Ravel scowled. "Stupid, stupid girl," he muttered. Claret stopped pacing and faced him.
"It was an accident!"
"Not good enough, Claret!" He shouted. The blonde girl didn't even flinch at his tone, even though he'd never used it with her before.
"I've never been good enough," Claret replied softly. "Not even for my family."
Ravel looked up, his golden eyes meeting her blue ones. She sighed.
"And I'm still not liked."
"You shouldn't be worrying about things like that, Claret, you're too old to be worrying about your family now. At your age a girl only has one thing on her mind."
"Yeah?"
"Boys."
"No. Homicide."
Ravel stared. "Okay then."
Claret smirked. "I have an idea."
"What is it, my dear?" Ravel asked, suddenly intrigued.
"We have started formulating plans," she grinned, eyes sparkling evilly. "I know exactly how to send my brother over the edge so he doesn't interfere."
Erskine's mouth twitched into a smirk. "Do tell."
"What if he was compelled to do..." she trailed off for a moment and met his eyes. "Bad things?"
"Evaluate?"
"Abuse," she smiled, pacing back and forth now. "I have a trick up my sleeve that will make him go off the rails and completely and utterly hate this next child."
"Ah," he nodded. "You think if Skulduggery hates it, then it'll make it easier for us?"
"Exactly, my dear Erskine."
"I can tell that you've been planning this out for a while."
Claret stuck out her tongue, a playful gesture. Ravel felt butterflies stampeding in his stomach He shook himself. He had to free himself of these ridiculous thoughts. He had a job to do, and falling in love with his criminal partner was not a part of it.
"That I have," she grinned. "But we can have some fun with this."
He raised an eyebrow sceptically. "How? Tell me."
"The child will only be powerful enough when it comes of age, correct?"
"On its fifteenth birthday," he nodded.
Evil seeped into her features. Claret's eyes darkened considerably, and she started wringing her hands, deep in thought. She was lost in the dark places of her mind, and Erskine just stared at her. He watched the shadows begin to swirl around her when her thoughts got more menacing.
"I'm ready to ruin lives," she said, looking at him again with an evil gleam in her eyes. "And I know exactly how to do it."