Valkyrie's eyes snapped open. There was someone in the kitchen, Valkyrie thought of all the likely people it could be, her father, mother, or even Alice who can walk now. Valkyrie was sure it was none of them, as they would make a lot more noise, her father attempting to sing or whistle some Christmas carol (always out of tune). Her mother would have more common sense then to wake up before the birds. Alice would of woken up Valkyrie screaming to play another game with her.

So most likely it was none of them. Then it definitely must be an intruder.

Valkyrie slipped on her dressing gown and started to walk out of the door, then stopped at the door, turned around and grabbed her necromancy ring, just for safety reasons.

Valkyrie crept down the stairs, dang, I feel like a ninja, Valkyrie thought.

Once Valkyrie's thought finished thinking about her and Skulduggery wearing ninja suits, she stuck her head around the door in the kitchen, crouching low to the ground ready to spring, looking for the source of all the noise. Valkyrie squinted trying to make out the figure in the dark, he was tall, very slim and wearing a well tailored suit.

Valkyrie sighed and straightened up, shoving the door up she whispered

"What are you doing here Skulduggery? Today is my day off, no work! Not being a detective, detecting people who plan to destroy the world, no killing gods! No god cop, bad cop. DO YOU UNDER-"

"Have you realised you have slowly been raising your voice, in any second now your dearest father will be running down the stairs with the first weapon he finds"

"Bet it will be his toothbrush"

"What does he plan to do with that?"

"Don't ask me, ask my father"

"I don't think he would like the idea of me waking him up"

"Probably not, what are you doing on my day of we agreed there would be no work today, it is Christmas"

"Maybe I am here to give you a Christmas gift?"

"You already have, and knowing you I would not be receiving another gift"

" You can never be to sure Valkyrie, never to sure"

" Well then am I getting another present?"

"No"

"No?"

"No"

"Then why did you wake me up so late in the night?"

"You mean early"

"Early?"

"Yes it is 2:26 in the morning, in other words your break is over and we are back to detecting things"

"Oh"

"Yes, oh"

"Then at least let me get dressed"

"I guess I can do that, I will make breakfast"

Valkyrie ran back up stairs, hoping the kitchen would not light on fire in her absence.

"umm thanks, isn't the toast a little to black?" Valkyrie questioned, once she had returned from the bed room dressed in her all black out fit, she was looking at the two black crisps of what she guessed was toast sitting on a plate, lathered thickly with butter.

"Hmm…. Maybe a bit, should still taste as good though"

"Well, I will just have juice I guess"

"Nothing else? You cant be fighting on an empty stomach!"

"Well how about you eat it then?" Valkyrie asked, while heading to the door.

"You know I cant" Skulduggery said following her out the door,

"Exactly"

"Exactly how?"

"I don't know, I am still a teenager, I know nothing! where are we going?"

"Sea world"

"Eight" Valkyrie replied rolling her eyes while buckling up her seatbelt.

"I still don't believe you woke me up this early"

Skulduggery slowed down the Bentley, there was a commotion in the middle of the road, of all places. As the Bentley pulled to a stop skulduggery and Valkyrie got out and entered the gathering, in the middle of the gathering was a body, well, it could not really be called a body anymore, it was just blood, bone and some other sickening parts of the what was a body scattered on the road, and in the centre of it all was a doll made of porcelain, cracked with age. Valkyrie gasped and staggered of to the closest bush (that was just a scrawny little weed, not really a bush at all is it?), and vomited up the little breakfast she had.

She felt a gloved hand on her back and a soothing voice belonging to Skulduggery.