Chapter 7

A/N Thanks again to Nello Orella, Ezzie0215 and Justrockzyxxx And thank you to Shadowdawn199 as well! Second last day of the holidays :( During school time I might only be able to update once or twice a week :'(

The figure rose up above the house, and Valkyrie's breath caught in her throat. He looked like a cross between a vampire and a zombie.

It looked down on them with dead black eyes.

"Who are you?" he rasped. His voice sounded like it hadn't been used in a while.

Skulduggery stepped forward. "My name is Skulduggery Pleasant. My partner is Valkyrie Cain. Who are you?"

"My name is immaterial. But you shall call me White."

Valkyrie took in the creature's pale white skin, dead and colourless. She took a step forward so that she was next to Skulduggery. "I see why you chose that name."

White's emotionless eyes examined her.

"What exactly are you?" Skulduggery asked. White finally dragged his gaze away from Valkyrie.

"You ask questions like you expect the world to be laid out in front of you, skeleton. But it so happens that I have been waiting for someone to ask this question. I am the last of the Cursed Mortals."

Skulduggery took a step back. Valkyrie tried to remember who the Cursed Mortals were. The name rung a faint bell…

Then she remembered. Skulduggery had told her the story when she was twelve. It had given her nightmares. The Cursed Mortals. He called them the Immortal Dead.

XxXxX

Click. Nothing. Click. Still nothing. Kitty focused harder. Click. A small spark formed. She yelped in surprise, and it disappeared. Liaf laughed behind her.

A plan formed in her mind. She clicked her fingers again, pretending to ignite a fireball, then whirled around and acted like she was throwing it at Liaf.

Caught by surprise, he fell out of the chair and sprawled across the floor. Liaf curled into a ball, but looked up when he heard Kitty laughing.

He looked around, and realising that nothing was on fire, he scowled at Kitty, who just laughed harder.

The look on his face…

"Yes, I'm sure the look on my face is hilarious, Kitty," he said, rolling his eyes as he got up. Kitty blinked. Had she spoken without realising it?

"You must've," Liaf said, smiling mischievously.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"You must've spoken without realising it," he explained cheerfully.

But I definitely didn't say that, she thought, really confused.

"But you definitely did."

Kitty clutched her head. "Stop it!"

Liaf stared at her. "Stop what? Do you have a headache?"

She shook her head. How was it possible that Liaf could hear her thoughts?

Liaf laughed softly, and a grin spread across his face. "I have the power to hear thoughts? Oh, imagine how annoying I can be now!"

"Don't you dare," Kitty said, narrowing her eyes into a death glare. She imagined a wall in her mind, stopping Liaf from reading her thoughts. He tilted his head for a moment, then realised what she'd done.

"Spoilsport!"

"You will not read my thoughts just for mirth," Kitty growled.

"What's mirth?" Liaf asked.

Kitty thought for a minute. "Sort of like… Laughter. Fun. Humour."

He was quiet for a while, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Maybe his power would be cooler if he could reply to thoughts in his mind, like a conversation. Hang on. That was an idea.

Kitty let the walls around her mind disappear. Liaf looked up, and then she heard his voice so clearly that she would've thought he was speaking if his mouth wasn't still shut.

"Good idea. Can you hear this thought?"

Kitty put a hand over her mouth to stop herself laughing. She nodded, and a scary gleam appeared in Liaf's eyes.

"Don't even think about it," she warned, replacing the barriers in her mind. "I know you're up to something."

He rolled his eyes, flopped back in the armchair and picked up a book.

Kitty watched him reading. Liaf. They'd known each other since forever. She'd grown up with his familiar brown, floppy hair, and his constantly sparkling green eyes. When the bullies ganged up on her, when a boy broke her heart, or her other friends moved away, she'd always gone to Liaf. Despite the fact that she was three months older, he felt like a big brother. He always forgave her, and she would forgive him anything. Anything at all.

XxXxX

The Immortal Dead. That's what Skulduggery had called them. Mortals who were caught in the middle of the war. The power that was thrown around had altered them, making them faster, warping their minds, and most noticeably, making them immortal.

After four days, they lost their memories. People and places started to blur in their minds. Close family and friends were all that was remembered.

After five days, their thoughts turned bitter and evil. Only the best of friends managed to help them remember who they were. By the end of the day, their identity was gone.

At the end of the sixth day, they became immortal. Their speed enhanced, and the victim lost pity and friendship. By then they were lost forever.

There was only one way to kill them, but the secret was lost. Most of them decayed, but many times slower than human beings. But the worst thing was that they could pass on this curse with just a touch.

All of this flashed through Valkyrie's mind, and then she knew why Skulduggery was so afraid. White was immortal. He was evil. And he could make either of them like him with a touch.

Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to run away.

White laughed, a sound that scraped its way out of his throat. "I see you've heard of us."

Quicker than Valkyrie's eye could follow, Skulduggery drew his gun and pointed it at White.

Before her eyes, White seemed to darken. His face became incredibly angry, and his skin became the dark, dark, grey of thundercloud.

"You shouldn't have done that," he hissed.

"Valkyrie, run!" Skulduggery roared, firing all of the bullets in his gun at White.

"I'm not leaving you," she yelled back, as White dropped out of the air, shooting towards her. She tried to punch him, but he didn't even slow down as he crashed into her, knocking her off her feet. She did a backwards roll and stood. She tried to use the air to push White away, but the gust of wind just parted around him. Skulduggery got him in a choke hold, but White punched him and Skulduggery was thrown back, helpless as White reached for Valkyrie again.

His cold, lifeless hand closed around her wrist and an icy chill swept through her.

"I've heard of you and your partner," he rasped. "So successful. So famous. I doubt you can beat me, but you both seem extraordinarily lucky. So just in case that happens, I give you my curse. When you feel it, you will understand. And you will know that I am innocent, an innocent mortal just like any other, cursed by misfortune. Will you feel so good about beating me then?"

His voice was bitter, devoid of hope. For a moment Valkyrie felt sorry for him. Then the icy chill took over her again and she curled up in a ball, gasping.

White laughed. "No matter. You and your partner will never beat me, child. I will rise, and destroy every sorcerer for what they and their petty war did to me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Valkyrie could see a heavy chunk of metal- possibly the front door- floating above White's head. He hadn't noticed it.

"You will be interesting, Valkyrie Cain. The first sorcerer to be cursed with this. I look forward to seeing what will happen. And maybe, when you a completely one of the immortal dead, you may be by my side when I destroy the sorcerers. Yes, that would be amusing. And I think I will let you be the one to kill Skulduggery Pleasant."

The chunk of metal came down on White's head. He was distracted, but not knocked out. Valkyrie's vision was dimming, flickering. She felt herself being lifted up, and then her mind must've been playing tricks on her, because she thought that the earth above her opened, and she felt the wind rush past her as she flew towards the twilight sky.

Then her vision turned black.

A/N That was a long chapter by my standards. I couldn't be bothered proof reading it. But at least some stuff happened. Valkyrie's cursed! Gasp! Liaf is a Sensitive! There is an evil guy in that creepy house! (I bet that didn't surprise anyone) and I actually mentioned Liaf's name! I'll see if any of you pick up on it I'm sure you will, you're smart.I'll update soon (ish)

SapphireShadowgirl