"What do you mean they're letting me take leave?"

Skulduggery sighed, "I mean they're letting you have a break so you can have some quality time with your family, Valkyrie."

Valkyrie's parents had decided they wanted to take a family road trip for a vacation this summer. She was kinda hoping that the Sanctuary would object to this since she was an important aspect to the undead detective, but so it turns out they let her go anyway.

"But I don't want to go," she whined.

Skulduggery looked over at her for a moment. "There is nothing bad about spending time with your family."

"Well if you've ever met them, you would."

"And you know I would if I could. Now stop complaining and have fun with your family." The Bentley drove up, stopping at the curb to drop Valkyrie off a little less than a block away from Valkyrie's house. He turned off the engine and leaned his skull in her direction. "Valkyrie, you know if you ever need me, you can call me and I'll be there."

"Yeah, I know."

"So stop looking like you're never going to see me ever again."

"I can careless if I see you again," she joked.

"Yada, yada. Now get out of my car before your parents get worried."

She smiled before getting out of the car. "Good bye, Skulduggery."

--------------

Valkyrie watched her parents as they packed the last of the suitcases into their small car. "Okay Steph," he father wiped seat off his forehead, "I think there's enough room in the back for you to sit in."

She peered into the back window. "Thanks Dad," she sighed.

"Hey, I tried."

Valkyrie heard her mother exit out the front door and she looked up. "Okay," her mother announced, "Everyone inside the car."

Valkyrie reluctantly placed herself inside the crowded car. "Where are we headed first again?"

Her father fumbled with the road map. "Where supposed to be going through England first."

"If we can get to England," he mother added.

"Perfect," Valkyrie sighed. As her mother pulled out of the driveway for the last for at least a few weeks, she watched the world through the window as if began to gain speed. Only discovering the world of magic just a few years ago seemed like she'd only lived in Ireland for a few days. She was going to miss it. She was going to miss magic and maybe Skulduggery.

Her eyes widened when she noticed the familiar Bentley at the end of the block. "Wow, that's an old vintage ride. Nicely kept," he father commented.

When the Bentley passed her window, she saw Skulduggery wave a small wave of good bye. She smiled. Fine, she'll admit it. She'll miss him.

------------------

Valkyrie awoke to a violent speed bump. Rubbing her eyes, she looked out the window. They were driving on a dirt path in the middle of nowhere surrounded by thick trees. "Hey, where are we?"

"Your father has seemed to have made a slight miscalculation in our path."

"So where are we?"

"I don't know, honey."

She threw up her hands. She should have stayed in Ireland. She would have at least sent her reflection instead. Stupid Skulduggery had rejected the idea.

"Let's ask for directions," her mother suggested.

"Yeah," her father agreed, "Look there's a place."

Valkyrie looked over her fathers shoulder to see a big faded pink building through the little space in the trees. As the car drew nearer, Valkyrie could make out the sign at the front. "The Pink Palace?"

"What a weird name for a hotel," commented her dad.

Pulling up and stopping at the front, her mother and father stepped out of the car and entered the pink building. She'd hate to live there.

After about five minutes, he mother came back out and tapped on Valkyrie's window. She opened it.

"Stephanie, you can come out. We're not going anywhere any time soon."

"What's going on?"

"They didn't have a map but we're still in Ireland, well at the edge of it. This area isn't on the map."

"Then why do they have a hotel here?"

She shrugged and walked away.

"Great, now I'm forced to live here."

The begining to an epic tale, more to come!