"So. Tell me again about these mages. Who are they exactly?" Valkyrie Cain asked Skulduggery as they walked down one of the many corridors of the Sanctuary. "Adria Flynn and Wren King are like the female, American, Dead Men. Also, Wren dated Dexter. And she has ADHD. But Adria is normal." They heard shouts, and two girls rounded the corner. One had shoulder-length black hair and was dressed all in black, so that she looked like a better-covered Black Widow. The other had spiky purple hair, a Green Day t-shirt and biker boots. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet and shoved her hands in her pockets. The one in black froze. "Adria." Skulduggery said. "Wren."
"Hi Skul!" The one Skulduggery had called Wren said, and wrapped her arms around the skeleton. Adria just stood there, the she shook her head.
"HI." She said. Her voice was lower than Wren's. She nodded to Valkyrie. "I'm Adria, this is Wren." Wren waved.
"Have you seen Dexter?" She asked, her Kansas accent prominent like Adria's. "I haven't seen hi since we had to-" Adria cut her off with a swift kick to the shin. "Um, I mean-"
"She means she wants to see Dexter. She hasn't seen him in a while." Skulduggery nodded.
"He's in the ops room," Valkyrie said. "I'll take you there if you want?"
"That would be great." exclaimed Wren. Adria looked at Valkyrie for a few seconds, then back at Skulduggery.
"Well you can show me the way to China. I'm sure she'll just love to see me."
"Of course." Skulduggery said. "Valkyrie, I'll meet you at the car, we have paperwork to do after." Valkyrie scowled, then started off with Wren.
Wren talked very fast. That was the first thing Valkyrie learned about her. "Can I call you Val?" She asked, and Valkyrie nodded. "Great. 'Cause Skul doesn't like nicknames, and I'm not sure about Adry. Dex doesn't mind. I know that. Have you met Saracen, Ghastly, Erksine, Anton, Hopeless and Larrikin?" She asked, counting thaw names off on her fingers.
"Uh, Wren." Valkyrie muttered. "I don't wan to be the first one to tell you, but Saracen's the only one still alive."
"What?" Wren asked, her face crumpling, her face crumpling.
"Have you heard of Darquesse?"
"Well, yeah," Wren said. "I know she was going to kill the world but how are they dead? The Dead men never die."
"I, um…"
"Adry promised me that they'd be okay. That's the only reason I went!" Wren sank to the floor, her back pressed up against the wall.
"They… You know Ravel, yeah?"
"Of course." Tears slid down her face, and Valkyrie felt a wave of pity for the girl with the brightly coloured hair.
"He..Um…Wren, he killed them. Well, Ghastly and Shudder. Hopeless and Larrikin, they died during the war."
"NO." Wren growled. "No no no no." She had her hands in her hair and she was rocking her head back and forth. "Erksine was like a brother. They were all my big brothers. Even before the war. Ghastly pulled me off the streets for God's sake!"
'Wren, I am so… I am so, so sorry. I know you probably don't want to hear it from me, but I-"
"Can you take me to Dexter?"
"Are you-"
"I just need to see him, okay?" Valkyrie nodded and Wren stood up. She wiped the tears from her from her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed. She ran a hand through her hair and smiled sadly. "I should've been there." She muttered, clenching her hands into fists. "There's nothing you could've done." Valkyrie said softly.
They walked to the ops room in silence. When they got there, Valkyrie stopped. "Okay," She said. "You alright?" Wren nodded, tried another smile. Valkyrie opened the door, found Vex and Saracen looking over the map on the table. "But if that's there how did-" Vex was saying. Valkyrie coughed loudly and they looked around.
"You have a visitor.." Both of the dead men stared.
"Hey guys." Wren said quietly. Dexter walked right over and hugged Wren. "Ghastly and Anton and Hopeless, and, and, and." Wren sobbed, and Dexter kissed the top of her head.
"Shh, it's okay, I know it hurts, but we killed Ravel." He muttered, and Saracen waved in the general direction of the door and Valkyrie nodded. They walked out, leaving Dexter and Wren alone.
"You just had to tell her." Saracen muttered.
"I know," Valkyrie said. "It didn't exactly go too well."
"No it didn't." He agreed.
"Skulduggery's gone to see China," She said. "We should go find him."
"Is Adria Flynn here?"
"Yeah, she's with him."
"Oh God…" Saracen said.
"What?"
"You'll see."
They got to the room of prisms. China was sitting on her throne with her new bodyguard, Solomon Wreath, sitting beside her.
"How long's it been?" Dexter asked, and Wren looked up.
"Um… Four hundred years I think. I missed you. But we had to go, me and Adry." Dexter nodded and Wren grabbed his hand. "D'you wanna see China's face when she sees me?" She asked, her face brightening. Dexter smiled.
"Very much so." He took her hand, interlocking their fingers, and they walked outside to find Saracen and Valkyrie gone. "Oh, probably went to see China." Dexter muttered, and they made their way to the throne room.
Valkyrie exited the room again. "She said they just left. They went right apparently." Saracen nodded,
"I actually need a word with China." He said. "Go find Skulduggery."
Valkyrie arched an eyebrow. "A word?"
Saracen glared.
She walked off with a smile on her face, reading the air to try and find them. She didn't need it after a while.
"My God, what is your problem?" Adria yelled. Her voice was coming from one of the rooms.
"My problem," Skulduggery said calmly, "Is that you left for four hundred years without bothering to tell me."
"What, that's what you think? That I wasn't bothered? Of course I was bothered, Skulduggery!"
"That's not what I meant Adria, and you know it." You could have told me where you were going."
"Well I didn't," She snapped. "So there you go."
"Do you not trust me? Even before this you wouldn't tell me anything."
"That's because I don't tell anyone anything! I thought you of all people would know that. You know, admitting that I liked you was the hardest thing I've ever done."
"I know Adria." Skulduggery said. "And it was working out. I don't understand why you left."
"Well clearly you don't know me very well. I don' tell people things. I don't admit to feelings, I don't feel."
"And why not? Will it damage your reputation?"
"No! It'll damage me!"
"Adria please. Just talk-""
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" She asked.
"I'm sorry?"
"Your new girl. Valkyrie, right? You have paperwork to do. I suggest you do it because China says we start tomorrow."
"Is it-"
"No, nonsense. I have somewhere to be anyway. Run along to your little Valkyrie, now."
"Adria-"
The door swung open and Adria stormed out, not even seeing Valkyrie as see ran the other way with tears in her eyes, Valkyrie stared after her. "Umm, you okay Skulduggery?" She asked, but the skeleton simply dumped a pile of paperwork in Valkyrie's hands. "We have work to do." He said, and he walked past her. She had to run to catch up.