Skulduggery – Crow
Anton – Bear
Ghastly – Panda
Dexter – Wolf
Saracen – Weasel
Erskine – Snake
Solomon – Raven
Chapter 61
"Hello my beauty," Caelan said.
Valkyrie felt sick and had to stand up. "Where are you? Where's Nadia?!"
"I have an offer for you," Caelan said down the phone. "Would you listen? Good. Valkyrie, my love, I need to see you again. Forget about favours, I need to see you in the flesh once more. Meet me at Nadia Robin's house and we can talk. If you do, I'll let her go. If you don't, I'll assume you want me to kill her family. Make sure you come alone or I'll kill Robin then and there."
"Don't you–" He hung up before she could finish. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," Valkyrie cried, throwing the phone on her bed and walking in circles. She had to think of something, she had to do something. What could she possibly do though? She might have been trained by the best but she couldn't keep a vampire from killing any one of those three people, four including the stupid butler, and if she didn't make it in good time he might decide to kill them anyway! "Fuck!"
There was a knock at her door and Valkyrie jumped nearly a foot in the air. She quickly steadied herself and took a breath. "Come in."
Fletcher opened the door and looked at her in concern. "You okay? I heard you swearing."
An idea popped into her head. "I'm fine. Fletcher, I need your help. You need to keep a secret."
His eyes opened wide, but he came in the room and closed the door after himself. "What is it?"
"Caelan has Nadia and her parents at their house. I need you to take me to them."
"We should tell Skulduggery," Fletcher immediately said.
"He said to come alone or he'd kill Nadia. If I don't get there quickly he might kill her parents, Fletcher, I need you to teleport me there! Down the street from her house would do, just don't tell anyone or they'll ruin it."
"Valkyrie," Fletcher growled, looking incredibly angry, "there is no way in hell I'm taking you to that monster to be – to be raped and killed! Don't you dare make me a part in that!"
She looked at him stonily. "I can kill him, Fletcher. I can kill him and I will be fine, but Nadia won't be. She'll be – she won't be fine, okay! I can do this. I'll rip him apart and then I'll call you and I'll make sure Skulduggery doesn't kill you. Please, you're the only one that can help me."
Fletcher sighed and teleported over to her with a glare. "You better know what you're doing," he said, gripping her upper arm roughly.
They teleported to the end of Nadia's street, hidden behind the low garden wall. "Thanks," she said airily, feeling a little lightheaded. She breathed quickly, getting herself ready for the fight and felt her mind get into the right place and all the other feelings take second place. "I'll call you."
She climbed over the wall easily and kept to the trees, coming up to the house and through the back door. She'd never gone that way before, never more than the parlour and dining room next door. She moved silently through the house, seeing all the beautiful art and the white walls and the white carpet and the solid oak wood floors of the hall and the high ceilings. She carefully crept through the whole downstairs and found nothing, meaning she had to carefully creep up the stairs and through the hall. It wasn't a massive house, thank goodness, nothing like Valkyrie's home, so she only had a few options. And only one of those were open and Valkyrie was sure she saw a shadow move behind the door.
She used her ring to feel for death and found nothing which relaxed her just a little and let her focus on her tasks instead. She moved to the door and got ready. She breathed quietly in once and used her foot to slam the door open, bringing fire, shadows and purple magic to her fingers.
Caelan, Mrs Keena, Mr Vinay and Nadia were all there, the family tied up and Caelan standing over them. He turned and smiled at her, seemingly unfazed by the magic. Mrs Keena was trying to say something from behind her gag and was moving a lot but Valkyrie didn't understand any of it, while Mr Vinay just kept glaring at Caelan and Nadia had tears on her cheeks but hope in her eyes when she looked at Valkyrie. It made Valkyrie more confident.
"Release them, Caelan," she said. "I'm alone and I haven't told anyone. No one's coming. You can let them go."
"If I do, they'll get help," he said, staring at her like she was fascinating. "I need to keep them tied here."
