Read Online Playing with Fire (Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 2) by Derek Landy - Free Book Online
Authors: Derek Landy
Tags: Fiction, General, Humorous stories, All Ages, Children's Books, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Children: Grades 4-6, Horror & Ghost Stories
Ads: Link
pieces of me, of my very soul, and now? Now you got my damn straight razor! How am I supposed to kill people? How am I supposed to even shave?"
Behind Sanguine, Baron Vengeous strode in off the street and stood in the mouth of the alley. Valkyrie tensed.
"Get it done," Vengeous called out angrily.
"Yes sir," Sanguine responded, then lowered his
91
voice. "See that? You're gettin' me in trouble with the boss. You better hand over the girl, right this second."
A side door opened, a door Valkyrie had never noticed before.
"Sorry," China said as she stepped out, "that's not about to happen." She had a fresh cut along her forehead but was otherwise unharmed.
A black Jeep pulled up beside Vengeous, and Dusk got out.
Valkyrie saw something, high above, a figure on the rooftop. For a moment she thought it was another of Vengeous's bad guys, and then the figure stepped off and dropped, and Mr. Bliss landed beside them. He straightened up.
Valkyrie saw the Baron scowl.
"Sanguine," he called out, "there are too many of them. We're leaving."
"Be right with you, Baron."
But Vengeous wasn't waiting. He got into the Jeep and Dusk got back behind the wheel, and they drove off.
Suddenly alone, Sanguine stopped glowering. He looked at his adversaries and licked his lips. He was still holding his injured arm, blood trickling
92
between his fingers.
"What is Baron Vengeous planning?" asked Mr. Bliss, his voice terrible and quiet.
"I don't know," Sanguine said. "No wait, I'm lyin'. I do know, I'm just not tellin'."
Valkyrie watched him draw his feet together, and the ground beneath him started to crumble.
"Stop him!" she cried.
Tanith lunged, but it was too late. He sank down into the earth again.
"Damn," Tanith said, scowling. "Some 'hit man deluxe' he turned out to be. Nothing more than a sneaky little coward."
"I heard that!"
They tensed, ready to fight, looking down at the piece of broken ground-- and at Sanguine, who was poking his head up through the surface. They relaxed their stances.
"I am not a coward," Sanguine said hotly, looking up at them. "I have just been momentarily outclassed. It takes a man to admit when he is beaten."
"You must be very manly, then," Valkyrie said, which drew a glare from the American.
"No one likes sarcasm, Miss Cain. I've merely delayed my exit to promise you something. You
93
took my straight razor, li'l darlin'. That I view as an unforgivable offense. So when the time comes, when you have served your purpose, I swear to you I'm gonna kill you f or free."
And with that, Billy-Ray Sanguine disappeared into the ground. Then he popped his head back up.
"Or at least half price."
And he was gone again.
Chapter Nine
THE HIDDEN ROOM
94
AFTER VALKYRIE hung up the phone, she used the library washroom to clean the dirt from her face. She dried her hands and watched them shake. Her hands always shook after a fight, as the leftover adrenaline took the opportunity to charge randomly through her.
Tanith was waiting for her outside, and together they walked down the stairs. They were headed over to Gordon's house, to see if her late uncle's office held any books on the Grotesquery, and they were leaving Bliss to help China restore some order to her apartment. Valkyrie had never seen a
95
brother and sister regard each other with as much wariness as they did.
"How did Skulduggery sound?" Tanith asked, breaking the silence.
"Angry," Valkyrie replied, "and worried. He's only okay when I'm attacked by people he knows. He'd never even heard of this Sanguine guy."
"Still, at least we know how Vengeous got out of his cell."
Valkyrie nodded. "That little tunneling trick is useful, all right. I just wish he wasn't using it to get me. I don't much like the idea of being a hostage. Doesn't sound like fun."
They emerged into the open air and approached Tanith's motorbike.
"So how's training?" Tanith asked.
"Good. Well, mostly good. There are a few moves I've kind of. . .
Behind Sanguine, Baron Vengeous strode in off the street and stood in the mouth of the alley. Valkyrie tensed.
"Get it done," Vengeous called out angrily.
"Yes sir," Sanguine responded, then lowered his
91
voice. "See that? You're gettin' me in trouble with the boss. You better hand over the girl, right this second."
A side door opened, a door Valkyrie had never noticed before.
"Sorry," China said as she stepped out, "that's not about to happen." She had a fresh cut along her forehead but was otherwise unharmed.
A black Jeep pulled up beside Vengeous, and Dusk got out.
Valkyrie saw something, high above, a figure on the rooftop. For a moment she thought it was another of Vengeous's bad guys, and then the figure stepped off and dropped, and Mr. Bliss landed beside them. He straightened up.
Valkyrie saw the Baron scowl.
"Sanguine," he called out, "there are too many of them. We're leaving."
"Be right with you, Baron."
But Vengeous wasn't waiting. He got into the Jeep and Dusk got back behind the wheel, and they drove off.
Suddenly alone, Sanguine stopped glowering. He looked at his adversaries and licked his lips. He was still holding his injured arm, blood trickling
92
between his fingers.
"What is Baron Vengeous planning?" asked Mr. Bliss, his voice terrible and quiet.
"I don't know," Sanguine said. "No wait, I'm lyin'. I do know, I'm just not tellin'."
Valkyrie watched him draw his feet together, and the ground beneath him started to crumble.
"Stop him!" she cried.
Tanith lunged, but it was too late. He sank down into the earth again.
"Damn," Tanith said, scowling. "Some 'hit man deluxe' he turned out to be. Nothing more than a sneaky little coward."
"I heard that!"
They tensed, ready to fight, looking down at the piece of broken ground-- and at Sanguine, who was poking his head up through the surface. They relaxed their stances.
"I am not a coward," Sanguine said hotly, looking up at them. "I have just been momentarily outclassed. It takes a man to admit when he is beaten."
"You must be very manly, then," Valkyrie said, which drew a glare from the American.
"No one likes sarcasm, Miss Cain. I've merely delayed my exit to promise you something. You
93
took my straight razor, li'l darlin'. That I view as an unforgivable offense. So when the time comes, when you have served your purpose, I swear to you I'm gonna kill you f or free."
And with that, Billy-Ray Sanguine disappeared into the ground. Then he popped his head back up.
"Or at least half price."
And he was gone again.
Chapter Nine
THE HIDDEN ROOM
94
AFTER VALKYRIE hung up the phone, she used the library washroom to clean the dirt from her face. She dried her hands and watched them shake. Her hands always shook after a fight, as the leftover adrenaline took the opportunity to charge randomly through her.
Tanith was waiting for her outside, and together they walked down the stairs. They were headed over to Gordon's house, to see if her late uncle's office held any books on the Grotesquery, and they were leaving Bliss to help China restore some order to her apartment. Valkyrie had never seen a
95
brother and sister regard each other with as much wariness as they did.
"How did Skulduggery sound?" Tanith asked, breaking the silence.
"Angry," Valkyrie replied, "and worried. He's only okay when I'm attacked by people he knows. He'd never even heard of this Sanguine guy."
"Still, at least we know how Vengeous got out of his cell."
Valkyrie nodded. "That little tunneling trick is useful, all right. I just wish he wasn't using it to get me. I don't much like the idea of being a hostage. Doesn't sound like fun."
They emerged into the open air and approached Tanith's motorbike.
"So how's training?" Tanith asked.
"Good. Well, mostly good. There are a few moves I've kind of. . .
Similar Books
