Not even small talk. Not that Skulduggery had expected any. What he hadn't expected was for this to be quite so easy, and in keeping with his lot in life, it wasn't. Not really. The Midnight Hotel wasn't a place Skulduggery frequented, but Anton was right - he knew the rules. Just like whoever Scarab had sent to do this would know the rules, and take full advantage of them.
He didn't promise Anton anything, but he did slow to a stop. "Which one?"
Billy-Ray Sanguine would have stolen the soul catcher, because no one else would ever have managed to get that deep into the Temple without setting off all the alarms. His abilities wouldn't help him here, but Skulduggery had a sneaking suspicion that the Texan's vanity wouldn't let anyone apart from him be the one to finish the job. Dusk certainly wouldn't argue. Skulduggery was less sure about Jack, if he was correct about who he saw springing into the getaway car, and he didn't know who else Scarab might be working with. But Sanguine was the most likely.
Unfortunately, Sanguine would be a double-edged sword. He'd be the one most likely to offer up information on his own, but after the events of an hour ago, there was nothing Skulduggery would have liked more than to punch him.
~~
The sound of the door slamming put Valkyrie on edge. It wasn't often she saw Solomon angry, even after a whole year of learning Necromancy from him, and her first instinct was that he knew she was here. And she'd never broken into his apartment before - maybe he took that offense more seriously than she realised.
But when he finally came into view down the hallway, slowly and cautiously, he looked just as surprised to see her as she did to see not even a hint of anger in his face or his gait.
"I came to make sure you're okay," she replied. Less defensively than she meant to, since Solomon didn't sound particularly accusing. Actually, he almost sounded... scared. No, she decided, not scared, but definitely shaken. "You weren't answering your phone," she added with a gesture to that forlorn device on the table, "and after yesterday, I just..." What? Came to cheer him up? Well, it was as good an excuse as any. "Don't do anything stupid."
It felt surprisingly good to see Solomon again. Someone normal and familiar. Someone who didn't know.
And only then did Valkyrie notice that he wasn't carrying his cane.
no subject
He didn't promise Anton anything, but he did slow to a stop. "Which one?"
Billy-Ray Sanguine would have stolen the soul catcher, because no one else would ever have managed to get that deep into the Temple without setting off all the alarms. His abilities wouldn't help him here, but Skulduggery had a sneaking suspicion that the Texan's vanity wouldn't let anyone apart from him be the one to finish the job. Dusk certainly wouldn't argue. Skulduggery was less sure about Jack, if he was correct about who he saw springing into the getaway car, and he didn't know who else Scarab might be working with. But Sanguine was the most likely.
Unfortunately, Sanguine would be a double-edged sword. He'd be the one most likely to offer up information on his own, but after the events of an hour ago, there was nothing Skulduggery would have liked more than to punch him.
~~
The sound of the door slamming put Valkyrie on edge. It wasn't often she saw Solomon angry, even after a whole year of learning Necromancy from him, and her first instinct was that he knew she was here. And she'd never broken into his apartment before - maybe he took that offense more seriously than she realised.
But when he finally came into view down the hallway, slowly and cautiously, he looked just as surprised to see her as she did to see not even a hint of anger in his face or his gait.
"I came to make sure you're okay," she replied. Less defensively than she meant to, since Solomon didn't sound particularly accusing. Actually, he almost sounded... scared. No, she decided, not scared, but definitely shaken. "You weren't answering your phone," she added with a gesture to that forlorn device on the table, "and after yesterday, I just..." What? Came to cheer him up? Well, it was as good an excuse as any. "Don't do anything stupid."
It felt surprisingly good to see Solomon again. Someone normal and familiar. Someone who didn't know.
And only then did Valkyrie notice that he wasn't carrying his cane.