Skulduggery heard Valkyrie gasp behind him. "I have no such person."

"Oh don't play coy with me, Skulduggery," sneered the man, "It was your fault it fell apart in the first place."

He clenched his fists. "Who are you?"

"My dear brother, I'm Krey Niles."

Skulduggery stood absolutely still. He felt Valkyrie pull slightly on his jacket.

"Skulduggery?" she asked, "Who is he?"

He ignored her, "How did you... What are you doing here?"

"My job, Skulduggery. Like you're doing yours." Krey lifted his hands and the room began to rapidly get darker. Skulduggery reached back to take hold of Valkyrie's hand.

"Necromancer," he whispered to her.

"That's useful information," she snapped at him, "Just like the information on who the hell this guy is."

"He is my Bloodlust, my brother."

"You had siblings?"

The room was now completely dark. "No not by blood."

"Your friend?"

"You could say he was my friend a long time ago."

"Oh course," Krey's voice echoed around them, "It seems like ages since we spoken. Well, it has been. Ah, and it seems you found a new toy to play with."

Skulduggery made a sinister growl. "Don't you dare," he defended.

"What's wrong Ang? Haven't told her yet?" he taunted.

Skulduggery pulled his hands out in front of him and began twisting them in a circular motion. "Come on, you coward. You never did show your face to your enemies."

"Enemies?" echoed Bloodlust, "Is that what we are? After all we've been through? What a shame."

Suddenly a force began to wrap tightly around his rib cage and he felt himself begin to crumble to the ground.

ValPoint of View

Blindly, she felt Skulduggery move from her grip. In instinct she yelled his name, "Skulduggery!" She clicked her fingers together but she couldn't see the flame. Panicking, she let the flame die and moved foward, stumbling into the crouched figure of Skulduggery Pleasant.

He yelled out in the darkness.

She bent down at his side but she was thrown back, crashing into a wall. Valkyrie quickly regained her footing. She was just about to cast a few fireballs in hope it would hit him when suddenly the darkness lifted. She saw Krey being pulled down by his throat by the lean figure of Finbar.

Finbar gripped Krey tightly, the brother choking for air. "You bitter, old man," said Finbar in a voice that was not his, "I should kill you right now."

"Oh I think not, my master," Bloodlust gasped, "You know that he needs me but it's the matter of getting to that point isn t it?"

Master?

Finbar lifted Krey off the ground and pushed him towards his men. "Take him," Finbar sneered, "Try to kill Skulduggery Pleasant again and it will be the end of your pitiful lives."

Bloodlust regained his composure and nodded to his men. They were gone in an instant, closing the door behind them.

Finbar turned to Valkyrie. "You need to be more protective and intelligent about your motives," he exclaimed.

She raised an eyebrow at him, about to say something, she remembered Skulduggery. "Skulduggery," she knelled next to him. He held himself tightly.

"Great," he breathed, "Not only were we screwed before but we're in deep shit now."

"He broke your ribs didn't he? Hold on Skulduggery, I'll call the Sanctuary."

"No," he gasped in pain, "Go and call Ghastly." He looked up at Finbar, "And what are you doing here?"

Valkyrie was pushed aside by a gentle force as Sharon pushed past her with a sword in hand. She walked up and pulled it to Finbars neck. "Where is my husband you bastard?"

"He's fine," Finbars body replied, "Valkyrie you really should be going."

"Not till I know who you are first," she crossed her arms.

"That's," Skulduggery started, "Solomon Wreath."

Sharon made a disgusted face. "It's high time you died old man," she sneered.

"Wreath," Valkyrie moved forward, "Why'd you come back?"

"To tell you something and to save Skulduggery's hide of course." Finbar looked sideways at the skeleton.

"I want to let you know who killed me and the White Cleaver. I want to tell you that Kenspeckle is innocent in the affair. I want to tell you who I was meeting last night," he looked at Sharon, "Then I'll leave."

"Start singing," said Sharon.

"Wait," Valkyrie exclaimed, "I'm sorry but Skulduggery comes first in my book." She reached for Sharon's cell phone and dialed Ghastly's number. After explaining to him of Skulduggery's crisis, she hung up and let Wreath continue.

Solomon cleared his throat, "I was meeting a man named Nickolas Romel that night to gain information on a certain gang arising known as The Undertakers." He glanced at Skulduggery before continuing, "Romel did have the information on the rising leader of the group, Bloodlust, but as soon as me and the Cleaver headed for Kenspeckles place for more information. We sensed we were being followed.

