Chapter 1
The Diablerie
China Sorrows lay on her bed in black silk pyjamas carefully studying a leather-bound book. It was perfectly quite and still and she looked at the clock on her bedside table it took her a moment to register the time then she suddenly swore, and quickly got up and walked towards the cupboard in the corner.
She chose a navy skirt, an eggshell white shirt and a pure red coat with a matching belt and quickly hurried across the room and into the bathroom and got changed while hastily applying makeup with her free hand.
She calmed herself and walked with purpose out of her apartment and into her waiting car. As she sat in the back seat she realised that she had forgotten to change her shoes from her white slippers, she swore again. This day was just getting worse first she was going to be late for the meeting and now she had forgotten to change shoes. The ride seemed to take forever they always do when you are in a hurry, typical.
After what seemed a year but was really only an hour later the driver pulled up her Bentley 1954 R-Type Continental outside a black two story building in the middle of the Irish countryside. The building stuck out from the surrounding landscape only adding to the feeling that something strange was happening at this house. Although many passerby's tried to avoid this house as much as possible China unlocked the front door with a key around her neck walked in with purpose and entered without knocking the second door on her left.
"Welcome Miss Sorrows" a voice came out from the darkness struggling to keep calm.
"Hello Jaron why don't you come out of the darkness for a change so I can have a look at you"? China spoke quietly and calmingly and at once Jaron Gallow was at her side looking into her pure blue eyes and suddenly feeling his heart beat get faster.
"Good boy" China said.
She smiled her blood red lips in a way that would have made many a man feel weak at the knees. She liked this feeling she had over other people it made her feel powerful it made her feel like she was in charge and all because of her looks.
"We better be going shouldn't we Jaron I am already late as it is I wouldn't want to get both of us in trouble" China began to walk swiftly down the hallway Jaron at her side.
"Oh Miss Sorrows you co-"
"please, how many times have I told you" China stopped walking for a second to turn around and say "Call me China"
Jaron gave a little whimper "I am sorry China it won't happen again"
"Now continue with what you were saying"
"China you could never be in trouble after all without you none of this would ever be possible"
China suddenly stopped in front of a door concealed in darkness, entered, walked to the end of the room and sat down in a velvet chair. She looked at the 6 other people in the room and sighed.
"I'm so sorry I am late but i suppose better late then never" She laughed no one joined in.
"Well, lets begin, first off what are we going to do about Mr Skulduggery Pleasant we all know very well he does not like us and it is only a matter of time before he finds out where we are, so we need to be ready."
Murder Rose spoke loudly her voice echoing through the large room
"That heretic! He does not understand us and he will suffer the wrath of the Faceless Ones when they return to live alongside us we ne-"
"BE QUIET!" Gruesom Krave yelled. "We need to think about Mr Pleasant's greatest weakness" he paused.
Suddenly laughter filled the room not a laugh like after someone just told a joke a laugh of evil and lunacy. The whole room turned to face it's source Jaron Gallow was laughing like a manic he contained himself long enough and said with an evil glint in his eye "Of course, we need to kill Mr Pleasant's family."
There was silence as everyone thought about this.
"It's perfect, we kill his family and he will lose the will to live and then we can kill the man who killed our leader Melevolent" Murder Rose said.
"What do you think China?"
"I think it's perfect,I think Skulduggery Pleasant is going to have to watch himself because we are coming." China smiled with her perfect lips got out of her chair and walked out of the room closing the door as she left.