So here is the next update-sorry it has taken so long but this one is a lot longer so should make up for it. I hope it's ok, and that you like it, please continue to read and review, and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 8

Valkyrie tipped her head back and screamed again, a shrill scream which echoed through the room. A man leant over her, casually flicking his fingers and slicing into her skin. Skulduggery, crouching behind the ventilation shaft, made a sharp move towards her but behind him Ghastly gripped Skulduggery's jacket and held on.

"Not yet. Wait for the signal."

Skulduggery nodded, shaking with anger, and turned away from Valkyrie's shaking body. Blood dripped to the floor from deep lacerations all over her body, precise yet savage cuts which ripped her skin into a maze of red slashes. Her ankles and wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding from rope and bruises bloomed around each cut.

The man with the green eyes slapped Valkyrie's face once, twice and a third time, and Valkyrie groaned as she lifted her head and spat in his face, defiant. He recoiled, anger clouding his glittering eyes. He stepped back, and with a click of a finger one of Valkyrie's arms was released from its bonds, severed ropes falling to the floor. Confused, Valkyrie shook her arm out, wincing, but within a split second the man with the green eyes slicked his hand out and a crack sounded. Valkyrie screamed again and Skulduggery saw her arm was bent back and white bone was showing.

He clenched his fists in anger and got ready to act. Just in time, a loud crash, followed by a thump and a groan sounded from outside the door.

The man with the green eyes turned away from Valkyrie, who had passed out. Dexter and Saracen burst in, weapons in hand, and Ghastly and Skulduggery kicked open the ventilation shaft and slid into the room. Skulduggery rushed forward, punching Valkyrie's torturer hard. He flipped over and Skulduggery saw his face for the first time. The skeleton gasped in recognition and faltered slightly before his resolve hardened and he carried on with his attack. Meanwhile, Dexter and Saracen gently undid Valkyrie's restraints and carried her from the room, following Ghastly, who quickly wove through the warehouse with his gun out, watching for guards. However, the warehouse was empty and Tanith, thankfully, didn't show.

Skulduggery followed after them, but his skull was fixed on Valkyrie's torturer. They exchanged vicious punches and kicks, seeming to be an even match. They broke apart. The man with the green eyes flicked his hand and Skulduggery howled in pain as a large slit appeared in his sternum. Angry, Skulduggery flicked his own wrist, conjuring a puddle of water on the ground which the man didn't notice and stepped into. He slipped, sprawling on the floor, and Skulduggery started kicking him repeatedly, a red haze obscuring his vision. All Skulduggery could think about was hurting the man who had hurt Valkyrie.

Ghastly looked back. He knew that if Skulduggery had had a face it would have been twisted in a manic glare. He called Skulduggery's name loudly, and with one final look at the now unconscious body on the floor, Skulduggery shook his head as if he were clearing it of mist, and left.

As Skulduggery climbed into the back of the van, Ghastly revved the engine and sped away. Saracen was busy calling the sanctuary, organising reinforcements. The cleavers would arrive within minutes, and Valkyrie's kidnappers would be bought to justice. This dealt with, Skulduggery kneeled down beside Valkyrie, who was still lying, unconscious, bleeding freely on the floor of Ghastly's van. Dexter quickly looked at Skulduggery.

"Is it ok...?"

Skulduggery nodded and Dexter, medical supplies on hand, quickly ripped off what remained of Valkyrie's ruined t-shirt revealing her toned yet lacerated stomach. Valkyrie was losing too much blood for modesty to be important, yet Dexter unbelievably felt a blush rising in his cheeks as he avoided staring at Valkyrie's lacy bra, which was, thankfully, still intact.

Dexter tried to staunch the bleeding as Skulduggery focused his attentions on Valkyrie's broken arm. However, he shook his head, this mess was best left to the attentions of Kenspeckle Grouse.