"If you let them go," Valkyrie said, "I'll key you into my house system. You'll be able to get in whenever you want and we can talk about this. But you have to let them go."
He thought about it and then shook his head, getting down on one knee. "Valkyrie, my love, you are so generous to make me a part of your family, but I simply couldn't let you do that until we are married. Valkyrie, would you marry me?"
"If I say yes, will you let them go?" Valkyrie asked, still holding the magic.
"Of course, I would do anything for you. We will be a family, we will love each other and be loyal to no one else," he said in wonder, staring at her. He got a creepy look on his face. "We will have many beautiful children together."
Valkyrie held back the instinct to shudder. "Then yes, I will. Now release them."
He stood up, taking a step forward. "We must marry first."
"We can't leave them here if we're getting married," she said quickly. "We need to let them go and then leave."
He shook his head slowly, taking another step. "When I was a child before I was killed, you were married only when the husband had slept with his wife."
Valkyrie took another step back and was out of the room, leading him like a crazed child. Her heart was beating violently but she had to keep focused. She had to get the fight away from Nadia. She had to keep her safe at all costs.
She nearly fell back down the stairs as Caelan stalked her and had to stay still as he came right up to her, just inches away. She still held the magic, but her hands were level with her stomach now, where she felt sick.
Panicky.
Terrified.
He lifted a hand a stroked her cheek. She released the three magic's to hit him at once.
He howled in pain and pushed her by the face backwards and she used the wind to keep herself up at the last moment. He snarled and came at her, using his fingers as claws and swiping at her – she generated as much purple electricity as she could onto her body, letting it radiate from each limb, and then reached out right after dodging a punch, touching his forehead with a single fingertip, letting it all go straight into his head.
He shuddered and went rigid as it went through him in shocks and starts, but although it was powerful, it was also quick, and Valkyrie had to jump the bannister and float down to avoid him as he fell rigidly down the stairs.
She landed not far away and safely on the oak floor, but it seemed falling down the stairs and on his face several times as well as getting his brain fried hadn't done what she expected for the vampire, as he was already groaning and bringing himself up to his knees after barely a few seconds.
She looked out the window next to the front door but it didn't hold any help or backup - she should have just listened to Fletcher. She had no chance if he wouldn't be killed or unconscious from what she had just done. It was her strongest move.
She had no more time to feel sorry though. Caelan growled thunderously and pulled himself to his feet and practically threw himself on Valkyrie. She sidestepped him and kicked his hip, pushing him into the banister, and he used it to pull himself straight and push off at her at the same time. She didn't get much time to move and found herself pressed against the wall. He moved back clumsily, half his face looking slack and his movement becoming jagged.
It didn't stop his baring his teeth and hissing at her, throwing a sudden punch at her she dodged and another over her head she ducked. His fist went through the wall and Valkyrie slipped under his arm and tried to get into the living room where she knew a nice, pointy poker was but he used his other hand to grab her elbow and she came to a jarring halt.
He looked at her with one glaring eye and half a snarling mouth, frothing at the lips. The other side of his face made no movement. "I'll kill you," he growled to her with a thick tongue. "I'll destroy you."
"Fuck you," she growled back, and he threw her back onto the wall.
She covered her face as he hissed and went in to punch her again.
Something else growled behind Caelan and less than a second later she heard a thud, thud, thud, the sound of flesh on flesh, and then Caelan wailed out and she opened her eyes just as Bear crashed passed her with his hands around Caelan's neck right through the living room wall!
Her mouth gaped in shock as she moved on shaky legs to where Bear and Caelan had fallen over an armchair and onto the floor to settle. She couldn't even see if the vampire was still alive as Bear sat on his chest, beating the vampire's face quite literally into the floor. All of his bones must have been broken and his leg was at a funny angle and she knew Bear well enough to know he was using his full weight on Caelan and at least half his ribs would be broken already.
Bear showed no sign of stopping and Valkyrie didn't mind one bit as she turned tail, almost going right into a pale Fletcher, and up to the stairs. "Thank's Bear!" She shouted as she ran to get Nadia.
