Derek Landy – Bedlam (страница 9)

“Are you in a better mood?” Melissa asked when they walked in.

“I am,” Desmond responded, kissing the top of her head. “Sorry for snapping at you earlier.”

She looked up, surprised. “You snapped at me?”

“Didn’t I?”

“When?”

“Earlier.”

“I don’t recall that.”

“Well, maybe I didn’t snap, as such, but I was curt, and for that you have my most sincere—”

“When were you curt?”

He frowned at her. “Earlier,” he said again. “When we were talking. About the diaries. I was curt when we were talking about the diaries. You didn’t notice?”

“I noticed you being a little grumpy.”

He looked offended. “That wasn’t me being grumpy. That was me being curt. That was my inner darkness shining through. Weren’t you scared by the glimpse of the monster lurking beneath the surface?”

“Not … really.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry, dear, you’re just too cuddly to be scary.”

“I am frighteningly cuddly,” he admitted. “But I’m sure I was dark, too, once upon a time.”

“You were pretty dark that day you threw that guy through a window,” Valkyrie said.

“That’s what I’m thinking of,” said Desmond, clicking his fingers. “I knew I’d done something cool.”

“My cool dad,” Valkyrie said wistfully. “So are you going to read the diaries?”

“I am,” he replied. “I will. I owe it to my granddad. It might even give me an insight into what you get up to, saving the world every single day.”

“I don’t save the world every single day,” Valkyrie responded. “I take time off. I go for walks. I go to the gym. I train.”

“Wait now,” said her mum. “Where’s the part in that schedule where you have fun?”

“I have loads of fun.”

“Do you have any friends? Do you go to the cinema? Go out for dinner? What about boys?”

Valkyrie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Her dad narrowed his eyes. “You’re hesitating. Why are you hesitating? It’s because we’re not going to approve, isn’t it? What is he? Is he a werewolf? Is he a mummy?”

“Dad …”

“Is he a cannibal?”

“God, no. Why would I go out with a cannibal?”

“Love is blind, Stephanie. If you love someone, that means you’re willing to overlook flaws in their character, like cannibalism and being too pretty. Your mother possesses one of those flaws. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which one.”

“Such a charmer,” said Melissa.

“I’m not dating a cannibal,” Valkyrie said.

“Are you dating someone?” her mum asked.

Valkyrie nodded.

“And? When are we going to meet him?”

It was on the tip of her tongue. It’s not a him. So easy. Such an easy sentence to say. All she had to do was open her mouth and say it.

But she took too long, and now her dad was nudging her mother’s shoulder. “It’s your fault,” he said. “She won’t bring him home to meet us because she’s afraid you’ll embarrass her. This is always a problem when you have one really cool parent and one lame parent.”

Melissa shook her head. “I preferred you when you were grumpy.”

“I wasn’t grumpy, I was dark.”

“I’m going to say hi to Alice,” Valkyrie said, turning on her heel.

“We’re not finished with this boyfriend stuff!” her mum called out after her.

Valkyrie retreated, away from the possibility of disappointing her parents. Even though she knew they’d understand. They were liberal, progressive people, after all. They’d handled the truth about magic without unduly freaking out – she was sure they’d have no problem with the whole girlfriend situation.

But, even so, it made her tummy flip as she climbed the stairs.

Her sister’s door was open. Alice sat in the corner of the room, peering into the hamster cage.

“Hey, you,” Valkyrie said.

“Stephanie!” Alice cried, scrambling up and launching herself forward.

Valkyrie laughed and caught her and hugged her. “Hey, gorgeous girl.”

“Are you staying for dinner?” Alice asked, face buried in Valkyrie’s hip.

“I can’t,” Valkyrie said, prising her off. “I’ve got to go to work.”

“With Skulduggery?”

“Yep. But I couldn’t pass without calling in to say hi to the best little sister in the world.”

“Do you want to see me dancing?”

“I’d love to, but I don’t really have time. Did you learn any more moves?”

“Yeah, a few,” Alice said. “Do you want to see them?”

“Tomorrow or the next day,” said Valkyrie. “And bad dreams?”

Alice laughed. “You always ask me that!”

“I know I do. I’m interested.”

“I never have bad dreams.”

“Not even about the horrible man?”

“Ew,” said Alice, making a face. “No. I don’t think about him. He was smelly. I still haven’t told Mum or Dad about him. It’s still our little secret.”

Valkyrie forced a smile. “Thank you,” she said, feeling the guilt start to weigh down on her. She quickly walked over to the hamster cage, eager for a change of subject. “So how’s SpongeBob?”

Alice laughed. “That’s not his name.”

“Is it not? Are you sure?”

“It’s Starlight.”