Soon after, Valkyrie's eyelids fluttered and she woke up. Disorientated, she tried to sit up, but groaned in agony as her cuts bled even more. Skulduggery gently forced her back down, whispering in her ear and stroking her hair as she grimaced; waves of pain rushing through her body.

The van jolted over a bump, Valkyrie's body rocked over and she fell onto her broken arm. She cried out in pain, and her other hand, scrabbling on the floor, found Dexter's. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for one very long, very awkward moment, before Valkyrie glanced down, took in her state of undress and dropped her hand. Dexter looked away.

Valkyrie gave Skulduggery a wan smile.

"I guess Kenspeckle won't believe me when I tell him I'm ok this time."

Skulduggery smiled, but he was growing concerned; Valkyrie was still losing blood and although she was trying to hide it, he could tell she was in a lot of pain. Thankfully, Ghastly soon pulled up outside Kenspeckle Grouse's hospital and Skulduggery cautiously lifted Valkyrie into his arms as if she was weightless. She hissed as her broken arm dangled limply, so Skulduggery moved slowly into the hospital, ignoring the blossoming blood stains over his tailored white shirt.

Kenspeckle's eyes widened when he took in Valkyrie's limp form, curled up in Skulduggery's arms. He beckoned the skeleton into the operating theatre, where he gently laid Valkyrie down. However, when Kenspeckle dismissed him Skulduggery shook his head, refusing to leave. He hovered protectively over Valkyrie, holding her hand.

"Early this morning she was taken from my house. She's been tortured repeatedly." Skulduggery's voice shook slightly as he spoke. "So you'll forgive me if I'd rather not let her out of my sight quite yet."

Kenspeckle's set face softened and he nodded.

"Sometimes, skeleton, I forget how much you care for her. You have a funny way of showing it, but it's definitely there."

Skulduggery's head tilted.

"Was that a compliment, professor?" There was a hint of a smile in his smooth voice.

"Just about." Kenspeckle's voice turned gruff again. "But don't hold your breath for any more."

"Oh, I won't. I have no breath to hold."

Skulduggery's humour was lost on Kenspeckle, who responded with a grunt as he examined Valkyrie's many injuries.

"These cuts...they're very serious; organs and arteries have been nicked, but she'll live.

Kenspeckle sprayed a blue liquid over the cuts ,which began to hiss and bubble. Valkyrie, unconscious again, didn't stir as her flesh and skin began to knit together again.

"One of my new discoveries," Kenspeckle explained. "It's rare, costly and hard to make, so I don't use it often. But in this case..."

He then moved onto Valkyrie's arm, gasping in surprise at the damage.

"What on earth...how did this happen?"

"Her torturer just flicked his hand. I've never seen magic like it. Why, what is it?

Kenspeckle didn't seem to need an x-ray.

"Her arm is broken in so many places I wouldn't have thought it possible. Yet the breaks, this is not just forcing a joint to bend the wrong way. Her bones were moved so easily, as if they were made momentarily bendy. I can fix it, but the fact that there is someone out there who can do this worries me."

Although Skulduggery still looked worried, now that he was convinced that Valkyrie would be ok he began pondering out loud.

"It's funny; all these cuts remind me of what Melancholia did to her a few years ago. Yet her arm...if this sorcerer can do both-Valkyrie has a dangerous enemy. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better."

Kenspeckle stood up, finished with healing Valkyrie.

"She needs to stay here overnight so I can keep an eye on her. There's a bedroom across the hall, she can rest there." Kenspeckle hesitated. "And when I say rest, skeleton, I mean rest. You can stay with her, but refraining from plying her with questions about her attackers would be much appreciated."

With this, he left, and Skulduggery waved a hand, manipulating the air to carry Valkyrie across the hall and into a bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, covered her gently with a duvet and took a seat across the room.

Skulduggery stayed bolt upright and vigilant, watching over the unconscious Valkyrie, until there was a knock on the door and Ghastly and Dexter crept in.

