Valkyrie yawned, rocking back on her chair and stretching her arms above her head. Several of the people sitting near Lissa frowned at her. "This is boring," she whispered to Skulduggery.

"It certainly isn't as exciting as it sounds," he whispered back.

"It didn't sound exciting in the first place," Valkyrie muttered as several other people scowled at her.

"That's what I meant," Skulduggery murmured back.

"Excuse me," one of them, a fat, grey-haired lady said loudly. "Might you repeat what you just said so the rest of the Court can hear it."

"We were talking about what a lovely dress it is your wearing," Valkyrie said, feeling everyone's eyes on her. The grey haired lady raised a eyebrow delicately and Valkyrie nodded. "You're absolutely right. It's hideous." The lady looked insulted, and Rose struggled to keep the smile off her face.

"If we can back to the matter at hand," Lissa said.

"Of course," Skulduggery replied.

Valkyrie frowned. "What was the matter?"

Lissa sighed. Rose leant forward and whispered in her ear. Lissa nodded. "Do you think you could arrange that, Guardian Hathaway?" Rose bowed her head and summoned Valkyrie and Skulduggery out.

"I was just starting to enjoy that," Skulduggery said. Rose turned on her heel.

"Do you know how stupid you two just were? They're talking about possibly executing you, and you sit there in make jokes and insult the council members," Rose raged.

"They wouldn't execute us," Valkyrie scoffed.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "If that's what you think. We aren't human, we have different laws to humans. If someone kills someone important or turns out to be a traitor, they aren't given life in prison, they're executed." Valkyrie raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She led them to a hallway lined with cells. She opened two and gestured for them to get in. Valkyrie and Skulduggery hesitated. Rose saw the hesitation. "If you don't go in willingly, the Guardians will not hesitate to use force." Valkryie looked at Skulduggery and he nodded. Valkyrie stepped into the cell and breathed a sigh of relief. The cell wasn't bound. Rose took her phone and ring, and she moved into Skulduggery's cell. Valkyrie watched as Rose handed them to a man standing at the door. They spoke quietly and Rose moved off.

"The cells aren't bound," Valkyrie called to Skulduggery.

"I noticed."

The guard at the door looked around and scowled at them. "No talking."

Valkyrie amused herself playing with fire for a while, then crossed over to the bed and lay down.

Valkyrie blinked blearily. Skulduggery was chatting to the guard, who was standing with a stiff back. Skulduggery asked for a drink of water. The guard paused then moved off and got one. Skulduggery thanked him as he returned. "I was getting so thirsty." There was a pause, then, "did you know that the sparrow flies south for the winter?" The guard frowned, and Skulduggery handed back the cup. Valkyrie moved towards the cell door, just as Skulduggery punched the guard. He staggered back, and reached for a holster at his hip as Valkyrie splayed her hand. The air shimmered, and the guard shot across the hallway, cracking his head on one of the bars of the cell opposite. Skulduggery used the air to bring the guard closer and he bent down and grabbed the keys. He unlocked his door and came for Valkyrie, just as thirty guardians came around the corner. Skulduggery cursed and tossed Valkyrie the keys. She stood beside him and clicked her fingers and summoned a flame. The guadians looked surprised, and several of them pulled guns out. Valkyrie let the fire go out and covered her head with her hands, and felt the first couple of bullets hit, then nothing. Skulduggery stood with his hand outstretched, the bullets floating. The guardians slowed to a stop and appraised them. Valkryie bent down, keeping her eyes on the guardians, and pulled her and Skulduggery's phones out, along with her ring. She slipped it on and stood back up. "Cloaking sphere," Skulduggery said out of the corner of his mouth. She looked at him a little weird and Skulduggery sighed. With his free hand he started rooting around in his stomach area, pulled out the cloaking sphere and handed it to Valkyrie. She smiled at the guards, then twisted the sphere. The Guardians stiffened and one grunted in surprise. They fanned out, and Skulduggery wrapped and arm around Valkyrie and they lifted into the air, passing over the heads of the guards and out the door. "You know," Valkyrie commented. "It wasn't my most exciting prison break ever, but it will do."