Chapter 138

The phone rang. It felt like an hour for Skulduggery to pick up, and Valkyrie honestly didn't think that he would, so when it clicked and the line opened, her heart stuttered.

"Solomon?" Skulduggery quietly said down the line.

Valkyrie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Skulduggery," she croaked out. "It's me."

There was silence for a long time. "Valkyrie."

"Yes." They didn't say anything and Valkyrie licked her lips. "Where are you?"

"I can't say right now."

"What are you doing?"

"Hiding."

"Are you okay?"

"I am," he said slowly, almost surprised. "I am healthy that is. I have all my bones."

"And a hat?"

"Yes, I have a hat," he said, some amusement dripping into his tone.

"Good, good," she nodded. "We need to talk Skulduggery."

"I know," he quietly admitted. "And I have things to tell you. Perhaps you should start."

Valkyrie took a few deep breaths, the silence of the empty room practically deafening. "I just want to know why you did it. I know you saw me."

"I told you, Valkyrie. I saw you and I tried to stop it. But Craven was faster. I can't tell you anything else."

"Why did you help them?"

"I thought I had no other choice. I really am sorry," he said, his smooth voice quiet. "I'm not in a good place Valkyrie. I thought it was my only choice. It was my choice, and I know that it's mine to live up too. But that's my only reasoning behind what I did. I'm sorry."

She wasn't happy, and she didn't agree with him, but she nodded. "Then why did you make Nadia go to the Spiders?"

He was silent for some moments. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. Something in me felt I had to. Even though I didn't want to."

"Is that your only answer?"

"It's the only answer I have."

"Are you sorry?"

"That I sent Nadia into a place I was certain was sure death? Yes. I didn't want to send her. I couldn't even bring myself to tell someone directly. I ran and hid and didn't help even in the slightest to liberate Solomon, let alone help Nadia herself. And I wasn't wholly truthful with what I told Corrival or our brothers before I sent Nadia either."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them ideas and plans, things I overheard," he told her, his voice becoming rougher with guilt. "Some of it was true, such as the treatment of Solomon and myself, and of who I saw. But I lied about their plans to move. I didn't know where they were going. Though I know they have moved location, and I haven't since worked out where they've gone."

"Okay," she said. She'd have to unpick that with Corrival later. "Can you tell me what it is you found out in the Spider's den then?"

"I can," he said, his voice stronger. "I learnt more on Craven than I knew previously. He is set solely on killing Solomon. He hates him, has a strong vendetta against him. He also hates you, Valkyrie. He wants to pull your life apart from the seams and kill you. He wasn't specific on a plan, but he talked about it a lot. I believe this is why The Torment is keeping him in the fold. The Torment likely wants to use Craven to kill you and Solomon in order to remove enemies, and also to use your deaths to pull the Dead Men further apart. But I doubt they want to waste their own people on risking death trying to kill you both as you are surrounded by Dead Men and the Sanctuary, as well as being dangerous in your own rights. As much as I dislike them, they are not stupid."

"Understood. What else did you learn?"

"I saw Spiders. At least a hundred different mages, all of which I think were Spiders, young Spiders, Spiders in training, from all over the world. I don't know where they're coming from. I never saw the same mage twice other than Craven, the thief Stolen, The Torment and Mist. You met Mist in the Necromancer Temple. She was the woman with The Torment."

"I remember her."

"You should. She seems to be the second in command of the Spiders. I also saw the Wild Brother's, or I did before they took me to the Spiders. I didn't see any of the other places they took me before that, except for Bliss' mansion."

"Yes. You saw the transcripts between Stolen and Bliss. From China."

"I did," he said, utterly unsurprised. It wasn't unexpected that Skulduggery had predicted China having another copy of those files, even if China had been confident in him not knowing so. Or perhaps he was pretending. It was harder to know over the phone. "I think I know how he works."

"Tell me."

"Stolen is South African, I believe. He isn't a Spider but doesn't seem to just be hired help either, although I'm sure he is being paid. It may be that he just wants chaos, he is scared of the Spiders, or that he is attempting to get something out of the winning of the Spiders."

"What could that be?"

"For a thief, I'm expecting either profit within whatever new world the Spiders want to create, or he'd be given a position of authority. Since I also suspect he is an assassin, perhaps he would train more, become The Torment's go-to man for this type of work. Maybe he's been promised help in finding and killing certain people. Top picks on killing mortals."

"I imagine so," Valkyrie agreed. "What about his magic then?"

"He's like China. He uses Signals."

"Oh," Valkyrie frowned. "I didn't think he'd be that."

"Tanith can climb walls," Skulduggery argued. "She picked that believing she would live her whole life as an assassin. Like Tanith, Stolen doesn't have an offensive magic, nor a defensive magic. It's an aid on top of his training to carry out his job."

"So he might have been born into being an assassin."

"Yes. Or, he could have turned after training separately. But I find that unlikely. His intelligence and his ability to invent is what has kept him under the radar. Either he has always been in training or killing professionally, or he's so naturally good at it that he never got training. I am not certain which could be worst. But I still believe it is most likely that he received training."

"I believe you," Valkyrie told him. Was it wrong to believe Skulduggery after he just admitted to lying, as well as him doing so many wrong things? "He made his own Cloaking Sphere?"

"He did. I didn't get a good look at it. He seems to have a lot of gadgets and tools that help him, but I wouldn't say he's a genius. He's not on par with China, for example, or the Monster Hunters with his inventing. He's crude, only knows the minimal of what he needs. I think he is young, certainly after the wartime. I expect he's nearer to Tanith's age, no less than fifty to be in on the Spider's mission so deeply."

"Okay. Do you know what he was sent to get from the Sanctuary?" Valkyrie questioned.

