I looked up as a loud thunk sounded in the study. Valkyrie had managed to fall asleep sittin' cross-legged on the couch, and she had dropped her book on the floor. Funny Bones shut his own book and muttered that he hadn't found anythin'. I placed the volumes I had gotten on a pile on the desk.

"What to do with her?" I asked, pointin' at Valkyrie.

Funny Bones stepped up next to me and very gently scooped Valkyrie into his arms. She stirred but quieted when Funny Bones dumped her in her room. He gave an awkward wave and descended the stairs. The clock down the hall struck Lord-why-are-you-still-up o'clock, so I very quickly meandered to the free room and promptly collapsed on the bed.

Valkyrie woke me up at an ungodly early hour for when I had actually gotten to sleep. She still looked pretty tired, though. I asked why the heck couldn't I have slept more.

"We need to get to China's," was her short response.

I sat up and adjusted the clothes I had slept in. "China?"

"Not the country, the woman. Well, more specifically, her library. So hurry up, Skulduggery apparently has some thing later."

"A social gathering?"

Valkyrie shrugged and led the way from the room. "I guess so. He's very secretive about it, whatever it is."

I agreed and trotted on down the stairs after her. Funny Bones was leanin' on the railin' of the stairs, waitin'. He ushered us out the door quickly, forcin' me into the back of his stupid car, and Valkyrie in the front. I noticed her Mustang was gone.

For a time, Funny Bones drove along the windin' roads and only stopped at an old lookin' building. We climbed up some obnoxious stairs, and I trailed behind, bringin' up the rear. Funny Bones knocked on a door at the end of all the stairs, and a tubby guy answered it. He stood to the side to let us pass through. He gave me a strange look, but still let me go on through anyway. Funny Bones continued to lead the way, and he only stopped when we reached a mahogany desk with a black-haired lady seated delicately at a regal chair.

"Good afternoon," she greeted us, liftin' her head up and OH GOD.

"Avert ye eyes, Sanguine," Valkyrie muttered in my ear, but I ignored her and pushed past her.

"'Afternoon, ma'am," I said.

Funny Bones sighed behind me as he said, "China Sorrows, this is Billy-Ray Sanguine. I'm sure he's tried to kill you in the past."

"I believe he probably has," the goddess in front of me laughed. Ohh, her laugh was like bells in the wind. Her eyes twinkled in the light. "Lovely to see you again, Mr. Sanguine."

I gulped and nodded once or twice and after spluttered out, "I think I love you…"

Valkyrie groaned. "China, stop it."

China Sorrows laughed that absolutely beautiful laugh again. "I'm sorry – it's just fun." She smiled and looked directly at me, and then I suddenly didn't care as much.

"Um, what just happened?"

"You fell in love with me," China Sorrows answered simply. "It happens to even the best of men. Don't worry about it, Mr. Sanguine."

"O-Oh."

"What are you here for, then?" China asked, gettin' up and addressin' Funny Bones.

He explained quickly what had happened over the past few days. China said she had never heard of the object Funny Bones was describin' to her. Valkyrie joined in, sayin' we just needed to find any books that might have information on the object or thing that attacked us. China pointed down a long row of shelves, sayin' we could find creature books down there, and then stupid lookin' object books down a few aisles. Funny Bones stole on down to the creature section, while Valkyrie dragged me down to the object part.

She scrutinized the book spines, pickin' out the interestin' ones and then throwin' them at me.

"My eyes are gonna fall out if I have to keep readin'," I moaned after ten minutes of this routine.

"Good thing you have no eyes," she replied shortly and matter-of-factly.

"Ah, got me there, li'l darlin'."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and hunkered against a wall and cracked open her book. I watched her read for a while, but she finally got mad at me and threw a hardback at my face. I shouted profanities at her in my head but otherwise kept quiet. For what seemed like eternity, I sat readin'. Valkyrie would occasionally think she found something, but the writin' would then go on to say that the object had been destroyed years and years ago. I had thought I found somethin' similar to the green thing, but it turned out to be a fake object. Yeah, I dunno either. Finally, after another hour of sittin' there, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are we still here?"

"Oh, stop whining."

"But, seriously! This is pointless. We ain't gonna find anythin'. Can't we just leave?"

"And do what? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs while a whole ton of people die?" Valkyrie cried. "No, we're staying here whether you like it or not."

"I can think of probably a hundred more productive more things than sittin' here, readin'."

"Yeah? Like what?"

I didn't say anythin'. Valkyrie had turned her attention back to her book then. I threw my volume down on the ground and got up.

"Where are you doing?" she demanded.

"To go find Funny Bones; I'd rather be with him than you."

"Fine by me."

I turned and stormed away from her. I heard her mumble something as I left her, but I let it go. As I weaved all around the shelves and bookcases and people sprawled out, I suddenly heard someone talkin'. And that someone was Funny Bones for sure. He had to have been talkin' to someone on his cell phone, since I couldn't hear another voice on the other end. The library was abnormally quiet over in the weird creature book area, which is why I could hear his conversation so clearly.

It seemed like they had just began talkin', as Funny Bones was sayin, "We're managing. How have you been doing? …You haven't gotten anything, then? …Yes, we're doing some painful research, too. …Valkyrie's injuries are fine. She's mostly just incredibly tired. …No. I'm sure she doesn't need any flowers. The Edgley's aren't able to keep plants alive for more than a week. Her uncle tried and failed horribly all the time. …I'll meet you at the same time, same place tomorrow, all right?"

The next moment, he hung up. Huh, who was he talkin' to? Hair Boy? That Wreath guy? Bespoke?

I stepped into the aisle to confront him about it. "Who were you talkin' to, Funny Bones?"

He was silent for a moment. "No one important. What do you need?"

"Valkyrie's pissin' me off. I came to find you."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear it."

Funny Bones wordlessly handed me a book as he flipped open to a page in a book he was holdin'. I examined the title and sighed. Horrible Creatures of the Night with Horrible Abilities.

Sounds like some great readin' material.

Okay, yeah, yeah, short and lame. I know. I need a few filler chapters before I can get back to the good stuff, got it? Bear with me for a few chapters, 'cause I promise it will get considerably more awesome.

I'm excited to get past these few chapters though, so they should hopefully be done marginally quickly. Um, so yeah.

Thank so much for reading and sorry for any mistakes! :DDD