My Skeleton

The Bentley pulled up to the side of Valkyrie's house in Haggard, and she knew that once more duty called. Hurrying over the mirror, she pressed on it to bring out her reflection after checking her hair. Her parents were downstairs with the baby, but she wasn't going to take any chances of her mother or father coming up to an empty room or Alison walking and not even being able to have any memory of it. She quickly brushed that thought aside and assured herself that she was going to be there in the flesh when her baby sister waddled around like a penguin. She shuttered at the thought of the animal and got back to the task at hand.

"Ring," she looked at the necromancer ring on her finger, "Check. Clothes," she changed out of her jeans into the black clothes that Ghastly had given her, "Check. Stamina," she snapped her fingers and pointed at herself in the mirror as her reflection went to the bed and put in the earphones for her ipod, "Check."

Hurriedly, she jumped out the window being careful not to be seen and snaked her way to the car. The TV was on, and she could see the glow from outside the window and she wondered what could be on. It definitely wasn't sports for her father had been watching a soccer match and jumped up and down cheering while holding Alison. Her mother had screamed for about an hour before announcing that sports were banned in the house until Alison was at least five.

"Hi," she smiled at Skulduggery Pleasant and was reminded of how little she was affected by his lack of skin or flesh. Just a skeleton in a suit, nothing strange about that. It was just a part of everyday life for her like picking up a pen. A skeleton shaped pen.

"Hello, are you sure you're not forgetting something?" He asked her and put the car into gear.

"Nothing important if your driving away," Valkyrie tried her part at deduction as he had taught her.

Skulduggery didn't have his facade on, but Valkyrie could detect a smile, "You're learning." It was a prideful smile. She was learning every day from him, and there was nothing more that he would enjoy. He could remember when his own wife had been his partner, back when he was still alive, and she would look to him for help whenever she would need it. That was when they had both had breath in their lungs. He brushed aside the memories of his wife because of the void they created in him. It would grow greater than the one which was created when Lord Vile was in charge if he let it sink into his mind. Now, a woman who he had great feelings for was behind what had happened to the first woman he had ever loved truly and purely, and it was increasingly hard to forget about her.

"Watch out!" Valkyrie cried out in alarm. Apparently he was driving on the wrong side of the road, and he hadn't even noticed.

"It's all under control," he assured her and pulled up his scarf higher on his face to make sure that no one saw him. Using the facade seemed like it would be cheating himself now a days. "You should trust your elders."

"Not if their constantly trying to get me killed," Valkyrie muttered and rolled down the window and put her hand into the air and moved to a waving motion.

"You're not going to die on my watch," Skulduggery told her.

Valkyrie looked away from the window and stared at him, "That is probably the most meaningful thing you have ever said to me."

"I'm just getting old," Skulduggery stared intently ahead with his eyeless eyes. "My sentiment is acting up now."

"Or maybe your just my skeleton."