actions.'
'He almost killed me!' Tanith snarled.
'Under orders from Nefarian Serpine,' Wreath pointed out. 'His will was most certainly not his own.'
The White Cleaver just stood there, perfectly still. The scythe that had pierced Tanith was strapped to his back.
'How did he end up with you?' Skulduggery asked.
Wreath shrugged. 'It was our technique Serpine used to bring him back from the dead. Once we realized what he had done, we managed to break the hold he had over the Cleaver, and the Cleaver came to us.'
'So that was you, when he ignored Serpine's orders in the Sanctuary? '
'That was us. If only we could have severed Serpine's influence earlier, Miss Low would not have been injured, and Mr. Bespoke would not have had to turn himself into a garden ornament.»Ghastly lunged, and Skulduggery had to hold him back.
Tanith walked up to the White Cleaver, who looked down at her, his visor reflecting her face.
'Does he have Necromancer powers?' she asked, directing the question at Wreath but not taking her eyes off the Cleaver.
'No. He is merely a Cleaver, albeit one of the best. He is also dead, self-repairing, and somewhat unstoppable. He is the result of one of our techniques, and so, being a soldier, his natural instinct is to take our orders and stand at our side. In this case, our side is, happily, also your side.'
Tanith turned and walked away. 'He doesn't stand at my side.'
'Mine neither,' Ghastly growled.
'Nevertheless,' Wreath said, 'he is part of the Necromancer contingent you have requested. The three of us and the White Cleaver. Unless, of course, you think you can stop the Diablerie without us.'
Skulduggery put his gun away. 'If any of us survive this, Wreath, you and I are going to have a conversation.»
Chapter Twenty-eight. Saying Good-bye
On Saturday morning, Valkyrie climbed through her bedroom window just as her reflection was waking up.
'You look dreadful,' it remarked, sitting up and looking at her.
'Cheers,' Valkyrie responded, throwing her coat into the wardrobe. She'd had two hours of sleep on Ghastly's couch and was feeling drained. She sat down and pulled off her boots.
'Your parents are leaving for Paris in half an hour,' the reflection said. 'Are you here to say good- bye?»'That's the plan.'
'Do you want me to return to the mirror?'
Valkyrie undressed and kicked her black clothes into the corner, then wrapped herself in her bathrobe. 'I won't be staying long,' she said. 'I'm going to have a shower, kiss my folks good-bye, and then I'm gone again.'
'So shall I stay here?'
'Hide under the bed, just in case Mum walks in.' The reflection did as it was told, and Valkyrie watched as it tucked a bare foot undercover. 'You okay down there?'
'I am,' came the reply. 'I have also found some of your missing underwear.'
'Good news all round then. Don't make a sound.'
Valkyrie padded to the bathroom, locked the door, and turned on the shower. She stepped in and sighed as the hot water hit her. Her head drooped and her eyes closed, and within seconds her hair was plastered to her scalp. She could feel the dirt and the grime and the sweat being washed away, and it felt good. She ran her tongue over her teeth again, testing the new one. It still felt too big, and Valkyrie was afraid of probing too hard in case she pushed it out of place.
She washed her hair. Her muscles were loosening. She was starting to relax. She hadn't realized how tense she had been, but she figured she could really do with a massage right about now. China would probably know who to call about that.
Valkyrie tried to think about what she was going to say to her parents, and butterflies swarmed in her belly. She'd had to say what could have potentially been a final good-bye to them too many times over the past two years, and it wasn't getting any easier.
Once she was finished, she stepped out of the shower and toweled herself dry. She heard footsteps pass the door.
'Morning, sweetie,' her mother called.
'Morning!'
Valkyrie cleared the condensation from the mirror and looked at herself. Her face was unmarked. No cuts, no bruises. The shower had revived her, and she wasn't looking so tired anymore. She was confident there was absolutely nothing about her appearance that would cause her parents to worry. They'd be able to leave without even a hint of anxiety.Provided, of course, that Valkyrie could say good-bye without acting like it was the last time she'd ever see them.
She took a deep breath, pulled on her robe, and went back to her room. She dressed in jeans, T-shirt, and a zip-up top, then pulled on a pair of running shoes. She tried a few practice smiles, and when she was sure they'd be convincing, she clumped down the stairs with a scowl on her face.
'Someone's grumpy,' her dad said as she entered the kitchen.
'Why can't I go with you?' she whined. 'Why do I have to stay with Beryl? '
'Because it's a romantic weekend,' he told her. 'It wouldn't be very romantic with you tagging along, now would it?'
Valkyrie collapsed into a chair. 'Why do you need romance in your life? You're already married. Romance should be saved for people like me.'
Her dad frowned. 'You're not looking for romance, are you? You're only fourteen. You should be thinking about other things. Like dolls.'
'When was the last time you saw me with a doll, Dad?'
'I know we got you one when you were a baby, but I'm pretty sure you laughed at it and beat it up.'
'I was a cool baby.'
Her mother walked in. 'Des, where's your passport? '
'Do I need it?'
'We're getting on a plane. Yes, you need it. Where is it?'
'Uh, where is it usually?'
'You said you had it. Last night I asked you, and you assured me you had it.'
Valkyrie's dad nodded thoughtfully. 'I do remember that. However, I may have been lying.'
'Oh, for God's sake, Edgley ...'
Her mother only ever called him by his last name when she was getting mad at him.
'It's around here somewhere.' He laughed. 'You just go on with your packing, and I'll have found it by the time we have to go.'
'We're going in seven minutes.'
He swallowed. 'That's no problem.'
Valkyrie's mother sighed and walked out. Valkyrie called after her. 'Mum, what age were you when you had your first boyfriend?'
'My first proper boyfriend? «'Yeah.'
Her dad frowned. 'Define proper.'
'Thirteen,' she heard her mother say. 'Des, find that passport.'
'What do you mean by proper?' he called, but she didn't answer. He turned to Valkyrie. 'Things were different when your mother and I were kids. It was a more innocent time. We had to wait eighteen months to even hold hands. That was the law, and we were happy.'
