Valkyrie landed a kick in Joey Scain's jaw. The little man's head ricocheted off the brick wall and he slumped to the ground, his head resting on his chest.
Valkyrie hated Scain, he was like one of those shady car salesmen that sold dodgy cars to unsuspicious people. She hated him for another reason too. He had tried to blow up her house with Alice and her parents inside.
She watched the unconscious man, waiting for him to spring back up as she had recently discovered he had a habit to do. When she realised that he was actually not going to get back up she felt like doing a happy dance instead she allowed a small smile to spread across her lips.
Her gloating was interrupted by Skulduggery's grunts as he fended off Scain's comrades, Glora Skull and Tirr Hay. She bounded over to them as they attempted to use planks and crowbars to fracture Skulduggery's arm.
"Hello?" Valkyrie said waving her hand
They ignored her and continued bashing Skulduggery.
"Excuse me? That's my partner you're bashing." She flung her arms wide and a wave of shadows took Skull and Hay off their feet.
She helped Skulduggery up and walked over to Skull and elbowed her in the side of the head, she collapsed and didn't get back up. That was easy. Hay was on his feet now, he gave off the aura that he thought he was a better fighter that he actually was. He ran at her and she stepped to the side, sticking her foot out and he went sprawling onto the concrete, head first and didn't get up.
"Can we go home now?" she asked Skulduggery as he rubbed his arm.
"Indeed we can," he replied
Valkyrie spent most of the car ride home sleeping and only woke after they got into Haggard. Skulduggery dropped her off at her house and she waved goodbye to the Bentley as it drove away.
She used the air to propel herself up to her window and climbed through. Her reflection was in bed and it sat up when she tripped over a box of textbooks.
"You aced your maths test," it said smiling
"Thanks," Valkyrie replied smiling back "Where's mum and dad?"
"Your parents are already in bed. Are you ready to resume your life?"
"Ok, thanks."
The reflection walked over to the mirror and waited patiently while Valkyrie changed into a T-shirt and jeans. When she was done she tapped the mirror and a day's worth of memories flowed into her head, finding their place among her other memories.
She sat on her bed, just enjoying the peace before her stomach interrupted her little moment. She tiptoed down the stairs, being careful not to wake her parents and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed the bread out of the pantry and put it in the toaster. When it popped up she buttered it with jam and took it up to her room, again treading lightly.
Valkyrie finished her jam toast and got dressed into an old football jersey that ended in the middle of her thighs. She hopped into bed and pulled the blankets up around her, in a warm protective barrier. She was asleep within five minutes.
xXx
The next morning came and her reflection went to school but Valkyrie stayed in bed. She wondered what Tanith was doing. She was probably doing something more fun than lying in bed. On second thought she probably was lying in bed knowing Tanith.
There was a tapping at her window and Valkyrie wrapped the sheet around herself. She looked out the window to see Skulduggery and unlocked the little silver bolt on the side of the pane.
"Guess what." Skulduggery said climbing in
"What?" Valkyrie replied hopping back into bed where it was warm and her toes wouldn't freeze off
"We have a new case."
She smiled, "'Bout time." She said nodding
"I agree the cases we've been getting lately are of no challenge at all and are rather dull besides I think you'll like this case particularly."
"Hmm?"
"We're going to Australia."
Valkyrie sat bolt upright "Australia?"
"Yes my dear Valkyrie."
"It's like summer there right? Like warm?"
"It is indeed."
"Hell yeah!" she went to jump out of bed but remembered that her football jersey had probably ridden all the way up to her belly button. So she wrapped the sheet around herself once again.
"Do you need help packing?" skulduggery asked as she scanned the clothes in her wardrobe
"No," she replied not looking at him "I think I'm capable of picking my clothes, how long are we going to be away for and when are we leaving?"
"At most two weeks and our plane leaves in an hour."
This was going to be difficult "Okay then, can you fix me breakfast?"
"Of course dear Valkyrie."
He walked out the door and she pulled a robe over the jersey. "I'll be in the shower, okay?" she called down over the railing.
"Yes, by the way, what do you want for breakfast?"
"I don't know, surprise me." She called before closing the bathroom door
Valkyrie washed her hair with the shampoo and conditioner that smelled like coconuts and honey. She stepped out into the crisp air and shivered over to her robe. Wrapping her hair in a towel she walked out onto the landing, the air smelt like bacon. Yum Valkyrie thought as she walked into the room.
She grabbed the black clothes out of her wardrobe and pulled them on before bounding down the stairs without even drying herself properly, the bacon just smelt so good.
"Your hair's wet." Skulduggery said
"No kidding, the bacon smelt so good I didn't even try to dry it."
"Would you like me to dry it?"
"If you could,"
Skulduggery raised his hand and she felt the water rise off her head.
Valkyrie's stomach grumbled "Where's my food?" she asked walking over to Skulduggery
"Be patient Valkyrie,"
"You just said that to the most impatient person in the world,"
"Well then preoccupy yourself by doing something useful, like packing, we have half an hour left."
"Fine." Valkyrie huffed as she walked up the stairs towards her bedroom.
She opened the door but instead of walking in she stood there in horror.
Blood seeped in through the windows and down the walls covering her bedroom in a thick layer of dark, red blood. It seeped onto the floor, soaking into her carpet. She gasped and cried out as she slipped in the blood and landed in her room, she screamed for Skulduggery but the door closed. She heard his fists hitting the wooden door and his shouts from behind it even though she couldn't make out what he was saying.
Valkyrie curled up into a ball and watched the wall as the blood moved as though someone was running their finger through it to create words. She watched as the invisible finger scrawled on the wall, it made a few corrections and then stopped writing. Beware Cain, your time is on its way x. Valkyrie screamed again and Skulduggery burst through the door, his gun in his hand.
"Valkyrie what's wrong?" he asked gently as she started sobbing
"Can't you see it?"
He pulled her onto the blood soaked bed, wrapping his bony arms around her. "See what? Valkyrie speak to me."
She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her head into his chest. She looked up again but the blood was gone, disappeared completely, not even a stain.
"I've gone mad." She breathed
"What are you talking about? Speak to me." He said, urgency in his voice
"I've gone mad." She said again
"Valkyrie what happened?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"There was blood everywhere, like everywhere, on the walls, floor, and my bed. Everywhere!"
"Scain," Skulduggery muttered
"What?"
"It's how that cold-blooded bitch scares her victims,"
"Who?"
"Her name's Piere Scain she's a serial killer with a special power that allows her to send her victims mad before she kills them, a truly individual means of torture and a dear friend of mine was murdered by that monstrosity."
"So we take her down then, slap some shackles on her and throw her in a cage with a caution sign tattooed on her forehead."
"We have another case to deal with Valkyrie."
"What? So you're just going to let me be killed by a madwoman?"
"No but we have to get the case we've been assigned to solved first, then we take her down. Besides she's and Australian and is still living in Australia maybe we could just bump into her accidentally."
"Yeah, completely out of coincidence."
Valkyrie ate her breakfast of bacon and orange juice and packed, with the assistance of Skulduggery. They left five minutes early.