Chapter 21

Deception continues.

Skulduggery had picked her up from the 'airport' about an hour ago. They hadn't even been driving for twenty minutes when they decided to park behind a tree and have a very intense finger and element fuck which almost made Darquesse's top nights. At the moment they were both lying down cuddling in the back seat of Skulduggery's car.

"I missed you." he said. He hadn't said it yet; he had said many, many other things but not I miss you.

"I missed you to." Darquesse forced herself to say. This lovey dovey crap was really getting annoying. There isn't much longer to go. She reminds her self. Darquesse sits up and leans on her left arm; she sighs deeply as she looks into Skulduggery's eye sockets.

"What is it?" he asks, sitting up with her.

"I love you." Skulduggery doesn't respond. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realise just how much; I have always loved you. Even when I was with Josh my heart always belonged to you." He presses the symbols on his collar bones and kisses her gently.

"I have something to ask you." he whispers. "Braeyln Tazzalana." He says pulling a box out from his coat pocket.

"Will you marry me?" he says as he opens it. If Braeyln had been around she would have laughed. Inside the box was a ring covered with diamonds and onyxes in the shape of a skeleton. Darquesse also finds this amusing so she giggle softly.

"It looks just like you." She whispers.

"That was the plan; that way when I'm not around; I'll still be with you. Always." He pauses. "That is if you agree."

"I agree." Darquesse says. Things were moving quicker with him than she had planned. If he loved her enough to marry her he loved her enough for her plan to begin unravelling.

On their way back from the airport they received a call from the sanctuary requesting them both to come in as soon as possible. Darquesse sent Myst a warning and the part of her plan that involved him telepathically right after the call. They arrived at the sanctuary and swiftly walked to the required meeting place. Darquesse was amazed at all the people in the room; Grade mage Ravel, Madam Mist, the elder replacing Ghastly Dexter Vex, Fletcher Renn, Nye, Anton Shutter, Tanith and her child; Histly, were already in the room. Both Darquesse and Skulduggery looked at each other when they walked in the room.

"What's the matter?" Darquesse asks; having all her powers on standby.

"Dusk was found dead." Ravel explains.

"Dusk is dead? How?" Skulduggery asks.

"Salt water; it appears he drunk it."

"Dusk couldn't be that stupid." Tanith states.

"That's not the weirdest thing. In the room he was located in we found something else." Ravel says looking directly into Darquesse's eyes. He nods slightly. Darquesse smiles, Grand Mage Ravel was on her side? How marvellous.

"What? What did you find?"

"We found bodily fluids, lots of about two litters of blood and vaginal fluids that perfectly matched the DNA of." Ravel stops. He stares directly into Darquesse eyes. She smiles as she hears the name before anyone else does. This was perfect, and it would defiantly put Skulduggery off his game.

"According to my tests." Nye states finishing for Ravel once it realised he couldn't do it himself. "They matched Valkyrie. Perfectly, no room for error." Nye says. So Nye was on her side to; she begins to wonder who else is on her side so she scans the room, Madam Mist and Anton Shutters gist are also with Darquesse till the very end. How they all found out she didn't care, all she cared about was that she had people with the highest of clearance on her side. She had to keep up her act though; her entire body turns towards Skulduggery. He wasn't moving.

"The blood belonged to Valkyrie?" Tanith whispers. "Was their enough for it to be fatal?" she asks.

"We don't believe so, besides no other body was located, and the blood was contained to the kitchen. If our tests are right; she should still be alive."

"But that's no possible." Darquesse chimes in. "I felt her life force end. I was there when she died. She was dead."

"Apparently not." Tanith is suddenly hit with an idea.

"Could the Valkyrie that died be the real Valkyrie's reflection?"

"It might be possible." Nye says. Skulduggery still hadn't moved. Darquesse excuses them both and leads him out of the room. She sits him down on the chair outside of the door.

"If she's alive; we'll get her." She whispers. He still doesn't move. Darquesse reads his thoughts and is over come with joy at his misery. Darquesse looks down at her left hand; she removes the ring.

"I understand Skulduggery." Darquesse places the ring in his coat pocket before standing up.

"Wait; I still love you." he says looking up at her.

