Child of the moon

Chapter 3: Skulduggery's secret (Pt 2)

"What did you say love?" Mr Bespoke asked and put a hand on his wife's shoulder "The boy...he's a wolf." she panted and he stepped back a bit "I don't understand."

"The boy! His name is Christopher, he's a wolf! He doesn't know how to control it! He killed his family" Mr Bespoke looked at his wife with a serious expression "Are you sure about this?"

"Very. I know."

"But we cant just tell him to leave! Baelfire has never had a friend and now he has one...I don't want to take that away from him."

"But there is a way to help." Mr Bespoke looked at the brown haired woman "How?"

Christopher awoke with a start and looked around the dark room for comfort and when his memories of the past day came flooding back to him he started to cry uncontrollably. He sat in the darkness for a while before the door was flung open and Mr Bespoke came in "Christopher? Are you alright lad?" he asked and Christopher looked up at "H...how do you know my name? I didn't tell you." Mr Bespoke cursed under his breath "Ok son. Do you know what magic is?"

"Of course I do. My mum used to take me, my brother and my sister to the magic show all the time."

"No son, I mean real magic." Christopher looked confused but his face soon showed shock when Mr Bespoke clicked his fingers and a ball of fire lit up in his hand "H...how did you do that?" Christopher whispered and backed up on his bed a bit "Magic." Mr Bespoke grinned and put out the flame making the room fall into darkness once again "Christopher-"

"Wait! You still haven't explained how you know my name."

"I was just getting to that."

"Oh...carry on."

"Thank you! Now, my wife is something called a sensitive which means she can see into the future and the past. Now...she knows you name because she had a vision about you." Mr Bespoke paused for a minute to think of a way to tell Christopher about his family "Christopher...you....you killed you family. You are a Child of the moon. In other words....your a wolf." Christopher paled "No...no this is a joke! I did not kill my family! I wouldn't!" he yelled Mr Bespoke shushed him "Christopher...im so sorry but this is real. Its not a joke." Christopher said nothing for a long while but when he eventually did it was "Help me. Please."

"I already have." Mr Bespoke pulled out a black fedora from behind his back and gave it to Christopher "This will help you. It is made out of magic and you must wear it on a full moon otherwise you will turn into a wolf. Ok?" Christopher nodded and took the fedora and put it on his head "Why me?" he asked "Because you are special. Being a Child of the moon isn't always a bad thing. You just have to learn to control it, and you will be a leader." Mr Bespoke said.

When the man finished his story Skulduggery's shoulders were slumped and his skull was facing the floor "I'm so sorry Valkyrie." he whispered and Valkyrie had tears pouring out of her dark eyes "That was a very interesting story now wasn't it! Well now that I have done my damage ill leave! But do me a favour love, and tell the baby that its Uncle Charlie says hi." the man smirked and shadows enveloped him and he was gone. Valkyrie couldn't think...she didn't know what to think. Skulduggery looked at Valkyrie "I...im so sorry." she looked at him with teary eyes and shook her head sadly as he came over and untied her and the first thing she did when she was free was slap him across the skull "How could you not tell me?" she whispered and he looked at her with his big empty eye sockets "I...I don't know."

"Skulduggery we have a child on the way for gods sake! Did it ever pass you mind that this baby might be a child of the moon too!" she yelled and Skulduggery silently shook his head "I'm...im so sorry." he said and Valkyrie shook her head "Do you not trust me?" Skulduggery's  head shot up "No! Its nothing like that! Its just...I didn't want you to worry."

"Skul, how am I not supposed to worry! Our baby might be a wolf! How am I supposed to know that your going to turn into a wolf and kill me...what if you kill the baby?" her voice cracked and Skulduggery desperately caressed her face "I would never do that! I have learned to control it! Please Valkyrie, trust me."

"How am I supposed to trust you when you didn't trust me?"

"Its not like that at all! I promise you Valkyrie that trust had nothing to do with this! I didn't want to you worry about me. I love you so much and I don't want to loose you!" he was crying now, his shoulders were shaking and gasping sounds were whistling through his teeth "I'm so sorry!" he cried and buried his skull in Valkyries neck while she cried too, and hugged him but as she was about to say something she felt water trickle down her legs and her eyes widened "Skul." he looked up at her and tilted his head "The baby. Its coming."