Valkyrie gave the guards her own smile as she followed the others forward, but it dropped off her face the instant they were out of sight. What did you mean by that? she asked Gabe silently, since there wasn't really a polite way to take him aside and ask out loud. They're not going to arrest Guild for this, are they? He's the Grand Mage. The Engine didn't even go off.
Sanguine had Guild's family hostage. They couldn't blame Guild for doing what he did - at least, not by sending him to prison. Not by making it so he could never see his family again. Couldn't he just do community service or something?
... Unless, Valkyrie remembered with a sinking heart, this whole escapade made what Guild did during the war public knowledge. Which it probably did, if Davina Marr was here with the Cleavers. There were plenty of people, Valkyrie knew, who would love to see Guild in prison anyway; add to that the assassination of a beloved pacifist, and Guild stood no chance.
Luckily, Valkyrie didn't have long to dwell on it. Soon after they passed through the blockade - almost the instant they'd passed back into the stadium corridor - she caught sight of Fletcher. He was standing off to one side, arms wrapped around himself, soaking wet and uncontrollably shivering. The rest of the world disappeared; Valkyrie broke away from Gabe's side, ran towards him, and threw her arms around him without a word.
Fletcher stumbled back with a startled cry, but Valkyrie didn't stop hugging him even as she felt the rough wall of the corridor come up painfully against her arms on his back. After a few moments, he laughed and hugged her back, and for a short time the world was stunningly perfect.
"Ah," she heard Skulduggery's voice from behind her. "Yes. Fletcher's fine."
She glared at him over her shoulder. "Why didn't you call me?"
"Petty revenge, really." Skulduggery absentmindedly adjusted his hat and his scarf, while his head tilted in a manner Valkyrie didn't think she'd ever seen before. "Why didn't you tell me where you were going?"
Valkyrie finally let go of Fletcher and turned back around properly to look Skulduggery in the eye - or in the sunglasses. "You were unconscious."
"I still had a phone. A smartphone, no less."
Valkyrie opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed it again with a sigh, and nodded. "Touche. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
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Sanguine had Guild's family hostage. They couldn't blame Guild for doing what he did - at least, not by sending him to prison. Not by making it so he could never see his family again. Couldn't he just do community service or something?
... Unless, Valkyrie remembered with a sinking heart, this whole escapade made what Guild did during the war public knowledge. Which it probably did, if Davina Marr was here with the Cleavers. There were plenty of people, Valkyrie knew, who would love to see Guild in prison anyway; add to that the assassination of a beloved pacifist, and Guild stood no chance.
Luckily, Valkyrie didn't have long to dwell on it. Soon after they passed through the blockade - almost the instant they'd passed back into the stadium corridor - she caught sight of Fletcher. He was standing off to one side, arms wrapped around himself, soaking wet and uncontrollably shivering. The rest of the world disappeared; Valkyrie broke away from Gabe's side, ran towards him, and threw her arms around him without a word.
Fletcher stumbled back with a startled cry, but Valkyrie didn't stop hugging him even as she felt the rough wall of the corridor come up painfully against her arms on his back. After a few moments, he laughed and hugged her back, and for a short time the world was stunningly perfect.
"Ah," she heard Skulduggery's voice from behind her. "Yes. Fletcher's fine."
She glared at him over her shoulder. "Why didn't you call me?"
"Petty revenge, really." Skulduggery absentmindedly adjusted his hat and his scarf, while his head tilted in a manner Valkyrie didn't think she'd ever seen before. "Why didn't you tell me where you were going?"
Valkyrie finally let go of Fletcher and turned back around properly to look Skulduggery in the eye - or in the sunglasses. "You were unconscious."
"I still had a phone. A smartphone, no less."
Valkyrie opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed it again with a sigh, and nodded. "Touche. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."