Читать книгу Skulduggery Pleasant: Books 1 - 12 - Derek Landy - Страница 194

or a time there was just the pain and the feel of her heartbeat thumping loudly and quickly. And when the pain stopped and her eyes refocused, Valkyrie saw Dusk holding her at arm’s length. His lips were red with her blood, but his eyes were narrowed in confusion.

The window behind him exploded and Caelan came through, slamming into Dusk and lifting him off his feet. Valkyrie stumbled backwards, tripping over Fletcher’s unconscious form and falling. Dusk seized Caelan and threw him into the wall, but Caelan came back with a snarl.

Valkyrie’s hand pressed against the wound on her neck. Her blood was warm. She felt it trickling between her fingers. She glimpsed Caelan and Dusk fighting, and even from that one glimpse she could see that Caelan was completely outmatched. No matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t hope to match the speed of a vampire like Dusk.

She lay flat. She was thirsty. Her thoughts were muddled. She turned her head in time to see Caelan drop to the floor. He didn’t get up. Dusk slipped back to the side of Springheeled Jack.

Ghastly and Shudder closed in, forcing Jack and Dusk to retreat towards the elevator. Jack grinned. Dusk stepped back behind him.

“Careful,” Jack said, “we don’t want to hurt each other, now do we? I mean, who knows? After today, we’ll probably be fightin’ on the same side.”

“I’d ask you what it is you’re talking about,” Ghastly said, “but I really don’t care.”

“Oh, come now, ain’t it obvious? What do you think will happen when over 80,000 people are murdered live on air by a bomb that could only be described as magic? People are goin’ to know, ain’t they? They’re goin’ to believe in magic and they’re goin’ to believe in us. No more hidin’ for yours truly. I’ll be free to walk about on street level, do what I want, kill who I want … It’ll be a little slice of heaven.”

“That’s why you’re doing this?” Shudder frowned. “To reveal magic to the world?”

“That’s why I’m doin’ it, yeah. The others have their own reasons. They want the Sanctuary destroyed; they want the confusion of every sorcerer around the world scramblin’ for a piece of what’s left … I don’t know, I didn’t really ask them. We’re not what you might call a friendly bunch. Ain’t that right, Dusk?”

“That’s right,” Dusk said from behind him. “But I don’t care about the Sanctuary or the war you’re hoping will start.”

Jack nodded. “Dusk’s motives are pure. He’s only interested in revenge. So, mate, did you do it? Did you bite her?”

“I did,” said Dusk.

“Then has your thirst for revenge been sated?”

“Not quite,” Dusk said. “Valkyrie Cain was only one of the people I sought revenge upon.”

“Really? You didn’t tell me that. Ah well, I suppose this is what you get when you don’t talk, am I right? You get surprises. So come on, Dusk, who else is on your list?”

“You are.”

Jack frowned and turned as the elevator doors closed and Dusk was lost to sight. Suddenly alone, Jack turned back to Shudder and Ghastly just as they attacked.

Valkyrie forced herself up, one hand at the wound on her neck, and she ran. The wound was burning, but there wasn’t much blood loss. She followed the corridor and took a left, jumping over the unconscious body of another security guard. Skulduggery came running back towards her.

“Where is he?” she called.

“Guild went after him. I lost them both.” He started to say something else then grabbed her. “You’ve been bitten.”

“Kenspeckle can cure me, right? So long as I get to him in the next few hours, I’ll be fine. Dusk bit me and basically spat me back out. It’s not even bleeding any more.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Well, it’s not bleeding much.”

“Valkyrie, you have to listen to me. Go back to Fletcher and get him to teleport you both out.”

She pulled away from him. “What?”

“The Desolation Engine could go off at any moment. If it does, it won’t care how strong you are or how tough. It won’t be something you can fight.”

“I’m staying with you.”

“Damn it, Valkyrie, if it goes off, I won’t be able to save you.”

“I’m not going to need you to save me.”

“I didn’t involve you in all this just so you could die by my side, do you hear me?”

“You didn’t involve me in this – I involved myself. I tagged along after Gordon was killed, I got you to teach me magic, I did it, OK? You didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“For once, please will you do what I ask?”

“Not a chance. And the more we argue about it, the less time we have to stop Scarab.”

Skulduggery looked at her then wrapped his scarf around his jaw. “He’ll be among the crowd now,” he said. “It’s the safest place for him now that he knows we’re after him. We’ll have to keep each other in sight at all times.”

“I’ll be able to move faster than you. I don’t have to worry about a disguise slipping off.”

“You’ve got blood all over you.”

She snapped up the collar of her coat. “Better? Now come on, we don’t have much time.”