Quick note: As this story will feature Ghastly and Tanith in their living and non-psychotic states, it also features certain things like the Roarhaven sanctuary and Billy-ray Sanguine as a baddie before his love for Tanith. Just imagine this is taking place in the times of the earlier books just to make it a bit easier!

At home, Valkyrie enjoyed a rare session of bonding with her baby sister. It was times like these Valkyrie wished she never discovered her abilities yet, on the other hand, she was grateful she a had legitimate power to protect her family. At the age of twenty-one she realised her life had always been boring until she discovered her magic. Did it matter though? Her life now consisted of being a daily bodyguard leaving little time for anything she may find fun. What does she even find fun? She can't remember now. It had only been four years since her magical life had started but it had been a long four years. Now she had a bodyguard of her own, a skeleton bodyguard. However, his loyalty and reliability were yet to be assessed.

"Are you staying for dinner, honey?" Melissa Edgley, Valkyrie's mum, called from the kitchen.

Valkyrie set Alice's toy down for her to play with and walked to the kitchen. "I ate just before I got home," she lied. "I'll be home for dinner tomorrow."

Melissa usually hid her disappointment well, but Valkyrie could always see it. She hated disappointing her mum though there was not much she could do to revert it. Her family's protection was paramount and if that meant missing small family events then she was willing to make that sacrifice. She had to lie about where she was going each time. Mostly the excuse was that she was doing a part-time tertiary study and most weekdays and afternoons were spent at the university. On the weekends, however, it was easier to say that she was going out with friends she had made at university. Neither were true, of course, but it was the most logical and feasible excuse she could conjure up.

Conveniently, it was already time for Valkyrie to head out again. She would like to say that going out and fighting bad guys was purely for her family's sake, but the truth was that she enjoyed fighting them even when they weren't a direct threat. After all, they're people that society don't need lurking around.

The minute she stepped outside she was headed to the pier. Each night, before she ventured out to do her job, she came to the pier as it was her favourite place to relax. What she didn't expect to see was a shiny, black Bentley parked alongside the road. She had seen that car a lot but only discovered its owner earlier in the day at the park. She considered turning around and walking back the way she came but decided against it. She may as well face the music.

"I should have known that being a detective would mean your stalker tendencies would be pretty high," she remarked as she approached the skeleton.

"I do not stalk, I investigate. However, should the need to stalk ever arise I'd imagine I would excel in that department," he replied.

Skulduggery Pleasant was tall and skinny – obviously – but there was a certain charm about him. He had a classic style that works in any era and a voice as smooth as velvet. As wary as Valkyrie was of him, she couldn't deny that she'd be happy to hear his voice all day.

"All of that aside, are you going to tell me why you are here?" She asked.

Skulduggery tilted his head to the right when he looked at her. "I thought we established my presence today in the park."

"I mean why are you here at this very point in time?" She rolled her eyes, the specificities will most likely get annoying.

"Ah, I see. Well, as a part of being partners, it is expected that when going out on missions or harmful places, one would take their partner with them."

"How do you know I'm on a mission or doing something harmful," Valkyrie's eyes squinted.

"I observed that you only ever go out if you're doing something of the fighting crime variety, so I assumed this occasion would be no different," he replied.

"And what did I say about stalking?"

"Observing," Skulduggery emphasised.

"Ah, sure."

So, Skulduggery had done his research on her. That is both worrying and beneficial. If he had been watching her how did she know it was for the purpose of helping her or to somehow study the enemy before taking them down? If he was being genuine, then he would understand how she fights, who she fights, and her capability of being alone.

"I've seen you fight," Skulduggery said, as if reading her mind, "and I know what you can do. I think I can train you to be better though."

Valkyrie 'hmphed' and said, "yeah ok," in a very sarcastic manner.

Skulduggery shrugged. "You don't want to train with me, that's fine."

Valkyrie was taken aback by his submission and felt a little guilty. "Well, we will see what happens. I may just take you up on that offer, Pleasant."

"Last name basis, are we? Very well, Cain," he replied. "Now, I know you usually go into town and see what bad guys you attract but I thought tonight we could follow one of my leads?"

Valkyrie was about to protest on the thought that it was a trap, but she just nodded in compliance. If it was a trap she would get out of there once she senses something fishy.

XxXxX

"So, what's this lead?" Valkyrie asked as they sped down the streets of Roarhaven.

"Ever heard of a man called Billy-Ray Sanguine?" Skulduggery replied.

"Heard of him, yeah."

"Well, he's in the area and apparently doing his usual psychotic activities so I think we should pay him a visit."

They pulled up at the front of a decrepit building, much like the other structures in Roarhaven, and got out of the car.

