IF SKULDUGGERY WAS LATE

DOV GEPOV

The man came crashing through the door and demanded for the key but Stephanie had no clue what he was talking about.

"Give me that damn key!" He demanded, "Now!" Stephanie reached for a knife but he was faster. His hand splayed and she got lodged into the wall. Stephanie moaned and slipped out.

"Who are you?" She asked and spat out blood.

"Call me Robin. Now, where is that key?" Robin shouted.

From behind the study echo-Gordon couldn't take this anymore. He jumped out and yelled, "She doesn't have it!"

"Gordon?" Stephanie was beyond confused

"Than where is it!" Robin demanded.

"Two miles east, in an ugly house with 1467 for the address. Leave her alone!" Gordon pleaded.

Robin laughed and his hand splayed again. Echo-Gordon was trapped behind the bookcase and couldn't open it.

"Wha-what did you do? He, he was dead. How can he be alive?" Stephanie slumped onto the ground in desperation.

"Don't worry. Now, Stephanie, grab me that knife over there." Robin said and held out his hand.

"How do you know my name?" She asked and she grabbed the knife, not willingly.

"That's your uncle, right? Than you must be his niece." Stephanie was forced to give him the knife. She tried to run away, "Don't run, stand there." She obeyed. Robin walked behind her and moved her hair around her shoulder.

"Are you going to kill me?" Stephanie asked and began to cry.

"Yes." the knife played with her skin, "Any requests?"

Her vision was blurred and couldn't see anything, "Only one." Stephanie bravely said, "What are you, really?" Robin smiled, he loved this question.

"Your worst nightmare." Valkyrie winced when he pierced her skin, "And in your uncle's book; the wizards and stuff are real."

Valkyrie gasped when he slit her throat and she fell to the ground. Robin liked the blood from the knife and stepped outside. Serpine stepped from the dark and greeted Robin.

"Where's the key?" He asked.

"Two miles east, an ugly house. The address is 1467. Lets go."

Serpine smiled and raised his hand, "Thank you. But you failed your task." his hand glowed the dangerous red and Robin crumpled to the ground and silently died.

The only sound left in the house was echo-Gordon calling his nieces name and sobbed in between.

The skeleton detective swung the door opened. He found her corpse in a shallow pool of blood. Skulduggery kneeled down and checked her pulse, there was none to be found.

"Damn it." He muttered. Behind the book case he heard a familiar voice.

"Sk-Skulduggery? Is that you?" Gordon asked.

"Gordon?" Skulduggery called back, "Where are you?"

"Behind the bookcase. In the study." Skulduggery looked around for the false book and pulled it. The door wouldn't budge so Skulduggery's hand splayed and made the door swung opened.

"Gordon?" Skulduggery looked at the stone and him, "Ah. Echo stone. Smart move."

"Thank you. Where's Stephanie?" Skulduggery stepped aside and Gordon darted towards her body.

"How late was I?" he sadly asked.

"At least five minutes." Gordon tried to hold her head but his hand went right through her, "What were you doing?"

"Stuck in traffic, I'm so sorry." He took off his hat and placed it at the table, "If only I came here earlier."

Gordon gave up on trying to hold her. He stood up and sat at the table and Skulduggery joined him.

"What do we do now?" Gordon asked.

"We can't do anything. You and I don't really exist to mortals, we have to leave this to mortals."

"The man, by the way, was Robin. He asked for the key and I told him where it is."

Skulduggery sighed, "Well, I should go. I need to stop Serpine. You should get back to your study. I'll visit soon."

"Take the stone and cradle, please. You're the only one left." Skulduggery shrugged and took stone and cradle and put it in his Bentley. The car revved and they took off.