Disclaimer in chapter one.

Things you should know: Grace Night is her given name, she hasn't taken one yet.

Reviews:

LadyWolfGrace: A new reviewer! WELCOME! :D Thank you so much, I'm so glad you like it. I was going to stop writing because I didn't have many reviews or followers but now here you are! :D YAY! :D Here's the next chapter, Hope you like it! :D

Readers: If you like my story - Please follow or review it! I would really appreciate it! :)

Chapter three.

The view of the ceiling was actually rather enlightening. There were markings and holes she hadn't noticed properly before and it made her think, she should probably look at a flat more closely next time before actually buying. Who knows she could find a dead cat or something under the floor boards. Grace rolled her eyes and sat up; the pain in her head was more of a gentle throb than a kick in the face. She sighed and slowly got to her feet and rubbed the back of her neck, when she fell she landed in the spilled water and broken glass which cut the back of her elbows – nothing to major but it still stung.

"Well… At least I know…" She whispered walking to the bathroom and switching on the shower. Everything she remembered when she was six was a lie, her mother had mentioned that she wouldn't remember what had happened on that horrific night, she didn't really know much about magic but she guessed it must have been the use of hypnosis or something strange like that. Grace held her hand under the showers spray and checked the temperature, making sure it wasn't scolding hot. After she undressed she stepped into the shower, pulling the blue stripy curtain across. She welcomed the water and took a deep breath, racking through her memories and putting them in the correct spaces.


The death of her parent's was horrible, she remembered the burning building and hearing her parents screams echo into the kitchen. She was clutching a knife at the time and she hid in the cupboard; Grace saw him through a crack and she held her breath, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was terrified and her parent's had gone silent, even when she was six she knew exactly what that meant. They were dead and she would be too if she didn't fight back, Ghastly taught her a few things whenever she was at his shop – he would always pretend to be hurt when she hit him but she always knew he was doing it to make her feel good. She then remembered crawling out the cupboard; smoke was filling the house and fire made the shadows dance across the walls. She let out a cough and then she felt a hand on her shoulder; spinning her around to see the man covered in her parents blood, as a reflex her arm lashed out, slashing his face open with the knife. As he screamed she ran out the back door and tripped grazing her knee, calling out for her mum who would never come to her. Not anymore. She pushed the tears back and ran to the shed, shutting herself in and crouching in the corner, she could see the house now, the flames bursting through the windows and the doors causing the glass to shatter. In the distance she heard footsteps, a woman calling her name. At first she thought it was her mother but it couldn't possibly be, a pretty gentle faced woman with blonde hair stepped into the shed and knelt down to her level.

"I'm not going to hurt you sweetie, I'm friends with your mummy…" Her accent was English and her eyes were the darkest green she has ever seen in her life.

"Please… Don't kill me..." Her voice broke and her body shook with fear. A comforting hand lifted Grace's head so her gaze would look into the woman's.

"I'm sorry but I promised your mother I would do this… Gracie…"


Grace opened her eyes and turned off the shower, she couldn't do it anymore. Her memories, they tormented her, caused her heart to break. She didn't want to relive that moment, it burned her insides with anger and sadness, fueled her rage. All she wanted to do was to find that murderous pig who killed her parents, and she would, that is a promise she made herself and to her parents. Steadily she stepped out the shower and wrapped a towel round herself, walking to her bedroom and sat on the end of her bed. She wondered if Ghastly remembered her or if he thought she died in the fire. Either way she would find him like her mother asked and seek out the information she needed.

She sat there for a few moments in silence, loosing herself in her own thoughts before she dried herself and putting on some clean jeans and another jumper. As she finished drying her hair, a heavy knocking could be heard from her from door. Gradually she made her way to her bedroom door, peering around the corner to see five shadows outside her front door.

"That's not good…" Swiftly she pulled on her boots and jacket and made for the back door, glancing over her shoulder to see the door flying off it's hinges. A squeal escaped her and she ran to the back door, opening it to see two muscular figures in grey attire standing there. She froze and backed away, her eyes gazing at them. They also wore metal helmets and had large scythes strapped firmly to their backs. "I… I haven't done anything wrong…" Grace froze when she bumped into something solid behind her; slowly she turned with fear in her eyes to see another one of the men in grey uniforms standing there. Before she could run for the stairs the thing had grabbed her forcing her to the floor, knocking the breath out of her. In defensive she raised her arms to her head, even though it would do nothing, the scythes would slice through her with no problems at all.

"Grace Night…" A smooth voice called out from behind… what seemed to be a guard. He stepped into view and she took in a sharp breath, gazing at him in complete and utter surprise. "You have raised quite the uproar."

Grace said nothing; the man who was talking shouldn't even be able to speak. He was a skeleton in a suit, a stylish fitted one at that but still… He was a skeleton. Beside the skeleton there was a girl with long dark hair, wearing black. "I… I haven't done anything wrong…" She turned her attention back to the skeleton and furrowed her brows, he seemed familiar. It was like the feeling she got when she remembered the name of something and it was on the tip of the tongue.

"Well that's not what we have heard." The female spoke, she couldn't have been any older than Grace was.

