“Right, come on then,” said Skulduggery as he pulled out his revolver and opened the door. They crept silently to the living room, then burst the door right off its hinges. Skulduggery stalked into the room but stopped at the sight he saw. Valkyrie was sitting in the middle of the room on a dining chair, her hands bound with rope. Her jacket was cast aside and her black t-shirt was torn and bloody. She was looking at the floor but that was not enough to hide the perspiration and the pain off her face. “Valkyrie!” Skulduggery ran forward but was stopped by a voice, Valkyrie’s voice.
“Well, well, looks like Mr Pleasant here got your text Val,” Valkyrie’s reflection walked from behind the shadow of the curtain, her arms crossed.
“Let her go!” Skulduggery shouted, his gun aimed at the reflection’s head. Valkyrie moaned at the sound of Skulduggery’s voice.
“I don’t think you want to do that Skulduggery. The moment you flick that trigger, our little friend Valkyrie will die,” the reflection said, suddenly holding a knife to Valkyrie’s throat.
“Don’t,” Valkyrie murmured as the cold blade pressed against her pale skin.
“Was that a sound?!” the reflection shouted. “Remember what happens when you make a sound? One twist for a sound, two for a struggle. Remember that?”
For the first time, Skulduggery, Ghastly and Fletcher noticed the long knife sticking into Valkyrie’s lower back. As they noticed this, the reflection twisted the knife and Valkyrie screamed with pain.
“You know, it wasn’t easy capturing Miss Cain here,” the reflection said after Valkyrie stopped screaming. Skulduggery’s gun didn’t waver from her head. “Luckily I got some help,” she smiled. “And Skulduggery, you might remember my help once you see her. Oh Darquesse!!”
Ghastly and Fletcher stepped back in horror as they remembered the name. Skulduggery tensed as another girl looking exactly like Valkyrie emerged from the kitchen door behind the reflection. His hold on his gun tightened. When he spoke his voice was hollow and empty.
“How did you do that? I mean Darquesse is Valkyrie’s subconscious... that’s... that’s impossible!”
“VALKYRIE IS DARQUESSE??!!” Ghastly shouted, fists clenching, looking at Valkyrie sitting in agony on the old chair. Fletcher had gone very pale, and stumbled back to the door. “YOU KNEW!!??” Ghastly roared at Skulduggery. “SKULDUGGERY, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?! OR RAVEL? YOU COULD BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE MAN!!” Skulduggery didn’t say anything but kept his focus on Darquesse and the reflection, his gun still pointing at the two of them.
“Oh this is too funny!” the reflection giggled. “They honestly didn’t know? Well sorry to ruin the surprise then!”
Skulduggery spoke as calmly as he could, “How did Darquesse come out?”
“I’m not giving away all my secrets Skulduggery, don’t be silly! Let’s just say Darquesse has a mind of her own.” Skulduggery’s gun whipped away and pushed at the air and Darquesse crashed into the wall behind her. Darquesse released a spear of shadows that Skulduggery leapt to get away from.
“Oh Skulduggery, I don’t think you want to do that,” the reflection said softly. “The more Darquesse uses her magic, the more Valkyrie’s magic slips away.” Skulduggery instantly stopped the flame he was about to throw. “Oh good boy Skulduggery.” Valkyrie groaned as she felt some of her magic leave her. “Was that a sound I heard Valkyrie?” the reflection hissed as it stepped forward and twisted the knife in deeper. Valkyrie’s screams filled the air.
The whole time Ghastly and Fletcher had pressed themselves against the wall trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. “Oh Skulduggery, I just had a thought,” the reflection said, “Shouldn’t you know how Darquesse came out? I mean with you being Lord Vile and all...” This time Ghastly stumbled forward his anger exploding.
“YOU’RE LORD VILE!!! WHAT THE HECK??”
"Ghastly, this is not the time," Skulduggery said as he tried to figure out how to save Valkyrie.
"But...bu...But you murdered my mother!" Ghastly protested.
"Ghastly not now!"
"YOUR A FILTHY MURDERER!!"
"GHASTLY!" Skulduggery turned to face him. "Look, we all have things we are not proud of, but now is not the time. I will explain everything later. Right now we need to concentrate on..."
Skulduggery spun back to the sound of Valkyrie's screams. He stared on in horror as the reflection pushed the blade all the way into her back. A large puddle of blood had started accumalating on the floor. Skulduggery lunged himself at the reflection, only to be thrown against the wall by Darquesse.
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Skulduggery Pleasant: HELP
FanfictionAfter finding a nearly dead Valkyrie in her own home, stabbed by her reflection and her subconcious, Darquesse, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are on a quest to stop them both before they kill millions. The mortals are getting suspicious as more and more...
