Skulduggery Pleasant Following the Darquesse.

Prologue

Valkyrie was laid on her bed, the light was out and there was a soft glow from the moon coming in through the window. She was so tired, her whole body just wanted to sink into her warm, comfortable bed and fall into a never ending sleep.

A loud buzz awoke her as she drifted. It came from her bedside cabinet and in the dark she could see her phone was ringing. She slowly crawled over and put the phone to her ear, her eyes still closed.

"Hello."

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery shouted down the phone. Valkyrie shot up in bed.

"Skulduggery? What's wrong?" She spluttered. She had never heard Skulduggery so urgent. He sounded almost, scared.

"They know about you Valkyrie. I tried to reason with them. They are coming to arrest you."

Valkyrie's body went cold. They Know. They know who I am and what I will inevitably do. Valkyrie could feel the panic building up inside her.

"What do I do?" She whispered.

"Valkyrie I am on my way to you now. I can fix this. Everything will be okay."

In that moment she knew he was lying. Lying to make her feel better, to make her believe he could sort everything out and she knew he would try. But it may cost him his life and the lives of her friends. She couldn't let them do that. She just couldn't.

"Okay."

"Just stay there. I'll be there as soon as I can." She could hear the Bentley's engine revving in the background. Skulduggery must have been at the sanctuary so it would take him at least twenty minutes to get to her. That was enough.

"Valkyrie," he whispered. "I am so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I thought they would understand."

"It's okay really. Just hurry."

"I will."

Valkyrie put down the phone went to the mirror and touched it. As her reflection stepped out she pulled out a piece of paper from her desk and started scribbling something down. The reflection just stared at Valkyrie's back awaiting her instructions.

"Listen," Valkyrie said as she folded up the piece of paper and put it on her pillow. "I have to leave; I can't explain it but what I need you to do is give Mum and Dad their daughter back."

The reflection looked confused. Valkyrie groaned in frustration.

"Be the daughter I never was. Do anything and everything in your power to make them happy. Make my sister happy, be the best big sister ever."

The reflection started to nod as she began to understand what Valkyrie was saying to her.

"Keep them safe. Let nothing magical affect them, or harm them, don't even let them find out about it. And if someday Alice figures it out, protect her. Till the day you die. Do you understand?" Valkyrie's heart was breaking as she spoke the words. She had to keep it together; the reflection had to understand perfectly what her job was now.

"You want me to take over your life so you are free to leave." The reflection responded.

"You make it sound like I have a choice." Valkyrie grumbled as she grabbed a bag from under her bed and started filling it with her clothes, books, money and anything else she thought she might need.

"Don't you." Valkyrie grew angry. This imposter was unsettling enough because it looked like her but now it was trying to twist her mind and confuse her.

"You know what; you can stop trying to sound all philosophical. You are nothing but an imprint of me and that gives you no right to comment on what I am doing. Just do as you are told and I'll be the one to save the world."

And with that Valkyrie leaped from her windowsill and disappeared into the night.