26
Breaking Her Out And Breaking His Nose.
"Well," said China Sorrows, "this is a blast from the past" as Solomon Wreath looked at her through the hatch in the prison cell door. Wreath unlocked the door and stepped in.
"I told you, if attacks were launched then, I would support your side. We made a blood promise." China looked at him. He had a point.
"What of Valkyrie Cain?" China was sat on the edge of her seat as Solomon continued. "She is disposed of. My minions returned successful, she is dead." China smiled. The evil seeped into the corners of her eyes as she spoke.
"I assume you are here to break me out?" Solomon nodded.
"The strong hold guards are disposed of, I love having minions!" China snorted her laughter. Then tapped her fingers impatiently on the seat. Just get on with it! She thought to herself.
"Our plans are coming together nicely; do you not agree Miss Sorrows?" China went to speak but just as she opened her mouth, someone cleared their throat behind them. The pair's heads whipped round to see Skulduggery Pleasant leaning against the doorway to the cell. He was examining his gloved hands with and air of boredom as Wreath and China surveyed him. China was aghast but Wreath was just angry. The shadows curled at their master's anger. Obviously Wreath expected Skulduggery to be afraid at the display, but Skulduggery just yawned.
"Well, what a merry little gathering!" China stared at him in shock.
"Y-you are alive, how?" Skulduggery chuckled and ignored China's question. Wreath curled his upper lip with distaste at Skulduggery and twirled his cane in his hand, preparing for a fight. Skulduggery looked up at him, cocked his head to the side and said simply; "Bring…it…on" then the fighting started.
Wreath made the first move but stopped dead as the shadows stayed curling around his cane. He paused and then snarled in anger as Skulduggery hurled twin fireballs at him. Wreath dived and as he hit the ground he realised Skulduggery was just outside the cell. Wreath flipped to his feet but was shoved down again by displaced air slamming him back into the stone wall. Wreath sank down, his vision blurred and his arm was bent at a funny angle. Skulduggery smiled with satisfaction. Obviously broken. China cowered against the far wall of the cell. She was genuinely scared for the first time in her life at Skulduggery's fury. Wreath slowly got up whimpering with pain and cradling his broken arm. Skulduggery spoke to him. His voice was calm and steady.
"If you dare go anywhere near Blaize, Valkyrie or my baby, I will purposefully make sure you die a horrible and painful death by my hand. Do you understand?" Wreath mumbled his agreement and just to make sure he got the point, Skulduggery walked into the cell, pulled Solomon upright by his collar, drew back his fist and punched hard. China thought Wreath's head might come off, but no. Just that Wreath's nose now pumped blood and Skulduggery walked away. And just before he left, Skulduggery Pleasant slammed the door on the two of them and shut the hatch. "Good riddance!" he called down the corridor. He heard shouts and curses from China but he blocked them out. As he walked he pulled a ring from his pocket. "Now..." he said to himself "Blaize will be pleased to see me, and I have a question to ask her." The ring twinkled in his hand as he slipped it back into his pocket and in a blink, he was gone.