Requiem: Chapter Three...
Hopefully you're all enjoying reading as much as I'm enjoying writing this one. Any feedback is appreciated and I'll do my best to update when I can :)
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"I'm alright. He brought me home and he left." Valkyrie listened to her friend sigh in relief on the other end of the phone as she walked through the front door of her home. She looked around at the huge hallway and the expansive staircase and wondered again how Gordon had lived here all alone for so long.
"I'm so glad you're okay."
"You were the one that didn't believe the vision at first. How come we swapped places all of a sudden?"
"Maybe because he actually showed up and now you have direct contact with him?" She could practically hear An's eyebrows raise.
"Yeah but he seems nice enough. A little egotistical but not a psycho."
"You just met him. You don't know what he's like, Val."
"The point is that I didn't get shot and I have no plans to contact him again. By rights we should never cross paths again. Anyway I'm sore and I'm hungry so I'm gonna eat and take a bath, okay? I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night An." Valkyrie pressed 'end call' before Andromeda could say anything else, locking the door behind her and heading straight for the fridge. She made herself a snack and leaned against the counter to eat it, still looking around at the big empty space of the kitchen. She missed living with her parents and Alice. She'd moved out at eighteen and now she was twenty two and still felt lonely. Her parents kept asking her why she hadn't got a dog yet.
She finished her sandwich and headed upstairs, popping two leaves in her mouth and chewing them to numb the pain of her aching ribs. They tasted disgusting but they did the trick. She sat on the edge of the expansive bath tub and watched it fill, breaking off a chunk of the porous yellow rock and dropping it into the water. It was similar to a bath bomb except it didn't smell nice.
Sinking into the water was wonderful. The heat alone worked wonders on her sore spots. She soaked a wash cloth and laid it over her face where the bruising from the Vampires boot mottled her skin, closing her eyes and relaxing back against the tub. She must have fallen asleep because when she came to attention dusk had turned to night and there was somebody downstairs. She listened intently, straining to hear over the pounding of her heart for further noise. There was the faintest creak of a floorboard somewhere near the kitchen.
There was an intruder in her house and she was naked and in the bath. She slipped out of the water as quickly as she could and tugged on her clothes, not caring that she was still wet. She crept to the door and peeked out, then dared to venture to the top of the staircase, keeping low to the ground. She waited, listening for the noises, looking for somebody walking around. And then she saw them. Three Infected searching the downstairs for her. She was injured and vastly outmatched.
She got back to the bathroom quickly and closed the door, sliding the lock home. The faint click sounded like a gun shot to her, and she held her breath, expecting the intruders to come rushing up the stairs. When they didn't she padded back to her hoodie on the floor and fished the phone out of her pocket. She couldn't call her parents because they'd be killed if they came here. The mortal police wouldn't fair much better. She couldn't call Andromeda because she was too far away and didn't have a car. She didn't know the number of any other mages. That left one option.
She keyed in the number and held the phone to her ear with shaking hands. She prayed he'd pick up. If he didn't she was going to die.
"Valkyrie, I didn't expect you to call so soon."
"I need your help, there are Infected in my house," she whispered quickly. She could hear the rising hysteria in her voice.
"I'm on my way." The Bentley started up in the background.
"Please hurry, Skulduggery. If they find me they'll kill me. I'm hiding in the bathroom."
"Stay where you are and stay quiet. I'll find you."
"Alright." She let the line go dead and crept back to the bathroom door, laying down to check the gap underneath for signs of anybody on the landing. Her ribs creaked in protest as they came into contact with the ground. When she found the landing empty she turned off the light and sat behind the door, pulling her knees up to her chest and praying to whatever gods there were that Skulduggery would find her before the Infected did. Injured as she was, she could deal with one of them, perhaps two at a push. But three? Not a chance. And she didn't know if there were more down there in the other rooms. She was hyper aware that one door and a flimsy lock would do nothing to keep them out if they found her there. She knew a couple of weak sigils that could be done but she had nothing to draw them with. Her makeup bag was in her bedroom and she wasn't in the habit of keeping a pen with her.
A noise on the stairs made her breath catch. They were close. She could just hear the faint whisper of their footsteps over the aged wooden floors, getting nearer every second. They were trying door handles as they walked, and she held her breath as the one to her door turned so slowly. She braced herself against it as the Infected behind rattled it gently and let go. She thought they might move on. Silence settled and she prayed her heart beat wasn't as loud as she thought it was.
And then somebody threw their body against the wood hard enough to make her teeth rattle, and all she could do was use the air to keep her and the door still. They slammed against it again and again and she felt the wood splinter and begin to give. If she sat there any longer she was dead. If she moved away from it she was dead. She was trapped, with nowhere to run and no hiding places to huddle in.
A strange sense of acceptance filled her, pushing away the terrified energy. She found it focussed and sharpened her thoughts. She smiled without humour. If she was going to die she wasn't going down easy. She stood slowly, using the air as best she could to stop the door from shattering until she was pressed against the far wall. She released the invisible barrier and the first Infected barrelled through the door and collided with the claw foot bathtub, unbalanced by the sudden lack of resistance and toppling into the water even as the second was stepping in. They were both women, dressed in dishevelled clothing and snarling. She could see the bites crusted with blood on their throats.
