SKULDUGGERY AND VALKYRIE 25

VCPOV

We got supplies and headed off to Russia. We were there for 2 weeks and found nothing. With a week to go to my birthday and my inheritance I decided to buy Skul a new car. Maybe a Camaro, Mustang, Volvo… huh maybe I'll bring him to a dealership and he can pick one out. But that would take like forever, he can not make up his mind half of the time… hmmm.

"well, now what? We're in Russia and we didn't find Scorn at all. Do we go back to square one?"

"I'm afraid so"

"damn it.", *ring, ring* , "oh, hold on I gotta take this.". I picked up my phone to hear Vendetta panting hard.

"Vendetta, what is it?"

"my co-worker, I forgot her name, she discovered that I know about Skulduggery so I was being chased by cleavers. Right now I'm hiding in a café, are you home yet?"

"uh, I'm about 2 hours away, hold on" I muffle my phone to talk to Skul, "Skul, vendetta is now being chased by the sanctuary because she knows about us, now what? She's hiding in a café"

His voice was stern "tell her to meet us in 2 hours at Ghastly's shop."

I told her what Skul told me to tell her.

"ok, bye"

"bye, be careful"

She hung up. I look at Skul, what is he thinking?

"what are we gonna do about Vendetta?"

"we're going to interrogate her at my house, like Marr"

"but no Tesseract."

"right, shall we listen to some Pink Floyd"

"we shall" for the rest of the drive we sang to Pink Floyd nonstop, it was quite fun.

We got to Ghastly's store to find Vendetta standing at the curb. She hopped into the back, again barely fitting too.

"thank you so much, where are we going?"

"I need to ask you some questions, if you don't mind"

"n-not at all" her voice seemed worried. Maybe Skul is on something.

We got to his house, vendetta looking more nervous than before. We sat the dinning room table. Me and Skul on one side while Vendetta is on the other.

"what do you know about the 1940's?"

"well, the Nazi's took over Germany"

"where were you in 1943?"

"I was in, umm, I think Brazil, why?"

"do you know about the scientist who loved twins?"

"um his name was Josef Mengele, right?"

"did you know he had a protégé?"

"no, I didn't, why?"

"his protégé, Rudolf Otto, took over. But he loved twins for their unique ability to look alike. So he grabbed a bunch a adepts with a certain discipline to manipulate appearances. But, one day he suddenly disappeared, why?"

"I don't know"

"why? We have sources to believe that you were involved in the case."

Vendetta didn't say anything. Instead a flash of shadows engulfed her and she was gone.

"damn it! We should of bound her powers"

"she shadowed walked meaning she couldn't of gone far"

We ran to the mini and took off. We practically drove off in a spiral around Skul's house. We couldn't find her.

"do you think she manipulated her appearance?"

"maybe, right now we'll just focus on china's case"

"alright, sorry about Vendetta. I didn't think she was bad or anything"

"it's alright. So I guess were in a rut, a dud. You get it"

"unfortunately I do *sigh* now what?"

"as usual, I have no clue."

SKULDUGGERY AND VALKYRIE 26

VDPOV

At first I thought Skulduggery was helping me, but he was actually interrogating me. I was worried that if I said the wrong words what would he do? I know about his past, he's done numerous of scary stuff. So I shadow walked a few miles from there. What would they think of me now? A fugitive? A murderer? I'm scared to know.

I landed in the café that I was in hours before. I manipulated my face to look like a bystander who was sipping blue tea, who does that?

I walked to a house and than busted open the door. I found a family photo, a mother, father, and two kids. One looks 19 the other looks 13. I made myself look like the 19 year old. The stairs creaked as her dad came down.

"Samantha, it's 2 in the morning why are you home so late?"

"I was hanging with Sean again (?)"

"Sean? Why him? All he can do is summon a spark and nothing more"

Oh, thank god he knew about magic. I manipulate back to myself.

"adeptry? You are not my daughter. Who are you?"

"I'll tell you everything as long as you don't call the sanctuary, please"

"very well, I'm already up, aren't I?"

We sat down and he poured me some tea.

"my name is Vendetta Dare. I am a sanctuary guard. My powers are elemental, necromancy and adeptry. And I need help. I'm in trouble with the sanctuary for knowing about Detective Pleasant. And I'm running from him too because he thinks I did something in the past. Is that enough for you?"

"in deed it is. I'm Rye Prowl. I fought the war under Corrival Deuce's orders and I'm now a librarian. I do elemental, I prefer air. Is that enough for you too?"

"you didn't need to tell me who you are, but thank you"

"you can stay for the night, but I need you gone before 12 pm tomorrow"

"thank you"

He lead me to his couch and handed me a sheet, pillow and blanket. I slept peacefully. In the morning I folded the sheet and blanket, I also left a note. And left before anyone could see me. Than I leave without a trace.