Standing as tall as she could, China stared down at the young teen cowering on the ground below her. He didn't look any older than thirteen and his clothing was torn and dirty. The expression on his face was one of fear and it made China smile to herself.
Seeing the older two teens squirm as Skulduggery held tightly onto them by the backs of their shirts, she quickly looked around spotting both Valkyrie and Tanith standing close by. Drawing her attention back to the kid on the ground in front of her, she fixed him with a look and observed him for a moment.
"Tell me, what were you doing to my library?" China asked, almost demanded, as her blue eyes fixed onto the brown eyes of the kid.
Watching as the kid's eyes darted around as he swallowed the lump that was in his throat, China tilted her head to the side and asked again. "What were you doing to my library?" Not liking to repeat herself, she placed her left foot on his chest, the heel of her shoe digging in slightly to the flesh of his torso.
"I was only trying to get back something of my Dad's," the kid replied, looking to the two older teens as he didn't want to make eye contact with the woman pinning him to the ground.
"Shut up Finnian, tell her nothing," one of the older boys seethed as he tried to get loose, only to have Skulduggery hold him tighter.
"The old man, the one I met up with yesterday, was he your father?" China asked, putting everything together in her head.
"Finnian! Keep your bloody mouth closed," the other teen said, shooting daggers at the kid on the ground.
"Who are you more scared of Finnian? Me or them?" China asked, adding a little more pressure to her heel.
"It was my dad," Finnian confirmed, not looking at the older two teens. The feeling of China's heel pressing into his skin made him squirm in pain as he tried to readjust himself.
"Why did he tell you to burn my library down then?" China asked, keeping her face void of all emotion. "If you tell us we can make sure nothing too bad happens to you."
"Dad only told us to break in and take a book he needed for a potion. When we couldn't find the book my brothers decided to burn it down instead," Finnian said, throwing his brothers under the bus.
"And those two are your brothers, correct?" China asked, pointing at the two older teens.
"Yes, their names are Callahan and Donnelly, they burnt down your library," Finnian said, feeling the pressure ease a little from his chest.
"And tell me Finnian, how were you able to take down my wards?" China asked, smiling innocently at the boy.
Gupling, Finnian looked up at China and knew that not answering her would put him in more trouble. Ignoring his brothers, he took a deep breath in. "Dad has me doing lessons with a cloaked man almost every second day, they say I'm gifted and one day I'll bring down all their enemies."
"With time you will learn." Taking her foot off Finnian's chest, China watched as Tanith pulled him up and off the ground, and kept a hold of him so he couldn't run away.
Walking over to the teenagers, she looked the older boy over and rolled her eyes and stepped to the side as he tried spitting on her.
"You are disgusting and disgraceful. Which one are you?" China said, wrinkling her nose at the smell of teenage boy.
"None of your business, bitch," the teen smugly said, looking at his brother.
"Finnian!" China said, looking at the boy.
"That's Donnelly," Finnian replied, earning himself a death stare.
"Shut up you little pest," Donnelly shot at his little brother, wanting him to keep his mouth shut.
"You know what," China started, walking back and forth in front of the three boys who were all being held in place. "I don't have the time for your mediocre childishness. Skulduggery, get the filth of my lawn."
"With pleasure," Skulduggery replied as Tanith handed Finnian over to Valkyrie.
Not giving the three boys any more of her attention, China walked away from them and to the foyer of her building, stopping at the stairs where she knew they wouldn't see her. Seeing Tanith coming her way, she watched as Skulduggery and Valkyrie almost threw the boys into the back of the van that had pulled up.
"How are you feeling?" Tanith asked, watching as China let out the breath she was holding.
"I don't know," China replied, sighing.
"If you need anything I'm here for you," Tanith responded, making sure China knew.
"Thank you," China quietly replied, leaning against the cool brick wall and taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly.
"I know what happened wasn't fair and that if you could wish it never happened you would," Tanith said, taking hold of China's hands in her own, gently letting her thumb run along the smooth skin she felt. "China, I'm here for you through thick and thin, always and forever and I mean it."
Looking up at Tanith, China closed her eyes and nodded, only to feel herself being pulled into Tanith's warm embrace. She could smell the scent of Tanith's perfume and it made her smile for a moment. Relaxing into the embrace of her partner, China felt a soft kiss being placed against her temple and it reminded her of all the times Tanith had been there for her no matter what.
Moving her head so she could look at Tanith, China's blue eyes met Tanith's brown eyes and China felt the butterflies in her belly. "I love you," she softly said, searching Tanith's eyes for a response.
"I love you too, China," Tanith softly replied. Feeling China lightly cup her face as their lips meet in a gently yet heartfelt kiss, Tanith rested their foreheads together and she couldn't get the smile off her face.
"I would like to do a lot more of this but someone has to go start cleaning my library and I am that someone, I would really like your company though and some more of those kisses when I do a good job."
"You can get more of those kisses once we do a good job of cleaning up," Tanith replied, her heart swelling at the look of total adorableness on China's face as she found out she was getting help.
Intertwining their fingers together, they slowly walked up the many flights of stairs, getting ready to get started on cleaning up the mess that awaited them.