A/N: Just a quickie up here thanks to my beta QueenOfSwordsAndFire for editing this chapter! Once you have finished with this you should go and check out her new fic. Its called Young lions and it's a thresh/OC

On with the fic…..!

Chapter 13:

I wake up to everyone shouting my name and asking if I was awake.

My eyes fluttered open and, and through the fog of my blurry sight I could see everyone staring.

Skulduggery finally broke the silence.

"Are you okay Val?" He asked, concern plain in his voice.

I was about to say something like I'm not Val but thought of something else.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I, I just want to be alone for a bit." I say.

"I don't really think that's a good idea."

"Oh? And why ever not?" I say coolly, then turn for the now open door through which most of the mortals had fled through once they had the chance.

He grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.

"Someone might recognise you."

"And that's a problem how?"

"Val, these are mortals were talking about. Mortals who have just found out about magic and I don't really think it's a good idea." He said sharply.

I tried to be calm about the situation but it was just so hard… The monster inside me longed to get free.

"Skulduggery, let go of me now, seriously, I'm warning you." I said as calmly as possible.

He didn't let go.

"I said let go!" I shouted pushing him with all my strength. He flew back and landed against the wall.

I could feel the magic at my fingertips. It was consuming, addicting, powerful, mine. And I missed it.

I started to walk off but this time Tanith tried to stop me.

"Val!" She snapped, her tone accusatory.

I kept walking; I wasn't going to answer to a name that didn't belong to me.

I was half way to the door when Tanith finally got it.

"Darquesse?" she asked me this time, sounding rather shocked. Replace with something more dramatic.

What did she think getting your whole family killed in front of your face would do to someone with a psychopathic alter ego inside of them? People these days.

"You called?" I replied mockingly.

Her face contorted into a mask of rage.

"You little bitch!" she shouted so I could hear her from across the studio. She started to take her sword out of its sheath when Skulduggery (laid a hand on her shoulder, and she froze to the spot.)

"There's no point -you're not doing Val any good." He said.

She gave me a cold glare that was supposed to mean something to me. I matched it with one of my own.

She stepped down and I left the room laughing.

I walked down the street trying to sort out my memories. The last one I had that was actually my memory was last year in her? battle with Lord Vile.

Ah, good memories I thought to myself, smiling at nothing. I couldn't wait to meet Lord Vile again. It was just so much fun to be challenged by someone who actually stood a chance, well not really, but at least he was more of a challenge than (the remnants.

I kept walking down the street. I wasn't in my usual fighting clothes so I made it a point that I should stop by 'my' old house to go and pick them up.

I was (dying for a drink) and saw a bar at the end of the street so I made my way towards it.

Mental note: thank Tiffany.

Yeah, I know thanking is below me. I wouldn't normally do something like thank someone but she deserved it. She was the one who let me out. Respect.

I finally reached the bar. It wasn't the nicest place. It was not clean and the people there seemed to all be waste of space alcoholics but it would have to do.

I walked up to the bar when I noticed (a familiar group of )people sitting at a table (nearby.)

My jaw literally dropped to the floor.

I wasn't possible, It couldn't be possible.

I walked over to them and the smiled up at me. My first thought was that I was going crazy.

"Stephanie!" my mum said to me. "Sit" she says to me and I obey not really thinking.

Wait a second.

That fake, lying, cheating bitch! She was going to pay- It had been a smart idea, killing their reflections but seriously, that was low.

"So what have you been up to lately?" my dad asked me.

"Not much actually I was passing by." I replied suddenly very angry.

"Well I'm not sure, but the television broke so don't try and turn it on when you get home"

"Alright" I said as cheerfully as possible- being Val was hard, how she does this stuff on a daily basis I do not know.

"Hey, Alice look" dad said to Alice. "That's the show we were watching last week."

I really wanted to see this.

We watched the show together at the bar. We saw Tiffany , (my stomach curling at the very sight of that fake, lying, cheating bitch!), or Dr. Swan come out and speak, then for the best bit and star of the show- me!

Everyone in the bar looked at me and my parents jaws dropped.

"What?" I asked them in my best innocent voice.

"Steph?" my mum asked me "is what they are saying true?"

"Of course it's true!" I said in an easily recognisable fake cheerful voice.

"So you're Valerie?" it was my dad's turn to be shocked.

"Firstly, its Valkyrie and secondly, usually but… not at the moment." I said with a chuckle.

"Wait so you can switch from being Valkyrie and Steph?" mum asked a little confused.

"Don't be silly of course I can't do that! I'm not Steph, I am Darquesse"

As soon as I said that I saw a few people jump from their seats and either pull out a weapon or form fire balls or shadows forming in their hands.

All the mortals were shocked-some even screamed and ran out of the bar.

Pathetic.

"Oh goody!" I said, clapping my hands. "Playmates!"

One tried to run but I sent shadows towards her. She didn't even have time to scream before the shadows took off her head.

"Who's next?"

Two hours later

I finished playing with my friends an hour ago.

Their screams and petrified expressions still fresh in my memory,( sending waves of adrenaline running through my body).

I was sitting at the bar with a bottle containing some form of alcohol, slowly drinking its contents when I sensed two oddly familiar people, just who I wanted to see I said smiling although I knew they wouldn't be able to see it.

"Good evening" one of the two said.

A/N:
Heeey guys ! sorry about the long wait!
but I had a really, really bad case of writers block so the next chapter may take some time :(
I am still welcoming any ideas from anyone with them (:
I hope that this chapter was up to all of your standards and if it wasn't constructive criticism is welcome.
just one last thing to say before i leave you all for another while:

arti dauntless - thankyou so much for the support and thankyou for the suggestion it has given me an idea...you should get a fanfiction account!

and to Joel r: i don't really know when I will update next but i try to update on weekends and whenever possible so keep your eyes peeled. Also try again with the signing up it didnt work for my first try either but i did it a day later and it worked :)

Another thank you to all my reviewers and i will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. reviews help me write faster so click that new big blue button ;)
Keep reading,

Sophie Elizabeth xx