"So what did you find out?" Skulduggery asked Valkyrie as she slipped into the seat beside him.

"That what he's building is for a company that runs tests on drugs"

"Is that it?"

"Well, yeah! I was panicking that I might be attacked in the street. I just thought of that one question!"

"Well at least we know that little bit of information…"

"Yeah, I suppose we do." Valkyrie crossed her arms and looked straight ahead.

Skulduggery went to say something but then closed his jaw again.

Valkyrie was moody recently. And he didn't know why. He was trying to think of how to ask her what was wrong in the nicest way possible when Valkyrie said:

"It's not fair"

Skulduggery gave her a sideways glance then continued looking at the road.

"What's not fair?"

"I couldn't defend myself! I should have been able to but I couldn't! I just let that idiot security guard knock me out! I could have got vital information without letting them know we were onto them! I'm so stu-" she was cut off by Skulduggery.

"You're not stupid Valkyrie. You're anything but stupid! You're one of the smartest people I- Let's just leave it at your smart..."

Valkyrie glared at him. "Oh Charming… But still, I should've been able to!" she slumped in her seat and looked straight ahead.

Skulduggery started the car and drove onto the road. Valkyrie looked out of the window and a silent tear ran down her cheek. The last time she had cried was at the house after her Uncle had died, a man had tried to get into her Uncle's house and take a "key". This time though, unlike last time when she was crying because she was scared , she was crying because she felt weak.

Skulduggery pulled the car into a quiet lay-by and turned off the engine.

"Valkyrie, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Some of the most powerful sorcerer's in the world found it hard to conjure magic when they felt under pressure."

"Really?" Valkyrie asked turning to Skulduggery. Quickly she wiped her eyes hoping that he wouldn't have seen her crying, but she knew that he had.

"Indeed they did. Even I have still trouble sometimes…"

"You do?"

"I said SOMETIMES!"

Stephanie smirked. No matter how caring Skulduggery was his ego was still huge.

"Well, when was the last time you had trouble with magic?"

"2 years ago. Some guy decided that he was going to try and take me apart. Bone from bone. Of course, still being able to feel pain it kinda hurt. So, in that much pain I couldn't focus on the magic and I ended up putting the bones on my right hand and left foot back together again…"

"Ouch. That HAD to hurt."

"Yep. But at least I put myself back together properly."

"There is that… although are you sure your little finger isn't actually your middle toe?"

Skulduggery opened his mouth then tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Valkyrie burst out laughing.

"Valkyrie, sometimes you are the most annoying person in the world… EVER!"

"I know this." Valkyrie grinned at him.

They drove a bit further and Skulduggery inhaled deeply.

"I figured something out whilst you were talking to your father." Skulduggery said

"Oh, Yeah?"

"Indeed. I realised that somewhere there must be a spy. Not even a sorcerer could have figured out that a 13 year old girl was actually an accomplice to a suave and sophisticated walking talking skeleton… there must have been someone telling Donna Thorpe and her sidekick who you were… but who?"

"Right… Not many people knew we were going… except Tanith, Mr Bliss and China."

"Indeed… so any ideas then?"

"I don't know… unless we've been bugged? Or someone's working for a different side? Maybe Mr Bliss?"

"I know you don't trust Mr Bliss and you don't like him, and you're quite right not to, but don't suddenly assume it's him. And it's not China before you say it."

"OK. So not that we've cut them off the list the only one left is Tanith and we both know that it's not her… don't we?"

"I assume so… she's never told anyone anything secret before so why would she start now?"

"Of course" Valkyrie replied "unless…"

"Unless?" Skulduggery said quizzically. Valkyrie knew that if he'd had eyebrows they would have been raised.

"What about my reflection? Would that be able to tell someone? I assume it would if it shares my memory's and feelings…"

"Funny things about reflections. There's a lot of stuff you wouldn't know about reflections…"

"Like?"

"Like how they're a few seconds out of synch with the rest of the world… it's only a tiny bit but it's enough for you to realise if you're trained and focused."

"You're kidding me?"

"No, I'm not… Really. You're reflection, well anyone's reflection is a tiny bit out of synch and it has those few precious nano seconds to think on it's own. Of course when there's nothing in front of it it doesn't do anything but as soon as something is there it has to mimic… It's not just a piece of reflective glass you know… It has thought."

"That is seriously weird… Are you sure reflections are alive?"

"Of course I'm sure.. I'm me."