Skulduggery Pleasant - Becoming Whole (Valduggery)

8

Reoccurring

Valkyrie tried to imagine what Tanith Low was doing at the moment. Ever since the Remnant had left her body Tanith found herself lost and without a place in the world as literally years passed without her even realising, people had died, wars had been won and she hadn't witness any of it. And so Tanith went incognito, she hid herself away to do god knows what. Valkyrie certainly didn't know and all she could do was send texts in hope Tanith would reply or at least read them. Valkyrie was impatient, however, and settled on calling Tanith instead, but she didn't answer and Valkyrie found herself sighing and shaking her head, her gaze towards the dog that was sat her knee, she had hoped Tanith would adopt it.

"What are we going to do now?" Valkyrie felt defeated.

"We? There is no 'we' here, Valkyrie. You wanted to bring the dog." Skulduggery folded his arms across his chest. The detectives were sat in the Bentley which was parked outside the Sanctuary, they had just questioned the Texan who went by the Alias, Elizabeth.

"Maybe she changed her number." Valkyrie was hopeful on this instead of the fact that Tanith could be ignoring her.

"Do you have any thoughts on Sobriquet Punic?" They had just recently found out the the Texans real name was indeed Sobriquet Punic and she had been living as Elizabeth Row for the past two hundred years. In this time she had helped plot many wars and acted behind the scenes, she apparently played a rather large part in bringing back the Faceless Ones. It seemed she had gained trust in both the mortal and magic world but she had just now lost it in both, all within one day. "Is there anything you want us to go over?"

"Maybe I should try some of the old magic communities again." Valkyrie trailed off, ignoring what Skulduggery had just asked her.

"I'm sure she's okay, you know?" Skulduggery reassured. "She's a tough woman."

"I know that only stubborn sorcerers live in them now and most of the communities are destroyed but, maybe I missed something the last times I chec..."

"Valkyrie, look at me." He interrupted her but she lifted her gaze to him nonetheless. "She needs time. Give her all the time she needs, just like I did for you. I know it hurts, believe me, but you know better than anyone how Tanith is feeling right now."

"I'm sorry." Valkyrie sighed.

"What is there to be sorry about?"

"I'm so selfish." Valkyrie shook her head. "I left you alone and didn't even think how it would impact you."

"Nonsense. I was completely fine, I didn't have anyone annoying me every day for five years straight. It was quite lovely actua..." Skulduggery stopped when he realised tears were in her eyes. "Valkyrie, you needed time, and I understand that. However long it took, I would still be here waiting for you. Even if it took hundreds of years."

"Together till the end right?" She gazed at him.

"Till the end." And with that, Skulduggery ignited the car.

"Where are we going?" Valkyrie asked after coughing as if to compose herself.

"I think it would be useful to go over the case files we took from China and see if there is anything else to learn of Hallow. Do you want dropping off at yours first?"

"No, thank you."

"Can't stand to be away from me, can you?" He joked.

"I still have empty cupboards and an empty fridge at mine is all." She joked back through a yawn as she placed the dog in the back seat.

They drove to Cemetery road in silence as the rain bounced off the windows of the Bentley and the windscreen wipers struggled to keep up with the speed of the rain. The low rumble of distant thunder left Valkyrie in a battle with herself as she tried her hardest to stay awake, eventually she gave in and Skulduggery saw her drifting off. Her head rolled to the side, the position seemed rather uncomfortable but he didn't disturb her and he tried his hardest to make as little noise as possible since Skulduggery knew that Valkyrie was tired from last night.

The closer they got to Skulduggery's house the louder the thunder became. The day seemed to turn to night despite the time, all until a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, at which time Skulduggery was almost certain he saw electricity crackle on Valkyrie's still face. It was so sudden and faint that he ignored it and pretended it didn't happen at all and by the time they reached his house they were directly under the storm and Valkyrie's body was almost fully consumed by electricity. Skulduggery fled the car quickly and called out her name but she didn't wake. So he tried again and again while the rain thrashed against his bones and his now drenched suit. He inched his right gloved hand towards her to prod her, then suddenly the electricity shot out of her and straight through the windscreen hitting several trees as they caught on fire. The fire was quickly stopped by the rain, however. Skulduggery did nothing but stand completely still for a few seconds until he proceeded to Valkyrie who was still asleep as if she had no idea what had just happened. The dog in the back seat had slept through it all as well. Releasing Valkyrie's seatbelt, he carried her upstairs for the second time in two days, it was starting to become some sort of a habit nowadays. Once he placed her upstairs he grabbed the dog from the back seat and introduced it to Xena who barked a few times until they both decided to sniff each other. "Animals." Is all Skulduggery could say as he fed them both and they fought over who's food was who's.

Skulduggery had only just sat on his sofa with the case files of Knave Hallow placed on his lap when he heard the stairs creaking. "Ah I see you're awake. Am I to assume you're hungry?" He laughed but stopped when he received no reply. "Valkyrie?" The footsteps had stopped now as well, Skulduggery rose from his chair and headed towards her. "What are you doing?" He asked as she stood half way down the stairs, eyes closed, and her lips moving as if she was trying to speak but couldn't quite get the words out. "Valkyrie?" Skulduggery feared Hallow had something to do with this yet again as there seemed to be no way of waking her. Then out of no where she screamed fiercely and her eyes flickered as if she was possessed, then she was falling down and Skulduggery rushed to grab her, catching her just before she hit the floor.

"I-I won't t-tell him." She whispered to someone but not to Skulduggery. "B-because he w-won't understand."

Skulduggery carried her back to her bed as she continued to whisper and her eyes flickered. Some of what she said made no sense or was barely audible but the odd word here and there could be picked out and Skulduggery was sure he heard her say, 'I can't tell him, he would leave me.' Then, a blood curling scream escaped her before she woke up sobbing.

"It's okay, I'm here." Skulduggery pulled Valkyrie into his arms, engulfing her with everything he had.

"Don't leave me." She pleaded as she cried.

"I won't."

"Make it stop!"

"I will. Hallow won't get out of this alive, Valkyrie."