The Love of a Dead Man

Bringing Her Out

Valkyrie cried out, "Skulduggery! Stop!" And then they were crashing into the water, and Valkyrie was preparing herself for water to come rushing in, and take her away.

But it didn't.

Instead the Bentley leveled itself out, and Skulduggery was tilting his head at her smugly, as he scoffed, "you would never survive without me, Cain."

Valkyrie glared hard at him, "well I'm gonna have to learn, because I'm going to kill you, Pleasant." She growled, her voice low.

Skulduggery just laughed, and tilted his head towards the rear view mirror, "you guys okay?"

They didn't get to answer, Valkyrie's phone ringing in her pocket, "hello?" She answered, the car around her silent as Skulduggery guided it through the water.

"Steph?" She heard her dad say, "don't do wha-"

There was a scuffle and then Billy-Ray was drawling,  "they always do that, huh lil darlin'? No matter how much I tell them they won't be harmed if they do what I say, but they always insist on being annoying and my patience is wearing thin." His voice became distant and then she heard her dad cry out in pain, and then her mother's voice yelling out for her husband.

Valkyrie felt the anger rise, boiling and red, "what are you doing with my parents, you toad man?"

Sanguine laughed, "your father shares the same blood as you, does he not? He's bait, lil darlin'. I'm sure you'd rather die, than him so get your pretty ass back here."

He clicked off, the dial tone ringing through her ear and she cursed, as Skulduggery mused, "a lot of people are coming back from the dead."

Valkyrie turned to glare at him, "that's all you have to say?" Valkyrie pulled her chin close to her neck and dropped her voice down low, "'hi I'm Skulduggery Pleasant and when your parents get kidnapped all I'm going to say is something totally irrelevant to the topic but has something to do with the case,'" she took a breather, "you are an asshole Skulduggery Pleasant."

Skulduggery shrugged, "I know this. But I make a valid point; a lot of people are coming back from the dead, Valkyrie. My wife has. I'm sorry but I'm feeling a little hurt with the fact that she has not made any means to try and get into contact instead settling to be that bastard's lap dog."

Valkyrie stopped, opened her mouth to say something then it closed again. "Sorry," she said eventually. Skulduggery nodded.

Soon they emerged from the water, driving up onto the beach at Haggard. They drove the rest of the way to Grimwood in silence. Anton met them at the door, ushering them inside and asking if anyone had any injuries.

They all shook their heads, except Valkyrie who was now unconscious lying on the floor.

Skulduggery sighed as he picked her up and took her to her bedroom, "she's always got to be the center of attention."

**(o)(o)**

Valkyrie sat up on her bed, her eyes bleary as she focused on Skulduggery, "it seems you've lost more blood than we've anticipated."

Valkyrie groaned, and rubbed her head. "When I was there... Skulduggery we're not gonna win this one without losing ourselves."

Skulduggery nodded, "I was wondering why you didn't tell me what they had no doubt confessed to."

"Lord Vile and Darquesse will only be able to defeat it together."

Skulduggery slumped, "nothing is ever easy is it? Come on then, get more blood in you. Then we're gonna go somewhere and train."

"Skulduggery, we can't. I mean, it's bad enough that we have to resort to letting them out but Darquesse is trapped. She's not even a voice anymore."

Skulduggery nodded and stood, "I can think of a few ways to bring her out," he said as he left the room. 

**(o)(o)**

Days passed and soon Valkyrie was getting into her combat gear. Skulduggery had woken her up, told her to get ready and meet him in the car.

She had gotten out of bed, her blood new and rushing through her veins charged with adrenaline. Soon she was skipping down the stairs, and sliding into the passenger side.

Skulduggery didn't say anything as he pulled out and they drove for an hour, talking about everything and nothing on the way to the abandoned wearhouse.

"My idea on bringing out our little world destroyer is going to probably make you uncomfortable, but it will one hundred percent work on getting her to break out."

Valkyrie frowned, "why?"

"Because I'm going to have to make it sexual. Darquesse has been trapped deep into your mind and people can't excite her, anger her, sadden her... but we can turn her on, make her want something so badly that she breaks through."

"Oh," was all Valkyrie could manage.