The mobile beeped twice in her pocket. Valkyrie pulled it out and read the message shown on the screen. 'Get 2 Ghastlys shop ASAP. Tanith.'

She frowned, and dug the phone back in her pocket, walking out of her front door.

She knocked on Ghastly's front door, to be met by the owner.

'You're here.'

'It would seem so.'

He swallowed and put a hand on her back, ushering her inside, closing the front door behind them. Valkyrie wandered to the main room, spotting Tanith Low leaning against the worktop. She stood up properly when she saw her.

'Val.'

'Hey.' Valkyrie grinned and sat down as Ghastly walked in. Tanith bit her lip, and then took a deep breath.

'You're going to have to stay here for a while.' Valkyrie frowned.

'Why?' Ghastlys eyes dipped.

'A remnant...has possessed Skulduggery.' Valkyrie whipped her head round to look at him, standing up quickly.

'What! How?' Tanith put a hand on Valkyries shoulder.

'It was when he had his facade activated, but, now it's deactivated, it's still in him.' Valkyries eyes stung as she clapped her hands slowly over her mouth. Shaking, she sat down again, feeling the comforting hand of Taniths on her shoulder.

'But...he can't be...'

'We're keeping you here, out of his way, until we find out what to do.' Valkyrie looked up at the two of them, and then stood up slowly.

'If I'm staying here, then I need to get some clothes from Gordon's.' Ghastly nodded reassuringly. Valkyrie made her way out of the shop, wiping her eyes.

Valkyrie let herself into Gordon's mansion, closing the door behind her. Walking slowly upstairs to her bedroom, she was just about to open the door, when she heard something. She turned her head slightly, ears straining to figure out what it was.

Piano music.

She blinked, and then walked cautiously towards the music room, to see Skulduggery Pleasant playing the black grand piano.

Her eyes widened as she slowly started to back away. And then came the voice. Skulduggerys voice, but there was something different, something replacing the velvet tone with a sharp, stinging accent.

'Hello, Valkyrie Cain.' He stood up slowly. She shook her head, breaking into a run down the corridor. But Skulduggery was faster. He gripped her by the wrist.

'Don't leave so fast little one, please, stay.' Valkyrie yanked out of his grip.

'Stay away from me.' He smirked, moving closer towards her.

'Why would you want me to do that, eh? Why would you want your best friend to leave you?'

Valkyrie ran down to the hall, but was met by Skulduggery again. She gasped.

'Get out of my way!' He put a hand on her shoulder.

'Now now, my dear, you don't really mean that, do you?'

'Yes, I do, Remnant.'

'I have a name, you've known me for, oooh, eight years now, you should know it by now.'

'I've known the person who you've possessed, not you.'

'But you know me so well, don't you Valkyrie? You know so much, you could say it's becoming a bit more than partners in crime.' She swallowed.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' He stepped even closer towards her.

'It's obvious, isn't it? You love me, oh, you really, really love me, don't you Valkyrie Cain?'

'Stop it!'

'NO!' He shouted, and then put his hand in hers.

'Admit, my dear, you've always loved this...thing. Such a shame that he's just a load of bones, nothing. But, maybe that's a good thing,' He held her hand properly,' we'd be so well suited.'

She snarled, pulled back her hand and slapped him. His skull spun back, and then slowly turned back to her.

'Not, a wise choice, darling.'

'I don't care, just leave Skulduggery alone.'

'He loves you too, you know that? He absolutely adores you, but hey, it's too late for that now.' He tucked some of her hair behind her ear. 'You know that he can hear all of this, all of what you're saying to me.'

'You're bluffing.'

'No I am not, sweetheart. He's here, inside, listening, listening to you and I talking about what feelings you have for him...maybe we should check that he's listening.' He hit Valkyrie, knocking her off her feet. She screamed as she fell onto the floor.

He smirked at her.

'So this is why he loves you, so easily defeated, so simply influenced.' He picked her up by the front of her top. She struggled in his grip.

'Put me down!'

'Tell me that you love me!'

'No!'

'TELL ME!' She looked up at his eye-sockets, terrified.

'I'm...I'm in love with Skulduggery Pleasant.' He laughed.

'Are you listening, Skull-face! This idiot loves you!'

Oh, he was listening alright.

The possessed skeleton suddenly dropped Valkyrie onto the floor, and screamed. Valkyrie stepped back, shocked, as he writhed and twisted in agony.

And then the real Skulduggerys voice, velvety, grazed, found its way out.

'LEAVE...VALKYRIE...ALONE!' Valkyrie gasped.

'Skulduggery!'

Something black flashed past his eye sockets. The remnant. The voice came again.

'Get...Out!' The skeleton gave one final scream, and then the remnant poured out, escaping back to its brothers. Valkyrie ducked as it flittered through an open window.

She turned to the crumpled skeleton on the floor.

'Skulduggery?' She walked towards him, kneeling next to him.

'Skul?' He looked up at her, and buried his skull in her top.

'I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry Val, I didn't mean to...' She smiled and hugged him.

'It's not your fault.' She stopped talking when she heard Skulduggery sobbing.

'I didn't mean to hurt you, or say all that...that stuff, I'm sorry!' She shook her head.

'Sh, it wasn't you; I know you would never do something like that.' He nodded and looked up at her.

'But...all that stuff about me...loving you...' She raised her eyebrows at him.

'Mm?' He hesitated, making a sound like he was swallowing.

'It was true.'