Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain

Chapter 155 - All out war

Chapter 155

Valkyrie's POV

It was so dark in the cell. There were lights everywhere, lighting her torturer's face, but her eyes were fuzzy and painful. Her body was on fire from the agony. But, at least, their blood was mingling – he lay on the floor facing her, his eyes lifeless while she kept breathing.

She held no thoughts for his death, just as she hadn't when she killed him. For an eternity he had cut, sliced and hurt her and she had done nothing but scream. But, like all torturers, he grew bored and started talking. She had cried through him talking about her brothers because they were strong, and she had gritted her teeth when he insulted Tanith and Nadia like they were the same stupid, incompetent slut he wouldn't mind meeting on a dark night when no one else was about. But when he did the same thing to Laila, she had snapped.

Even being chained to the floor it hadn't been hard to wrap her legs around him, taking him down. She bit his ear off, kicked him and when she got some grip, she practically shoved her foot into one of his open wounds in his abdomen and when he lay flat on the ground screaming, used her other foot to kick his head up and snap his neck. It was disgusting and dirty, but it was much less painful than what he would do to Laila.

These thoughts swirling around in her head got her to blink out of her stupor. She shuffled over to him and, taking her slow, aching time, loosened the slack in her chains until she had just enough to reach a hand into his pockets. Whoever had him look after her was cocky to leave keys with him, knowing who they were dealing with.

She unlocked herself. That success gave her the motivation to get up.

Stumbling, she opened the door, which hadn't even been locked in the first place. She was lucky – there were no guard stationed outside. She remembered the way she'd been taken up to this torture room, so she could get back down. But she'd only taken two keys from her torturer. One for her chains and shackles and the other was unknown. It could have been for the door, which made the key useless. It was better she found a guard for their keys and got her brothers. They weren't tortured and could get them all out better. It would also help if she found some more clothes, because the torturer had just cut through her bra to get to her skin, and she was relying on her own blood to cover her important bits at the moment. At least she still had her underwear.

Moving as quickly as her broken body could take her, Valkyrie stumbled, swayed and hobbled as she kept up the tirade of thoughts that let her keep moving. She didn't really remember it, but she was at the stairs going directly down to her family's cell, and maybe more prisoners. In fact, it should also hold the rest of their team, the American's, if they'd all been captured.

Unfortunately, there were also enemies. Valkyrie noticed them and took her luck with a nearby room, opening it and stepping in fast. There was one person, but he was reading a book and didn't look up.

"Did you check on the Dead Men? They talking yet?"

At the other side of the room was a small table with a few bit and weapons on it. Valkyrie grunted and walked over – the man chuckled – and grabbed the metal stick. The man looked up right in time for her to slam it down on his head. He was unconscious.

She searched him quickly and found he had two keyrings, both with multiple keys on it. Useful. However, he also said he had a friend checking on her brothers, meaning that friend mustn't be far behind and she had left a trail of blood coming into the room, and she was starting to feel really lightheaded...

It was hard to think of whether she wanted to risk moving or wait for the friend and attack then, so she looked over the weapons more closely while she thought. None of it was of real use unless she wanted to kill someone. She had come here to kill the enemy, but she suspected this was a larger scheme at work and she needed her suspects alive. And anyway, she didn't fancy the feel of any of those straps or heavy items over her cuts.