Hey... guess what?! Are you guessing? You better be guessing. Shall we do this like Dora The Explorer? No? We should get on with it? Well, alright then. I got a laptop! You know what that means right? Longer chapters! Hopefully...
Anyway, those who have read my previous chapters have listened to my whinging about having to type on an iPad. No more whinging!
Anyway I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Sorry for mistakes, as usual.
Valkyrie sat on the edge of her bed pulling on her work boots with slow movements. Skulduggery had insisted she sleep in by saying how terrible she looked because she seemed so tired. Valkyrie rolled her eyes, punched his bony arm and trudged upstairs. She knew, however, that sleep was simply not going to happen. Too many thoughts plagued her mind and at night, alone in her room, was the only time they truly annoyed her. It wasn't just the Alistair problem but also Skulduggery. He had been acting strange and all of a sudden he was fine, as if nothing had happened. Not only that but Valkyrie felt conflicted in some way. Every time his name was mentioned she felt a tug on her heart and her thoughts muddled into a thousand tiny, incoherent thoughts.
She took a glance at the mirror next to her bedroom door before she left, paused and stepped back in front of it again. Skulduggery was right, she looked absolutely horrid. Under her eyes were dark circles and to add to that was her messy hair. She sighed and closed her door again. In the bathroom connected to her bedroom she washed her face with cold water. For a long moment she stared at the barely used makeup in the top draw but decided against applying it. Instead she decided to tie her long hair into a high ponytail and leave the room without looking in the mirror again. Who cares, right?
The clock on the wall at the foot of the stairs said five-thirty in the morning yet lively voices emanated from the living room. One voice was speaking this time and it was Dexter Vex. She hadn't seen Dexter since that night in the car when he acted slightly strangely. She rounded the corner and everyone fell silent. "Hey Val," Dexter said with a sly smile.
Valkyrie shifted her footing and tried a smile. "Hello," she replied. She couldn't help but notice Tanith's eyebrow raise discreetly.
Skulduggery was still staring at her seeming to have forgotten about the papers he held in his hand. "You didn't sleep did you?" Skulduggery asked with a tilt of his head.
Valkyrie smiled slightly at his observation. "Is it the baggy eyes or the messy hair?" She laughed.
"Neither," he shrugged. "I just knew you wouldn't."
"Of course," she smiled. "So what's going on?" She asked and glanced at Dexter as if to say 'Why is he here?'
"We were just discussing our course of action for Alistair," Tanith said with a look of revenge on her face.
"And what have you come up with?" Valkyrie asked eagerly and took a seat next to Skulduggery on the couch. As she dropped, out of habit, she snatched his hat off of his and put it on. It fit loosely over her ponytail and she cocked it over her eyes.
"Nothing," Ghastly admitted. "We need to find a way to get him by surprise without putting anyone in danger. He's powerful and we mustn't forget it."
Valkyrie nodded in agreement. She certainly didn't want to be anywhere near him but if she had to sacrifice herself in order to save Skulduggery or the others than she was ready to do so. The only problem was that her sacrifice would only save them momentarily because the moment Alistair takes Darquesse's essence is the moment many people die.
"In the meantime," Skulduggery stood. "I have a case to go solve. Something about an explosion and scattered body parts. I don't know, should be done in about an hour or two."
He plucked his hat from Valkyrie's head and began to walk away. Before he could get too far away Valkyrie snatched his arm, yanked herself up and followed him into the foyer area.
"What are you doing?" She asked, looking nowhere else but his skull.
"What do you mean..." he began slowly.
"You're not going without me," her voice slightly hard edged.
"I figured it was best if you stayed here rather than out there in the open. You'd be safe here with everyone and maybe you can try and rest," he shrugged.
"Last night you said you wanted me with you. Plus, you are in just as much danger as I am when it comes to Alistair. Technically I'm not the only one he's after," she whispered.
"Yes but I'd rather he have me than you if it's a choice," Skulduggery replied and walked out the front door with Valkyrie trailing closely behind.
"I understand that because I'd let him have me over you any day. I'm not about to let you willingly put yourself out there while I stay at home waiting for you to get back. I simply can't do it. I would end up leaving on my own to find you anyway. Look you're safety means a lot to me and I know you can handle yourself but I need to be with you. You need to stay alive because you will be able to move on much better than I could," Valkyrie admitted.
"Move on?" He asked. "From what exactly?"
Valkyrie shrugged. "My death. You can find a new partner or have none at all until you stumble upon another like you did when your last partner died," as Valkyrie spoke of another partner her heart wrenched.
"If that's what you think then," he murmured angrily and stormed off to the Bentley.
Valkyrie slipped into the passenger seat. She didn't know why he was angry but she was determined to find out.
Review as it helps me out a lot and I'll update soon enough with some Valduggery-ish-ness