So, OMG!, Dark Days is out! Just a oneshot on bits from it.

Warnings: Need I say? Spoilers for Dark Days.

May I also point out, I have not read the whole thing yet. I have only, so far, read up to pg304. Hey, I only got It ½ hour ago!

Enjoy!

Oh God. Her parents… She could see them, running, gasping, screaming in pain and agony and exhaustion. And she did nothing – stood and watched them evaporate. Her own parents, gone.

And she did nothing.

Skulduggery had tuned out, humming an old Frank Sinatra song, getting used to not being tortured every second. He found that he quite liked the change.

Missed me, old girl? He thought, almost expecting her to reply – occasionally, when his delusions were in a silly mood – she would, and they would talk about old times, and engines, and which was better looking – Ferrari or Lamborghini.

Oh, yes, his delusions had been strange.

And yet, as happy as he was, looking forward, he noticed that future was not as good as he was hoping for. In the Dukurk Nation, at least he could say "Yes, tomorrow I will be tortured. Next Tuesday? Oh, Tuesday is the fun day – they set the Hellhounds on me." Which didn't sound particularly happy, but, well, it was stable.

Stability was something he no longer had. Now, he had responsibility. He had the lives of Valkyrie, Tanith Ghastly and – to be honest – the rest of the world on his shoulders.

Not for the first time, but it would be nice if someone else took a turn.

What if his plan didn't work? (Not that he had one, but, being the genius he was, he would come up with one sooner or later) What if someone got hurt? And it was all his fault?

He heard someone muttering –Valkyrie.

"No – not them, please, not them! My parents! No! you can't… "

And she returned to her deeper sleep.

Skulduggery was comforted by the fact that he was not the only one apprehensive as to what the future held.