She led the way across the hall and knocked on the apartment door. China bid them enter. Valkyrie turned to Fletcher.
“You stay out here,” she said.
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because China’s probably still weak after being shot and she doesn’t need the both of us in there. Also every time you’re around her you make a fool of yourself.”
“Not every time.”
“You’re staying out here.”
“I think you’re confusing me with a dog.”
“Stay.”
He looked annoyed so she left him to it and stepped in, closing the door behind her.
China walked in from the bedroom and Valkyrie stared. China looked awful. She was too pale and her eyes looked bruised. She moved stiffly and wore a silk robe tied with a sash. Still beautiful, unnaturally so, but sick. For the first time Valkyrie saw China in a moment of weakness and she didn’t know what to say.
“Your silence says it all,” China said, a faint smile on her bloodless lips.
“I’m sorry.”
“Nonsense.” She sank into a chair with an audible sigh. “Take a seat, Valkyrie. You reaction is refreshing. Most people do their best not to catch my eye and prattle on like nothing is different. Now then, you were at the Sanctuary?”
Valkyrie sat. “Yes.”
“It was raided I hear. By vampires.”
“News travels fast. It was Dusk who led them.”
“Him again.”
“He stole the Desolation Engine.”
“I thought that had been made safe.”
“It has been, so we don’t know why he took it.”
China shifted in her seat and grimaced.
Valkyrie hesitated. “Are you…OK?”
“I’ll survive. This is what happens when you invest all your magic into healing a bullet wound. It’s not pretty. Tomorrow I should be back to normal.”
“Should?”
China waved a delicate hand. “You worry too much about people who mean nothing to you.”
Valkyrie’s eyes widened a fraction, but China still noticed.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she continued. “I didn’t mean to sound so cold. What I meant was there are others who would deserve your sympathy much more than I. Fletcher, for instance. That boy is always getting himself into trouble. How is he?”
“He’s fine I suppose. He’s out in the hall.”
“My, you have him well trained.”
“China, do you think I don’t like you?”
China’s smile was gentle. “No, my dear, I’m sure you do. You shouldn’t, but I’m sure you do. You’ve got a big heart. That’s not a compliment by the way. That’s a flaw in your character.”
“I’ll work on it.”
“That’s all I ask.”
“Sanguine is back. He stole a Soul Catcher from the Necromancer Temple and he’s working with Dusk.”
“That is interesting, but I’m afraid I can’t help you with Dusk. My ongoing inquiries about Sanguine, on the other hand, have finally borne fruit. What do you know of the assassination of Esryn Vanguard during the war?”
“Just that he was a pacifist and the guy who killed him got out of prison a few days ago.”
“At the time of his death support for Vanguard and his ideas was coming from soldiers on both sides of the war. I’d always despised the man – this was when I was a supporter of Mevolent’s, you understand, and I know that Mevolent did not appreciate Vanguard’s attempts to broker peace.
“He suspected that Vanguard was working for Eachan Meritorious, in an effort to rob Mevolent’s troops of the will to die for him. A reasonable suspicion, I think you would agree.”
“So he sent Dreylan Scarab to kill Vanguard.”
“I had turned my back on the Faceless Ones by this stage, but yes, from what I can gather, Scarab was dispatched to eliminate the problem. An arrow, dipped in poison, while Vanguard was addressing a hall full of supporters. It happened so fast nobody had time to do anything. Vanguard was dead within seconds. The crowd, and bear in mind these were all sorcerers, swarmed the area, hunting for the killer, but Scarab was gone. Skulduggery found him a few days later, and with Guild’s help, he arrested him.”
Valkyrie frowned. “Guild?”
“Guild was one of Meritorious’s most trusted men. He oversaw certain departments within the Sanctuary and his duties included direct interaction with the investigators.”
“I didn’t think Skulduggery and Guild were ever friends.”
“Oh, they weren’t,” China smiled. “They hated each other from the very start, for reasons I won’t go into here. But they worked together on occasion.”
“So they arrested Scarab and he was sent to an American prison. Where does Sanguine come into this?”
“It took a long time for me to come across this little piece of information, so I hope you understand how much of a sacrifice it is to part with it for free.”
“It wouldn’t be for free,” Valkyrie said. “You’d have my undying gratitude.”
“Free then,” China sighed. “Scarab had a son, Valkyrie. You are trying to find out who is pulling Sanguine’s strings? I’d look no further than his father.”
“Scarab is Sanguine’s dad?” Valkyrie stood. “This is…This is huge.”
“Quite.”
“China, I’m really sorry, I have to go. If I have some spare time, maybe I can stop by later to see how you are.”
“By this time tomorrow I’ll be back to my usual self. But your concern – while pointless – is noted. Of