"This is a bar," Skulduggery explained, "one that Billy-ray is supposedly fond of."

Valkyrie cracked her knuckles and walked ahead when Skulduggery put an arm on her shoulder. "I forgot to mention," he began, "there's this sanctuary event happening soon. Some formal-dress thing full of important people that know their important. I need someone with me to make jokes about their annoying sense of entitlement. Will you go?"

"Sure," she shrugged. They only just met and he's asking her to go to a ball with him? More importantly, why was he asking her right now?

"Very well. Let's go," Skulduggery walked ahead and held the door to the bar open for her.

Valkyrie felt as though her ears were being violated as the noise hit her all at once. The bar was crowded, music played, and everyone seemed to speak with their outside voices. It was, however, satisfying knowing Skulduggery was behind her. She was tough, but she wasn't stupid enough to believe she could handle an irate crowd of drunken men.

Skulduggery leaned down and forward to speak in Valkyrie's ear. "We are looking for a man, lean build, blonde hair and sunglasses. He's attractive too, apparently," Skulduggery muttered, awkwardly.

"Right."

They managed to move through the crowd without having a single drink spilt on them. They had also managed to remain unnoticed until someone spotted Skulduggery.

"Skeleton detective!" Someone roared. The man's cry was a blessing in disguise as a quick movement out the corner of her eye signalled a man trying to escape unnoticed.

A flash of blonde hair and Valkyrie was off, giving chase to the man trying to run. Why is he running? She heard Billy-ray could manipulate earth and infrastructure to transport himself through from one place to another. It was until she burst through the side door she felt a wave of unease. The feeling didn't freeze her up but fuelled her fire to fight. This was a trap. Nice work, Sanguine, she thought.

"Well, aren't you a pretty sight?" His accent was a slow, Texan drawl.

"So I've been told," she remarked and circled, the alleyway was dark and he wasn't visible yet.

"Hold on a minute," he said. "You're that Cain gal? That one fightin' crime and all that but you ain't official, right?"

Valkyrie remained silent, so he continued.

"So, if you ain't official, then what's Pleasant doin' with you? Found himself a girlfriend, has he?" Billy-ray's teeth were the first thing she saw. They shone brighter than the moon in the clear night sky. Soon after, his entire body came into full view. "Good on him. Ya know, I always thought he was just needin' a gal to sweep him off his bony feet and lighten him up a bit."

Billy-ray suddenly grunted and fell to the floor showing Skulduggery standing behind him. Before Billy-ray could sink into the ground, Skulduggery lifted him by his collar.

"Want to tell me what you're doing leading young girls into dark alleyways?" Skulduggery asked.

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and Skulduggery shrugged. "What, are you guys like a team or somethin' now?" Billy-ray muttered, his eyes were full of hatred. "I won't flirt with ya girlfriend okay can you just let me go already?"

"Unfortunately, I have to let you go but I figured it was time for a reunion Billy-ray," Skulduggery replied. "Haven't seen you in a while, have to say it has been nice, but I've heard your name being thrown around lately."

Billy-ray smiled, creeping Valkyrie out in the process. "Well, I am a popular man," he remarked and waggled his eyebrows at Valkyrie.

Skulduggery kicked the side of his knee and it snapped awkwardly. "Valkyrie isn't one to mess with, Billy-ray. Now, I'm going to let you go in a minute but I want you to remember this. Valkyrie will come after you and she will find you without difficulty. Not to mention, if you even lay a finger on her and hurt her, I will come after you, got it?"

"Yes," he grunted.

"Good boy," Skulduggery released his grip on his collar and patted his head. The second he was released, Billy-ray sunk into the ground and disappeared.

"What a character," Valkyrie said dryly.

Skulduggery tilted his head at her. "He liked you, and that's going to be a problem."

"It's better than him hating me though, right?" She asked.

"Maybe. But if anything happens and he gets to you, he will take his time in hurting you. After that display from me he will enjoy hurting you too."

Valkyrie didn't ask him to elaborate on that part. She wasn't afraid of him but the way Skulduggery spoke of him made him seem more dangerous than the people she usually dealt with. Billy-ray gave her a serial killer vibe and she wasn't used to people like that. It also occurred to her that if Skulduggery was reasonably concerned, she should probably be as well.

It had only been mere hours since she'd stumbled into Skulduggery, yet she already felt a sense of trust in him. She wanted to be wary of him but it was proving harder and harder to do as he showed no signs of foul play. She decided he was someone she could trust in this world of chaos and magic. As they walked back to the Bentley, she also couldn't deny the sense of security his hand on the small of her back gave her.

This was going to be an interesting journey.

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