Chapter One: The Wig
Valkyrie stared at it. She lifted her hands and screamed. Her father just smirked.
"Are you sure you want to continue this?"
Valkyrie looked at her father and growled out a yes. "All I need is a prop the size of a head…" She drifted off and her eyes widened. "I have an idea." She grabbed the item and raced to her room.
Placing the stuff on her desk she headed straight for her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Skulduggery?"
"Yes?"
She took a breath. "I'm in a bit of a situation. Can you get over here ASAP? It's an emergency of sorts."
There was a pause. "Of sorts?"
She stifled a sigh. "Perhaps. Definitely. Most assuredly. Yes."
"Not exactly the most affirmative answer." She could hear the amusement in his voice.
"Just get in here! I need your help!" She glanced at the item on the desk. "Actually, your assets."
"…assets? Isn't that what people sometimes describe for a woman's-"
"Mr. Pleasant, get into your bloody car, and hurry up!" She hung up on him.
Sitting down, she tapped her fingers as she waited for him. Ten minutes later he climbed through the window.
She smiled. He hesitated. He didn't like that smile. She circled around him. "Hat."
"What?"
She motioned at her head. "Hat. Off."
He took his hat off and set it on her bed.
She closed the window and tutted. "Seven years bad luck you know."
"Is there a point to all of this?"
She grinned again. "Oh definitely. You have, most definitely, saved my life." She locked the window. "By the way, my parents are downstairs so don't make a ruckus."
She could practically see him raising an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?" He started edging away from her.
She noticed and whipped out her hand to grab his wrist. "Come, Mr. Pleasant, it isn't like you to run from a challenge. I only need to borrow it. Just for a little while."
He took in the state of her room. Messy like always. He saw the item on the desk. He made a small noise in his nonexistent throat and bolted for the window only to freeze.
Valkyrie made a light laugh. "It's a good thing you taught me Air magic. Comes in handy for restraining run away skeletons."
"Stephanie Valkyrie Cain Edgely, you will let me go this instant."
She snickered. "Not bloody likely." She reached and snatched his head right off. Grabbing the wig she bolted for her door. She could hear him tearing after her, running into things. She ran straight into the living room. He, a headless skeleton, couldn't go after her. She could hear him cussing a blue streak. She giggled.
"Mom! Dad! I found the perfect model!"
Desmond Edgely stared at the skull. "It looks like it's glaring at you."
Valkyrie did a double take at the skull. "It…does…" She gulped. She placed the wig on it and started cutting it to match the character she had to play in the costume party the Edgely's were giving at Gordon's house. Her house, actually. She giggled and took a picture of the wig on Skulduggery's head.
When she made the last snip, she realized that Skulduggery might still be up there. Of course he's still up there, idiot! He's not going to go around without his head. This thought made her giggle even more. She shook off the humor and stood up. Walking slowly to the stairs she looked up. She gulped. No way. That's probably a trap. Knowing him, he's all set to ambush me. She slipped out the back way via the kitchen and started running to the pier.
She started running the second she heard Skulduggery's soft footsteps behind her. Knowing that this was the only way to escape, she kept on running making a loop back to her house. Valkyrie threw the skull over her head.
"Thank you for the use of your head, Skulduggery! It proved quite useful in the making of my costume wig!"
She heard him jump and catch it. Glancing back quickly she saw him polish it and pop it back on. He twisted his neck experimentally and then turned to see her standing on her back porch, ready to flee again.
Mockingly shaking his fist, he shouted at her. "Valkyrie, dearest partner of mine, this is war." He said it so calmly, and so simply. She laughed.
"Bring it on, Mr. Pleasant! I'll be ready!"
"I highly doubt that." He climbed into the Bentley and drove away.