His hand rested at her waist, and her head leaned on his shoulder. Tanith and Ghastly sat together and watched the starry skies above them. Even here, in a place so desolate, so horrid, there was beauty.

Tanith stretched her sore legs and silently thanked Skulduggery again for agreeing to an overnight rest. They had bedded down a few hundred meters away, but she and Ghastly had come here for some privacy. She was actually surprised that Skulduggery had agreed to a stop, because it was obvious how worried he was. Barely any clues as to Valkyrie's whereabouts could be found: the marsh swallowed all evidence.

Tanith's heart clenched as she thought of Valkyrie, alone and in the claws of that villain, Darren Wield. Her little sister, somewhere out here. Maybe even dead. It would have been easy...the swamp would swallow a body with no problems. Her bones, undiscovered. Her body, broken and soulless, disappearing into a wet and stifling grave, hundreds of years too early -

Tanith gasped, nearly sobbing. Ghastly gently placed his hand along her jaw and turned her face to his.

"Was it Valkyrie again?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I keep on picturing all the horrific things that could be happening to her." She closed her eyes.

Ghastly brushed his thumb across her lips. "Let me take you away from it all, just for a while," he whispered.

"Please do," she whispered back.

He leaned his lips down to meet hers, and she slung her arm around his neck.

Tanith broke off the kiss. "So are we an item or something?"

Ghastly swooped in and planted a kiss on her lips. "Would you like to be?"

She grinned. "Course."
"Well, then, Tanith Low, it looks like you're off the market...you're mine now," he grinned back.
"Much obliged, Mr. Bespoke," she joked, affecting an American accent.
He stared into her eyes. "I mean it, Tanith."
She kissed his jaw. "I know."
Ghastly smiled slowly.

Skulduggery burned with impatience as he scanned the ground ahead for a sign, any sign of where to go next. He lifted his head to the sky with frustration, and froze suddenly.

"Do you see that?" he asked quietly.

"Smoke," stated China.

Instantly, he was a blur of activity. "Fletcher! We need to get close, quickly. We need you to teleport us to the hill there, so we can scope out who it is, and then, if necessary, make a plan. I believe that this will be Wield."
"Who the hell else would want to be out here," muttered Tanith as they all linked arms.

Fletcher closed his eyes and teleported the five of them. His feet squelched. He grimaced. Tanith pulled him down and out of view, and his hand plunged into the marshy ground. "Seriously?" he whined.

China fixed him with a glare, and Fletcher's hair wilted a little.

China glanced towards where Skulduggery had been. He wasn't there anymore. She cast around with her eyes to find him running, crouched, down the slope. China sprinted after him.

"Where do you think you're going?" she whispered sharply. His eye sockets turned to her.
"I'm going to find Valkyrie."
"What about the rest of us? Did you even think about that?"
"I'll only need your help if we're going to have to fight our way out."
"So you were just going to run in and check all of these buildings, by yourself, with no lookouts, hoping you won't run into anyone unsavory, until you find her and come running back to us with her over your shoulder?"

Skulduggery was silent.

Tanith laid her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see the rest of the group crouched behind him.

"Face it. You need us, mate," said Fletcher softly.

Skulduggery sighed, then addressed them all. "So what's the plan?"

I know. I'm a sucker for Ghanith. And you probs noticed the Valduggery...which for some reason I've always wanted to call Skulkyrie. Is that weird? I kinda like it. Maybe if I mention that you'll know what I'm talking about. Or maybe not. Haha.

Is anyone else insanely excited for August 29th? Last Stand of Dead Men? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Hold. Wait. Need. To. Breathe. That cover art!

It is coming out in the US on that date, right?

Please say yes.

Please.

Well that's it! Hope you enjoyed it, there's more on the way(:

Please rate&review, PM me, tell me what you think(:

And you're sweet, XxbeautifulxX134. Thx for the reviews!