The door was still open but none of them had moved, obviously, as they were all tied up. Valkyrie grabbed her little flip knife out her jacket and undid the bonds around Nadia's body, letting her move a lot freer. "Are you okay?" Valkyrie asked her as she rummaged through her jacket for her lock pick. Nadia nodded, little tears forming in her eyes. "Hey, don't cry! It's okay, Bear smashed up the wall a bit, but now he's hitting Caelan, so we're safe. I think he's probably dead."
She nodded but it seemed Nadia couldn't stop the tears as they began to fall. Valkyrie moved around her and quickly unpicked the shackles and Nadia immediately held her wrists that had been chaffed and badly bruised by the cuts. Finally, Valkyrie undid the gag around her face.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Valkyrie asked, taking Nadia's hands and inspecting the mark. It was free of dirt but definitely didn't have clean cuts where they had rubbed too hard. "A healing stone and a bit of time will sort that," Valkyrie said gently.
Nadia nodded, biting her lip. "My leg really hurts. He broke it."
"Where?" Valkyrie asked quickly. She couldn't see either because she was sitting on her knees.
"Don't make me move! It hurts so much!" Nadia said, breaking down and sobbing.
Valkyrie nodded, moving forwards and holding her gently in her arms. "It's okay. I promise. I have to move you but you just stay still, alright? I'm going to put you on the bed and untie your parents. You shouldn't sit on it."
Nadia nodded as she began sobbing more loudly and put her head in the curve of Valkyrie's neck. Being a shorter, much thinner girl, Valkyrie had no trouble putting an arm around Nadia's back and another carefully under her butt and lifting her right up in a sitting position to not hurt her leg too much.
Moving quickly, Valkyrie lay her down on the bed in the room, kissing her cheek gently. She desperately wanted to just hold the girl, but she couldn't exactly leave Mr Vinay and Mrs Keena tied up, so she quickly worked on their shackles and then cut the bonds on both before finally taking off, firstly, Mrs Keena's gag.
Mistake one.
"You stupid girl," Mrs Keena growled out at her, standing up on wobbly legs. "This is your fault! This is all your fault!"
Valkyrie bit the inside of her cheek, unable to answer. Instead, she untied the gag on Mr Vinay who'd been trying unsuccessfully.
Mistake two.
He got himself to his feet on steadier legs and sorted the cuffs of his white shirt that had marks of blood on it where Caelan had nicked his side. "Valkyrie," he said slowly, going to his wife who had started crying uncontrollably. "I think it would be best if you left."
Valkyrie swallowed thickly as her heart jumped up to form a knot in her throat. "I can get Fletcher to teleport you to Kenspeckle's if you want," she said quietly.
"Please leave my house," he said calmly, looking at his wife's wrists as she sobbed in his shirt.
Valkyrie turned to Nadia who was silently letting tears fall down her face. Nadia held a hand out and Valkyrie went to her obediently, leaning over to hug her tightly. Nadia pulled herself up on her good leg to hold Valkyrie tighter and Valkyrie felt the pit of dread open up inside her as she held her gorgeous, bleeding girlfriend. Tears pricked her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to Nadia. "I'm so sorry this happened."
Nadia leant back and sat on the bed again, wincing at her leg. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."
"Get out of my house," Mr Vinay said more deeply, his native Indian accent coming out much stronger with his anger. Valkyrie could practically feel his rage and blame.
Valkyrie quickly kissed Nadia's forehead and stood back.
"I love you," Nadia said with a smile.
Mr Vinay grabbed the back of Valkyrie's coat and manhandled her out the room, the knots of helpless blame, guilt and dread too strong to get any words out. Mr Vinay pushed her at the stairs like he was going to push her down but held on at the last minute, instead, pulling her down them at a speed she couldn't keep up with when he was pushing and pulling and dragging her along. Bear was at the bottom but said nothing. He stared at Mr Vinay without emotion.
"I have called the Sanctuary," Bear said emotionlessly. Blood dripped from his loose fingers. "They will handle the damages and mess, as well as remove the body."
