Playing with Fire (Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 2) by Derek Landy

open, but China looked up at Vengeous and her eyes narrowed.
    "As my words draw closed, the circle binds, secures you to your fate."
    Vengeous reached for her but hit something, an invisible wall. He tried to back off, but he only got a couple of steps before he hit another barrier. He looked down, looked at the elaborate carpet, and saw the circle hidden in the design.
    "Clever girl ..."
    "You didn't think I would install some security measures?" China said.
    "Very, very clever."
    His eyes flashed yellow.
    "That's not going to work, my dear Baron. Symbols are my power. Your powers can't break that shield. You can't hurt me. But I can hurt you."
    Vengeous looked down at the carpet again, saw some more hidden intricacies, symbols woven into the very fabric around the circle, symbols that were
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    now pulsing with blue energy. Blood started to run from his nose.
    "China," he said, struggling to keep his voice even, "you don't want to do this."
    "Who are you allied with?" she asked. "Who ordered you set free? Who is behind all this?"
    He barked out a desperate laugh that was cut short by the pain. "You've chosen the wrong . . . side here, woman. I wish I could ... I wish I could let you live to regret it. . . ."
    Vengeous dropped to the floor. "I wish I had the time ... to make you beg ... to make you plead with me. I would have ... I would have made you scream. ..."
    "Fine," China said, crossing to the phone. "I suppose I'll have to call in the professionals."
    "China . . .," Vengeous gasped.
    She turned. "Yes, dear Baron?"
    "You didn't. . . you didn't really think it would be that easy, did you?"
    Dusk walked through the door. A man followed. The stranger had blond hair and wore a brown suit, a white shirt, and dark sunglasses. His cowboy boots were old and scuffed, and he was grinning.
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    The carpet at his feet frayed and split, and he sank downward, disappearing into the floor. China dived for the phone, but Dusk darted in and shoved her back.
    Valkyrie stared as the stranger's hand burst up through the floor at Vengeous' feet, grabbed him, and pulled him down. The floor sealed up behind him, and the symbols pulsed one last time, then returned to normal.
    A moment later Vengeous and the stranger stepped through the wall beside China.
    "Your hospitality used to be so much better," Vengeous said. His eyes flashed and China stumbled. Dusk picked her up.
    "Don't let her touch anything," Vengeous told him. "She has symbols everywhere. Some are invisible. Some are even etched onto her body. Don't let her touch anything."
    Dusk grabbed both her wrists and wrenched her arms behind her.
    Vengeous took out a handkerchief, used it to wipe away the blood on his face. "I expected more from you, China. When you left us, I thought you'd be back. No one could do the things you'd done and then walk away. I didn't think it was possible."
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    She looked up at him, grimacing against the pain that was locking her arms straight behind her. "I found other interests. You can too. Stamp collecting, maybe."
    Dusk twisted her arms and she gasped. The man in the sunglasses laughed.
    Vengeous put the handkerchief away. "I can still be merciful, even if my gods are not. The girl, China. Valkyrie Cain. Tell me where she is, and I will let you live."
    "Skulduggery doesn't care about her," China said through gritted teeth. "She's a hobby, nothing more. You won't be able to get at him through her."
    "My mercy is on a timetable. Tell me where I can find her or I shall torture you until you beg to tell me."
    "Okay," China said, "okay, I'll tell you." She nodded to the bedroom. "She's in there."
    Valkyrie went cold, but Vengeous just shook his head sadly.
    "China, I don't like this side of you, these jokes."
    "I've been spending too much time around Skulduggery. You remember his jokes, don't you, Baron? What else do you remember? You remember him arresting you?"
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    "I remember almost killing him."
    "Almost wasn't enough," China said, and actually managed a