I turned dizzy and fought to stay on my feet, where the hell had that come from? I tried to track where she was in my head but I couldn't get a fix on her. She batted my attempts away like a mother would a child's hand reaching For sweets. I wobbled and Skulduggery looked at me sharply, cocking his head. Obviously my pale face had given me away. "I'm so sorry Ravel, but I'm not feeling well today. Could Skulduggery get the notes and I wait outside?" Ravel nodded and looked at Skulduggery quizzically. Skulduggery shook his head once and Ravel looked away quickly. I couldn't stand up for long enough so I walked quickly from the room and shut the door behind me. I managed to make it to the wall before I tumbled and sat against it. The corridors were deserted and my head was throbbing from HER repeated slaps to my brain. I could only hope that I was passing out and to wake back up as me before everything faded to black.

I woke lying down. Did I feel like a mass murder? Deciding the answer was no and that the world was safe for another day, I opened my eyes. There wasn't anything physically wrong with me but I calmed down when I saw I was at Skulduggery's house. What if i had killed people but just didn't know it yet? What will Skulduggery say, I did just pass out... My questions seemed to be answered soon than later as Skulduggery came into the living room with a mug of hot chocolate. "Did I?..." I trailed off on the first sentence fearing the answer, Skulduggery shook his head slightly. "You passed out, we couldn't understand from what though." He answered me properly now. I sipped the drink when he handed it to me, our fingers brushed and I looked away. Skulduggery sat in the armchair that sat on its own. "I don't bite Skulduggery, what's wrong?". "Val, I don't understand why you did what you did?" Skulduggery looked me straight in my eyes. I knew I wasn't getting out of this any time soon without making us both feel bad.
I looked at my skeleton friend, best friend, partner in work and in crime and my mentor- the man I seemed to be in love with. He looked broken if I was honest, but from what I don't know. Could he have been worried about why I had fainted? Or maybe he already knew, maybe this question was more direct. Direct towards what I was trying to hide from him. Skulduggery stood and sat at the far end of the same sofa that I was on "Valkyrie?". "Sorry what do you mean again?" I asked him.

"I know you fainted from Darquesse, I don't understand how but I was asking...Asking about the night you stayed at my house?" He asked me so clearly as if he was trying to ward me off, he had no emotion in his voice. I noticed this and tried not to frown.
"I... I can't tell you yet Skulduggery, I need more time." If I was honest I did need more time to be sure I did like him. Perhaps I was only thinking these things because I was attached to him. You shouldn't lie to yourself, it could hurt you even more. Shut up! I growled at her voice there, inside my head. Tears came to me eyes as she forced images of my nightmare into my mind.
Outside Skulduggery, who was being ignored, bolted to my side. I felt his arms wrap around me but all I could see was death. You can't save him, and I won't. You admitted it. You and I are the same person Valkyrie. An image of both Darquesse and I came into my head, she was circling me like a vulture. You know what we want. Both of us. WE WANT TO WATCH THE WORLD BURN. Images of darkness and shadows sweeping across nations, flames engulfing what was left behind. Tears started to stream down my face as each person I loved died. She pushed into my head Mum, Dad and even Alice being torn apart. Ghastly, Ravel and Dexter being burned alive. The last made me scream. Skulduggery was being pulled apart bone by bone until he was nothing.

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery roared into my ear. I snapped away from her visions of madness and forced her down, back to where ever she had come from. I almost passed out again. I clenched onto the lapels of his jacket and tried to push myself up. I could hardly move but instead fell further into the sofa, dragging Skulduggery down with me. I cried into his shoulder and he re-wrapped his arms around my waist. I couldn't stop her from what she was going to do, she could get into my mind now. How long was it going to take before she took over my mind? "Skulduggery, I don't want to loose who I am." I whispered. "You won't, you never will. Valkyrie, you are so strong. So strong for doing this. Ravel wanted to assign me a new partner for this case..." He trailed off as I froze. I pulled my head back from his shoulder, "Because I can't handle it? I know what I have to do Skulduggery, no one else can handle her. And Darquesse will win...Skulduggery I need you with me." I finished looking into his eye sockets. We laid there entangled for a while, and I looked away from him. "Valkyrie, you don't need me to beat her.."
"Until the end Skulduggery."
Now it was his turn as he pulled my head to look at him, his gaze didn't falter. "Until the end."

We managed to tear apart from each other and I immediately missed his body next to mine. We walked to his office in silence and I sat behind my desk as he took his seat. "Did Ravel mention anything about the case?" Skulduggery looked at me. "He suggested that I had a new partner, I covered for you on that one... And he said that we should try to find out for information on remnants first. Maybe we could bring Tanith back." I smiled at him sadly. I missed having my older sister, sure it was amazing with Skulduggery and Ghastly but sometimes I just needed to tell Tanith things. Like the other night when I told Skulduggery what Tanith had said in my dream as I was crying my eyes out.

I froze. Was that what Skulduggery had been upset about? Because I was crying as I told him? My mouth fell open at my realisation at my lack of sensitivity. I looked towards Skulduggery who was filing through papers with ease. I shook it off, Skulduggery wouldn't like me or get offended at such small things. There had to be a different reason. As I thought my eyes wandered over Skulduggery. He was tall but had broad shoulders, maybe he had been lean and muscular when he was alive? Shifting to his face I noticed he had a sharp jawline with high cheekbones, yes definitely attractive with his own face. His movements were so sure, he had long fingers that were graceful like the rest of him. As if sensing someone watching him, he looked at me. "Maybe we should go to Gordon's, he'll know something about remnants" I said. Skulduggery replied "Sure, I need to talk to Gordon anyway."

There was an awkward quiet ride over but we talked a little. Skulduggery seemed back to his normal self, and my hands were almost healed now anyway. I opened the door and walked into the front room. I gasped as I remembered my dream, how could I keep a straight face with him in here? "Valkyrie, what's wrong?" His reaction to my sudden stop. "Nothing" I reassured him. I shrugged off my coat onto the sofa and went into the kitchen, I heard skulduggery pick it up and hang it up. I put my elbows on the side and my head in my hands.

"This has to be it. If she can do it and get it over with we can move in." Ice shifted with her thoughts.
Her thoughts that Daughter soon batted down. "We move too quickly then they'll disappear and we will be captured. You don't think ahead do you? No, you leave that to me."
Ice's shadows whipped around her, Daughter turned and barred her sharp teeth in a growl. "My plan and we stick to it. We need to leave before you get us killed."
Daughter jumped down from the tree that they always sit in when they watched Valkyrie Cain. Ice soon followed because she had to, if they messed this up then they would both die. If it was successful then maybe their employer would show its face and let Daughter kill Ice.
"It must happen soon, you know how impatent the employer is getting. Even if you are emotionless, you must see this." Ice whispered.
Daughter sighed "Of course I know this, but they need to wait. Clearly we have been chose for a reason, and for this reason we do it our way."
Ice nodded, "I'll see you tonight, with maybe some more information". Daughter nodded back to Ice just before Ice vanished. Necromancers. Daughter hated them, but maybe they weren't all bad.
She shrugged and let her wings free. As she looked back to the house, Skulduggery Pleasant had entered the kitchen next to Valkyrie.
"Soon." Daughter whispered.

Woo! another chapter, tell me what you think! What are those two doing? are they good are they bad?
Trying to start another chapter, but let me know how this one went!

Ladydarkness17 x