baby clothes she'd washed for Tanith the night before when she'd been bored and Tanith had been too tired. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound it."

"And you're not folding clothes."

"True," Tanith sighed, shifting uncomfortable and looking at the clock.

Nadia's heart jumped. "Are you having contractions?"

"I've still got three and a half weeks to go," Tanith said quietly, a frown on her face. "And they're far apart and don't last long. I think it's just stress but they did say the baby could come early."