Valkyrie shunted just before she reached Herman Grave. When she landed in an old wool shed, she looked around, her eyes still filled with tears. She was home. Then she cried out in rage. Herman Grave was going to pay! He was lucky she had shined before she gouged out his eyeballs! Skulduggery. Valkyrie's eyes lit up. Skulduggery! She would get to see him again! Randy had undone the paradoxes! Everything would be fine now! She was about to run out of the shed when he stopped her.
"Where are you off to now?" He laughed. She glared at him through gritted teeth. It took everything she had not to kill him where he stood.
"I'm going back to my partner," she snapped, trying to step around him. He blocked her.
"Sorry to break this to you Valkyrie, but your skeletal partner has...... Disappeared." He said smugly. Valkyrie's broken heart sank.
"What do you mean?"
"Paradoxes," Grave whispered in her ear, and Valkyrie started hyperventilating.
"No. But Randy undid all the paradoxes!"
"You mean that he undid the paradoxes before Skulduggery was killed...."
"No........"
"Yes my dear Valkyrie. You didn't really think I was going to let you get away with that were you?"
Se didn't answer, she just screamed in rage, and charged at Herman Grave. She smashed into him, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Valkyrie smacked her elbow into his chin three times before he staggered up and away. She sent a fierce right hook into his cheek, and kicked low, sweeping his legs from underneath him. He hit the ground and rolled, coming up and sending a fist of shadows slamming into her. Valkyrie went flying back and hit the wall, her head smacking against it. She dropped to the floor, her vision blurry. Let me out, a voice was saying. I can help you.
No way Darquesse. There's no way I'm letting you out.
Grave sent his boot smashing into her face, making her slump against the hard floor, unconscious. Grave smiled, and went to walk away, when Tanith Low swooped in with her sword, and took his head clean off his shoulders. The severed head of Herman Grave rolled across the floor, and Tanith dropped, racing towards Valkyrie. She kneeled next to her sister, and gently picked her up, carrying her back to Ghastly's van.
Tanith stood at the doorway to the Medical Wing, watching over Valkyrie.
The poor girl was in a coma, and they'd only just gotten her back. Skulduggery wouldn't be happy that he hasn't been able to kill Grave himself, but at least he was dead. Speaking of Skulduggery.....
"Hey Synecdoche, have you heard anything from Skulduggery?" Tanith asked, walking in towards the doctor. She looked up.
"No, not since yesterday. Wonder where he's gone?"
Tanith thought for a moment.
"He'll come back when he learns we've got Valkyrie," she said, leaning in towards Valkyrie and kissing her forehead. She seemed so fragile in her comatose.
"I hope so, maybe he can bring her around?" Synecdoche muttered. "I'll see you soon Tanith."
Fletcher was standing outside the door, smirking. Even though Herman was dead, he still had a backup plan, and he knew exactly where to find it. Stupid Sanctuary sorcerers trusting him. What idiots they were. Fletcher smiled, and teleported to the cell where Argeddion was being kept.