"I know; but when and if we find her some old emotions are going to arise and you're going to have a tough time with it all. If you choose me, just give it back and we'll pick it up right where we left it." Darquesse walks off. With a huge smile covering her face. She ignores the room and heads right to the medical bay that held Ghastly and Seth. She ignores Ghastly for now and walks right over to Seth. Darquesse waves her hand over her and her eyes open. Seconds before she even has a chance to become the annoying 'joker' her and Sway often talked about Darquesse snaps her neck. The next personality of Seth's will appear shortly. Darquesse waits as Seth's body heals. She implants the personality with a few memories that will make it trust and obey Darquesse without question. When it awakens it asks for orders. She orders it to wait until mister Renn is alone and then to kill him without mercy. It agrees and jumps out a nearby window. Darquesse turns her attention to Ghastly. She ponders if she should awaken him. Him being awake would eventually lead to her having his powers, Tanith's powers and then Billy-Ray's powers. She really would love to have his ability and having him around was really getting on her nerves. With a quick wave of her hand his heart rate picks up. She implants a though to see him in Tanith's brain, then as positions herself sends Billy-Ray a thought that he can now have Tanith, and that she will be in the medical bay in five minutes. Tanith arrives moments after. She sits down by Ghastly's bed and takes a hold of his hand.

A beep it's my ears, something warm and clammy squeezes my hand. Another beep; I open my eyes briefly. They shut before they even reach full capacity.

Beep.

The squeezing gets worse. It almost hurts.

Beep

A voice, a woman's voice.

Beep.

She was calling my name; Ghastly; Ghastly.

Beep.

She squeezes my hand harder.

"Please wake up-you have to wake up."

Beep.

I attempt to open my eyes once more. I see a young blonde woman.

Beep.

My heavy eyes shut once more.

Beep.

She appeared to be crying. She says my name once more. Ghastly. Her voice is filled with hope.

Beep.

I open my eyes once more. This time I know they are going to stay open. I finally recognise the woman.

"Tanith?" how was this possible? How long was I out? The last thing I remember was being attacked by her and Billy-ray.

"You. you attacked me." I say sitting up and pushing myself away from her slightly.

"The remnant inside of me did yes."

"Did?"

"It's me. Its dead."

"That's not possible."

"It is. That Braeyln girl found a way."

"Braeyln saved you?"

"Yes. It's me I swear to god." I smile as tears form in my eyes.

"Oh my gosh." She hugs me. "I missed you so much." the tears fall and seep into her hair.

"I know; I missed you to."

"How long was I in this coma?"

"Over a year; everyone had just about given up on you."

"A year?" she nods. I give myself a moment to let it seep in. How many more years of my life am I going to lose?

"Are you okay?"

"You're here; and you're you. Of course I'm okay." I say. Tanith blush's slightly. I hold my hands out to her; I lead her in for the kiss we have both waited years for. The second our lips touch Tanith makes a terrible sound. Her body seizes up; her skin loses all colour and warmth. Blood seeps through her shirt and drips onto my body. A pulling sound is heard moments before she hits the ground. In her stead is an enraged Billy-Ray.

"She is mine!" He screams looking at her dying corpse. Her eyes however are still locked into my eyes. Billy-Ray's hand was dripping with her blood; along with his razor; how he had managed to pierce that straight through her body disturbed and horrified me. My heart is crushing. I click my fingers in an attempt to create a fire ball. Not even a spark results from it. There was nothing I could do to save the only thing in this world I loved; and there was nothing I could do to save myself. Billy-Ray had his weapon pointed right towards me. With one clear throw it was logged into my neck. Blood squirted out all over the bed and him. I can't stop myself from coughing up even more blood than was squirting out of me. I force myself to fall forwards. The razor cuts into me even deeper but I get to see Tanith one last time before I feel the depths of death drag me down into an eternal sleep.

Darquesse must have known that I would arrive to see this. To see such a pathetic display of love towards my girl! I didn't mean to stab Tanith so hard I just wanted her to move aside so I could dispose of Ghastly; but as I saw just how much blood was pouring out of her I realised my mistake.

"She's mine!" I scream at the pig of a man who was staring speechless at his dying beloved. How could she love this, and not him? He was far better than him; far more handsome for one he didn't have hideous scars covering his entire face. His neck was open for slashing. One movement and it'd all be done. I flick my wrist towards him and laugh as it stabs into his throat. He sputters around for a few moments before falling forwards. I can see the razor poking out the other side of his neck. There was no way I could get that out now. He's head was positioned towards Tanith. The idiot rushed his end just to look at his dead lover. How pathetic. The doors leading into the hall way burst open suddenly. I'm left their standing uselessly as Skulduggery Pleasant's fake eyes quickly run over the room and discovers the truth; I don't even have time to tunnel away before Skulduggery shoots twelve bullets into my chest sending me sprawling across the room.

A/N: BOOM! Bet none of you guys expected that! Haha; I know that when I showed a friend of mine he was very upset from it all but as I said; It's a dark twisted story. You were all warned. :P ANYWAYS, I actually had great fun writing this chapter so I really hope you guys all enjoyed it. :) AS usual two reviews before I update and any ideas you folk have are welcomed through review or pm. I'mma gonna go now cause I have to start finding some jobs. For all of you in school still, enjoy it while it lasts trust me. Outa school life sucks WAY more than school life. SO yeah...

PEACE!