As promised-another chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

The small Canary Car was crammed to the brim with Skulduggery and Valkyrie in the front, and Dexter and Saracen bickering constantly in the back. It had sunk low, and its chugging noise had increased into a whiney moan.

Valkyrie dearly wished it would break down.

Unfortunately, it didn't, although it did splutter a few times when Skulduggery pulled on the breaks as they drew up at his large house.

Usually, Valkyrie stayed at her own house, which she had inherited for her uncle Gordon, but today Skulduggery's was much more sensible, as they would have to leave early tomorrow for the Amazon. It didn't matter much to her, she had a bathroom and bedroom in Skulduggery's house even though she normally just slept on the sofa, and he had also installed a large kitchen at her request. Sometimes she felt bad about how much it had cost him, and she had to remind herself that money didn't really matter to someone like Skulduggery.

As Valkyrie walked in, her normal routine commenced. She dropped her coat on the floor, kicked off her shoes against the wall and dived onto her favourite sofa. It was the largest, the comfiest, and it was all hers. Skulduggery followed after, picked up her coat, hung it up, and nearly arranged her shoes against the wall. Ever the gentleman, he didn't complain.

Dexter and Saracen followed him in, also launching themselves on sofas, and started arguing over which TV programme to watch.

"I want to watch the football!" Saracen whined.

"I don't really care what you want. We can watch whatever Valkyrie wants. We invited ourselves, so don't be your usual irritating self."

"That's just your excuse for not watching the football!" Saracen pouted. Valkyrie had to laugh-this was better than any TV programme.

"Ok, you've got me. But we still aren't watching it.

Valkyrie interrupted. "Guys, I don't mind what you watch. I'm not bothered..." Her words were cut off by a huge yawn and she realised just how tired she was. She quickly headed up to her bedroom, changed into shorts and a jumper, before heading back downstairs and depositing her weary body back on her sofa.

"See; Valkyrie doesn't care!" Saracen was still persistent about the football.

She snuggled deeper into the cushions on her sofa as Dexter and Saracen finally agreed on what to watch. The last thing she could remember was Skulduggery coming in and covering her with a blanket before her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

Valkyrie woke up, cold and shivering, in the middle of the night. She glanced around the room, her eyes adjusting to the gloominess. Saracen was nowhere to be seen, but Dexter was sprawled across a sofa and Skulduggery was meditating on an armchair.

She slid off her sofa quietly, wrapping her blanket around her. She glanced at the clock. Quarter past twelve. Her mouth was dry, and she tried to shake off the feeling she was being watched as she padded into the kitchen and silently poured herself a glass of water.

Suddenly the kitchen door slammed shut loudly.

Valkyrie started, and, trying to quell her fear, quickly went to the door and rattled it, slowly growing more frantic. It wouldn't budge. Desperation now rising inside her, she kicked the door again and again, making enough noise to arouse Skulduggery and Dexter, who started forcing the door from the other side.

Suddenly she felt the air shift from behind her, and she instinctively turned around, whipping a shadow at the dark figure that had emerged from the gloom of the kitchen. He dodged the shadow, and threw a wall of air at her. She was thrown off her feet, spinning like a top, and crashed into an open cupboard. Glass shattered and she felt blood in her hair from where her head had hit the sharp cupboard door. She quickly got to her feet, dodging one strong punch just in time and quickly throwing one of her own. Her fist impacted with flesh, but she seemed to be hitting a brick wall. Another punch from her attacker made her stumble back, on the defensive, just as his fist crunched into her nose. She turned, disorientated. Blood streamed freely, running down her face.

Quickly summoning a flame, she threw it at her attacker, a tall bulky man who she didn't recognise. He fell to the ground, shrieking and slapping away the flames, before quickly extinguishing them with the moisture in the room. Valkyrie cursed-she hated fighting other elementals.

Too late, her brain processed the possibilities just as another masked man dropped from the ceiling. He kicked out as he fell, his foot hitting Valkyrie's stomach hard. She gasped for air, winded, and backed away; in this enclosed space, surrounded by two grown men, she didn't have a chance.

Skulduggery, and Dexter were still pounding at the door frantically, but it stayed firm.

Valkyrie turned back to the men, whipping shadows in thin dark streaks at both of them. One man hissed in pain as a shadow cut his stomach, but Valkyrie's eyes widened as the cut sealed itself quickly. She advanced towards them, throwing punches quickly, but she was outnumbered, fighting in a jumper and shorts that were too bloody short.

Suddenly, the large window behind her shattered, and two more figures emerged from the night. Disorientated, she cried out as one of the new arrivals grabbed her wrist and tapped a small glowing symbol on his sternum. Pain shot through her, and she collapsed on the floor. The symbol pulsed blue and green, and pain, waves and waves of unbearable pain travelled through her. Valkyrie thrashed around and her back arched as she screamed. With fluttering eyelids, she looked up just as a heavy boot crunched into her face, and everything went black.