Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain

Chapter 138 - Until next time

Chapter 138

The phone rang. It felt like an hour for Skulduggery to pick up, and Valkyrie honestly didn't think that he would, so when it clicked and the line opened, her heart stuttered.

"Solomon?" Skulduggery quietly said down the line.

Valkyrie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Skulduggery," she croaked out. "It's me."

There was silence for a long time. "Valkyrie."

"Yes." They didn't say anything and Valkyrie licked her lips. "Where are you?"

"I can't say right now."

"What are you doing?"

"Hiding."

"Are you okay?"

"I am," he said slowly, almost surprised. "I am healthy that is. I have all my bones."

"And a hat?"

"Yes, I have a hat," he said, some amusement dripping into his tone.

"Good, good," she nodded. "We need to talk Skulduggery."

"I know," he quietly admitted. "And I have things to tell you. Perhaps you should start."

Valkyrie took a few deep breaths, the silence of the empty room practically deafening. "I just want to know why you did it. I know you saw me."

"I told you, Valkyrie. I saw you and I tried to stop it. But Craven was faster. I can't tell you anything else."

"Why did you help them?"

"I thought I had no other choice. I really am sorry," he said, his smooth voice quiet. "I'm not in a good place Valkyrie. I thought it was my only choice. It was my choice, and I know that it's mine to live up too. But that's my only reasoning behind what I did. I'm sorry."

She wasn't happy, and she didn't agree with him, but she nodded. "Then why did you make Nadia go to the Spiders?"

He was silent for some moments. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. Something in me felt I had to. Even though I didn't want to."

"Is that your only answer?"

"It's the only answer I have."

"Are you sorry?"

"That I sent Nadia into a place I was certain was sure death? Yes. I didn't want to send her. I couldn't even bring myself to tell someone directly. I ran and hid and didn't help even in the slightest to liberate Solomon, let alone help Nadia herself. And I wasn't wholly truthful with what I told Corrival or our brothers before I sent Nadia either."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them ideas and plans, things I overheard," he told her, his voice becoming rougher with guilt. "Some of it was true, such as the treatment of Solomon and myself, and of who I saw. But I lied about their plans to move. I didn't know where they were going. Though I know they have moved location, and I haven't since worked out where they've gone."

"Okay," she said. She'd have to unpick that with Corrival later. "Can you tell me what it is you found out in the Spider's den then?"

"I can," he said, his voice stronger. "I learnt more on Craven than I knew previously. He is set solely on killing Solomon. He hates him, has a strong vendetta against him. He also hates you, Valkyrie. He wants to pull your life apart from the seams and kill you. He wasn't specific on a plan, but he talked about it a lot. I believe this is why The Torment is keeping him in the fold. The Torment likely wants to use Craven to kill you and Solomon in order to remove enemies, and also to use your deaths to pull the Dead Men further apart. But I doubt they want to waste their own people on risking death trying to kill you both as you are surrounded by Dead Men and the Sanctuary, as well as being dangerous in your own rights. As much as I dislike them, they are not stupid."