Back in the car, I changed back into Valkyrie's clothes and fell asleep once I stopped recognising where we were. When I woke up again the sun had started to come up and Skulduggery was filling up the Bentley. As I sat up and rubbed the rest of the sleep from my eyes Valkyrie walked out of the petrol station got in the car.

"Hey you're awake. Here." She threw me a Mars Bar and an iced coffee. "Breakfast of champions."

Halfway through breakfast Skulduggery got back in the car. He started the engine and as we left he adjusted the rearview mirror and tilted his head to look at me.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm okay," I replied.

"Good. We're close to our first informer if you will, but first I need to know how well you can handle yourself. You're going to fight Valkyrie."

Valkyrie looked at him with her mouth full of chocolate. "She what?"

I nearly spat out the mouthful of iced coffee I'd just drank. "I what?"

"I did speak clearly didn't I?" said Skulduggery.

"I heard you but you can't be serious." I replied.

"I thought you of all people would recognise my serious face when you saw it. Look here's a spot where no one will see you two beating each other up."

He pulled into a rest area that looped around behind a group of trees. It was still early but even if someone drove past they wouldn't see anything and if someone happened to pull in Skulduggery would have enough time to activate his facade.

"Come on then." said Skulduggery happily, getting out of the car. Valkyrie and I looked at each other and followed.

"Skulduggery, I dunno about this." said Valkyrie.

"It'll be perfectly safe for both of you. No magic from you, you both have protective clothing on, you won't be fighting for your lives and Sarah is a black belt in karate."

"You really should tell me how you know all this stuff about me." I said.

"I'm a detective," he replied. "I know things. Now, punch my partner."

I turned to Valkyrie and looked at her helplessly. She just shrugged and looked at Skulduggery who gestured towards me. Then she sighed and slid her right foot behind her. I did the same, sinking into my low shotokan fighting stance with my hands in a long guard.

I knew I had the advantage of knowing how she fought while she had no idea about me. She was a good deal taller than me and had longer reach. I knew she was fast and she hit hard. I needed to get in close, hit her and get out quickly. This wasn't the point sparring I was used to either. She would use locks, throws and her teeth if she had to. I was going to have to break some habits fast.

Valkyrie edged closer testing her distance. She had the luxury of time, facing an opponent who wasn't trying to kill her. As she slid forward again I stepped back, now mirroring her feet. The third time she moved, she followed through with a front hand jab but I hooked my foot around the back of hers, pulling her off balance. I punched with my left hand and pulled it so it only brought a few of the unavoidable tears when I hit her nose. I moved away before she could recover.

After some blinking and a small shake of her head Valkyrie sank lower in her stance and the look on her face meant business. I knew my next hit wouldn't be half as easy to get.

She came in straight away, but I saw the two jabs and blocked and then ducked under the kick she aimed at my head. Without missing a beat she swept a leg behind me and threw me over her hip. I hit the ground hard but the clothes must have absorbed part of the fall.

Rather than let her put me in an arm bar, I quickly twisted and got my legs between her and I, and using her arm I pulled her down and shot a kick at her knee. She hissed in pain but I hadn't hit her hard enough for her to let go. I swung my leg lower, at her ankle,and she stumbled back and had to let go. She let her momentum carry her into a backwards roll and stood back up to face me. I stood slowly but she didn't make any move towards me until I was upright.

When she led with her left hand I anticipated, moving low to avoid her punch while responding with my own hitting her nose again. I moved closer in an attempt to throw her but she moved back as my foot swept through. I let it keep going and snapped it back up hitting her temple with the bottom of my boot. While she was still reeling I hit her in the solar plexus and when she bent forward I twisted my hips to lend force to the uppercut I sent to her chin.

I tried for another throw but her arm snaked around my throat and she had me in a chokehold. I tucked my chin so the choke wasn't as effective and stomped on her foot, then centred and aimed an elbow at her sternum. When she realised her hold wasn't working she pushed off and threw another kick, this one catching me in the back of the head.

I spun to face her but she had already moved and I felt her punch to my ribs and another one to my jaw. She came back in front of me and I blocked her next three punches, swaying out of range of the fourth. She threw a low kick but I saw the feint and ducked when she snapped it up high. I threw a punch that she blocked and countered which I then blocked and countered. I didn't have to wait long for her next attack which I anticipated, beating her to the punch and hitting her on the mouth.

We both sank back, breathing heavily, waiting for the other to attack but Skulduggery called a stop.

"Impressive," he said. "You're fast. That's good. And you're about to teach Valkyrie something." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Learning?" Valkyrie panted. "Ew."

"Why do you think Sarah blocked most of your attacks? Or was able to counter them?" Skulduggery asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "She's fast, like you said. She's had training, I'm not fighting Scapegrace."

"True, but that's not why. Sarah what's one of the fighting styles you learn?"

"You mean like countering and stuff?" He nodded. "Well there's heaps. We learn about all of them and then we fight using the parts we like from each. I anticipated a bit. I'm a counter fighter though."

"What do you look for when you anticipate?" he asked.

"Our reaction speed has to be really fast." I replied. "We need to be able to see them move to attack and beat them to the punch anyway."

"Anything else?"

"We look for telegraphing. And we avoid doing it ourselves."

"Bingo." he said. "Valkyrie was telegraphing."

"Tele-what?" asked Valkyrie.

"Giving away that you're going to attack basically." said Skulduggery. "I've never noticed until now really, but I couldn't figure out why Sarah would always manage to block or hit you first when you would attack first. The when I watched you closer I saw it. It's a dangerous habit really. If a vampire picked it up- don't glare at me I'm teaching- then they could very well rip you apart."

"So how am I telegraphing?" she asked.

Skulduggery looked at me and I turned to Valkyrie. I honestly couldn't remember what she'd done so I said "Go to hit me."

We sank back into our fighting stances and as she threw a lightning fast punch, I swayed to the side, making her miss. "Again." I told her.

She punched with her other hand this time and I saw it. I blocked it and stood normally. "It's your back hand." I told her. "Every time you're about to attack it moves down slightly first. Especially with punches. Like this."

I mimicked what she'd been doing, exaggerating a bit so she could see, dropping my hand a centimetre or two before I punched.

"That was it?" she asked. "That's so annoying."

"Now try hitting her again," said Skulduggery. " Without telegraphing."

Valkyrie concentrated for a second, and then from nowhere threw a punch at my face, pulling it so she didn't break my nose.

"Good." said Skulduggery. "Now back in the car. We have people to interrogate."

He walked off without waiting for a response. Valkyrie shook her head. "He has the attention span of my father sometimes," she said. "Good job by the way. That was fun. We'll probably be bruised all over tomorrow but anyway."

"I've actually never fought like that," I replied. "I don't know where it came from."

We started back towards the car. "Instinct." she said. "You're a fighter, there's a part of you that will help you fight for your life if you have to."

"I just hope it works when I really need it."

"It will. Don't worry."