Skulduggery Pleasant Shorts

Warlocks and Vampires

Valkyrie wasn't a fan of walls, she reflected as she smacked into one. She could hear it behind her, feet bounding after its prey on the concrete floor, so she forced herself up and ran.

She was tired. She was cold, and wet, and tired and in so much pain but she kept going. To stop would mean death. Death wasn't exactly number one on her to-do list.

Nine vampires. Nine vampires and a bloody warlock. It was just her luck, of course. She'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, as per bloody usual. She wanted to shoot something. Or someone.

"Update," Valkyrie called into her phone.

"Driving as fast as I can," came her partner's velvety voice.

"Well," she replied. "Drive faster."

"Remind me where you are?"

Valkyrie almost stopped in her tracks. Skulduggery wasn't saying anything. "You have to be kidding me. Pleasant, tell me you're joking right now."

"I'm joking."

She allowed herself to breathe again. "Yeah, now isn't the time."

"Right, yes. How many are there?"

"Ten in total. Nine vamps, one warlock."

"Any idea who it is?"

"I didn't exactly have time to check his ID," she snapped. "Too busy avoiding being eaten alive. I don't even think he knows who I am."

"That must be so difficult for you," Skulduggery mused. "Is he behind you?"

"No. Three of the vampires, don't know where the other ones are."

"Be careful," Skulduggery said.

Valkyrie sped up, rounding the corner and taking a sharp right. She ducked into a small, darker corridor while the other three ran on. Breathing far too heavily, she leaned against the wall and held her side. Flying, she decided, was becoming far too convenient for her. She needed to run more.

"Valkyrie? Are you there?"

"Yes," she muttered.

"Be careful."

"I'm me," she said, stepping back into the main corridor. "Of course I will." If she was right about where they were, the vampires would be doubling back any moment now.

"That fails to bring me confidence."

"You don't trust me?" she said quietly as she padded back the way she had come. She heard a scrabbling from around the corner and dived into the nearest room she saw.

"What's going on now?" Skulduggery asked.

"I'm hiding," Valkyrie hissed. "Now shut up, or they'll hear us."

She pressed to the wall, closing her eyes and breathing out slowly. She heard the bounding stop, now much slower. There was a growl, low and guttural. Valkyrie heard a noise from the next room over and opened her eyes. The steps got closer.

"They're getting closer," she breathed.

"Nearly there. Won't be a minute."

"Great, hurry up."

"I'm parking."

There was a moment of silence in which Valkyrie had to stop herself from frying her phone to a crisp. "Jesus Christ, leave it in the street!"

"I can't just leave it. She could be damaged."

"Yes, well so could your partner," she hissed. "Would you rather her or your car? Actually, don't answer that."