If You Can't Save Me, Save Yourself.

Come To The Darkness

Valkyrie had no idea what had happened. One minute she was fighting for her life against Sanguine, Skulduggery incoherent with pain. She had been fighting so hard, pushing her body and mind to the limit, when she blacked out and woke in a bed she was definitely not familiar with. She rose, fell back and gripped her head grunting in pain as a head ache pounded behind her eyes.

"Ah, you're up."

"Skulduggery?" Valkyrie snapped her head up, wincing again, and looked around the room. It didn't look very big, though she couldn't tell through the darkness. The light was a tiny, sliver of silver light peeking through the closed curtains over towards her left, and she couldn't get a proper grip on her bearings. But now that she thought about it, Skulduggery was not English.

"No, not Skulduggery. Guess again." Tanith Low stepped into the moonlight, and shadowed the only light Valkyrie had. "Though, Skulduggery is here and if you don't co-operate, he will pay the price. But, I have high hopes that you will, because I did technically save your life so..." Tanith leaned her head from side to side, weighing Valkyrie's options, but let her speak.

"What do you mean you...saved my life?"

"Sanguine wanted to kill you. And I can't have you dying because that means Darquesse dying and I can't have her dead."'

"But why?"

Tanith shrugged, "oh, I don't know. Maybe because I want her to destroy the world? Yeah, I think that's it."

"You're not really her, you know."

"Yes, I know. But do you? You don't exactly treat me like every other enemy. Why is that?"

"Because I want to save her."

"Ah, that won't happen."

Valkyrie tried to sit up again but when she did a stab of pain shot through her rib. She lifted her top and found her torso bandaged, stained red with blood.

"Yes," Tanith said, disappearing for a second. "I need to re-bandage that."

"Is Skulduggery okay?" She asked in a small voice as Tanith started to wrap her back up. Blue eyes rose and a smile stretched across her face as she ran her fingers through her blonde hair.

"Depends on what you call okay."

Valkyrie clenched her jaw, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Count to three is what they said.

One.

Two.

Three.

Nope, she still wanted to stab her former best friend. "Will he survive?"

"If you co-operate."

Tanith stood and stepped back, admiring her handy work. How she could see in this light, Valkyrie had no idea. Must be a remnant thing.

"And what do I have to do?"

"Stop fighting Darquesse and let her take control."

"No way."

"Skulduggery will die."

"He would rather that than me protect his life just so millions more can die."

"Only you could be so sure," she muttered. "The time will come, Valkyrie."

"Yes, and I'll accept that, but I'm going to live while I still can, Low. Get over it."

"No, Cain, totally get it. I'll protect you," she shrugged. "Have fun, I'll be waiting for you to join me in the darkness, Val. You will come, willingly or not. I will see the world burn."

And then Tanith was gone and Valkyrie was alone.