"So we waited for our visitor in the theater but who showed up surprised us. It was -" He lurched forward as if he were kicked in the stomach and began coughing and heaving.

"Wreath," Valkyrie rushed towards him.

"Valkyrie wait!" Skulduggery reached out.

When she reached his slumped form, his eyes had turned completely white. Finbar stood up and spoke in a much deeper tone then Solomon. "So sorry people," said the new voice, "But that little piece of information is classified." He gripped Valkyrie by her collar. "Blood was right. She is pretty," he smiled. Valkyrie couldn't speak.

"Get away from her," growled Skulduggery, gathering to his feet. She saw him lunge for Finbar and suddenly she was on the floor.

Sharon pulled at Skulduggery's jacket, "Don't hurt him! That's my husband!"

"You can come and face me you coward," Skulduggery said in a low voice that Valkyrie could barely hear.

"I would," replied the voice, "But I'm busy, Ang. Maybe later." He smiled and his eyes rolled back.

When Skulduggery backed away, Sharon moved down to Finbars side. "Honey, speak to me."

Valkyrie caught Skulduggery as he buckled to his knees. "You're going to live right?" she asked, worried.

"Of course I'm going to live," Skulduggery laughed, "I've got something I need to live for."

She smiled then it turned to a frown. "You have some serious explaining to do."

"And I swear I'll answer them all. Even if you won't like the answers."

------

SkulPoint of View

"You better have a damn good reason for not contacting me earlier," whispered Ghastly.

"I do and you will hear it later," Skulduggery gasped. Damn my rib cage.

"You better. The whole damn Sanctuary has been looking for you."

"They missed me? I'm flattered."

"This is not a joke," Ghastly said sternly, "What happened?"

They had been heading towards the medical ward where Kenspeckle had been waiting. "I stumbled across a very important man and went after him."

"Who exactly, and don't you dare give me a smart-ass remark."

Skulduggery hesitated, "Brother Bloodlust."

Ghastly's eyes widened as Skulduggery began to recall the events. "Wreath told you this?"

"Yes, but I can't say I trust the guy even if he did save my life. Kenspeckle is still a suspect."

"Who was the other processor?"

"Brother Bitter Plague."

"That bitch? He's a pain in the ass."

"You got that right." Skulduggery winced.

ValPoint of View

Valkyrie trailed behind. As much as she would have loved to be at Skulduggery's side, he was hiding something very important from her. Feeling the echo-stone and the Tame in her pockets, she pushed on, determined to get the answers she needed.

She saw Kenspeckle ahead as he made a quick glance in her direction, narrowing his eyes before he helped Skulduggery.

She wondered what he knew. Valkyrie thought back for a moment. Kenspeckle did hate Skulduggery for taking her in but it wasn't just that. Kenspeckle had mentioned something before, something about Skulduggery and his friends and how he didn't approve. China had taught her to clear he mind when searching for old memories. They would become clear if dealt with the right steps and silence. She lingered back to concentrate. Then it came to her:

"The war is over," Kenspeckle had said. "Those days of death and mayhem are gone."

"Not for some of us," Skulduggery responded.

Kenspeckle looked at Skulduggery, and there was something in his eyes Valkyrie had never seen before. "Perhaps," he countered, "For those of you how need it."

Skulduggery was quiet for a moment. "Professor," he said at last, "I hope you're not implying that I like the death and the mayhem."

"Without it, where would you be? Or, more to the point, who would you be? We are defined by the things that we do, Detective. And you tend to hurt people."

Skulduggery's chin tilted slightly. "The world is a dangerous place. In order for people like you to live in relative safety, there need to be people like me."

"Killers, you mean."

Skulduggery showed no signs of anger, or even annoyance. "You are an interesting man, Professor."

"Why is that, Skulduggery? Because I'm not scared of you? Even during the war, with the reputation you and your friends enjoyed, I spoke out against your methods. I wasn't afraid of you then and I'm certainly not afraid of you now."

Her memory fast forward a bit.

Just as she and Skulduggery reached the double doors, Kenspeckle spoke again.

"Detective, have you ever considered the fact that violence is the resource of the uncivilized man?"

Skulduggery looked back. "I'm sophisticated, charming, suave, and debonair, Professor. But I never claimed to be civilized." *

*Reference from Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones chapter 8 The Civilized Man

More to come