The second of the women lunged and Valkyrie ducked and swept her leg out, but she was too slow and they were so very quick. They weren't injured like the Argent had been and Valkyrie hadn't healed properly. When the Vampire slammed an arm into her chest she felt the creak and the splinter of her re-breaking rib in every nerve ending. She hissed and dropped to the ground, rolling away despite the protest in her bones. She ducked around the other intruder as they climbed out of the bath, dripping water and snarling. She sprinted away from them as fast as her legs would allow, skidding a little round the corners as she went. She was almost to the study and hope had begun to flare in her stomach when the third Infected slammed into her side. She'd forgotten about him. She felt another crack and a pop as two more ribs splintered and then the ground hit her back and and she bounced and rolled to a painful stop.
All she had to do was stay alive. Just stay alive until the detective could get there to help her. She forced her feet beneath her and dodged as the Infected swiped again. The other two women joined him and Valkyrie backed away slowly, watching them for any sudden movements. Her heart felt like it was trying to smash through whatever was left of her rib cage. The intruders simply watched her hungrily. She knew it wouldn't last, so when the woman on the left leapt forward in an explosive burst of anger she dodged left and spun, ducking behind her before lashing a kick between her shoulder blades. The Infected stumbled just once, righted herself, and all three of them descended on her at the same time. She barely had time to cover up as the barrage of elbows and knees rocked her body and bruised her arms. She curled in on herself to protect her torso, waiting for an opportunity to break free. She saw it when one of them sidestepped and a gap opened up in the wall of legs that kept kicking her.
Magic welled inside her, and she pressed a hand to the ground and shadows erupted from the wooden floor, throwing all three of them back with surprising force. She struggled to her feet and limped away, heading on towards the study. It had the heaviest door and a secret recess in the bookshelf that she could hide in if she could get to it. It would buy her precious time. Her body was screaming, new injuries protesting every time she took a step. She was bleeding from several cuts and her head throbbed. Blood flowed down her cheek from a cut on her temple. She was starting to get dizzy. She stumbled and fell as blackness crept into the edges of her vision and a pair of gloved hands appeared near her before her head hit the floor. Her heart leapt as the skeleton detective caught her gently.
"You came," she said softly.
"Of course I did, you asked for my help." His head snapped up and he raised his revolver and fired three quick shots. All three hit their mark and the Infected snarled as their arms and legs were pierced. He sat her gently against the wall and snapped his fingers, fire flaring up in his palm as he prepared to protect her. She watched as they advanced, baring their teeth in grimaces of fury and pain, and then just as suddenly as they came, their faces turned blank and they sprinted away. She could tell he wanted to pursue them, but he stood his ground and watched them leave, only letting the flames die when he was sure they were gone.
"You don't look so good," he said softly, holstering his revolver and crouching beside her.
"I feel great, never better," she groaned back. He chuckled softly.
"I'm sorry once again that I couldn't get here before you got hurt."
"You got here before I died, that's the important part. Don't be such a pessimist." She coughed as blood from her split gums trickled down her throat and her ribs cried out in agony as the movement stretched her lungs. "Ouch."
"Do you still have the things Doctor Raze gave you?"
"They're in the bathroom." She wrinkled her nose. "They interrupted my bath. In my home."
"It would appear that somebody has it in for you." He slipped his arms underneath her and lifted her carefully, surprisingly strong for a skeleton. "Unfortunately, somebody wants you dead. I'm willing to bet it's the same person that sent dear Argent after that woman."
"They sent somebody to kill me that quickly?" Her heart thundered in fear. "What if they go after my family?"
"I sent Cleavers to guard the house, they're safe and unaware."
"Thank you. How did you get the address?"
"Gordon told me it years ago."
"What if they'd moved?"
"Then the Cleavers would be guarding the wrong house, obviously." He set her down carefully beside the bath and slipped off his jacket and hat, hanging them on the hook behind the door before rolling his shirt sleeves up over the bones of his forearms and removing his gloves. Valkyrie found herself fascinated by the bones of his hands as he reached into the cold yellow water and pulled out the plug, letting it drain away.
"How did this happen?" She gestured at him with the arm she could move, trying to take the subject of conversation away from her impending doom.
"You tried to apprehend a Vampire that has friends."
"I meant you becoming a skeleton," she answered, shooting him a withering look. "Something like that doesn't just happen."
"It was a long time ago." He set the taps going again and perched on the edge of the bath, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her for a moment. "I had some dangerous enemies and I met a painful end." He spotted the healing items the doctor had given her by the sink and fished out a couple of leaves, handing them to her. She chewed them gratefully and sighed as the pain dulled enough to breathe easier. He gave her a towel to press against the open wound on her head and went back to perching on the edge of the tub.
"You mean they killed you?"
"Yes. And then I woke up like this."
"You just...woke up?"
"Yes. In a bag in a river. That was a strange experience if ever there was one."
"What did you do?"
"It happened during a war so I put myself back together and rejoined the fight."
"Wasn't that weird?"
