Chapter XXXV

They all turned and stared. The Necromancer guards were walking into the hall. "Elders, Elder Sorrows' sigils have snared a ghost trying to sneak into the Sanctuary. She refuses to speak with us. We caught her in a catcher and have brought her to you."

Skulduggery rolled his eyes. "Perfectly done. You have proven yourselves to be a great help."

Everyone stared at him in shock. Skulduggery glared at the guards. "To Mevolent! There is an extremely high possibility that this ghost was attempting to sneak in to attack us. By bringing her to us, you have helped her exceedingly in her mission." He sighed and shook his head. "The stupidity of Necromancers will never cease to amaze me."

Wreath looked ready to kill. Valkyrie moved quickly and placed a placating hand on the older man's arm.

"Skul, now is not the time."

Skulduggery glared at her hand on Wreath's arm. She moved away from her old teacher and closer to Skul. "Skulduggery Pleasant, stop acting like a spoiled child and let the guards interrogate the ghost."

He blinked and then sighed. "Sparrows, I know you're hiding behind the suit of armor. Leave before the ghost is released."

Sparrows moved guiltily out from behind the suit of armor. "Fine."

Valkyrie looked outraged. "Sparrows Flight!"

The youngest Edgley didn't even wince. She just sighed and left the room. Valkyrie stared at Skulduggery. "How did you notice?"

"The wind current changed. Simple. I taught that trick to you within the first year of our partnership." He looked at her in concern.

Valkyrie bit her lip slightly and looked at her hands. "Oh…I remember it…" The truth was, she was slowly getting her powers back. First had come Necromancy, much to Skulduggery's chagrin. The next power was fire, but it was weaker than a candle at first. Air had come next. Water still hadn't come to her at all.

The closest Skulduggery could figure, the magic that Valkyrie had absorbed was slowly adjusting to her body and morphing into what she needed. She was still able to throw energy.

China moved to the guards. She drew a circle around them and then symbols and words inside the circle. She double checked her work carefully and then nodded. "Alright, move out of the circle and then throw the catcher into the circle so it will shatter."

The guards did that. The globe broke and a ghost ripped out with an outraged scream.

Skulduggery stiffened. "Elysia…?"

Valkyrie felt like she'd been sucker punched. All the Dead Men were staring at the ghost in shock. Saracen laughed.

"Elysia!" He stared at China. "What are you doing, smudge the circle so she can get out!"

Valkyrie found her voice. "No!"

Skulduggery turned slowly and stared at her. "Why?"

She blinked at him, her eyes shifting from Dead Man to Dead Man. "Because…don't you remember what the others said about her? They said she'd changed! For the worse! They said that she couldn't be trusted!"

The ghostly woman started crying. "Skulduggery, who is this woman? How can you let her say such horrible things?! It was Mevolent! That bastard! He's controlling everyone now. I may have done things that I wouldn't have done before." Her pale blue eyes widened. "I don't know. I can't remember what I did. It was all a blur, like seeing the world in a fog."

Valkyrie wanted to shake her husband. He seemed to become ensnared in the woman's voice. Elysia's voice was soft, refined. It was the voice of a lady. Her accent was faintly English. Her hair was blond, long, straight, and pale like thinly spun gold. Valkyrie knew it would have been soft when the woman was alive.

Simply put, Elysia was a Lady. Beautiful, stately, and fair in the purest form of the word. She wasn't exotic like China. She wasn't striking like Tanith. She was soft, delicate. Beautiful in every feature and form. Her hands were small and sweet. Her figure was fragile and doll-like.

Valkyrie felt extremely inadequate and Elysia was dead!

Skulduggery moved closer to the circle. "Elysia…"

China moved quickly and grabbed his arm. "Stop! I agree with Valkyrie. She shouldn't be trusted until we have further proof that she's on our side."

Elysia quickly recognized China, despite the new clothing and fashions. "You!" Her blue eyes turned icy and flashed at Skulduggery. "You would believe a worshipper of the Faceless Ones and a murderess instead of your own wife!"

Valkyrie hissed out a breath. "Former wife! I am Skulduggery Pleasant's wife now."

Elysia's face became still. "Oh?" She straightened up and stared at Valkyrie. Valkyrie quietly cursed the fact that she was equal in height.

Elysia's eyes quickly found Skulduggery's. Her face softened. "I do not begrudge you the desire to warm your bed once again. You have gone through an exceedingly long mourning period." She raised her hand slowly, as if to caress his face, but her hand touched the barrier, and she cried out in pain. Yanking her hand back, she clutched it and curled into a kneeling position.

Skulduggery, quick as a flash, smudged the circle and went to his wife. She allowed herself to become more solid, a trait that the older ghosts had.

He touched her hand. "Elysia…"

Elysia smiled at him. "Skulduggery, I knew that you truly cared. You wouldn't allow those women to keep you from me…I have always trusted you, and you have always taken care of me."

"I failed you though."

She smiled sadly. "You did not fail. I failed you. I allowed myself to be tricked and fooled by that woman." Her eyes cut across and glared at China. China stared right back, completely unaffected.

Skulduggery leaned further into the hand that Elysia held against his cheek. "You do not hate me for marrying another?"

She laughed quietly. "No. I do not hate you." She sighed, as if what she was about to say brought her pain. "I pity you. For it seems that the one you married does not love you as much as she should, else she would be by your side right now."

Skulduggery quickly looked around. Elysia was right.

Valkyrie was gone.

Thank you guys for your patience!

I know it's been an extremely long wait. For that, I'm sorry.

Hopefully the end is in sight for me. I have a game plan for this monstrous story. Now all I have to do is put it in writing. ; )

I know I'm updating on a Tuesday instead of a Thursday, but I just didn't want you guys to wait any longer.

Ink…