Here it is! One case of mild swearing in this one… Don't own anybody except Lucrezia and a few others who appear later... Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter, you'll all receive a shout-out next chapter along with those who review this chapter!
As soon as she regained consciousness, she lifted her head up slowly, groaning at the stiffness in her neck. She tried to move her hands but they were numb from being tied up for so long. There was a window to her right which let the moonlight bathe the floor in front of her. Her head cleared as she heard a door open behind her; two sets of footsteps made their way closer to her.
She craned her neck curiously to see who it was but she couldn't see them.
"Who's there?" she asked out loud. Sanguine strolled around her and into her view. She scowled at him menacingly.
"Finally," he drawled. Silence followed.
"What?" she responded, confused at what he was implying. He put his hands on the arms of the chair she was shackled to and loomed close to her face. When he spoke she got a waft of his foul breath, making it hard not to gag.
"Finally, I have managed to get you away from that bloody Skeleton Detective of yours. You're mine!"
"I'll never be yours!" she burst whilst slamming her head forward into his, making him reel back angrily.
"You bitch!" he screamed whilst going to hit her. A blur pushed him back angrily, making him sprawl on the floor.
"No! Don't you dare harm her!"
She recognised the black hair and the thin face. He turned towards her and the moonlight reflected off of his brilliant blue eyes. Caelan.
"What do you think you were doing?" he asked whilst turning back toward Sanguine. Sanguine looked nervous as he fought his side.
"But she hit me first! You saw it-"
"I saw you making her feel angry and you have experience of what she does when she's angry."
"I never, I'm just sick of always getting battered by the Skeleton Detective whenever I've tried to get her."
"Stop whining. You've disobeyed me anyway,"
"How?"
"Aren't them shackles a little tighter than is needed?" Sanguine went silent but still held the defiant look on his face. Eventually he said
"She deserved it." Caelan went to hit Sanguine full force but Valkyrie had had enough. As much as she wanted to see Sanguine get beat up, she wanted to get out more.
"Caelen?" she started, he looked at her and she carried on. "You have got to help me get out of here. I don't know why I'm here or why I'm being targeted but I need to find out. So please Caelen, help me…" Caelan smiled at her, adoration in his eyes as he replied.
"Don't worry Valkyrie. Everything will become clear soon I promise. Just let me finish with Sanguine here then we'll talk. The fact that you asked me for help just proves my suspicions are correct."
Valkyrie didn't know how to reply so just stayed silent. Caelan turned back to Sanguine then pushed him back hard. He flew across the room and collided with the wall.
Caelan followed him and started punching him repetitively whilst occasionally saying,
"You dared to defy me? You dared hurt her?"
Valkyrie could hear hurried footsteps behind her and almost started crying when she saw it was Tanith.
"Babycakes!" she squealed whilst hauling Caelan off of Sanguine. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him worriedly. "Are you OK?"
Caelan stood up and brushed down his front. He looked at Valkyrie tenderly but his voice was hard.
"Get him out of my sight, or I don't know what I'll do," Caelan warned. Tanith nodded hurriedly then helped Sanguine out of the room. Once they were gone Valkyrie could get her feelings under control. She'd wanted to shout, scream and cry as soon as she'd seen Tanith fussing over Sanguine. She'd barely restrained herself from doing that.
"So my sweet. I will make it all better now he's gone," Caelan said. His voice had taken on a gentle tone again.
"Are you behind this?" she asked quietly, scared of the answer,
"Behind what?" he replied innocently.
"Behind everything that has been happening, Lucrezia, Kinsey, my capture. Need I go on?" she paused confused. "Did I seriously just say that?" Now Caelan was looking confused. "Damn you Skulduggery!" she took a deep breath then released it.
"Answer me," she demanded suddenly,
"What?" Caelan replied,
"Are you behind this?"
"It's only for your own protection,"
"Protection? Do you know how unprotected I have felt?"
"I'm really sorry. I am. But you have been blinded by these people you call friends,"
"Excuse me?"
"Deep down you love me too."
"These people you're sending after me absolutely hate me and would rather see me dead."
"They are the only ones who I have at my disposal."
"They want me dead! They are mental! Not right in the head at all" If you loved me-"
"I do! Honestly I do!"
"Then why send them after me?
"Sacrifices must be made." There was silence.
"What do you mean, sacrifices?" but Valkyrie didn't listen to the answer as she remembered the last time she'd seen him. He had been beaten up and plummeting into the water by the pier in Haggard. Dead she was sure. She interrupted Caelan mid-sentence.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Caelan sighed and looked at her regretfully.
"I managed to survive and heal although it took time," Valkyrie looked at him suspiciously.
"How?"
"Well I wasn't myself last time I met you. I scared you into seeking help and then I was mortally wounded. It didn't help either that I was submerged in salt water. It took me all night to drag myself out with all the wounds that were inflicted on me, but once I did I immediately began the healing process. It has taken me a year to fully heal but here I am." Valkyrie struggled with her wrists as Caelan came closer, seemingly pulled towards her. Whatever the shackles were doing to her it was more than annoying. She felt weaker the more she struggled and if she used magic it was dampened to something that was useless. Two in one shackles…
"Don't struggle, I won't hurt you unnecessarily again, you just have to learn to trust me. I'm sorry it had to be like this but soon it will all change." He stopped walking towards her as her final strength reserves were being depleted. She hung her head and stopped struggling. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him move as if to walk past her but stopped as the door opened behind her. His eyes closed briefly then looked into hers.
"Until next time my buttercup, farewell." He then walked out. She heard a lighter set of steps and a familiar person stepped in front of her, knelt down to her height and lifted up her chin, forcing Valkyrie to look at her.
Lucrezia was now wearing a dress that clutched at her figure perfectly. She sneered and raised her eyebrows at Valkyrie as if daring her to say something. When she didn't her face fell into a glare.
"This won't take long," she said before placing her hand on the centre of Valkyrie's forehead. She tried struggling but she was still weak from the shackles sapping at her strength. Lucrezia held a tight grip on her chin so she couldn't drop her head and before long Valkyrie felt her eyes drop, sending her into blackness.
It's been too long… Please review if you're still reading!
