Valkyrie cursed as Scapegrace's punch hit her jaw perfectly, sending her soaring back into a brick wall. She used the air to slow her before touchdown, but it still hurt like hell.

As Valkyrie got up, sending a wall of air into Scapegrace, and it was his turn to fly.

Thrasher zoomed past, narrowly missing her head, crumpling to the ground. Skulduggery came into view. "Are you ok?" he asked, sounding slightly concerned.

Valkyrie licked her lips, tasting blood. She wiggled her jaw experimentally. "I'm fine," she called back, digging her elbow into Scapegrace's face as he ran at her again. He fell back to the asphalt, unconscious.

She exchanged a look with Skulduggery. "Shall we bother arresting them?"

Skulduggery hesitated. "Nah," he said. "We're not here for them, anyway."

"It was rather relaxing until they attacked."

"It was."

Valkyrie glanced at his skeletal face, gleaming in the sun. His beautiful, skeletal face, she corrected herself. Oh dear, what am I thinking?

She gave in to her impulses and kissed him on the jaw before storming away, tears in her eyes. Stupid, stupid Val, she reprimanded herself, sliding down a wall around the corner. Stupid, impulsive Valkyrie!

"Valkyrie?" came Skulduggery's voice from beside her, soft and fantastic.

She jumped, startled – she hadn't heard him follow. "I'm sorry," she said, struggling to speak over the lump forming in her throat. "I…"

"Valkyrie," Skulduggery said again, interrupting her. "What exactly… what did that mean?" His voice had an insecure edge to it – or was she imagining things?

Valkyrie coughed over her words, bending forwards and crying into her knees, at the same time furious at herself for even shedding a tear.

"Valkyrie," Skulduggery repeated for the third time, kneeling down next to her. "Please… just tell me, ok?"

"I love you," Valkyrie whimpered.

"I know," Skulduggery said. "You've said that before."

"I don't mean… I've loved you as a best friend for years, but… I… I feel like I want to step it up…"

Skulduggery let out something that could have been a sigh. He was silent for what felt like a very long time. "Valkyrie, I'm a skeleton."

Valkyrie looked up sharply. "So what?" she asked.

"Well…" Skulduggery made a noise as if he was clearing his throat. "I… I'm dead. And very old. And I don't have any flesh."

"Why should any of that matter?" Valkyrie asked quietly, looking into his eye sockets.

Skulduggery let out another sigh. "I just… I didn't think…"

"Well, it's reality," she said, feeling stronger now. "I love you, and there's no way you can change it."

"Valkyrie, I…I can't say I'm not pleased, but at the same time… don't you think it seems… wrong?"

"What's wrong about it?" she asked.

"Well, I'm four hundred years old, and dead, and you're barely eighteen."

"That doesn't matter," Valkyrie said. "Why would it matter? I'm an adult. I can take care of myself. My choices are my own."

Skulduggery looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, he sat down next to her and put his arms around her. "As you wish," he said affectionately.

Valkyrie smiled, blinking the tears away. That was easier and less gut-wrenching than I thought.

Skulduggery let out a small laugh. "Maybe we should consider doing what Ravel sent us here to do."

Valkyrie considered it. "Nah, it can wait."

Skulduggery kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head at his chest. "I love you," she muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Skulduggery said.

She didn't answer.

"Never mind," he sighed.