Secrets

11. They Don't Even Blink...

Valkyrie woke up at about midnight and groaned. She sat up on the couch and realised how uncomfortable it was.
'I thought couches were supposed to be comfy,' she thought. She rubbed her eyes, and looked back. Then she squealed, and fell off the couch, her elbow cracking against the coffee table. She cried out and the couch moved, and Skulduggery was on his feet, darkness surrounding them both.

"Valkyrie! What is it?"

"Oh! It's you!" She gasped. "Sorry."

"Why did you do that?"

"You scared me."

"I scared you? I was asleep Valkyrie!"

"I know."

"Then how?"

"Never mind," she mumbled with a wave of her hand, noting how the pain between her legs had now faded. Thank god for that...

"What time is it?" Skulduggery yawned, stretching.

"Around midnight," she answered.

"Damn! We missed dinner!" He whinged. She smiled.

"No we didn't."

He cocked his head at her.
"What do you mean?"

"We can have something now," she replied, getting up off the ground and walking into the kitchen. He followed her, and she smirked, going to the fridge and pulling the door open. The light from inside lit up the room, and Skulduggery flicked on the lights.

"Thanks," she said and he nodded.

She took out cheese, ham and grabbed a handful of tomatoes from the fruit bowl. She was impressed by the way that he'd stocked up on food, the fridge was packed.

"Please tell me you've got a sandwich toaster," she sighed. He froze, and she sagged. Then he grinned.

"Of course I do."

A smile crept up on her features. He went to the cupboard and pulled out exactly what she was looking for. She grinned like an idiot and took it from him, plugged it into the wall and began to make them both toasted cheese sandwiches.

***

Valkyrie lay in bed, looking at the ceiling. Tonight had been fun. Today had been fun. Everything was fun with him. She felt Skulduggery beside her, and could hear his deep, even breathing. He was asleep. She smiled, and rolled over to the other side so that she was facing the wall. Her eyelashes fluttered as her eyes struggled to remain open. It had been a big day, and she was exhausted. Eventually, her eyes closed, and she let herself give in to the comfort of sleep.

Valkyrie woke up at seven o'clock the next morning. Yawning, she sat up in bed, stretched, and gasped. Shit! She hadn't called her parents to tell them that she wasn't coming home last night. They would probably be worried. But then again, they were used to her not coming home some nights. Still, she thought it would be the right thing to do. She scrambled out of bed and speed-walked to the door, pulling it open and smashed her hip against the knob. Hissing in pain, and stumbled down the stairs and heard footsteps behind her.

"Valkyrie?" A velvet voice said. She stopped, and turned to see Skulduggery following her.

"Oh," she replied. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"What are you doing? Why are you in such a rush?"

"I never called my parents last night to tell them that I wasn't coming home."

Skulduggery just nodded. Valkyrie turned back around and continued down the stairs. She went straight to the telephone and dialled her parent's home number. After three rings, it was answered by Alice.

"Hello?" Came the little girl's voice from the other end. Valkyrie's heart almost melted.

"Alice? It's Valkyrie."

"Valkyrie!"

"Yes, it's Valkyrie."

"Hello."

"Hi Alice. Are mummy and daddy there with you?"

"Yeah, they're here."

"Can I please speak to them?"

"Okay, but you'd better talk really loud otherwise they won't hear you."

Valkyrie frowned. "What?"

"They won't answer me at all, not even when I yell," Alice answered. "They just lie there, looking up at the ceiling with their eyes open. They don't even blink."

Valkyrie paled, and her heart was beating loudly in her chest. No. No, this wasn't happening. She looked at Skulduggery with panic in her eyes, and spoke as calmly as she could to Alice.

"Is there anybody else in the house with you?"

"Yes, there's a really pale man with an ugly scar on his face."

Valkyrie paled and put a hand over the mouth piece of the phone and whispered to Skulduggery.

"Dusk is in my parent's house. Alice is in there."

Skulduggery's eyes widened and he snatched the phone from Valkyrie's grip. The dark haired girl started pacing up and down the kitchen, trying not to hyperventilate. Her little sister was in a house with a vampire. A bloody vampire. And not just any vampire, a vampire that held a grudge against Valkyrie Cain for putting the freaking scar on his face in the first place. Dusk could kill Alice at any given moment, and by the way that Alice had been talking, it seemed as though Dusk had already killed her parents. Killed her parents. He would pay, she would make sure of it. Valkyrie forced herself to calm down and she could hear Skulduggery talking quietly to Alice, and before she could do or say anything else, he was dragging her out of the house.