"No, but why should he?" she questioned she hadn't heard from him and yet here they werer questioning her about his relationship.
"Did he have any enemies, people that wanted to kill him, people who wished him dead?"
"You can't kill what's already dead," she raised her eyebrows at them, were they really that thick? She didn't know, nor did she want to know, nor did she even care.
"You need to give us answers, Mrs Pleasant, your his wife surely you would know something about his dissaperance yes?" Who did these people think they were? Oh! Yes of course they were the newbies at the Sanctuary. Valkyrie didn't even remember their names, somthing like Angel & Angus apparently good detectives. Pfft yeah right no one was better then Valkyrie Pleasant.
"Yes I am well aware of who I am, I am also aware that this is not the case your supposed to be working on," she snarled, she just wanted a pot of tea and figure out who stole her husband then bash the hell out of them.
The cleavers at the door shifted slightly letting Grand Mage Ravel through, "Detective Bashier please escort you dear sister out of the room before i get the cleavers to throw you both in a cell under the charge of harassment," Ah good ol' Erskine Ravel always saving her from these annoying so called mages.
"Of course Grand Mage." They hurried past them mumbling to themselves.
"Thankyou ever so much, Grand Mage Ravel," she heard him groan, "but i could have handled it."
"I have no doubt about that, Detective Pleasant, but I do doubt that they would not have come out alive. You have picked up on that dangerouse calm that your husband had. How is the search on that going by the way?"
She was about to answer when Tipstaff came rushing in, panting and gasping for air. Valyrie stood up, alarmed.
"Billy... Ray... raiding... killing... Skulduggery..." was all he managed to wheeze out before he promptly passed out. Upon hearing the name, that name she didnt even see him hit the floor before she was jumping her desk and sprinting down the corridoors, Ravel close behind her.
They came to an ubrupt stop when Billy-Ray Sanguine rounded the corner dragging a man with raven black hair and startling green forest eyes with a dull look.
"Sanguine" she hissed "what are you doing here," her voice was cold void of any warnth
xXx
He didn't recignise her at a glance but when he heard her voice, as cold and low as it was, he knew he'd be safe.
"Pleasant," he heard his captive say. Sanguine's voice held just about the same amout of venom "i thought we were on first name bases as i just saved the man of your dreams back from Australia. I thi..." Skulduggery didn't hear anything as he drifted into the world of unconciousness
xXx
Valkyrie gasped already forgetting about Sanguine, the crowd forming around them, Ghastly rushing through, Madame Mist watching from a corner, Ravel ordering people to go back to their jobs. She forgot about all of that and knelt in front of the new and improved Skulduggery lying Unconcious on the ground
She glared at Sanguine and he layed Skulduggery on the ground gently and smiled softly at Valkyrie
"Your welcome Lil Darlin," he murmmerd, she suprised them both by jumping up and hitting him accross the jaw with a right hook,
"That's for taking so long," she then pulled Sanguine towards her and into a bone crushing hug
"that's for bring him back to me." she breathed into his ear, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before issuing orders at people brave enough to of still been standing around.
"Take him to Nye," she commanded Weeper. The poor man fumbled with Skulduggery, stood with shakey legs and almost dropped him.
"Don't drop him," she hissed through clenched teeth, she turned but stopped mid step, cursed herself, took Skulduggery into her own arms and stormed of muttering something that sounded alot like "stupid pathetic little man."
xXx
Skulduggery awoke to Dr Nye towering over him and immediatly tensed
Someone was speaking softly a voice so musical Skulduggery almost fell back asleep he shifted his eyes to the left and when he found himself looking into dark brown eyes, almost black, he calmed. Skulduggery Pleasant looked at his beautiful wife for the first time in four years.
"Valkyrie my dear, I love you so, so much but can you promise me something?"
"Anything. I will do anything for you anywhere anytime, just tell me what i need to do Skul please and I'll do it," he smiled slightly,
"Never let me go somwhere without you again. I missed you Valkyrie."
She smiled that smile that she smiles before she is going to ask questions and he was ready. He would answer them truthfuly. Because she was his wife, finally, and he could trust her to understand.
"Skulduggery, are you well enough to answer a few questions?" her voice sweet, soft, calming and it filled his veins with so much love that it was all he could do to not kiss her right there and then.
"Yes, I am," he answered, he would tell the truth.
"Why did you go to Australia"
"To talk with some friends, and to get some controll over Lord Vile," he lied.
"Could you name the friends you went to see?"
"Sure, there was Phoebe Conway, Jessica Drench and David Sivlerside," another lie.
