The end of evening waltz ended and then it was predominantly slow music to round off the night. Valkyrie and Skulduggery didn't move from the dance floor, just swaying in silence. Valkyrie just let herself enjoy being close to him.
"I have some things I need to ask you," Skulduggery said after a while. Valkyrie looked up at him.
"Go ahead."
"First of all, I'd like to ask you about that shadow trick you pulled."
Valkyrie half smiled. "Ah. Yes."
"That was necromancy, pure and simple, but I don't understand how it's possible. Necromancy needs to be contained in an object because it's so unstable."
"If I'm honest, I don't really know how exactly that happened. It's like when Darquesse went away, some of her magic stayed behind. I'm my own object. But I'm going to keep it a secret because if the Necromancers find out I'll get experimented on."
"That's probably true."
"Second question?"
"When did you find out China had left?"
Valkyrie froze and looked up at him, her face fallen.
"How did you know?"
"I went to see her and there was no one there and all her clothes were gone. Well?"
Valkyrie sighed and looked away. "Not long ago. A month? Maybe less. She made me promise not to tell."
"DId she say where she was going?"
"No. I mean, she didn't know...but I got a postcard the other day. It didn't have a return adress but it was New York. I wondered why she'd abdicated as Grand Mage, but she said she just couldn't handle it anymore. I guess we've all suffered losses."
Skulduggery nodded. "We have. Some more than others, of course. And now, my final question. What are you hiding from me?"
Uh oh.
Valkyrie feigned non chalance. "Hm?"
"You've been keeping something from me. What is it? You seem...sad and happy at the same time. It's very confusing, and of course I would normally let you tell me in your own time, but..."
"But?"
He sighed. "You seem to be suffering. And you have no idea, Valkyrie, just how much I hate watching you suffer."
Valkyrie's heart melted. Was there any way he could feel the same? Regardless of what China had said, she was still dubious. She'd always considered their relationship strictly platonic, but not anymore. She was head-over-heels in love with him - but he couldn't be. Could he?
"Not here," she reasoned with him, "tonight. We're all sleeping over at mine tonight, aren't we?"
"Yes. Where are Saracen and Dexter going to sleep?"
Valkyrie bit her lip. "Umm...on the floor."
"Okay then. So we're sneaking out?"
"Yes we are. We are doing some good old fashioned sneaking out, Skulduggery."
He dipped his head forwards. "I look forward to it."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dexter and Saracen did end up sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags, but Valkyrie did manage to find some spare pillows. At twenty to midnight, Valkyrie (back in her protective gear) and Skulduggery snuck silently out of the house with their gifts. Valkyrie's gift was very large and wrapped in blue and white wrapping paper, secured with a gold ribbon, and Skulduggery's was very small and hidden in a small red bag, but she was sure both were of equal value - in sentiment.
They drove silently in the Bentley to the pier in Haggard. The snow had set a layer of black ice on the road, but it didn't bother them as they pulled up at the glistening white pier. Silently, they walked down the pier and cleared a place in the snow to sit, and that's exactly what they did.
"Time?"
"Ten to midnight," Skulduggery confirmed as he consulted his watch. Valkyrie put the present beside her as she sighed.
"How things have changed," she said softly, looking out at the starry night sky. "Am I right? This time last year we were right here on this very spot, and now it's like we never left, but so much has changed."
Skulduggery glanced at her. "Do you think you'll come back?"
"To magic? Skulduggery, darling, I already came back. You're question is, will I stay? And I don't know. It's a huge part of my past, of my life as a whole, but...I don't know. I like my little house. I like my job. I mean, it's hard work, but I do enjoy it."
Skulduggery hesitated. "Would you stay if you were asked to stay?"
Valkyrie huffed. "No one wants me to stay. They're all afraid of me, or they hate me."
Skulduggery shook his head. "That's only what you think."
Valkyrie glanced at his watch again; five to. Almost Christmas. She smiled.
"Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"For...keeping me sane. For keeping me safe. For keeping me alive."
Skulduggery dipped his hat. "Well. Naturally. It was my pleasure."
"Yeah."
"I want you to know it was purely in my own interest."
"Right."
"If you weren't around I'd have no one to make fun of."
"Okay then."
"I need to make fun of people. It's how I get by."
"If you say so."
The clock struck midnight and they exchanged gifts. Skulduggery tilted his head at his large, round present.
"It's very large, Valkyrie."
"It is."
He shook it slightly and there was a muffled rattle inside.
"It's not that heavy."
"It's not."
"It's a very distinctive size."
"Is it now?"
"Valkyrie..."
"Yes Skulduggery?"
"Is it...Is it a hat?"
"Why don't you stop waffling and find out?"
He tore into the wrapping paper and revealed a black hat box, and when he lifted the lid he froze before lifting it up and examining it.
