**** Holy Crap it's been awhile! sorry I have been so busy with sports school and injuries i havent had long to type. i have however been working on more chapters so there's more written that must be posted. Enjoy! AND DONT FORGET TO REVIEW! :D***
DISCLAIMER: NON IS MINE! All of SKULDUGGERY BELONGS TO Derek Landy! I only have Lucian :)
Lucian and I wondered down the halls together, until I found what I had come for. Thuird's office was sitting right in front of me, I gulped before grabbing the door knob. It was locked, I grumbled quietly and turned to the statue beside the door. Keys hung in its grasp, I jumped to grab them but they were lifted higher.
"Come on! I need those, I have to get into that office." I grumbled.
Lucian smiled, "It's a statue, just reach for them."
The statue stirred, "Do you have an appointment? If not be gone! We are in a lock down, please proceed to the nearest, safest room."
Lucian glared, "This is a safe room, and it's the nearest."
The statue gasped, "You're the ones they are searching for, and I must alert the guards at once!"
I kicked the statue as hard as I could, "If you try anything of the sorts, I will personally see to it that you become nothing but shattered remains."
"Ha, you'll just get caught." The statue mocked.
I shrugged, "That's it."
I conjured up a jagged rock and had it chisel away into the statue, it seemed to have screamed, but I wasn't bothering with it. Following the rock, I used my ring to get shadow creatures to come up from the ground; they went to the keys as I moved one to distract the others seized the keys. I lowered them into my hands, and jammed one into the lock, until one fit. The door flew open to a massive department area, doors lined the perimeter; twenty-five in total.
"Great, this is going to be easy," Lucian said sarcastically.
I snorted, "Take that half and this half of the keys, the numbers match with the doors. Take one through twelve; I have thirteen through twenty-five."
We both set off to opposite sides of the room; I pulled on door thirteen to find a gigantic library, and then moved to door fourteen. It was a large file room, cabinets stacked to the ceiling going back for as far as the eye can see. I skipped a few, knowing we were pressed for time, to door eighteen. I opened it to find another door, I stared at its interact design of two tigers fighting. In the middle was a small circular slot, big enough for a ring.
"We need a mages ring, ugh." I groaned shuffling over to Lucian.
"Right here," Ghastly stood before me.
"What are you doing here?" I shouted.
"Responding to the break out, and I can see that it's you," Ghastly spoke calmly.
"And Lucian, he's going to help us get Skulduggery back." I spoke quietly.
"No he's not. He gets to go back into his cell, and away from you." Ghastly said, while he walked over to Lucian.
"He is going to help, if I do him one favor, just listen to me!" I pleaded.
"Alright, alright; I'm still keepin' an eye on him. Where's the door?" Ghastly subsided.
I pointed to the ornamental door sitting neatly in between doors 17 and 19. Ghastly strode over to the door, and placed his ring into the small slot between the two quarreling tigers. The door opened noiselessly and the inside was a gigantic office space, the big desk sat neatly in the center of the room. I looked to Ghastly then back at Lucian before walking into the large office, the desk was cluttered with files, paperwork and Guild's own personal belongings.
"I think the skull's missing," I sighed deeply.
Lucian turned his head sideways and scanned the room, "No, it's simply hidden where no one would think to look for it."
I spun on my heel to face him, "Where?"
He strode over to a plain door, Ghastly hurriedly followed him to the far side of the room. Lucian motioned for me to come, "Open it."
"Oh and how am I to do that?" I said stubbornly.
Lucian rolled his eyes, "Simpleton." He grabbed my wrist and guided me in front of the door, "Use your identification, obviously."
I retorted, "I've been on inactive service for too long, my identification is too old."
Ghastly stepped forward, "Well, mine is the only one then,"
Lucian urged Ghastly over to the door, Ghastly spoke several words before the door slowly creaked open. We all looked inside at the space, it was covered in glass cases that lined every wall and continued into the middle of the area. I was about to take a step through, when two hands pulled me back. I turned and slapped both Lucian and Ghastly.
"Oi!" Lucian shouted.
"Val, what'd ya do that for?" Ghastly asked.
"Why'd you both try and stop me?" I questioned the two.
Lucian piped up first, "There are special enchantments and security precautions securing that room. Only your friend can enter,"
I apologized to them, "Sorry, just got carried away."
Ghastly moved carefully into the room, when the door slammed shut trapping Ghastly inside. I screamed a little as Crux stood in front of the doorway covered in dried crimson red blood.
"Oh so now you're scared?" Crux sneered.
"You asshole, what is your fixation with me?" I said mockingly.
"Clever criminals always know where the treasures are hidden. I'll take it the British prat found the area, hmm?" Crux threw a sideways glare at Lucian.
Lucian rolled his eyes and spoke softly, "She'll just kick your ass again and I'll partake in beating the living hell out of you this time."
"I doubt it," Crux smiled satisfied.
As he spoke a familiar face appeared in the office, Serpine. "I should have guessed you were working with that piece of shit." I glared murderously between the two men.
"Thank you, but I believe last we left off I was going to kill you. So if you don't mind I would like to get back to that, please?" Serpine took a step closer toward Lucian and me.
"Get back freak, I would rather go and be stabbed several times than go anywhere with you!" I said stepping back closer to the door and Crux.
Serpine smirked wickedly, "That can be arranged."
In the next second I was engulfed in a circle of daggers. They held themselves suspended in mid air, their edges glittered in the florescent lighting. I sighed, and as I did the daggers moved in closer almost poking my sides. I quickly dropped to my feet, throwing Lucian down with me, and rolled out of the sharp knifes' path. There was a loud bang and no less than six shadowy figures shifted in front of me. I swore under my breath before throwing my hands up at the darkened spaces of the room, four shadow figures threw themselves into Serpine's 'men'. The last two I decided to fight. Lucian stood a pulled out a rather large metal pole and winked at me before diving off at Crux's face. I dodged the shadow's grasp and tossed a fiery flame into the other one looming behind me. A moan echoed from the side of the room, I looked quickly to see Ghastly trudging out of the doorway he disappeared into. I felt a heavy weight pull me down into the floor, I kicked wildly hoping to smack Sanguine's face. I knock something out, and shouted angrily realizing I was still stuck in the floor. I slammed my fists into the ground causing it to concave and allow me to escape its pressing hold. I was thrown backward into a large pillar, by what looked like Serpine's foot. I stood shakily and faced Serpine, he smiled crookedly, his nose was bloody and beaten. I then saw Lucian and Ghastly lying on the floor unconscious, my gaze went from Crux's crumpled form back to Serpine's fist. I again stumbled back and lazily slumped against the pillar behind my back.
"Can we take a break, and pick this up another day please?" I said weakly.
Serpine smiled, "No, I came here for one thing only."
"Me, right?" A strangely familiar voice said, "You're not supposed to hit a girl, tsk tsk."