Chapter VII

Valkyrie led Skul to the living room. She pushed him down and sat on his lap. "Tell me what's wrong."

He leaned his head back in resignation. "You are the only bloody human being who can read me so bloody well. Not even when I had flesh could someone read me so well!"

She laughed. "I'm Valkyrie Cain. You shouldn't be surprised. Now tell me what's wrong."

He shook his head. "I went to China's today. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to change this." He gestured to himself.

Valkyrie bit her lip. "Is there?"

"Short of making a deal with a wizard? No."

She sighed. Wizards hated Skulduggery. Something he did about a century ago, made him their mortal enemy. It was something trivial…like killing the man they wanted as their leader.

"Skulduggery, I'm…sorry." She twisted in his lap to face him proper. "You shouldn't feel pressured to find flesh again. I'm quite happy with how you are now." She smiled at him.

Skul shook his head. "How do you do that?"

Cocking her head, she raised an eyebrow. He laughed. "Make me feel human already."

She laughed. "I'm Valkyrie Cain, love. Soon to be Mrs. Valkyrie Cain Pleasant."

He chuckled and held her tighter. "I've been thinking of making a new crest."

Valkyrie stared at him. "What?"

He tilted his head in a smile. "What do you think our crest should be?"

Valkyrie thought for a minute and then snickered. "Skull and Crossed Bones?"

He threatened to push her off his lap. She squealed and held on tighter. "I'm being serious."

Valkyrie sighed. "Fine…something that symbolizes what we are…" Her eyes lit up. "Sparrow flying south!"

Skulduggery tilted his head in thought. "Sparrows flying south…make the birds black on a white field. Represents winter and snow…"

Valkyrie laughed and kissed him. "We can have small pictures on the four corners. One a skull, the other a hat, another will be a ring, and the last one a car."

Skulduggery chuckled. "No."

Valkyrie pouted.

"Just the sparrows flying southward on a white field. Elegant in its simplicity."

Valkyrie sighed. "Please have one of the sparrows carrying a hat…"

He sighed. "Very well. The lead sparrow will be holding a hat in it's claws."

She smiled and snuggled closer to him. "Darling?"

"Hmm?"

"Erskine wants to make our engagement party a Sanctuary event."

Skulduggery stiffened. "Oh he does, does he?" She scrambled off him as he got up and took out his phone…and proceeded to give Erskine a lecture about privacy and 'bloody boundaries that shouldn't be crossed'.

Valkyrie clapped her hands. "Perfect! That's giving him a piece of your mind!"

He nodded and then froze. "Was that…? Did you just…?" The impish grin on her face gave him all the answer he needed. He launched himself at her. She screamed and jumped off the couch. He prowled closer to her, moving around the couch slowly.

"Valkyrie Cain, I told you the next time you make an anatomy pun, I was going to spank you. COME HERE!"

"NEVERRRRRRRR!" She bolted to the left and fled up the stairs. She ran into one of the bedrooms, locking the door. She gasped for breath and then opened the window and climbed out. Briefly she heard the door busting open. He kills more doors that way. She climbed to the roof.

She heard him curse. She new he was going to fly after her. Reaching the roof, Valkyrie ran across the slanted shingles like a cat. She sensed, rather than heard, Skulduggery reach out and try to grab her with the air. She gathered her shadows and traveled to Gordon's secret study. She panted for breath, thanking her lucky stars that she was the type of magic that could do both elemental and necromancy. Gordon looked at her curiously.

"Is something the matter?"

She shook her head and giggled. "I made an anatomy joke again. He wants to spank me." She realized the door was slowly opening. She screamed and tried to travel, but Skullduggery grabbed her and pulled her over to the desk.

"Skulduggery! Please! No! Stop! Please!"

He pulled her onto his lap and started smacking her rear. Smack! "You" Smack! "brought" Smack! "this" Smack! "on" Smack! "yourself!" Smack! He spanked her two more times, before he let her go. She sprang away from him angrily, blushing deep crimson and rubbing her bottom.

She spluttered. "Never! I've never been spanked before! H-ho-how dare you!"

Skulduggery started laughing insanely. "I'm going to be your husband. I dare to!"

She suddenly stopped looking angry. "I like hearing you say that."

He turned to look at her, cocking his head in curiosity. "Say what?"

She moved toward him. "You're going to my husband. I'm going to be your wife." He tilted his head in a smile and pulled her gently to him. She kissed him along his jaw.

Gordon cleared his throat. They pulled away grudgingly. "Children…" He muttered.

Skulduggery snickered. "Gordon, I'm 478 years old."

Gordon looked proud. "I'm dead. That means I'm older in maturity level."

Valkyrie cleared her throat. "You're talking to a skeleton, Uncle."

Gordon looked somewhat flustered at that. Skulduggery just laughed and pulled Valkyrie out of the room. "Let's leave him alone to pout."

"I AM NOT POUTING!"

They just laughed and walked downstairs again. Valkyrie stopped to straighten her clothes. "I'm going to Tanith's."

He nodded and went to his case files. "We might have another case coming up. I'm not sure if Erskine will give it to me after that lecture though."

Valkyrie laughed. "What's the crime?" She put her hair in a ponytail.

"Murder."

"How nice." She smiled happily. She always like a good murder. It livened things up.

"Isn't it?" She could hear a smirk in his voice.

"How many dead?" She walked to the closet to grab her boots.

"Only one so far."

She pouted. "Boring."

"I'm quite sure it wasn't boring for the victim." He said dryly.

Valkyrie laughed and slipped her indoor shoes off and her boots on.

"Give me a ring if you want me home sooner. I'll be at Tanith's for a while. Okay?"

Skulduggery looked up then. His posture was confusing. It looked at if he was relaxed, and yet, he looked disheartened.

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

He straightened. "Nothing." She walked to him.

"Darling…"

He sighed. "I'm just…the closer we get to our marriage day, the more uneasy I feel about letting you go off alone."

Valkyrie smiled. "Skul, this isn't wartime. I've been pardoned, and so have you. No governments are going to be out hunting me. No villains will be able to hurt me. All the real villains are in jail now. I'll be fine." She kissed him on his jaw. He pulled her to him and they shared a lips/teeth kiss.

"I love you."

She threaded her put her hands behind his neck and threaded her fingers. "I know you do. I love you as well. Everything will be fine, Skul. Everything will be fine."

He nodded and released his hold on her waist. She smiled and ducked out the door. However, she popped her head back to say one last thing. "Skul?"

"Hmm?" He looked up at her from where he was sitting. "Yes?"

"Sorry to have gotten under your skin earlier." She ran to her car, laughing. He shook his head and chuckled.

He smiled to himself. "Still the girl who stole my hat."