Pleasantly Raising Cain

Girl on Fire (Part 4)

"She's not breathing," he replied.

Tanith's heart sank. No.

"What?" She whispered. Skulduggery looked down at Valkyrie and Tanith started to sob.

"She's not breathing," he repeated, his voice breaking. Tanith had never heard the great Skeleton Detective break down before. Maybe today was the day.
"She's not breathing," he choked, falling to his knees, sobs racking his body.

"Skul?" A voice from the corner said. Tanith looked up with teary eyes, and saw Ghastly and Erskine coming towards them. She ran and jumped into Ghastly's arms, sobbing.

Both men looked confused, and Ravel's face lifted when he saw the lifeless girl in Skulduggery's arms. The Grand Mage stepped slowly towards the skeleton who's shoulders were shaking.

"Skulduggery," he whispered, noting how Valkyrie wasn't wearing her protective clothing. "I'm so sorry."

Tanith turned her head and stared with red eyes.

"We can still save her," she said. "But we have to be quick."

"How?" Ravel asked. "It takes forty minutes to get to the Sanctuary."

"What about Fletcher?"

"Fletcher's phone is off," Ghastly said. "He's out with Gracious and Donegan."

"Then we'll have to drive," Tanith argued, breaking the hug with Ghastly and putting a comforting hand on Skulduggery's shoulder. "Let's go and save Valkyrie," she said.

******

The Bentley flew past trees and got airborne as Skulduggery didn't slow down over a ditch. Tanith managed to keep herself stable, and looked down at the beautiful girl who's head was lying in her lap. Ghastly was in the passenger seat, and Ravel and herself were in the back seat with Valkyrie's body. Tanith could see that Skulduggery kept looking back in the mirror.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Tanith asked for the third time.

"He won't let anyone drive the Bentley," Ghastly explained. "He loves her too much."

Tanith sighed, and ran her fingers through Valkyrie's black hair. She couldn't die, she wouldn't die. Not today.

"Please live Val," she whispered. "Come back to us."

Nothing. No movement, no sound. No rise and fall of her chest. Tanith almost screamed in frustration, but she kept herself together. She couldn't lose it, not now. Skulduggery didn't need that. None of them did.

In her head, she screamed.

WAKE UP VAL! SKULDUGGERY NEEDS YOU!

But in reality, she just sat there, and the whole car was silent.

********

It took them half an hour to get back to Roarhaven, and by that time, the Cleavers had been sent to Serpine's castle to arrest Sanguine and Dusk.

When Skulduggery carried Valkyrie through the doors of the Sanctuary, everyone stared, and jaws dropped. Ghastly, Erskine and Tanith followed quietly behind, all three staring at the ground. They didn't care enough to make eye contact or try to explain, they knew that they were too late. And Skulduggery knew as well...

*******

Synecdoche had a grave expression on her face.

"She has internal bleeding," she explained to them. "Broken ribs and punctured lungs. I'm so sorry, but she's gone, there's nothing I can do."

Tanith stood there for a moment, before she collapsed to the ground and started balling her eyes out. She knew they'd been too late. Ghastly knelt next to her and tried comforting her, but Tanith was a mess. Ravel gave one look at the dead girl on the bed, and turned his back and walked out of the room. Skulduggery was as still as a statue, and he stayed like that for about two minutes, before he too, walked out. Synecdoche, Tanith and Ghastly waited silently for what was to come next.

That's when they heard anguished cries and a loud crash and banging. Mages scattered, and a frightened sorcerer poked his head through the door of the Medical Wing.

"He's out of control!" He exclaimed, before having to duck as a chair flew over his head. He ran to the other end of the hall. Tanith, Ghastly and Synecdoche just stood there, and waited for the violence to end.

Then, it was over, and Skulduggery strolled back in the door, hands in his pockets. He took one look at Valkyrie's dead body, and dropped to his knees, sobbing violently.

The great Skeleton Detective, the sorcerer who was feared by almost every villain in the world, was broken.

So guys did you like that? Just letting you know that it's not over yet and there will be more parts to come ;)

So I put some Ghanith in here as well, and I just realised that I haven't done a Ghanith one shot yet. Yikes. I will hopefully do one when this short story is finished.

Love you all!! 😘😘