How was it Skulduggery managed to befriend everyone who believed friendship was a cure-all? Granted, most of those friends had gotten the idea from Larrikin, but Valkyrie hadn't. Raine certainly hadn't. Was the idea a universal constant, or was Skulduggery simply that much of a magnet?

She was right about one thing, though, especially in Skulduggery's case. Being upset was scores better than feeling nothing.

Skulduggery dismissed the apology with a little wave of his hand. "You couldn't have known. Unless this was all some intricately elaborate scheme to catch me off my guard, you have nothing to apologise for. Shall we start heading back?"