"How is she?" Ghastly asked, concerned.

"She was in bad shape, but Kenspeckle worked his magic and she'll be ok after some rest."

Skulduggery then told them what Kenspeckle had said about Valkyrie's injuries.

"When this man with the green eyes strikes again, we'll be ready." Dexter sounded for vengeful.

Skulduggery tensed. "Again? What do you mean? The cleavers...didn't they arrest him?"

Dexter looked sheepish. "You don't know? We assumed someone would have told you..."

Skulduggery now sounded alarmingly angry. "What the hell happened?"

Ghastly explained. "When the cleavers arrived, the warehouse was empty. It seems we were tricked; maybe this man with the green eyes wasn't as injured as we thought. Or maybe there was another player."

Then he remembered. "Tanith! We passed her in the corridor Skulduggery, she must have been involved-she must have helped him."

Skulduggery was very still for a long while.

Then he shook himself, snapping out of his trance. "No matter. We'll find both of them. And they have no way of knowing we are going to Amazon, so Valkyrie will be safe while the search is on."

Ghastly looked slightly surprised. "You're still going to the Amazon?"

"Yes, although obviously a little later than planned. These rumours about the Unnamed still need to be pursued, and I know Valkyrie would never let me use her injuries as a reason not to go. Plus, like I said, there won't be any risk of the man with the green eyes making a return if he can't find us."

Dexter nodded. "Sounds sensible."

Ghastly hesitated slightly before posing his next question. "Do you know him? I thought you recognised him at one point."

Skulduggery's head tilted as he answered. "No, I didn't recognise him. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ghastly raised his eyebrows sceptically, but left it at that.

"Well, Saracen is leading a search for him as we speak. We would have joined him already but..."

Ghastly trailed off, smirking at Dexter, who glared at him.

"Someone wanted to check if Valkyrie was ok!"

"I was just trying to be nice!" Dexter exclaimed defensively. He focused on Skulduggery. "We guessed you would want to stay with her, so when she wakes up, let her know we dropped in?"

Soon after this Dexter hurried out, fed up with the teasing. Ghastly followed him after bidding goodbye to Skulduggery. Skulduggery could still hear Ghastly mocking him as they left.

Skulduggery chuckled and settled back in his chair.

Soon after Valkyrie stirred and opened her eyes. She tensed as she took in her surroundings, but she relaxed again when she saw Skulduggery. He crossed the room and sat on the edge of her bed.

"How are you feeling?"

Valkyrie's voice was hoarse as she answered.

"Sore."

"Well, I hear torture does that to you."

Valkyrie saw how worried Skulduggery was and tried, too late, to put on a brave front.

"It wasn't that bad, I'm fine..." Skulduggery cut her off with a glare.

"Don't, just don't, say the word fine."

"Fine!" Valkyrie's lips crept up into a smile and Skulduggery sighed.

"Ok," she backtracked. "Give me a few hours sleep and I'll be as good as new."

She tried to wave her broken arm carelessly, but hissed in pain. Skulduggery glared.

"More than a few hours I think."

She tried to protest, but Skulduggery was not convinced. "I'm not even that tired, I-" her words were cut off by a huge yawn.

"Sleep - now!" Skulduggery ordered.

"What is up with you? You're never normally this caring." Valkyrie teased.

"I'm always caring. Just not for you."

Valkyrie ignored his last comment and decided to capitalise on this mood swing.

"I'll go to sleep then...but I'll need a bedtime story."

Skulduggery sighed. There was no denying Valkyrie when she was in this mood, as she fluttered her eyelashes and did her best puppy face.

"Please?"

"My creative genius refuses to strain itself with a story. But I will sing you a lullaby."

Valkyrie smiled. She loved Skulduggery's songs.

"I'll settle for that."

She snuggled down, wincing slightly as she moved. She closed her eyes, and as Skulduggery started to sing she fell asleep, as she had done many times before, to the sound of his voice.