Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer Part 32

Fletcher froze, and Valkyrie instantly regretted it. More than regretted it. She hated it. She hated the words she'd just said. She hated the look on Fletcher's face. She hated herself. She wanted to claw it all back, to scrub it all away, but it was out, it was in the open, and she was talking again, saying something, she didn't know what, but she shut up when he looked at her.

He said, "What?" in a dull, dull voice.

There was something in her chest that stopped her from speaking. She had tears in her eyes. She was crying. When was the last time she'd cried? He looked at her and all his questions were answered. His face changed.

"I thought you loved me," he said.

"Fletcher, I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I don't know... I'm not sure..."

"You must know. You must. You always know what you're doing. You always know why you do things. It's how you're able to be right all the time. It's where you get all this confidence from, the fact that you are the one who is always right. So why did you do it?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying. You know exactly why you did it."

"Fletcher, it's not important."

He laughed horribly. "Not important to you, Val, but it's plenty important to me. Do you even care? I mean, I know you're crying, I can see the tears, but they're not tears for me. You're crying because you feel bad. Those tears are about you, because everything is about you. It always is, isn't it? The world revolves around you, because you're just that selfish."

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"I don't think it even occurred to you that I would be hurt. It never even entered your head. You're obsessed with yourself, you know that? You always have been, but I've been OK with it, because I was obsessed with you too. How stupid am I, huh? Boom, just like that, I'm cut off and now I can see the whole thing. You've never done anything for anyone else. You've never inconvenienced yourself purely for someone else's benefit. The rest of us have. It's what makes us good people. You? You've saved the world, but you're not a good person. I don't know what you are."

"Fletch, please-"

"Please what? Please stop making you feel bad? Oh, wow, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't realise I was ruining your day. Maybe you should run back to Caelan... maybe he can comfort you."

Valkyrie shook her head. "It's not like that."

"Oh, so you're not dumping me for him?"

"I'm not dumping you for anyone."

"Does he know this?"

"I couldn't care less what he knows."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"Listen, you can stand there and insult me all you want, but the fact is, this has been coming for a while."

"And yet it's the first I've heard about it."

"Of course it is, because you haven't wanted to hear about it."

"Ah, right. OK. I get it now. Basically, I should have seen this coming, yeah? I should have seen the signs, and realised what was about to happen?"

"Yes," she said.

"So in a way, when you think about it, all this is my fault." Valkyrie looked away and sighed.

"Which makes perfect sense," he continued. "Because you can do nothing wrong. Because you can never be selfish or self-centred because the fault always has to lie with someone else. I am really stupid, Valkyrie, and I apologise."

"Don't be like this."

"Don't be like what?"

"Don't be so b.l.o.o.d.y childish. Don't sulk. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Your girlfriend broke up with you. Fine. It happens all the time. Grow up and move on."

"Like you, you mean. Because you're so mature, taking everything in your stride, accepting any and all responsibility that comes your way. That's you, isn't it? Little Miss Perfect?"

"I never said I was perfect."

"But my G.o.d, do you think it."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"But why wouldn't you think you're perfect? Haven't I spent the last two years telling you how beautiful you are, how smart, how exceptional? Hasn't Skulduggery been telling you how great you are, and powerful, and amazing? Everyone you meet is instantly impressed with you, because you're so confident and capable. You can do anything you put your mind to. You go from schoolgirl to sorcerer overnight. You're descended from the Last of the Ancients. The Necromancers meet you and you're immediately one of the nominees to be their impossibly powerful saviour. With all these people going crazy over you, Val, I'm actually surprised you stuck with a n.o.body like me for so long."

"Right now," she said angrily, "I'd have to agree with you."

There were tears in Fletcher's eyes, but he didn't cry. "Well? If you're expecting me to teleport away, you can forget about it. You're the one doing the dumping, so it's up to you to walk out first. So go on, Val. Walk."

