Valkyrie woke up on the couch where she had been talking to Gordon last night. She stretched and moved off to make breakfast. She turned on the coffee machine while rubbing her stiff back. Her head hurt and she checked the fridge. There was eggs and milk. She drank the milk from the carton, a tradition that had started as a teenager and started cooking the eggs. Twenty minutes later Valkyrie had two plates of steaming eggs and two cups of coffee.

Valkyrie proceeded up the stairs and knocked on Dexter's door. She walked in and placed the food on the bed next to him. He was sitting up and stared at the food.

"How are you Dex?" Valkyrie asked.

"I don't know."

"Is there anything I can do to make the hurt go away?" she felt like she was talking to a two year old but emotionally that's the age he was at the moment.

"Bring her back to me."

He looked despondent and unresponsive and she left him to check on Skulduggery.

"Hey Skully. How are you?"

"Val. I feel so weak and useless."

"You aren't. We'll get her back."

"Not me Valkyrie, nor Dexter. We don't have the strength to launch ourselves into this case. Get everyone together, run things by with Gordon and follow the clues just like I taught you. Valkyrie Shadow needs you."

"But I need your help. I'm nothing without..."

"No Valkyrie. You can do this. You bought me back from the faceless ones. You are strong and smart and I believe that you can do it."

"I will do that for you Skul but just promise me this."

"What? I'd do anything for you Valkyrie."

"Rest and regain your strength. We will need you and Dex to help fight Mevolent."

"Anything for you, Valkyrie."

"Thank you and Skul I just want you to know that I like you. A lot and if you..."

"I know what you mean Valkyrie and I like you a lot too and we'll try again after this. Do something after this," said the Skeleton as Valkyrie walked out of the room.

He needed to be strong for her and Shadow.

XxX

Valkyrie speed away in the Bentley towards Roarhaven sanctry. The windows were down and wiped her long hair as she drove. She ran her fingers through her long waist length hair in frustration. She needed to track down Mevolent, recruit an army of sorcerers to fight against him, save Shadow and stop him from bringing back the faceless ones to rule over mortals. And she didn't even know if he wanted to do that. All she had to run on was a conversation in which she had been beat up in all she can remember clearly was him telling Skulduggery and Vex that he was going to do his worst while torturing Shadow and how he actually came to be here.

Valkyrie slowed and parked she hadn't even noticed the sanctry until it was right in front of her. She hoped Skulduggery was ok.

XxX

Tanith looked up as Valkyrie burst into the meeting hall. She had been in her office this morning calling people and had asked to not be disturbed. Even Tanith hadn't been allowed access to the room and she was like her sister. And that is how Tanith knew that she was already stressed out by the fact that Skulduggery had shut off from the world.

Valkyrie took her seat at the head of the table between Ghastly and Tanith. She had gathered China, Ravel, Fletcher, Shudder, Gordon and a few other assorted sorcerers to this meeting.

"Okay let's start listing the facts and Dark start taking minutes."

The newest detective took out paper and pen ready to write.

"Well we know that Mevolent came through the dimension that Valkyrie visited and he managed to break through," Ghastly said.

"Yes he found strength in Shadow's scream which is a mystery," Tanith continued.

"Yes Miss Irate is a most interesting person but why her scream was essential I don't know," China replied.

"Well it has to relate to her power and the amount of strength she has and not to mention that she is magically ambidextrous," Gordon chimed in.

"Yes ok so we know how and when is the next question when exactly did he get here?" Valkyrie asked.

"Well I have been looking through the files and there seemed to be a couple of unexplained murders I was going to get you to look at," Ravel suggested.

"That's a good start. If Tanith, Ghastly and a few others would go look at that after the meeting it would be much appreciated. Now on to the next question, where?" Valkyrie said.

"We don't know. Mevolent said something of bringing the faceless ones back well we should start there," Fletcher suggested.

"I'll get some agents there immediately Miss Cain," said a mage in the protection part of the sanctry.

"Thank you Mrs Shield. You are dismissed," Valkyrie responded. "China you and Ravel can start finding out what people know about Mevolent's return. Shudder and Gordon I need you to research dimensions and get a report to me. Ghastly, Tanith you take your crew, you know what to do."

"What about me?" Fletcher asked.

"I need you to stay here encase you are needed. Any questions?"

"What are you going to do Valkyrie?" asked a sorcerer at the table.

"I'm going to start recruiting an army to beat Mevolent with. Meeting dismissed."

Everyone got up people left and they all made a clear path for their leader to walk through to get her job done. Flocks of people left for different parts of the sanctry leaving Fletcher standing there only to run off after the awareness crew. Their job was to tell mages about Mevolent's return. He figured they'd need his teleporting skill and mainly keep him away from Valkyrie. No one likes her when she's upset and Fletcher was no exception.