Skulduggery Pleasant: HELP

Chapter 7: Darquesse

Australia was warm. Too warm. Valkyrie missed the rain and the cold from Ireland. She just couldn't go back. Not yet.

Having nothing to do apart from think about... Him, she threw herself into the search for well, herself. Darquesse and the reflection were still very real threats to the world, and someone had to find them.

She had called China, who, thankfully, asked no questions and got straight to the point.

"What do you want?" She barked into the phone.

The rudeness actually made Valkyrie feel at ease. "Have you heard about Darquesse's whereabouts?"

By now everyone had heard that Valkyrie was Darquesse, and most of the Sanctuaries around the world wanted her dead. No one seemed to know about Skul being Lord Vile. Probably because too many people would want him tortured or something. China didn't seem to care. Probably because she had done wicked things herself many, many years ago.

"Last I heard they were spotted in LA, America," she answered curtly.

"Anything else?" Valkyrie asked hopefully.

"No!" The line went dead. She held the phone in her hand, staring at it. Suddenly it started ringing again. She looked at the caller ID to see who it was. Tanith. There was no way she was answering that call. She pressed the end button and shoved it angrily back in her pocket.

Well at least she had a lead now. They were in America. Like that helped, but at least it was something.

Valkyrie ran to the airport and rushed up to the ticket desk. "When's the next flight to LA?"

"Um, do you have a prebooking?" The lady with the horrid long red fingernails asked.

"No, I just really need a flight to LA as soon as possible."

"Well, the next flight is in 45minutes but they've already started baggage check," the attendant replied tapping away on her old keyboard.

"That's fine, I have no baggage, can you please just get me on it?"

"Uh, I don't know," she said hesitantly.

"Please?" Valkyrie begged.

The attendant nervously looked around. "Ok, first I need some ID."

"Um ok," she answered shoving her hands in her pocket to find any form of ID. Her hands closed around her credit card and... Thank goodness... Her drivers license. Her mum had been bugging her about for ages and so finally, at the age of 18 she got her license. Rather her reflection got it. She quickly showed it to the woman and the woman nodded her head after a moment of looking at it.

"Payment?" The lady asked. She produced her credit card. The lady nodded again. Valkyrie was starting to like this woman. The ticket was quickly spat out of the machine and the lady handed it over. "Here you go, now hurry to customs." Valkyrie nodded in thanks and ran off in the direction of gate 32. She found it quickly and lined up behind an elderly couple.

She passed through customs and quietly boarded the plane. As she settled in her seat for the 15 hour flight. She could've easily have gotten Fletcher to teleport her, but she really didn't want him to know where she was. She switched her phone off and lay back in the seat feeling quite relaxed than she had been in a long time.

Skulduggery's P.O.V

"Don't worry Skul, we'll find her," Ghastly assured him as Skulduggery paced up and down the living room.

"I can't reach her," Tanith announced as she walked back into the room and sat down, putting her head in her hands. "I think she's turned off her phone."

"Let's call China, she knows everything right?" Skulduggery said, pausing his pacing to dial the number on his phone. Before Ghastly or Tanith could object the phone was ringing.

"What?" A cranky voice, none other than China'a said.

"Have you heard from Valkyrie at all?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, she called about an hour ago."

"What?!"

"She called about an hour ago? Skulduggery are you ok?" China obviously didn't know he was in love with her.

"Skulduggery? Hello?"

"Do you know where she called from?" He croaked into the phone.

"Um, yes, it said the phone was in Australia."

"And it was her cellphone?"

"Yes! Are you done now?" China was starting to get impatient.

"Did she say anything?"

"Well of course she did you idiot! She called me!"

"Yes but what did she say?"

"She wanted to know if I knew where Darquesse was."

Skulduggery dropped the phone in his shock. He immediately picked it up an noticed the large crack in the screen.

"No!" He shouted trying to turn the damn thing on. It wasn't working. "Damn!" He cursed.

Tanith instantly recognised the situation and speed dialled China on her own phone. No luck. "Skul? She's switched it off."

"You've got to be kidding right?"

"Nope."

"Urghhhhhh!!!"

"Skul, it's ok we'll find her," Ghastly said with confidence. Skulduggery just groaned.

"So we know she's looking for Darquesse and she's in Australia right?" Tanith asked.

"Yeah," Skulduggery replied.

"I think it's time we caught up with Fletcher don't you?"