Pleasantly Raising Cain

Car Crash (Part 3)

"Oh look, it's Mr Funny Bones and lil darlin'," Sanguine sniggered. Dusk remained silent at his elbow. Skulduggery just glared at them, and Valkyrie managed to scowl.

"Why can't you two just leave?" Valkyrie mumbled. "You've got the Sceptre, you could've gotten away instead of coming over here to goad."

Sanguine laughed. "It's much more fun to come over here and enjoy the fact that we ran you two off the road, and that we've beaten you."

"Not today you haven't," a voice from behind them snarled. Valkyrie smiled.

Sanguine and Dusk whirled to see Ghastly, Tanith and Ravel standing there. Tanith had her sword out, and they were all smiling. Skulduggery gently let Valkyrie lay on the ground and stood, bringing his revolver from his jacket.

"And you're seriously outnumbered," he said.

"Oh hell," Sanguine muttered.

"I told you we should've gotten away while we had the chance," Dusk mumbled.

"Do not do the whole 'I told you so' thing! I hate that!" Sanguine whinged. Dusk shut up then.

"You know what else you hate?" A girl's voice from behind Skulduggery said. Everyone froze. That's when Valkyrie Cain walked up, completely fine compared to the state that she had been in not twenty seconds before.
"You hate not winning, but you're already beaten."

"How, wha?" Sanguine looked confused. Valkyrie just laughed.

"Give up Texan," she snarled. "It's over."

Sanguine and Dusk were done for, and they knew it too. There was no escape, not anymore. Not with some of the best sorcerers and fighters in the world on the enemy side. Ravel brought out two pairs of shackles from his jacket and Sanguine took a step back, grabbed Dusk and laughed, before the ground swallowed them both.

"Damn," Skulduggery muttered.

"Oh well," Tanith breathed.

"Oh well? Is that all you can say Tanith? They took the Sceptre with them!" Ravel snarled. Tanith smirked.

"No they didn't."

Now it was Ravel's turn to look confused.

"What? But they just..."

"I may have pinched it when they weren't looking," she smiled, pulling it from behind her back. Valkyrie smiled and Skulduggery put his revolver away.

"Well done Tanith," Ghastly said. Tanith blushed.

"Thank you."

"They'll be back," Skulduggery said. "And that's when we'll get them." Then he turned to Valkyrie. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"She may be fine," Tanith said. "But your precious Bentley isn't."

Valkyrie cringed. "I may have crashed it."

"Sanguine hit us with his car," Skulduggery said. "It's not your fault."

"So I guess you're going to have to get that fixed soon hey?" Tanith asked. Skulduggery sighed.

"Yep."

"In the meantime," Ghastly said. "We'll all be on high alert in case those two come back. Skulduggery, Valkyrie, would you like a ride back to the Sanctuary?"

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery and nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Yes we would."

********

"So, how were you almost passing out one minute and then completely fine the next?" Skulduggery asked when they'd gotten back to his house. Ghastly had even arranged for someone to go and pick up the Bentley, and to get it fixed. For that, Valkyrie and Skulduggery were very grateful.

Valkyrie cringed again. "Darquesse," she answered. Skulduggery nodded. "She still holds a grudge against Sanguine for betraying her, and so she healed me, and let me have control back so that I could help you guys."

"That was nice of her."

"I know right."

"So, do you want to spend the night here, or do you want to go home?"

Valkyrie thought for a moment. "I'd actually rather stay here tonight. I really don't want to leave you at the moment."

Skulduggery tilted his head. "Really?"

Valkyrie blushed. "Yeah."

"That's... Nice."

"You're making this very awkward you know."

"I'm sorry."

"Can I please stay here tonight? I won't be too much trouble."

"Of course you can stay here. You won't be any trouble at all."

Valkyrie grinned. "Famous last words."