"My God," he said eventually. He turned it over in his hands, scrutinizing the craftsmanship, but it was quite unmistakable. This hat was the work of Ghastly Bespoke.
"Val...when did...how did you..."
"I went over to Ghastly's old shop a few days ago. I remember he said he hat some hats in the back of his store for you, as a surprise, but he never gave them to you...so it's really a gift from Ghastly and not me. I'm just a messenger."
Skulduggery took off his battered hat and put the new one on.
"I love it. Thank you."
"What will you do with the old one?"
He shrugged before putting on Valkyrie's head and she turned to her own gift to hide the blush.
"Go on then. Open it."
She opened the bag and pulled out a jewelry box, and when she opened it her mouth hit the floor.
It was a delicate silver chain with a Celtic knot, a small diamond set in the centre.
"Jesus Christ."
"Do you like it?"
She half smiled. "Do I...of course I do. I love it. It's beautiful. But you could feed a small country with this."
"Money means little to someone like me."
He gently took it from her hands. "May I?"
She pulled her hair round to the side and turned her back to him so he could hang the chain around her neck. His fingers brushed against her skin and made her shiver.
She'd always had a mental image of what falling in love would be like. When you touched, it was like your whole world was suddenly filled with colour. And that was what it was like. Not just her world - her very body became full of colour, full of life.
She had to do it now.
She couldn't.
She had to.
Skulduggery pulled away and she looked down at the necklace. It was stunning.
"I don't know what to -"
"Wait. One final touch."
And that's what he did. He touched the Celtic knot and the diamond glowed briefly for a second before she felt her entire body fill with warmth. She laughed.
"Magic," they said in unison.
They sat for a while, Valkyrie gathering her courage, Skukduggery probably admiring his new hat, and then he said finally,
"So are you going to tell me what's on your mind?"
"Ah. Yes. That. That thing. Right. Well."
"Whatever it is, it can't be worse than you being Darquesse. Am I right?"
"Well. I'm not so sure."
He put a hand on hers. "My dear, Valkyrie. Do tell what's on your mind?"
She took a deep breath and swallowed.
"You really want to know?"
"I do."
"Okay. The thing is...I'm in love."
Skulduggery looked at her and was silent for a moment before he burst out laughing. Valkyrie raised her eyebrows. That was not the reaction she was expecting.
"What's so funny?"
"You had me worried there, Val. In love, you say?"
"Mmhm."
"In love? Are you quite sure?"
"Yes. I know I am. I have been for a while, actually. I can feel an ache," she pointed at her chest, "here. Whenever I look at him."
Skulduggery sat up a little straighter. "My. That does sound like love. Who is he?"
She finally gathered the courage she needed to look at him. She smiled sadly.
"Isn't it obvious yet?"
She could only hold his silent gaze for a few more seconds before looking down again. Skulduggery looked back out to sea.
"Oh."
Valkyrie swung her legs back and forth as the uncomfortable silence settled between them.
"Well. I guess I should have seen that coming."
"Why's that?"
"You're always glowing when I talk to you. You always smile. And I smile too because...I think I'm in love with you too."
Valkyrie's heart leapt into he throat and she almost choked as she talked.
"Really?"
"Yes. I think so."
Valkyrie put her head in her hands and smiled.
"I can't believe we lied to each other for so long."
"I think we do that too often."
"Same."
Another terrible silence followed. Valkyrie wanted something to happen. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted so badly to love him. She wanted him to tell her he was hers.
But something told her it wasn't going to happen.
"We can't pursue it." He said eventually, and her heart dropped again.
"We can't?"
"What can I give you? I can't kiss you - not really. I can't give you children. I can't give you the life you deserve."
"If I can't have children with you then maybe I don't want children."
"You don't mean that. You'd change your mind. And my time will end before yours."
Valkyrie tried not to cry. "Maybe I don't care about that."
And she tapped his facade and kissed him.
Even kissing Fletcher never felt like this; but that's because it wasn't love. This was love, and it was real. It wasn't perfect - oh no, it wasn't perfect at all...but the imperfections made it so real. And that made it more like magic than shadows or fire ever would.
She rested her head against his and closed her eyes, her arms still around his shoulders, his hands on her waist.
"You see?" He said. "Those lips aren't even mine."
"But the kiss was yours."
She slid down so her arms were wrapped around his ribs and her head rested against his bones.
"You're right." She admitted. "Oh God. You're right. How did we let ourselves get like this?"
Skulduggery shrugged and stroked her hair. "We were careless. A rookie mistake."
They stayed like that until the Sun began to poke it's head above the parapet of the sea. It was beautiful. Skulduggery tilted his new hat down. Her diamond necklace glinted.
"I love you, you know," she whispered. She felt him nod.
"I love you too."
She looked up at him and he shrugged.
"Sorry."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *