“The workshop door opened and Skulduggery emerged. "Ryan," he said, "stop leaning on my car.”

“Valkyrie Cain got out of the passenger side. She zipped upher black jacket against the cold, and joined Skulduggery as hewalked up to the front door. She glanced at him, and saw that he was smiling."Stop doing that,” she sighed.“Stop doing what?” Skulduggery responded in that gloriously velvet voice of his.“Stop smiling. The person we want to talk to lives in the only dark house on a bright street. That’s not a good sign.”“I didn’t realise I was smiling,” he said. They stopped at the door, and Skulduggery made a concerted effort to shift his features. His mouth twitcheddownwards. “Am I smiling now?”“No.”“Excellent,” he said, and the smile immediately sprang back up.”

“Valkyrie made a face. "Bloody vampires."Ryan sat forward. "That was a vampire? That guy who looked like an accountant?""We don't talk about vampires," Skulduggery warned."But it was daytime. How could he have been out during the-""We don't talk about vampires!" Valkyrie said sharply.Ryan shrunk back. "Sorry," he said."Don't worry about it," Skulduggery told him. "Valkyrie used to date a vampire that's all.""We didn't date ," Valkyrie said immediately.Skulduggery held a hand up. "I'm not judging."Valkyrie scowled.”

“Life isn't fair,' Skulduggery said. 'In my experience, death isn't so different.”

“We're not robbing him," Skulduggery said." But I'm afraid I have some bad news.""Is it Deacon?" Francine asked, her eyes wide."It is.""Is he sick?""It's a little worse than that."She gasped. "He's dying?""He was briefly dying," said Skulduggery. "Now he's dead.”

“I used to be so good at that kind of thing," Skulduggery said quietly."Well, my morale is certainly boosted," Valkyrie informed him."Really?""god no. That was terrible”

“Valkyrie: “You are such a moron.”Skulduggery: “Don't be jealous of my genius.”