set during chapter 47 of death bringer, when skulduggery and china dance at the requiem ball (already on wp and ffn)
China had been enjoying her conversation with Erskine Ravel when all the commotion started. She had, of course, remained calm when the men in the ski masks burst in – how stupid they looked after all, attacking a room full of Ireland’s most powerful sorcerers with nothing more than their silly little guns. She supposed they couldn’t be expected to know any better. The Requiem Ball was hardly a well-advertised event in mortal circles.
She watched, amused, as the men began to panic, and chuckled along with the rest of the crowd as they were ridiculed. All but one had been defeated – if such a strong term could even be used in such a one-sided fight – and the last man wriggled in the grip of Ghastly Bespoke as China approached. Not wasting any time, she tapped a small symbol on her left arm and felt it burn slightly as he screamed. A very dramatic reaction for what was simply a small shock, but it seemed to entertain the group.
As the guests returned to their conversations and the music started up once more, she caught sight of Valkyrie - dressed in a gorgeous black dress which was clearly meant for her - and Skulduggery - who looked equally as dapper in a clean tuxedo - and was immediately reminded of her situation with Eliza. Despite the obvious time constraint, she pushed it from her mind. She would deal with it later, and so she approached them.
“Valkyrie,” she said, “you look beautiful. I always knew there was a pretty girl underneath all those bruises.”
Valkyrie smiled and shifted slightly, revealing the handsome blonde man behind her. China raised an eyebrow. “Dexter Vex is back in the country?” She knew this, of course. “All we need is Anton Shudder and Saracen Rue to show up and we’d have a dead men reunion right here.”
“Hello China,” Vex said, and he leaned in to kiss her cheek. He hadn’t always been such a gentleman. “Have you got over your love for me yet?”
She smiled at him, playfully, and watched him grin. “I take each day as it comes,” she responded. He laughed, and she was about to turn back to Valkyrie when the orchestra started into a waltz. Instead, she looked over at Skulduggery for the first time and held her hand out towards him. “They’re playing our song.”
China watched him as he tilted his head and excused himself from the conversation. He took her hand in his and led her towards the centre of the room. They settled in a space, and though they were surrounded by others China didn’t mind. As soon as they assumed the position the rest of the world closed off. She looked into the space where his eyes would have been as they began to dance.
“You look stunning,” Skulduggery said as they moved. His hand on her waist sent tingles down her spine and made butterflies dance in her stomach.
“And you look handsome as ever,” she smiled. Silence settled, until she asked, “When was the last time we danced like this?”
“Certainly not the last Requiem Ball. In fact, I seem to recall you dancing with Saracen for most of the night.”
She chuckled. “Ah yes. It was certainly an… interesting evening. A most charming man. I must say however, he can’t dance nearly as well as you can.”
“You flatter me.” He spun her round gracefully. “Of course, a good partner makes any dancer look good.”
“Dear Lord,” she said, “is this the Skulduggery Pleasant being humble? I never thought I’d see the day.”
“It is a rare occurrence, I’ll admit. But it does happen. You have to admit, we did make marvelous partners. You remember the first night we danced, I assume?”
China’s stomach flipped and she actually blushed. “Yes,” she replied, “I do. In Venice, shortly after I made my blasphemous and un-Godly betrayal of becoming neutral. If I recall correctly, I thought you had come to kill me.”
“So did I,” Skulduggery said, “until word was sent of the news.”
“You surprised me, you know. I had word of every sorcerer of note coming in and out of the city, and yet I had no idea you were there. I still don’t know how you managed it.”
“With great skill, of course,” he responded. “I don’t think anyone actually knew I was there, other than Echan Meritorious.”
“I was far less stealthy. One could go as far as to say I was clumsy, given that there were three other men sent to bring my life to an end in that very palace.”
“You weren’t very popular at the time.”
“No, I wasn’t. Did I ever thank you, for saving my life that night?”
“I don’t believe you did,” he muttered. “Then again, you were in shock. And probably in awe of me, your saviour.”
China laughed. “I was not. I was…” She paused. “Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. We had fun, escaping together. Killing Mevolent’s men, hiding in that little bar until morning. Me making every man and woman in the place jealous when we danced.”
“It was terribly romantic, yes.” She hesitated. “You could have gone ahead with it, you know. I don’t think either side would have minded.”
He looked at her. “I couldn’t.” There was a moment of silence before he continued. She heard the music playing, heard Valkyrie laughing with Dexter off in the distance, but none of it mattered. There was a bubble around them, closing them off. They were the only two people on the planet, and his was the only voice that she really heard. “You looked just as beautiful then.”
“Of course I did,” she replied, hiding her joy at his words. She was used to men telling her how beautiful she was. She was not used to this. “It was my job, after all. To look beautiful, to lure in weak-minded men and use them to Mevolent’s ends. It was a rather insulting job to be given, in all honesty. Especially since I could have destroyed them all.”
“Of course you could have. I wasn’t weak-minded.”
“I know. Which is why we never really worked, my dear. You didn’t trust me. Rightfully so, for I am not a particularly trustworthy person. You could never have been expected to know if what I told you was real. If what you felt was real.”
He dipped her low, paused there, and she held on without fear. “I know now. I trust you now,” he said, quietly.
She looked up at him and smiled, but inside she felt sick with guilt. She wanted to stay there forever, listen to him as he told her he loved her, tell him she loved him too. She would kill Eliza and her associates and she would never have to tell him, never have to have him hate her. But she couldn’t. “That, Mr Pleasant, is not a very wise choice.”
“You know me,” he said as he pulled her back up. “I’m not a fan of wise choices. I much prefer the stupid and dangerous ones. They tend to work out, in the end.”
China’s heart tugged in her chest and she looked down. “Well, your luck may just run out.” The song came to an end and she let go of his hand. “Thank you, for dancing with me,” she said.
He tilted his head, then nodded. “The pleasure was all mine.” He held out his hand and she took it, and he led her back to the others, and just like that, the bubble burst around them.
areudirty
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