There was a silence, and in that silence she thought of all the other things she wanted to say. Instead she nodded, turned, placed one foot in front of the other, and all too soon she was at the door. But she had to say something. She couldn't let it end like this, in anger, with his eyes drilling holes in her back. She turned again.

"I still care for you," she said.

"Wouldn't worry about it," he replied, back to acting cool, "it won't last long. You look at Skulduggery and that's who you model yourself on. He's brave, you're brave. He's cold, you're cold. He's ruthless, you're ruthless. Well done, Val, you share the emotional range of a dead man."

He folded his arms and did that c.o.c.ky smirk of his, only now it looked mean, and Valkyrie left her bedroom. When she looked back in, he was gone.

Chapter 35.

Teaching the Twins.

alkyrie ate a lunch she didn't feel like, then took Alice for a walk. She headed up Main Street, sungla.s.ses on, ignoring the smiles and the looks from the people she pa.s.sed. Everyone wanted to tickle Alice's chin and waste Valkyrie's time. They'd all heard about the mugging, of course. Big news travels fast in small towns.

Carol and Crystal came round the corner and it was too late to hide a they'd already seen her.

"We heard about your mum," Crystal said. "Is she OK?"

Valkyrie nodded. "She's fine. She was more shaken up than anything else."

"Who did it?" whispered Carol. "Was it a sorcerer?"

"Nope, just a regular kind of sc.u.mbag."

"You wouldn't think anything like that would happen here," Crystal said. "You hear about fights outside pubs and the chipper and that, but not people being mugged. It makes you realise that nowhere's safe, doesn't it?"

"You should probably take up self-defence," Valkyrie said, turning the pram round and heading for home.

"Or you could just teach us magic," Carol suggested.

Valkyrie shook her head. "We've been over this..."

"Are you going to teach Alice magic?" Carol asked.

"Uh, no. I don't think so."

"You don't think so? So you might?"

"Well, no, I mean, I don't want to. I want her to be normal."

"But there's still the possibility that you might?"

"I... I suppose..."

"Then we think it's unfair that you won't teach us."

Valkyrie sighed. "Yeah, I know, but-"

"Teach us for, like, just a few hours this afternoon. If we can't do any tricks by the end, then at least we'll know that we tried."

"They're not called tricks, Carol."

"Illusions, sorry."

Crystal nudged her sister. "That's on stage. When Valkyrie does it, it's called magic. So? Will you teach us? A few hours?"

Ordinarily, Valkyrie would have said no, but she needed something to fill in the time that had suddenly expanded all around her. She sighed again. "Fine. A few hours."

The twins broke into the biggest smiles she'd ever seen them wear.

"Can Fletcher come?" Carol asked.

"Uh, Fletcher and I broke up."

"Oh that's awful. Did he dump you?"

"No, we just broke up."

"Is he seeing anyone else?"

"I wouldn't expect so."

"Can I have his number?"

"I think he wants to be left alone."

"Why did he dump you?"

"He didn't-"

"Did he think you were too immature?"

"He never mentioned-"

"How long did it take you to get over it?"

"Um, I'm not sure what..."

"When did it happen?"

"Three hours ago."

They stared at her.

"You're so brave," Carol said.

"Did you cry?" asked Crystal. "If you want to cry in front of us, you can."

"Thanks," Valkyrie said, "but I think I'm fine now. I'll meet you down on the beach in half an hour, OK?"

"Will we need anything?" Carol asked.

"Just your wits."

They looked confused.

Half an hour later, Alice was back home and Valkyrie was standing with her cousins at the far end of the beach, where the sand gave way to hard pebbles. They were alone here, tucked away in the corner. Carol and Crystal looked at her eagerly.

"Elemental magic is influence over air, fire, water and earth," Valkyrie said. "The first one we're going to look at is air, and with this, the main thing to keep in mind is that everything is connected. It all interlocks. There's a, a kind of fault line between s.p.a.ces, and once you find the pressure point, you push."

"I don't get it," said Crystal.

"You don't have to get it," Carol said. "You just have to do it."