Valkyrie Cain sat in the pouring rain, once again crying over Skulduggery. She couldn't take the fact that he was, after all, gone, and maybe wasn't coming back. This fact was like a punch to the gut, a slap to the face. It ended her world.

Yes, it had been months since it happened, but she was too far gone. She felt like she could never be the girl she had been around him again.

She looked up from her hands, tears and rain mingling on her face.

The ocean before her only made her feel more insignificant and vulnerable. There was no one to save her from the vampires, the enemies, the men who wanted to kill her so much but hadn't had the chance. She laughed, remembering the good days, the days when they rose Cain and caused chaos and perhaps occasionally swore revenge.

She perked up after a while. She did have Tanith and Ghastly, and, admittedly, Fletcher. Sighing, she stood, and started to walk home. She wanted to talk to someone, and the reflection was just as good a person as any.

"Are you alright?" There was someone behind her. Valkyrie jumped in shock, and turned around, regretting it almost instantly. She really didn't want anyone to see her in this state.

"Sorry I scared you." Valkyrie stared at the girl before of her, and then smiled slightly nervously. She was unsure around people who were actually her age.

The girl had doe-like eyes a peculiar shade of dark brown. Her hair was plastered to her face with rainwater, and it ran with reds and browns. She had a wide smile.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Valkyrie brushed the rain off her face, aware of how dreadful she must look to this bright, dreary stranger.

"Doesn't seem like it to me. You aren't exactly all that convincing." The stranger sat beside Valkyrie on one of the benches that littered the pathway. Valkyrie didn't trust her, since she was a stranger and all, but fighting her seemed unwise. Was she even magic?

"By the way, the name is Rose. Rose Poison." Valkyrie almost laughed at the James Bond imitation.

"There we go, a smile on that droopy face." Rose said, attempting to shelter herself from the rain with her arms. Valkyrie laughed. Rose sounded like crazy old lady. Rose smiled wryly.

They were silent for a while.

"Rose Poison... Is that really your name?"

"It's not like I would tell you my given name, and I couldn't tell you my true name, so Rose Poison will have to do." Valkyrie nodded. Rose was a sorcerer after all.

"I know exactly what you mean. You could call me Valkyrie Cain, but my parents wouldn't."

"The Valkyrie Cain? As in, the apprentice of Skulduggery Pleasant?"

"Partner."

"OK. The partner of Skulduggery Pleasant."

"Yep."

"I've heard a lot about you two!"

Valkyrie smiled modestly.

"I'm about what happened to him. Its not a nice thing when you lose some one that you've known for a while..." Rose took Valkyrie's hand and her mind trailed off.

There was another silence.

"So, you're a part of the Sanctuary?" Valkyrie asked.

"Me?" Rose laughed hysterically. "Oh, no. I'm actually on their "wanted" list. Terminate with extreme prejudice." Valkyrie shot up, face horrified. She'd been talking to someone like that?

A flame curled into her palm, and she was ready to fight.