The Treachery In Our Midst

Prologue: The Deal

Authors Note: This story is set after The Kingdom of The Wicked but before The Maleficent Seven. China's library was never destroyed, and she is still running her collection. There will be no Valduggery, Chinguine or Chinduggery of any kind. There will be friendship Valduggery though, sorry to all the Valduggery shippers out there. There will only be Tanguine and Ghanith. Don't let that put you off though, if you're into that kind of thing.

Let the story begin!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

China watched in fascination as the blond Texan sassily rose from the earth and continued to knock on her door. The nerve. She was in no hurry to let him grace her abode, so she brushed an imaginary crease from her dark green skirt and leisurely descended her staircase. The Texan began to impatiently tap his foot while he waited for her to answer. China opened the door and was greeted by a glare from the Texan for making him wait. China as ever kept her composure and annoyance hidden beneath a mask of calm.

"How nice to see you again Sanguine. What brings you to my humble abode? I presume you want the location of miss Tanith Low?" China commented with tranquillity.

"Will you let me come in or will I just stand out here in the cold?" Sanguine huffed gruffly.

"You can stay out there in the cold." China slyly smiled, without a drop of sarcasm. Sanguine practically growled at that comment.

"What do you want for Tanith's location? A rare book? A god killer weapon? Some water from Gordon's caverns?" questioned an agitated Sanguine.

"Hmm? Oh, I want you to bring me a very special item being kept in the sanctuary repository... I need you to bring me the armour of Lord Vile." . "Do we have a deal?" asked China still as composed as ever.

"Fine. I'll bring you Lord Vile's armour and you'll give me the whereabouts of Tanith Low." Sanguine responded with an attitude. China nodded, not too eagerly, and closed the door in his face. She gracefully ascended the stairs wondering how on earth she was going to find out where Tanith is.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dan nan nan nan nan nan nan nan, dan nan nan nan nan nan nan nan. BATMAN!" Sung Sanguine with glee. His new earplugs were working marvellously and provided him with something to do while he burrowed into the sanctuary. He knew he would have to fight his way in because the sanctuary agents put an integrity alarm beneath the sanctuary, and if he burrowed in it would go off. Just his luck. He eagerly popped his head out of the dirt and then his arms, and popped out, right in front of the sanctuary. He strolled into the sanctuary as cool as a cucumber, hands in his pockets and his head bobbing. He was really getting into the music and didn't realise he had started to dance until he was in the middle of a sanctuary corridor. As he danced around a corner, hand pointing north-west then south-east, he saw Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain on night guard duty. Just his luck. Skulduggery and Valkyrie turned their head and skull around to see Sanguine dancing. Valkyrie cracked up laughing.

"Hahahahhahahahahahahah! Haaaaaaaa! Hahaha!" chuckled Valkyrie crying with laughter. Skulduggery was shaking, either traumatised or trying not to laugh. Sanguine wanted to find out (and his favourite song was on) so he danced harder and Skulduggery and Valkyrie collapsed rolling on the floor in fits of giggles. Guess he wasn't traumatised. Sad. Sanguine moon walked right by them before they had a chance to recover and sung Galileo while he entered the repository. He shook his hips while he scanned row after row looking for a crate labelled Lord Vile's armour. He suddenly pouted because Galileo ended but perked up again because another song was starting. He shook his arms, legs, torso and head while he jumped over to the auspicious box. He picked up the box and burrowed away and when he surfaced, he shook it off.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

China once again watched as the hitman deluxe burrowed up in front of her apartment and shook off the crate labelled 'Lord Vile's Armour'. She smiled, she never expected him to get it this quickly. She thought he would have at least spent a few days planning, but no, he just went in as soon as the deal was made. He must be really in love. China wiped the smile off her face replacing it with a straight line, indecipherable to everyone. She once again kept her composure as she calmly descended the stairs. While Sanguine was gone China had made some calls and done some research and discovered Miss Low's location, just in time for Sanguine to arrive. She opened her ornate door and froze when she realised Sanguine was standing there looking all badass popping gum bubbles. She took a mental note to take away his earplugs, the music was obviously affecting how he thought. He was acting more insane than usual.

"Show me the armour and then you'll get the location. I am not going to be cheated out of a deal by the likes of you." Commanded China suspiciously. Sanguine hurriedly pulled his gum out of his mouth, in one long sticky string and violently yanked out and turned off his earplugs. He muttered something under his breath, I think it was an apology to his earplugs. Weird. His fingers anxiously fiddled with the gum, longing to rid of its sugary burden.

"Whatchya say? I was kinda listening to Taylor Swift, darlin'." Questioned Sanguine with more composure than earlier, and what China fancied was apology. It wasn't apology.

"I said," repeated China, expertly hiding her obviously non-existent impatience, "Show me the armour, and let me check its authenticity, and then you'll get the location of your precious Tanith. I do not trust you, nothing personal." Sanguine shrugged.

"Makes sense." The Texan pushed forwards the crate, and China could feel it vibrating with energy, almost as if it was alive. If China was the type of woman to lick her lips in anticipation, in that moment she would have, but she wasn't that type of woman, she had her dignity.

"Come inside, we'll finish our business in my living room." Nearly whispered China, almost anxiously. Almost.

Sanguine rolled his eyes. "Well finally! Also do you have a bin I could put this in?" Asked Sanguine holding up his chewed, saliva coated gum, innocently. China briefly wondered how Sanguine could look innocent before replying with a nod and something about disposing gum under the sink. China glided in, wearing grace like her favourite heels. Sanguine slouched in behind her, dragging his feet. China elegantly placed herself on one of her many lounges before tapping a sigil on her arms and ripping open the crate with grace.

Sanguine wandered back from his perilous journey in the kitchen and plonked down opposite China. The duo remained in deafening silence while China picked up each individual piece of armour and slowly inspected the contents of the crate. There was a rhythm to her analysing that didn't falter, until she observed the inside of the dark chest plate. China's indecipherable expression faltered for a millisecond, barely enough for Sanguine to register. For that millisecond, her face was one of pure bewilderment. Sanguine wasn't sure he even saw it, but he knew he did.

"It's authentic. I am a woman, and a beautiful one at that, of my word. Tanith is being held in room 6B of the medical bay." Stated China quietly, breaking the silence, her voice humourless yet filled with wonder. Sanguine nodded eagerly, and the two of them descended the stairs. China opened the door and Sanguine walked out. Her turned around to say goodbye and saw China raise her dainty head and saw something in those pale blue eyes of hers, that he had never seen before and thought he never would. Fear.