"Well… You obviously heard wrong." Grace narrowed her eyes and she felt the tingling sensation in her fingers again. "Uh oh…"

"Uh oh?" The skeleton tilted his head, she knew he would have raised an eyebrow is he actually had a face.

"I'm not… I have no control over this. It just happens…" She panicked, the sensation spreading to her arms. She tried her best to contain it but it was no use. Her arms sparked and blue flames spread from her fingers and up to her elbows. The guard raised it's scythe and she dodged it, kicking out her leg and flung it backward. She didn't know she was so strong…

The skeleton and the girl ran at her and Grace squealed and ran to the back door where the two guards still stood, when they saw her they removed their scythes and prepared for a fight. This was completely unfair, she wasn't doing this on purpose, she didn't want any trouble and yet it insisted on finding her ever other hour. Behind her she sensed a strong heat and she ducked under a fire ball, changing her course to the kitchen. There was no door in here and the only way out was through the window. She hadn't even had the flat for two days and the door was already lying on the floor of the hallway and her window would be broken in a few seconds. The skeleton ran in and the girl shot pitch black shadows at her, slicing her forearm causing her to cry out. In desperation she leapt through the window, the glass cutting her skin as she tumbled onto the grass, coming into a roll and began running again heading for the fence.

Just as she reached it, all three guards were there, holding their blades that sparkled in the sun. Her flames burned brighter and her eyes widened as twin flame throwers shot from her hands and at the guards. As she got closer she skidded to a halt, seeing the fire did no damage to them. The skeleton rammed his shoulder into her and she went sprawling across the ground, landing in a heap. When she opened her eyes she saw the girl standing over her with a fire ball in her hand and the skeleton twisting handcuffs around on his gloved bony finger.

"You are under arrest." The skeleton said as the guards dragged her to her feet. "I have to say, I have never seen a person of your age kick a Cleaver which such strength." He paused and carried on talking. "I'm almost impressed."

Grace gazed at him and narrowed her eyes as he cuffed her, the fire on her arms stopping instantly. She sighed a breath of relief and watched him. "Who are you…"

"Me? You don't know who I am?" He said slightly offended.

"If I did know… I wouldn't be asking would I?" Grace replied sarcastically.

"I am Skulduggery Pleasant and this is my partner Valkyrie Cain." The girl smiled slightly and looked at her.

"Whatever you think I have done… You're wrong…" She pleaded as the Cleaver's began to drag her to the front of the house and out of the gap where the front door should have been.

"Well you caused quite the disturbance, not just that. You assaulted a sanctuary officer." Valkyrie stated, finally speaking.

"What the hell is the Sanctuary?!" Grace tried to struggle but the Cleaver's grip was far too strong.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie gazed at her. "You don't know what the Sanctuary is?"

"No! Please let me go, I need to find someone! It's important…!" Grace held back her tears and stopped struggled, letting herself be placed in the back of a black gleaming Bentley. She sat there in silence for a few moments and the Cleaver's climbed into a van and it drove off, the skeleton and the girl climbed into the car and starting the engine.

"So I'm going to give you this chance so you can tell me who you're looking for." Skulduggery drove, keeping his… Well gaze on the road.

"What?! After you just broke into my home without cause? No way." Grace growled and tried struggling out the cuffs.

"There's no point in trying to escape. Those hand cuffs bound your power. You stuck here, might as well get comfortable before you get thrown in a cell." Valkyrie didn't even look at her, she kept her eyes forward.

"Who the hell are you anyway?! You can't just do whatever you want! You don't know anything!" Grace shouted, narrowing her eyes.

"Well to answer your first question, we told you who we are. Weren't you listening? To answer your second comment, yes we can. Were detectives it comes with the job and thirdly… Would you mind being quiet? You're giving me a headache." Skulduggery asked his voice even.

"You don't even have a brain. You can't get a headache…" Grace muttered, shifting in her seat.


The drive didn't take long; they were now stopping outside a large building in the town called Roarhaven. Valkyrie got out first and waited by the entrance while Skulduggery dragged Grace out the car, this was really humiliating. Two Cleavers stood guard at the entrance and she cowered away from them, seeing someone in the corner of her eye. It was the man who attacked her earlier, a smug grin spread across his ugly face. This was her chance to get him… Grace shoved Skulduggery off her and jumped, twisting her arms underneath her so her cuffed hands were no longer behind her back. The skeleton took out his gun but she was already sprinting towards her parent's killer, rage burning in her eyes. "You!" she shouted and the man jumped and ran into the shadows and down an alley. Skulduggery and Valkyrie were running after her, but she didn't care all she wanted to do was to wipe that smug grin off his face.

"Grace! Stop! You're making this harder for yourself!" The skeleton shouted as she disappeared into the shadows. A strange feeling inside her made her want to obey him, but the anger made it disappear quite quickly. The alley lead to a dead end and he was nowhere in sight, he had just disappeared like he did earlier on today. She screamed in frustration and fell to her knees, tears once again streaming down her face as she let her head roll forward. She had let her parent's down, he was in her sights and he escaped, again. Heavy footsteps could be heard and Grace stood and turned, walking towards the two of them, speaking as the skeleton was about to grab her.

"Don't bother… Take me, I don't care anymore…" Grace kept her head low and Skulduggery and Valkyrie gazed at each other before he spoke.

"Alrighty then. Let's go."