Fletcher was laid next to her, breathing heavily. Clearly it had taken a lot out of him, although Valkyrie was breathing slightly heavier than usual. It was amazing. She knew that she shouldn't have done it but she felt herself brighten and become happier with each passing second that she laid next to Fletcher. They were both naked and laid looking up at the top of his four – poster bed. She turned her head to look and him and he did the same and they smiled at each other.
"What time is it?" she asked smiling at him. He sat up slightly and checked his phone.
"It is… 4:24. We should really get some sleep, we have a long day tomorrow with everything that happened." He looked at her and although he knew she could kill him with blinking if she was Darquesse he smiled and he was the happiest he had ever been. He had Valkyrie Cain back in his arms and he would make sure that she stayed there. He also knew he would have to keep the skeleton at arm's length because he was in love with her too, he had overheard the Grand Mage and the detective talking about her.
"I better be getting back to my room. Like you said, we need to get some sleep." She sat up about to get out of the bed when Fletcher grabbed her waist laid her on her back and began to tickle her. She started to laugh uncontrollably until she begged him to stop and looked into his eyes. She loved his eyes and better yet she knew they were real with all his emotions swimming in them. She propped herself up on her elbows and kissed him softly, lingering for a minute until she said
"Fine I won't go, but we are going to sleep, even if it's just for a few hours" she had conceded to Fletchers silent demands and he knew he had finally won her over.
Fletcher woke up a little after 9. He had an arm draped over Valkyrie has she slept on his muscular chest, one hand placed on his abs. He didn't want to wake her but he knew they had to get up and face the reality of last night. He gently nudged her saying her name until she stirred.
"Good Morning Beautiful" he said brightly. She looked up at him and smiled. She felt a happiness she hadn't felt since the beginning of the evening. She stretched and yawned then sat up next to Fletcher.
"Good Morning. We really should get up and dressed I' am starving." She said looking at the time on his phone. He agreed. So she put her dressing gown back on and snuck into her room to get dressed. She pulled on her black clothes made by Ghastly. She had black jeans and a black, short sleeved top which revealed some cleavage but not a lot and her black boots. She vigorously brushed her hair, until it was straight and dangled just beneath her chest. She picked up her jacket and walked down the stairs to where her friends had convened.
She walked into the kitchen to where Erskine stood with a cup of tea that Ghastly had made and started to make one for herself. Everyone kept chattering amongst themselves about how they can capture Billy – Ray and question him about the night before except Erskine who was stood in the kitchen, who seemed to be in deep thought.
"Thank you for last night Erskine. What you said meant a lot to me." She whispered to him. He looked at her and smiled softly.
"If it was all I could do then I' m glad it helped. Although I was wondering something if you don't mind me asking that is?"
"Go ahead and I will see if I mind"
"What happened between you and Skul after I left because he has been quiet since he came out of his room this morning and you weren't even in yours?" he asked. She pondered whether to tell him the truth, since he was the only one who knew it anyway, so she told him everything that had been said and everything between herself and Fletcher minus the sordid details. He looked crestfallen as she told him about her and Fletcher. Great, just what I need. Another man wanting my bloody affection. It isn't even that I mind but I need to get my head looked at first she thought as he started to reply.
"Val, you need to say something, not about Fletcher or about me but that you remember last night. It could help us to finding Sanguine." He said as if he hadn't been hurt at all by what she had said.
"And let them all know that I remember murdering people in cold blood, in the most horrific ways you could imagine and enjoying it, let alone telling them the circumstances of how I woke up in a field near naked with Sanguine? I don't think so. We will find him and I will question him just to be on the safe side." She looked at him the man that had taken the rest of her innocence and smiled because really she didn't need the innocence that had gone from her. They both agreed to go sit down so he took the comfy chair next the fire and Valkyrie sat next to Tanith and Fletcher. Wisely, Fletcher made no movement toward Valkyrie as Skulduggery was sat in his armchair next to the sofa, turned to face everyone on an angle.
"Last night was a shock, but we all agree that Valkyrie is the same person as she was and now we need to focus our priorities on finding Sanguine and keeping Darquesse locked in Valkyries mind" Skulduggery said loud enough for everyone to here although it was devoid of any emotion what so ever.
"Ghastly and I will go back to the Sanctuary and do what we can to find Sanguine" Erskine suggested and the rest of them nodded. Ghastly kissed Tanith on this lips and walked out of the front door with Erskine.
"I think maybe we should go and see China. If anyone knows anything on keeping something hidden away it's her" Valkyrie said. Skulduggery looked at her with the big black holes where his eyes should be and she knew he was glaring at her. She winced slightly. Then she remembered her father. Her dead father. She needed to get home to her mother and sister as quickly as she could. She stood up and looked down at Fletcher.
"Will you take me home please?" She sniffled softly. Fletcher embraced her from the side, wrapping his arms around her and they vanished. Skulduggery looked at Tanith and she back at him.
"Don't look at me like that. She loves you but if you keep death staring her she is going to find someone who doesn't push her away. Her Father was murdered last night Skul, she needed someone and you were that someone but clearly someone has taken your place and he just happens to be in love with her too." Tanith said to a shocked Skulduggery. She was right of course but he would never admit it. So he climbed the stairs to Gordon's Study and started to look for something that could help him with Darquesse. Valkyries right, China would know.
Valkyrie and Fletcher had teleported to the pier near her parents' house in Haggard. They stayed silent as they walked hand in hand to her old front door.
"This is it." She said crying and started walking up the garden path. She knocked three times on the door and too her absolute shock, her father, Desmond Edgley, who was dead on the floor last night, looked t]straight at her and smiled kindly.
"Morning Steph. Not that it's not great to see you but why are you here this early"
All she could do is stand there stunned. Her eyes wide and her skin paler than usual. She launched herself at him and engulfed him in the biggest hug she could manage without crushing him.
"Wow Steph, it is lovely to see you too and Fletcher of course. God it has been a long time since we saw you. Well come in both of you." They both walked into the Edgley house where Valkyries Mother was baking cake and 6 year old Alice was sat at the breakfast bar eating cocoa pops.
"Hello love and hello Fletcher, how nice to see you again Fletcher, it has been what? 4, 5 years since we saw you last?" she greeted them not stopping whisking her cake batter.
"Err 5 years I think it is Mrs Edgley. Stephanie was feeling a little upset about work so I thought I would bring her to see you to put a smile back on her face." Fletcher replied. Valkyrie was still looking at her Father. Her flesh and blood and alive Father. Then she saw it. The faint scar around his neck. He had died hadn't he?
"Dad what's that scar around your neck?" Valkyrie asked, masking her panic with curiosity.
"Just a scratch I think. I woke up in bed and it was just there. Thank God it wasn't deep or anything, I could've died." He laughed a little and Valkyrie laughed shakily as well, as did Fletcher. They looked at each other, confused and panicked. What the hell happened last night?
