Like in my short stories I'm at 39'009 now and over one of the Great lakes (lake Michigan I think). I have no clue which one though. I'm going at 521 mph. if you haven't heard the new Skulduggery Pleasant book 7 title is The Kingdom Of The Wicked.

THE SANCTUARY DANCE PART 5

GEPOV

Skulduggery picked up Valkyrie right on time.

"I'm so excited!" Valkyrie beamed.

"Me too." he said with a smile in his tone. His car revved.

"Do you have it?" Valkyrie said as she held out her wrist.

"How could I forget?", Skulduggery handed her a velvet box that perched the satin corsage, "I never forget."

"You forgot me at the house and got my reflection." Valkyrie brought up.

"That time was different. It looks exactly like you!"

Valkyrie scowled then sulked most of the way there. She calmed down as they neared the lot.

They stepped out and Valkyrie didn't wait to lock her arm around his. Tanith and Ghastly were waiting outside.

"Lookin' good." Tanith called to Valkyrie.

"Thanks. You were right, I do rock this dress." Tanith laughed. The four walked to the dance floor. Satins and sequences twirled around the room. Valkyrie spotted Vendetta swaying with a martini in her hand.

"Are you drunk?" Valkyrie asked.

"A tad. But I won't get anymore, promise. Do you want some?" Vendetta held her a martini.

"Is it virgin?"

"Not even remotely." she started to giggle with enjoyment. Valkyrie was about to take but Skulduggery swooped it out of her grasp.

"What the hell? I'm now legal."

Skulduggery shrugged and put it back n the table, "Yes, you are. But I don't want you to go insane, unlike Vendetta."

"It's OK, Skul. I'm passed that stage." Vendetta swayed like a weed and Valkyrie agreed with Skulduggery and grabbed a Coke instead. Rife walked up to Vendetta and held out his hand without a word.

"Sorry, Rife. I'm kind of drunk. Not really feelin' like dancing." Rife took back his hand and walked away.

"That was weird, even for Rife." Skulduggery said. Valkyrie couldn't help but laugh, "Miss Cain, you would like to dance with me?" He held out his hand and Valkyrie took it. She twirled and had troubles following his lead.

"Sorry, I don't dance much." She admitted.

"I can tell." Skulduggery twirled her one more time, "So, should we worry about Rife? He isn't himself."

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think it's weird how he didn't say one thing, and for once he did talk."

"You're worried about Rife? When did you soften up?" Valkyrie teased.

"That's not the point." Skulduggery said seriously.

"Right, right. Speaking of which, isn't it also weird that Ghastly doesn't want to do anything about till tomorrow?"

"Didn't Ghastly get 'brain washed'?"

"He did, I think… Ooh, Gordon said that she might've found a way to control a person without having contact with them. And even if my name is sealed she can still take over me, also there's a chance that she could get to you too." Valkyrie took a breath of air and twirled.

Vendetta was by the band when Rife came up to her once more and held out his hand and she took it.

"Rife, why aren't saying anything?" She asked as he stared at her.

"Because I need to tell you something." they waltzed over to the doors and walked to a room.

"Tell me." Vendetta ordered.

He said nothing but Oracle stammered from behind shelf, "Good job, Rife." She said weekly than followed by a cough.

"Oracle, what the hell did you do to him!" she demanded.

"I need your power and skills to do something for me." Vendetta scrambled for the door but something forced her not to, "Not a good idea." Her arm raised and Rife pinned Vendetta against the ground hard.

"What happens if I don't?"

"Do it or you or you kill Rife.". looks can deceiving, especially when it comes to Oracle.

"I'll never do it, and you can't make me." Her hand splayed but nothing happened, no shadows came ripping out, "What did you do?"

"Easy, I blocked you.", She began to laugh but it ended in a hack of the lungs, "Do it or you'll be drained and you'll kill Rife." Oracle glanced at Rife who stepped forward and kneel in front of Vendetta. She tossed Vendetta a dagger and caught it against her will.

"5... 4... 3-" Vendetta was seconds away from slashing her friend's throat when she started to sob, "Fine, I'll do it. Just don't hurt any of my friends."

Just what Oracle wanted, a surrender. "Perfect" was all she could say.

"Will you 'brain wash' me now?" Vendetta sobbed quietly as Rife helped her up.

"No, too much work. You'll just do what I say without any force.", Rife retrieved the dagger and handed it to Oracle, "I'll just use your friends safety as your force." Vendetta slowly nodded.

"Alright, here." She tossed Vendetta a pager, "I'll page you when I need to, always meet me at the café across from the green inn. Got it?" her response was another nod, "OK, join your friends… and one more thing, I know what your doing all the time." Vendetta scrambled for the exit and Rife reverted to himself.

"What were we doing in there?" He huffed.

"You don't remem-" She felt a sharp pain on her side, "You drank a little too much, I was sobering up." The pain tingled away.

"Oh, god. Well, can I take a dance?"

"Ye-yes OK."

Dun, dun, dah! I'm in Nova Scotia right now and there's no wifi, only dial-up. Good thing I'll be going to the mall soon to get updated. Right now it's 12:43 but it feels like 8:43, which it is in British Columbia. We hit like 12 air pockets on my way here, in total I fell about a hundred feet in 4 seconds, it was insane! Btw we almost landed in Stevensville due to a lack of fuel, it was like a Mayday episode!