Skulduggery and Valkyrie soon found themselves back at Sanctuary doors, heading towards the medical bay, when Skulduggery's phone rang. "Hold on a moment Valkyrie."
She watched him as he departed to the outside of the bay. Valkyrie walked over to where Solomon Wreath's remains lay. Maybe he was sleeping and didn't notice his cane stolen till the very last moment but then he would have been able to conjure his dark magic. Two people maybe? One who distracted and one who caught him from behind. Cowardly, but Solomon would have sensed the extra presence wouldn't have he?
She turned when she heard Skulduggery return. "Who was it?"
"No one important."
She raised an eyebrow at him before putting it to the back of her mind. She began tell him her reasoning about Wreath, when he put a single skeleton finger to her lips. He pulled his hand away when Crux and Guild entered the bay. They didn't look happy.
"Detective, it is very like you to keep things to yourself but you haven t given me many results since the death of Nickolas Romel," Guild exclaimed.
"I assure you," said Skulduggery, "I am trying my best to come up with the solution to all three of the cases you've given to me. It really shouldn't surprise you that I haven't found of solution to any of them yet."
"I think your talents are wearing then. Do you have leads?"
"Yes I do."
"And that's all you're giving me?"
"I'm afraid so."
Guild wasn't too much of a threat to them since after the Faceless Ones appeared. With the fact that they saved him from dying at the hands of Batu's men, Guild couldn't afford to fire Skulduggery again at this stage in time.
"Then hurry up with it. I don't like having dead bodies around."
"Yes, Grand Mage." And Crux and Guild departed. "As much as I love having my job back, I still don't like him telling me what to do."
Valkyrie smiled, "The old goon won't be around forever. What time is it?"
Skulduggery looked at his pocket watch, "It's going to be three."
"Well, I'm hungry and I need to go to the mall."
"Again?" he sighed.
"Need new cell phone, remember?"
"Right..."
Skulduggery looked more frustrated then ever when they finally left the mall. With anything she said, he seemed to be annoyed. She couldn't blame him. With all the stress from work, the mall, she wasn't surprised. He looked like he needed a break. She smiled to herself as she felt the Tame in her inner jacket pocket. It was around eight pm when he stopped to pick up a burger for her and then made his way to Ghastly's place to pick up his new suit. She quickly ate when he disappeared into the tailors shop.
When Skulduggery returned, he was surprised that she had eaten so fast. "Hungry?"
"Yep, you made me miss lunch."
"But you had a smoothie."
"Since when does that replace lunch?"
"I don't know. I've never had a smoothie."
She smiled at him, "Hey can we go by Gordon's house for a sec. I want to pick up one of his books."
"You know," he pulled back out onto the road, "You should get used to calling it your house."
"Yeah, I know." A few minutes later, they were parked in front of the huge mansion. Skulduggery followed her in as she went upstairs. She ran straight for the study and through the secret door. "Guess what?" she exclaimed as she turned on the echo stone.
"You graduated!" Gordon grinned, "I'm so very proud of you."
"That too," she blushed, "But I also..." She paused, "I've lost my virginity."
"What?!" He jumped, "To whom?!"
She just smiled and nodded down stairs.
"Oh my god, you did not lose it to him! That's impossible!"
She showed him the Tame. "This made it possible."
"Valkyrie! He's a 400 plus year old man!"
"Don't lecture me on who he is. I am glad it was him."
"And he allowed you to? Make sure to tell him we're no longer friends."
"Gordon, he treats me with respect. Now I need to go."
"Not here."
"I'm sorry but it's my house remember." He frowned before she turned the echo stone off. Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the study and called Skulduggery's name from the top of the stairs.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Can you come up here for a minute?"
There was a pause. "Why?"
She exhaled, "Because it's better here than it is at your place."
"Valkyrie," he sighed.
"Please, you know you need a break."
He looked up at her from the bottom of the stairs. "Changing the atmosphere I'm guessing."
"I'll choose the lighting and interior and you choose what I wear and your human flesh."
"What you wear huh?"
"Yes and please don't be a gentleman about it." She smiled sinisterly and walked away.
SkulPoint of View
He promised this to be the last time for a while. After this she'll just have to wait. If she loved him, she would understand. He began to climb the stairs. I wonder how far she'll go to make this the way she wanted. What did she really want? Him or sex? Skulduggery felt ashamed about thinking about her like that but he didn't really know. When he saw her again standing in front of a bedroom door, he held back. "Valkyrie, what do you really want?"
"You of course." she said.
"Me or sex?"
He could tell she was taken aback by his question, "You, Skulduggery. I love you."
He stared at her, her words making his soul fly.
"I would never use you for that. I was trying to make you feel better from all the stress you've been under."
"Then all I needed was a kiss from you."
She nodded, "Okay, well that's fine with me. If that's what makes you feel better." She smiled, "I love you."
If he had a heart, she would have stolen it. He moved a step closer to her, "I love you too." He caught her in a tight hug and suddenly he didn't just want a kiss. Slowly he backed her up into the bedroom. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.
More Valduggery to come