"Very weird. My friends were more than surprised, I have to say." He shifted against the porcelain.
"Did you win the war?"
"Eventually. It was a long war, but we won and pushed Mevolent back in the end."
"Is he the guy that killed you?"
"No. I was killed by his General." His head tilted. "The same man that murdered your Uncle." Valkyrie's eyebrows shot up towards her hairline.
"Serpine?" The skeleton nodded. "Even after the war ended he was allowed to live? Were you angry?"
"Of course I was. But there was a truce struck between our side and his, and he managed to hide behind it until he thought the time was right. Eventually he went after the Sceptre of The Ancients and I killed him for it. He knew Gordon had something he needed to get the Sceptre which is why your uncle died."
"That's heavy," she said softly. "How old are you?"
"I was born on December thirty first in the year fifteen seventy four. I died on October thirty first in the year seventeen hundred."
"Wow. How long did you stay dead for?"
"Long enough for my body to be hung on a pike and burnt for all my comrades to see." His head dipped a little. "We were gaining ground until that happened."
"Could you feel it? Being dead?"
"I could. I could see our side losing the war."
"Andromeda told me about the war," Valkyrie says softly. "Some of it anyway. She said your were part of a team called the Dead Men?"
"I was. We were called that because we were sent on missions that should have killed us and yet we always came back alive. I suppose we got cocky. My death was the first event in a chain that turned the tide back in Mevolent's favour."
"Along with the rise of Lord Vile, right?" She saw his head lift to look at her.
"Yes. That was...unfortunate."
"Andromeda told me about him. She showed me history books written about him. He sounded terrifying."
"He killed without mercy." The skeleton's voice was quieter as he stood again to turn off the taps. She watched as he broke off another piece of the yellow rock and dropped it into the water. "Can you get into the bath or do you need my help?" Valkyrie tried to stand, but gave up when the pain from the many deep bruises and her aching bones threatened to make her pass out again.
"I need help."
"Do you mind getting your clothes wet?"
"They're already wet," she answered, gesturing at the the damp patches all over her shirt and jeans. She fished her phone out of her pocket and handed it to the skeleton. He put it by the sink before lifting her carefully and settling her in the water. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He sat on the edge of the tub again, turning his body so that he could look at her. "I don't think it's safe for you to be alone at the moment. And I especially don't think it's safe for you here."
"I can't go back to my parents. They're mortal, they don't know about magic and I can't endanger them." She tried to sit up in her panic. He leaned forward and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, guiding her back down.
"Be careful, you don't want to damage yourself any further." He let go. "And I wasn't planning on sending you to them. I think tonight it's best if you stay with me and then we'll find you somewhere safe. You said you had a new apartment?"
"I have the keys, I was just waiting for a good time to move. Next week seemed as good a time as any."
"It may be best if you move right away. An apartment is much easier to keep an eye on than a mansion like this one."
"I haven't sorted out the moving van."
"Don't worry about that. I'll pull some strings. You should be able to move in by tomorrow evening."
"What are you going to do? Teleport my furniture?" Her chuckle hurt but she couldn't help it.
"Yes, actually. That's exactly what I'm going to do." He pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. "I'm going to make sure the house is clear, alright? If you need me, shout and I'll hear." She nodded and watched him leave the room, closing the door softly behind him. When he left she thought about the vision. She closed her eyes and saw again the way she knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face as she accepted her fate. She saw the barrell of the gun gleam as it touched her forehead. And she saw him standing over her. She knew for sure now that it was him. She recognised him just from the tilt of his head, though she could only see the back of him. A scarf hid any glimpse of his spine, but she knew. She'd have to see Jordy again and ask him if anything had changed.
She cleaned the blood from her skin gingerly, marvelling as the rock closed the cuts and the bruises began to recede. Her ribs still burned but it was duller than before. When she was able, she climbed out of the tub and drained the water again. She could smell the rock on her skin so she set the shower going, peeled off her sodden clothes and stepped under the hot spray, sighing gratefully. When she was shampooed and clean she stepped out and dried herself off, pulling her dark hair into a ponytail. A knock at the door sounded as she tugged on a thick dressing gown and fastened it shut.
"Come in."
"You look much better," the skeleton said as he stepped into the room. "The grounds are clear and the house is empty. All the same, it would be better if you didn't stay here tonight. We should get away from here as soon as we can."
"Where do you live?"
"I have a house on Cemetery Road."
"Fitting," she answered with raised eyebrows. She could sense his amusement in the set of his shoulders.
"I suppose it is. I bought it because it's the only house on the street. I can live there without fear of the neighbours seeing me with no skin." He gestured at the exposed bones of his forearm. "I don't technically need to sleep so I don't have a bed, but there are sofas and a bathroom for you to use. I even have a kettle."
"You can eat and drink?"
"No. But I have visitors to entertain. It's impolite not to offer a hot drink at the very least." She snorted. "Go find some clothes for the night. I'll grab a blanket and a pillow for you to sleep with and then we'll go. Have you eaten?" She nodded. "Excellent. The car is outside, I'll wait for you there." Valkyrie watched again as he turned to leave, grabbing his jacket, hat and gloves as he went.
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