"And what are your names?" asked China politely, her voice like music.
They stared. Simon stared.
Valkyrie looked at them in dismay.
Ghastly turned to China. "Stop that right now," he began angrily.
China parted her blood-red lips to reply, when-
"Simon," said Simon dreamily. "My name's Simon."
Valkyrie whirled round. Simon's gaze was utterly transfixed on the unearthily beautiful woman that was standing before him.
"Simon," China sounded pleased. "How nice to meet you, Simon," she said silkily.
But- Simon was his given name; China knew Simon's given name, she could control him…Valkyrie looked from Simon to China . China to Simon. His adoring expression sent her over the edge. Anger built inside her like a flame-red tide and burst out from her lips.
"Stop it!" she yelled. "Stop it right now, China Sorrows, or you will be as sorry as your name!"
There was silence. China's eyes flicked up to Valkyrie in shock. She stared at Valkyrie as if a Faceless One had suddenly appeared before her, and stared for a long, long time.
"OK," she said finally, "OK, I will." She turned her gaze away haughtily.
Valkyrie was stunned. China had actually agreed to do something she had said. This was… a historic moment. No, this was… weird.
"Good morning," said China to the Shadowhunters, vampire and warlock before her. "I am China Sorrows. Welcome to the Sanctuary. If you need any knowledge, help or assistance, I will often be happy to oblige. Most of the time I will not be. However, you lose nothing by asking."
Simon blinked.
"Well, that sorts that out," said Skulduggery cheerfully. "Let's make ourselves known to the Elders." He began to stride off down the corridor. Magnus strode after him, followed by the others.
Only China and Valkyrie were left behind. Valkyrie waited until they had gone.
"Why did you do what I asked?" she said quietly. "You never do what anyone asks."
China smiled tightly. "I can be a very different person to who you think I am, my dear Cain. I didn't wish to…intervene with your little romance."
With a little jolt, Valkyrie realised that China had seen something that she hadn't seen herself. She did like Simon, really like him, and it was in plain sight for everyone to see. Everyone but her.
Simon.
Why Simon? Why did being around Simon always make her heart thud harder and her ability to make conversation desert her? Why did his smile alone make hundreds of tiny bells chime in her brain?
Because he reminds you of Fletcher, said a little voice in the back of her mind. Because you want your sweet little relationship back. Go on, deny it.
Stop. Stop it.
Because you can't live without him.
Stop it, Valkyrie told the voice firmly. Don't think about Fletcher. Fletcher is gone. She jerked herself determinedly out of her thoughts. "Let's go find the others," she muttered.
"Valkyrie?"
Valkyrie set off down the corridor and didn't look back. Soon she could hear China's footsteps going in the other direction. She started running, her mind made up. She did like Simon, she knew that now. But did he like her? There was only one way to find out and Valkyrie was determined to see it through.
Suddenly there was a crash. Valkyrie whirled round. The marble statue lay on the stone floor and a long, jagged crack was spreading through its centre.
How had it got there?
The thought was just beginning to pass through her mind when the earth around her shuddered and she was thrown onto her back. Pain shot through her spine. There was another tremor that she could see shaking the ceiling above her. Bits of it started to fall and she brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the jagged pieces coming down on top of her. With the other hand she tried to get to her feet.
Earthquake, said her brain. Something more, said the voice at the back of her mind. How could an earthquake be this powerful in Ireland? Her back throbbed as she tried to steady herself. The corridor was still shaking around her, but the power was lessening. Gingerly she stood up, spikes of pain stabbing her back.
Where was Skulduggery?
Another tremor sent her stumbling into the wall. Her elbow smashed into the stone and a numb coldness began to spread from the point of impact. She was never going to get anywhere at this rate. She breathed in and out a few times, trying to calm herself, and then pulled the air around her so it formed a cushion and took a careful step forward.
It worked. The earth was still vibrating but the air-cushion prevented her from falling over. She summoned all her powers of concentration and began to run.
Skulduggery's arm had fallen off.
He was not having the best day in his life. First he had encountered a very nasty demon that had knocked him over, and then a teenage boy had come in with a sword and defeated it. Skulduggery did not like to be outdone by teenage boys. After that, he had completely failed to impress the teenage boy and his friends in any way whatsoever. Then he had met China Sorrows, who annoyed him by being China Sorrows, and now this. Pieces of the ceiling was falling down his neck and through his ribcage. It was a peculiar sensation.
Dejectedly, he watched his detached limb roll down the corridor and out of sight.
The teenagers, the Shadowhunters, were not helping. All they were doing was falling over all over the place. The dark-haired boy with the glasses was emitting an extremely irritating high-pitched noise. Whilst falling over.
Skulduggery sighed and attempted to chase his deserting arm down the corridor. He could just about hear Ghastly shouting something over the loud rumbling that was echoing all around them, something about ducks maybe. He stumbled further over the stone floor. The traitorous limb was in his sight now - just a bit further... He tried to pull it towards him using the air, but it outwitted him and was off rolling again. Skulduggery was angry. He was very attached to that arm.
Then, suddenly, it was within his reach. He reached out to close his fingers around the smooth white bone...
...when a dark, soft shape crashed into him. "Mmf!" he said.
The dark shape stepped backwards. He looked up. It was Valkyrie.
"Skulduggery!" she exclaimed. "Er... are you alright?"
"Valkyrie!" he said. He tipped his head on one side. "You're standing on my fibula."