"A box. It's called 'Toute la capacité de puissance', which translates as 'All Power Capacity'. It is believed the full name has been forgotten over time. Essentially it is a Necromancer object, or rather, it is an item of significance to Necromancers. It can only be opened by one, supposedly. As far as I know, Elder Crow did not touch it because she didn't want to become involved in the problem of siding with the Sanctuary or Temple on the issue. Instead, a deal was made that the Sanctuary would not experiment on it and keep it safe. I don't know entirely what is in it, other than the fact that there is something inside which is the real interest."

"So it's Necromancer related. Meaning that's our answer to why they have Craven, right?"

"And why they did their best to kill all the other Necromancers in Ireland. As well as get themselves a few days in the Temple while we couldn't fight them to take whatever information the Temple has on it. With Craven's help, and possibly having tortured it out of the High Priest before he was killed, it's fair to assume they know more about it than we do."

"Okay. God, this is getting confusing."

"You must remember who is on their side, Valkyrie," he told her gently. "Craven, who we now believe is going to be used for opening and using whatever 'Toute la capacité de puissance' is. Noirette Paine, who tortured St. Clare in the Temple some months ago now, also possibly useful in testing this object, or at the least he is someone you never want to meet. I didn't see him in the Spiders hideout but that's not to say he wasn't there. The Wild Brothers, I know there are five inner members, although I know nothing about them. I believe they are re-recruiting their outer members from when they were killed and arrested in Bliss' mansion. I'd then go through whatever material you can find on any Spiders we cannot confirm are dead and just assume they are alive."

"I'd honestly forgotten about Paine."

"I should probably tell you off," he told her lightly, "but there has been a lot going on. And also, I expect I have lost the right to talk to you like that."

"You have, yes," she told him softly. "Is there anything else related to the Spiders or other cases you can tell me about?"

"Connected to the Spiders, no. I don't know any more about anyone with the Spiders, other than confirming that they do, in fact, want to destroy the world as it is. But we already knew that. The only other information is more of gossip, and that is that many young Spiders, mostly girls, are attempting to become the Queen of Spiders. It's not going to work."

"The Torment is traditional."

"He is. That is all I know, however," he said, taking a deep, unnecessary breath. "You have a lot of work ahead of you."

"I do. I think I'll be leaving the Sanctuary," she told him. "I don't want to be a detective like this. I don't enjoy the workload as Head. I'd rather have cases referred to the Dead Men and for me to work on them like that."

"You want to be an Arbiter," he told her. "Someone who picks and chooses, like a bounty hunter, with the ability to travel and do what they want. They don't get paid and don't get regulated. There isn't many left now, officially."

"I just want to get this finished," she said firmly. "I don't care what people call it, I just want to get rid of the Spiders' before there's a war and to be with my family. A part of that includes you, you know."

He was quiet for a long time and Valkyrie almost thought he was gone or wasn't ever going to answer when he finally did.

"I've decided to leave."

Valkyrie couldn't answer immediately. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you're right. I need help, Valkyrie. I need time to work this all out."

"You can do that here. We would help you."

"You could, but it wouldn't be what I need," he softly whispered down the line. "I need professional help. I need a Sensitive. I need to spend time alone to figure out what happened and what I need. I don't want to return and hurt you, or Nadia or Tanith and Ghastly's child. Nobody deserves that."

Valkyrie bit her lip and felt unwanted tears well up. "Where are you going?"

"A place in Africa. I've heard of it before, have suspects and victims occasionally get sent there for help and treatment. They're some of the best at helping with this type of thing."

"What type of thing? I don't think I understand."

"Valkyrie, since I met my brothers three hundred years ago, I've been constantly fighting and working. I have only had a handful of days off in all that time, but I always have a part of my mind on my work. I've always had that drive. And now, suddenly, I've killed and injured hundreds of people because I couldn't think past my own demons. My motivation is gone. My drive to make things better is gone. I need time to work through this."

"Oh," she said, the first tear falling.

"You must understand, I'm not going for fun or a holiday," he told her. "I will be back to help with the Spiders and to live with you and our brothers as my family, so long as I am welcome when that time comes. But I can't do that right now."

"Can I see you first?"

"Valkyrie," he said slowly, drawing her name out. "I've already left."

"Oh," she repeated quietly. Why was this affecting her so much?

"I'm sorry Valkyrie. And I'm sorry to Nadia, especially. And to Tanith and Ghastly for not meeting their baby yet. Tell them I said congratulations, alright?"

"I will."

"And please apologise to our family for how I've acted. I've – well, I've been an awful person."

"Kind of," she forced out.

He chuckled without humour. "I have. And I need you to tell Solomon I'm sorry. I didn't want this for him."

"Why can't you tell them all yourself?"

"This is easier," he said.

"Bullshit. You can't take the easy option out!"

"I know I shouldn't, but I don't know if I'll even leave if I speak with them."

"You already left."

"You know what I mean." Valkyrie was silent. "You deserved better too Valkyrie. I've been an awful guardian to you. I should have done… a lot more for you."

Valkyrie was quiet. She didn't know what to say.

"I'll be in contact, alright? I don't know when." Valkyrie couldn't make herself say anything as tears freely and silently dripped down her cheeks. She was biting her lip hard. "Until next time."

He hung up.

Oh my god, why is it sad? I tried to write it all angry and it didn't happen and now it's sad!

Remus Crux (weird writing that btw): I'm glad you liked last chapters ending, I hope this chapters followed it up at least decently. I just feel depressed after editing that, my poor baby! You are right, talks are in the future, but I won't say when - I have lots of crazy happening in the near future of the story, but I think you will like what happens to Hagan ;) Thank you for coming to read, glad to see I am lifting the site off the ground all by myself! ;P