China.
“My magnificent girl,” Serafina said. “It’s so good to see you again after all these years.”
“You look radiant,” China responded.
Serafina kissed both China’s cheeks. “As do you. Belated congratulations on your new position. You thoroughly deserve it. If anyone can whip the Sanctuaries into shape, it’s you.”
China smiled. “You’re far too kind. Allow me to introduce you to my Council of Advisors. This is Grand Mage Aloysius Vespers of the English Sanctuary.”
Vespers shuffled forward and struggled to bow. “Welcome to Roarhaven, High Superior! The tales of your legendary beauty are all true, I see, even to old eyes such as mine.”
Serafina bowed slightly. “Have we not met before, Grand Mage? You seem familiar to me. Perhaps without the beard …”
Vespers chuckled. “I am afraid not, High Superior. I would remember meeting someone as striking as you.”
He shuffled back and Praetor stepped forward.
“This is Grand Mage Gavin Praetor,” said China, “of the American Sanctuary.”
Praetor bowed deeply, but kept his eyes locked on Serafina’s. “It is an honour, High Superior, to be in the presence of someone so bewitching.”
“Surely, Grand Mage, you are used to it by now,” Serafina responded. “Is the Supreme Mage not more bewitching than I? Is she not the most beautiful woman you’ve ever laid eyes upon?”
Praetor smiled. “I would certainly not like to choose between you, High Superior.”
“How thoroughly gracious,” Serafina said.
“And this is Grand Mage Sturmun Drang, of the German Sanctuary,” said China. “I believe you know each other.”
Drang gave a curt bow. “High Superior.”
Serafina smiled. “No exaltations about my timeless beauty, Sturmun? I can call you that, can’t I? I believe once you make an attempt on someone’s life you grant that person permission to use your first name.”
Drang remained impassive. “That was a long time ago.”
Serafina’s smile grew smaller, but somehow even more glorious. “Was it?”
China seized this moment to step between them, and steered Serafina towards Skulduggery. “And you remember Skulduggery Pleasant, of course.”
“How could I forget a man such as this?” Serafina said, and tapped her finger-bone necklace. “I believe one of these is yours.”
“I believe you may be right,” Skulduggery said. Coolly.
“And this,” said Serafina, “must be the infamous Valkyrie Cain, the girl who very nearly destroyed us all.”
“I suppose I am,” Valkyrie responded. “How do you do?”
“Very well, thank you,” Serafina answered, and swept her arm back. Her security person, the woman dressed in black, came up the steps. “Allow me to introduce my sister, Rune.”
Rune was as tall as Skulduggery, and she had broad shoulders, an impressively square jaw and flat, expressionless eyes. Her dark hair was tied back in a functional bun, and she managed to make the suit she wore seem like a military uniform.
“We’ve met before,” Skulduggery said.
“I’m aware,” said Rune.
A silence followed.
“How was the journey?” China asked.
“Long,” said Serafina. “How I miss the days when everyone had a Teleporter at their disposal.”
“You miss them when they’re gone, don’t you? But don’t worry. Corrival Academy is training up the next generation of Teleporters and I’m sure they’ll be available to hire in a few short years.”
“Quite,” said Serafina, and her smile dimmed a fraction before returning, as brilliant as ever.
“Please come inside,” China said. “It’s far too cold to be standing out here like this.”
Serafina gave a gentle nod, turned to the crowd and waved. This drove her supporters into a frenzy. It didn’t go down well with the protestors.
One of them threw a bottle of water. It bounced harmlessly off the force field. Serafina blew a kiss.
Valkyrie stood with Skulduggery, watching the procession as it threaded its way into the High Sanctuary. “Are we done now?” she asked once they were alone.
“We are,” he said.
The crowd started chanting competing slogans at each other as the Cleavers moved to break them up.
“I talked to Caisson,” Valkyrie blurted.
Skulduggery tilted his head at her.
“I didn’t know how else to say it,” she said. “I thought blurting might be the best option.” She looked at the crowd. It was showing no signs of dispersing.
“You must be talking about some other Caisson …” Skulduggery said slowly.
“Nope,” she replied. “It’s the one you’re thinking of. You know, your son Caisson. He wanted to meet me and we met.”
“First of all,” Skulduggery said, “he’s not my son.”
“You don’t know that. You told me yourself, there are all kinds of magical ways to make a baby that don’t require the usual process.”
“I’m going to say it again: he’s not my son. Second of all … why didn’t you tell me?”
“I am telling you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before you met him? It could have been a trap.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. It was a risk, but it was a risk I was ready to take. He had a proposal that he wanted to talk to me about. It was all very fine and undramatic. I mean, he’s obviously a very traumatised person, but he didn’t try to kill me or anything.”
“Well … that’s a good start, I suppose.”
“He did say he wanted to kill you, though.”
“That hardly seems fair. The only bad thing I ever did to him was kill his mother, and she came back.”
“That’s what I told him,” Valkyrie said. “I think he’s conflicted about the whole thing, but he still wants to kill you. So, this proposal of his. He claims to know how to find Doctor Nye, and he says he’ll tell me if I tell him where Greymire Asylum is.”
Skulduggery tilted his head to the other side. “Greymire,