"Where did you meet these people?"
"They are the people i played poker with to win my skull." That was the truth and the peice of truth he gave during the whole interogation
xXx
He lied to her, she could tell, but then she was a detective and him being her mentor she was able to see the way people shifted their eyes, when they began to slowley pespire at the hairline and he was doing so much more then that. He lied to all but one.
She kept her eyes on the road as she drove his Bentley to Gordans mansion where they both now lived. She kept her eyes on the door as they walked up the path. She kept her eyes on the kettle as she boiled water and made them both a cup of tea.
She kept her eyes on his as she said:
"Those questions i asked today i want you to now answer them truthfully."
He hesitated, "Of course luv."
"The truth Skulduggery. Now, why did you dissapear of to Australia?"
"To find this sorcerer who could turn me into a human." The truth he had told her the truth.
"Did you find him alright?"
"Yes, actually. I did Tenebrea's brother, he was."
"So is this that human or is it the facade?"
"This? No this is still the facade. I'm going to take this potion," he pulled out a glass vile with orange liquid in it, "and it will turn me into a permanent human being. Blood, organs, a heart everything.
Valkyrie jumped up of the stool and ran around to the other side of the bench where he was standing,
xXx
He turned to her as she bolted towards him, confusion etched on the facade's face. He grunted and took a slight step back with the force of her hug and he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, brought her close to him and buried his face into her hair. Wait. Was she crying? He pulled back from her and found tears of pure happiness stream down her face. He kissed her fiercly. Forced all his love, revenge, hate and kissed Valkyrie Pleasant for the last time as a skeleton.
Skulduggery looked at his skeleton form in the mirror of the bathroom he lifted the vile to his facade lips and drank the liquid.
xXx
Valkyrie heard a scream and ran to the scource of the noise and found Skulduggery looking at himself in the mirror, breahting heavily.
"Skulduggery? Love are you alright?"
he looked at her with an excited expression and she had to laugh.
"Skul what is it?"
"I forgot how good looking i was," he started laughing, he was laughing so hard that he was now standing still, makeing no noise and clapping like a retarted seal, a handsom, retarted seal mind you. And he was good looking, with light brown shaggy hair that came down to his ears and the front of his perfectly scuptered eyebrows, that framed the most greenest eyes she had ever seen. They were a forest pool green with golden flecks and a ringlet around the pupil. He had wide shoulders that were toned alone with his legs and chest, which owned the best looking six pack he had ever seen. And his lips, good God, his lips plush and pink and ready for kissing. So she did just that.
xXx
Skulduggery awoke, sat up and stretched. He felt something move next to him and he looked down to see Valkyrie fast asleep. He got up went down stairs and made himself some coco pops, he relished in the lovley taste of a chocolate breakfast. He made another bowl and walked back up stairs to the bedroom.
"Oh," Valkyrie exclaimed as she sat up "thank you."
"What for?"
"The Coco Pops," said slowly, as if he The Great Skeleton Detective was stupid
Well he thought the great human detective.
"These," he said "my dear are not for you, but for me," she scowled at him and he chuckled
"But..." She whined trying to figure out why she should have his coco pops "But you love me,"
"Ah, you see as that may be true this is the firwst time I've had coco pops in, what, two hundred years."
"So your telling me that the bowl your holding isn't your 5th this moring?" she asked stalking over to him.
He hesitated and decided to reply with a witty remark.
"My, my Valkyrie which handsom devil taught you to be a detective?" He asked then clicked his fingers as if itall made sense "Oh! Yes! That's right. It was me."
She stood there waiting and he lifted the spoon to her lips and fed her.
xXx
Valkyrie went downstairs, after having a nice warm shower with Skulduggery, and groaned.
"Valkyrie that is a noise that is attractive in bed and no where else." He stated while wrapping his strong arms around her waist from behind and kissed the top of her neck. She leaned into him, her back against his chest, her arms resting on his. Skulduggery suddenly gripped her wrists, twisted her her and her back slammed in to the wall.
"I finaly have you," he wispered and she shivered "You're finaly mine," he was using that voice that came from deep in his chest. She shivered again, but it had nothing to do with the temperature. he kissed her collar bone and made his way up her neck, kissing, biting, sucking, along her jaw bone, he reached her mouth and he claimed her lips with his own. It knocked the world out from under feet and her knees gave way. Skulduggery was quick to grip her bum and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer. It was getting pretty heated when the doorbell rang.
Skulduggery let her go and once she was firmly on her feet again she walked around him and towards the door.
"VALKYRIE!" Tanith Low squealed.