.

fact is,” Skulduggery said as they walked through the labyrinth of bookcases, “over the past few years you’ve proven yourself to be someone who can be depended on.”

      “And the unfortunate side effect of that,” Valkyrie continued, “is that you get to join our little crime-fighting club, whether you like it or not.”

      China stopped, and turned to them, a slight frown on her face. “Does this mean … Please don’t tell me this means we are all now friends. I have done very well without friends up to this point and I have no intention of developing any now.”

      Valkyrie frowned. “You make us sound like a rash.”

      “An irritation that shows up when you least want it? I think the analogy is quite apt.”

      “You do realise that I know what all the big words you’re using mean, right?”

      “And there I was, trying to baffle you with my verbiage.”

      “Understood that, too.” Valkyrie glimpsed a familiar face in among the stacks. “Be right back,” she said. They walked on and she approached her friend. “This is where we first met,” she said.

      Tanith Low looked up, and smiled. “God, that seems like a hundred years ago. You were so small.”

      “I was never small.”

      “And so narrow. Now look at you. How are the arms?”

      “I’m not showing you.”

      “Yes, you are.”

      “No, I’m not. We’re in the middle of a library.”

      “A library frequented solely by freaks and other assorted weirdos. I haven’t seen the arms in weeks. Come on.”

      Valkyrie tried to sigh, but ended up grinning. She unzipped her jacket and took it off.

      “Damn,” Tanith said, drawing the word out. “I hope Fletcher appreciates all the work I’ve put in to making his girlfriend rock solid.”

      “I’ve told him I’m aiming to have shoulders like yours. He kind of dribbled when he heard that.” Valkyrie put her jacket back on. “But I was never small.”

      Tanith laughed, slid the book she’d been reading back on to the shelf. “You were so unsure and innocent and wide-eyed and shy … Well, maybe not shy.”

      “Never shy.”

      “But definitely unsure. I knew from the moment I met you we’d be friends, you know.”

      “Really?”

      “I didn’t know we’d be quite so close, but I saw you and I went, yeah, she’s cool. Hadn’t a clue you had anything to do with why I was over here, though. Things kind of worked out quite well, didn’t they?”

      “Yes, they did.”

      “My folks say hi, by the way. And my brother wants to meet you. He’s heard so much about the great Valkyrie Cain.”

      “Your parents are lovely, and I’ve seen a picture of your brother. I definitely want to meet him.”

      Tanith wagged her finger. “You, my dear, are a one-man woman. Stick with Fletcher, and stay away from my older brother.” Tanith’s smile faded slightly. “What’s wrong?”

      “What do you mean?”

      “I said ‘one-man woman’ and you … you practically flinched.”

      “No, I didn’t.”

      “Everything OK with Fletcher?”

      “Yes,” said Valkyrie. “Things are great.”

      “And you’re happy with him? Still having fun?”

      “Sometimes it’s like leading a child around, but yes, absolutely, still having a laugh.”

      “Then what’s wrong?”

      “Nothing’s wrong,” Valkyrie said, and laughed.

      “What did you do?”

      “I didn’t do anything.”

      “Who is he?”

      “I don’t know who—”

      Tanith looked into her eyes.

      “Oh no,” she breathed.

      “Oh no what?”

      “Not him.”

      “Tanith, I really don’t know what you’re on about.”

      “The vampire, Val? Really? The vampire?”

      “He has a name.”

      “He’s a vampire!”

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about, OK? Nothing happened!”

      “Oh, that’s a big old lie right there.”

      Valkyrie prepared to argue, but she knew there was little use. She sagged. “Fine. OK. We kissed.”

      Tanith covered her face with her hands. “No. No no no. You can’t do this.”

      “I’m not doing anything. It was a one-off. It’s not going to happen again.”

      “He’s too old for you.”

      “I know that.”

      “And he’s a vampire.”

      “Tanith. Caelan has problems, but he’s not like the others.”

      “Valkyrie. You’re insane. He’s exactly like the others. This isn’t some brooding Gothic rubbish.”

      “I swear to God, I know all this. I explained to him, it’ll never happen again. I’m not in love with him, for God’s sake. It meant basically nothing.”

      “It might have meant nothing to you,” Tanith said, “but I can tell you that it meant a lot to him.”

      “That’s not my problem.”

      “It will be. Val, I hate to disapprove of anything that you do. We’re friends. I shouldn’t lecture you. I should support you. And I will. And I do. But something like this, you’re just going to have to forgive me, because I’ll keep going on about it until it’s over for good.”

      Valkyrie nodded. “I understand that.”

      “I take it Fletcher doesn’t have any idea?”

      “God, no.”

      “Good. There’s no point in hurting him and destroying your relationship when you don’t have to. It was a mistake.”

      “Yes, it was,” said Valkyrie.

      “And it’ll never happen again.”

      “No, it won’t.”

      “But if it does, you can talk to me about it and I won’t shout at you too much.”

      “Thanks.”

      “I’m not even going to ask if Skulduggery knows. If Caelan’s still alive, that means he doesn’t.”

      Valkyrie nodded her agreement, the truth of that statement making her uneasy.

      They walked out of the stacks, to where Skulduggery and China were talking.

      “Oh, good,” China said without enthusiasm, “Tanith’s here.”

      Tanith’s smile made no effort to reach her eyes. “Hello China. You’re looking radiant as ever.”

      “And your leather seems to have shrunk since the last time I saw you,” China responded. “Don’t you all have somewhere else to be? It’s not that I