RAVEL'S POV
"I am sorry my friend," Erskine Ravel whispered as he plunged his knife into Ghastly Bespoke's neck. A few tears rolled down his cheeks as Ghastly gurgled beside him. Behind him he heard Syc laugh scornfully. He felt the blood boil in his veins. Just as he was about to stand up and scream at her, the door was kicked down, sending Ravel scrambling not to be hit the falling door. Plaster filtered the air like smoke, as Skulduggery Pleasant stepped into the room, fireball in hand.
Being the most cowardice of them all Syc, Portia, an Mist screeched and slithered their way out the back exit of the chamber. Skulduggery didn't stop them. He was to busy staring down at his best friend-his brother- gurgling and dying on the ground at his feet. Meanwhile, Ravel was trying to silently back his way out the back exit as well. He cursed himself for not being quicker as Valkyrie burst into the room.
VALKYRIE"S POV
Having seen the live footage of Ravel's attack on Ghastly and the murder of Shudder, she thought she knew what to expect. She was wrong. Seeing Ghastly surrounded in a pool of his own blood Skulduggery kneeling beside him, and Anton's head on the ground, his mouth shaped in a perfect "O" made her queasy. She dropped to the ground beside Skulduggery and found her cheeks wet when they had been dry 10 seconds ago. Valkyrie gripped Ghastly's hand. "Skulduggery, we have to get him to the Sanctuary. NOW. Help me lift him up." Valkyrie gripped Ghastly's arm, preparing to lift him when a hand settled on her shoulder. "Valkyrie. No." Skulduggery's words echoed in her head as she tried to make sense of them. She looked at him as if he was insane. "What do you mean? What are you-" Ghastly cut her off with his ragged whispering. "He's...getting...away"
Sudden realization hit Valkyrie. Ravel. She completely forgot. She scanned the room and found him by the back door, crawling toward it, trying to escape conspicuously. Rage found it's way to Valkyrie's eyes. The words Traitor and Murderer kept flashing in her mind over and over again. She was shaking with rage. Ravel looked back and saw that he'd been spotted, so he picked up his speed toward the door. "Valkyrie-" Skulduggery started but she was already up and running, and Ghastly had started talking again. She pushed at the air and sent herself flying at Ravel, hitting his back, sending them both spinning to the ground.
Immediately, Ravel turned on his back and started begging. "Valkyrie please-" he didn't get but two words in when Valkyrie punched him in the face, shattering his nose. Pleasure pulsed through her at his cry of pain. She punched him again and again, each time harder than the last. She wanted to make him suffer, and he was. She heard him say "please" and "stop" between punches, but that just made her punch harder. Traitor. Murderer. Traitor. Murderer. Valkyrie realized that it was Darquesse's voice chanting those words. And then there was the voice at the way back of her head that she liked to call Stephanie, the voice that came out whenever she hit somebody, good or bad. "Stop. Your hurting him. Have Mercy. Your killing him." Stephanie said, the volume of her voice receding with every word as Valkyrie shoved her to the back of her mind. Valkyrie heard unidentifiable bones in Ravel's face crack, and the pain in her hands increased. He tried turning on his back, and Valkyrie savagely grabbed his arm and twisted untitl she heard a snap and saw jagged bloody bone sticking out as his elbow. Ravel screamed. She turned him on his back again and rained down punches on his face, neck, and chest. Red dots blurred her vision and suddenly it was Darquesse beating on Ravel. Valkyrie fought for control until she was back on top. As Ravel yelled and tried fight back with futile effort (due to his one working arm) Valkyrie lost herself to Darquesse once again. Valkyrie fought with her inner-evil as she struggled to contain herself. This went on for a while. 1 punch for Valkyrie, 2 punches for Darquesse. 3 punches for Darquesse, 2 punches for Valkyrie. This continued until Valkyrie found herself being hauled backwards.
She fought and kicked and screamed. "Valkyrie. VALKYRIE STOP." Valkyrie felt Skulduggery's bony arms around her and she felt herself relax a bit. After several minutes of just breathing slowly, Valkyrie reluctantly looked down at herself. She was COVERED in blood. Her knuckles were torn, a few were broken and all were bruised. She didn't feel a thing due to the adrenaline pumping through her veins. With an effort she looked up at Ravel and had to immediately look away as bile rose in her throat. His clothes were drenched in blood, and not an inch of skin not covered in his blood was to be seen. A few ribs were poking out of his side and he looked to be having trouble breathing. His broken arm lay limply at his side and blood was EVERYWHERE. Worst of all though, was his face. Blood was pouring out of his mouth due to his many missing or broken teeth. His eyes were blue and his eye socket and jaw both looked broken. His face was so swollen that his once handsome features were unrecognizable. Valkyrie was disgusted at the gory sight. But what scared her was that she did not regret any of it.
Valkyrie looked around the room, still in Skulduggery's arms, taking in Shudder's headless body, and Ghastly's and Ravel's still ones. She took in the burn of Ravel's blood on her skin and the smell of it that was so strong she could practically taste it. She took it all in, until her heart felt as if it were going to explode. "Valkyrie-" Skulduggery began to speak softly but Valkyrie collapsed to her knees, taking him with her. A scream tore through her throat as she started sobbing uncontrollably. She pounded fists against the floor sending sharp pain through her already damaged knuckles. She cried for the loss of Ghastly and Shudder. She cried for what Ravel did and the regret of what she did to him nonexistent even when his heart stopped two minutes ago. She cried for how many times she let Darquesse out. She cried and cried and Skulduggery just held her until she cried herself out. And when she did, she lay in Skulduggery's arms, numb, once again wishing for her normal life, one without so much rage and sadness.