"Get out of my house!" He shouted at Bear, pushing Valkyrie harshly into him. Valkyrie fell into Bears arms and he held her in a tight hug. "Get out of here now! I never what to see your twisted faces again!"
Valkyrie held back her tears and ducked under Bears arms to leave through the front door, getting onto the street and almost tripping up on Fletcher who was waiting for them. He looked worried, even more so when he saw Valkyrie crying, but he didn't get to say anything because Valkyrie wrapped her arms around him and wailed into his shoulder.
He held her awkwardly, stroking her back and not saying anything, for which she was grateful. How was she meant to ever see Nadia again if her parents hated her so much? Was she really being blamed for this? Other than their hurt wrists and Nadia's broken leg, they were fine. No one was dead, mauled, or worse, and she had gotten there in time.
But if I didn't date Nadia, her brain said, or if I didn't exist at all, Nadia and her family would never have been hurt in the first place. Just like Mum and my real dad. That just brought on more guilt and crying. Everyone always worked around her, were in the wrong place at the wrong time doing things for her, and they died! This was her fault all over again!
Bear gently put his hands on her shaking shoulders and pulled her off of Fletcher and picked her up like a small child, letting her put her head on his shoulders and wrap her legs around his middle. They teleported a moment later back to the mansion, upstairs and in the hall right between Valkyrie and Tanith's bedrooms.
"Valkyrie?" Tanith asked, coming up and shoving Fletcher back from entering Valkyrie's room. Bear put her on her bed and sat next to her, stroking her back as she drew up her knees and sobbed violently, hiccupping and sniffing. "Val, what's wrong? Fletcher told us about the phone call, we were so worried. What's going on?"
She took some deep breaths and sniffed, lifting her head up. "Everyone's fine," she said quietly. "Nadia has a broken leg but she's fine. But her parents said it's my fault he came to their house and they hate me now and Mr Vinay said he never wanted to see me again and I think he's going to make sure I never get to see Nadia. He's going to send her to boarding school in France. I'll never get to see her and it's all my fault!"
"Aww, Val," Tanith said, shuffling up besides Valkyrie and holding her tightly. "This is not your fault. I promise. And no one got hurt, except for a broken leg, and that'll be fine, yeah? Is Nadia angry?"
"No," Valkyrie said, the sobs coming back. "She said it wasn't my fault too, and she said she loved me but her dad pulled me out the room before I could say it back and I feel so bad."
Valkyrie spent the whole of the rest of the day crying and waiting for a message from Nadia, being held by Tanith for most of it until Wolf came upstairs and decided it was his turn and Tanith was relieved.
They spent the evening and night wrapped up in the covers like people burritos – "peritos" as Wolf called it. She lay on Wolf as they watched some movie she didn't look at once, stroking his arm absentmindedly. He'd kiss her hair or cheek every ten minutes or so, telling her it wasn't her fault or Nadia was fine or that he was there for her whenever she'd get too lost in her thoughts.
He kept asking her to talk about it, to explain how it could be her fault that Nadia got caught up in Caelan's insanity, and when she made comments on her real parents, he asked her to explain her logic there too. She knew it wasn't logical though, and that's what made her angry and frustrated. It just felt that way and she didn't want to talk about it.
Just as he was falling asleep on her pillow, she kissed the shoulder she was resting on and told him he was the best brother in the world. He really was.
Valkyrie turned off the movie and looked at her phone, noticing it was nearly two in the morning. No calls or messages from Nadia. She sent her another, the third since... whatever it is that happened, just saying that she loved her and goodnight, and closed her eyes to try and find sleep wrapped up in her loving brother's arms.
... I'm both sorry and satisfied. But I mean, Caelan's face is less than paste on their cream carpet, I doubt you'd even find a solid bone anymore.
And KiedisXI - Chill. It's okay. I am here, the chapters here and you will be happy now! Well, maybe not quite happy after you've read this, but something close to it, perhaps... This is what I meant when I said I had more than one thing planned at once! I hope you found it gory enough ;)