Just an idea I had. Title is a reference to the 2nd book's title. First 'serious' SD fic- hope you like it!

- Jess x

"You will kill her?" the Torment asked.

Skulduggery risked a glance at the real Valkyrie, who was now hidden by the shadows. He sagged. "Yes."

He looked back at the reflection of the girl. She was standing silently, as straight as she could, tears in her eyes. It was impressively lifelike.

"Then by all means," the Torment said, "kill her."

Skulduggery hesitated, then took his gun from his jacket.

"I'm sorry, Valkyrie," He said softly, keeping up the charade.

"Don't talk to me," The girl said. "Just do what you have to do."

"That looks like protective clothing," the Torment commented. "Be sure to shoot into her flesh. You wouldn't want me to think you cheated after all."

Skulduggery grit his teeth a little, tried not to look directly at her as she parted her tunic. He told himself it was all part of the act, but the reality was different. He didn't want to see himself kill Valkyrie Cain.

"Please forgive me," he said, then aimed the gun at the girl and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out. The girl's body jerked and her eyes widened. She stepped back then fell awkwardly to her knees, clutching the wound. Blood trickled from her fingers.

Valkyrie Cain's reflection fell forward, her face hitting the ground.

Skulduggery looked down at her. "She was an innocent girl," he whispered, making sure the Torment could hear.

"She had Ancient blood in her veins," the Torment responded, "and so was a fitting payment for the information you require. The Grotesquery is hidden in castle ruins, on the hill in Bancrook. Detective? Can you hear me?" Skulduggery raised his head slowly.

"I wonder if you could get there before Vengeous," the Torment continued. "What do you think?"

"If you're lying…" Skulduggery began. He really, really hoped the Torment wasn't lying. He did not want to have done that for nothing.

"Why would I lie? I asked you to kill the child and you did. I keep my bargains."

Pleasant stood over the reflection's dead body. After a moment, he hunkered down and picked it up. "Scapegrace," he said. "Back to the car."

Scapegrace laughed. "What, do you think I'm nuts? I'm staying here."

"No. I'm taking you back."

Scapegrace grinned, and looked over at the Torment.

"Why are you looking at me?" the Torment asked.

Scapegrace's smile faded. "What?"

"There was nothing in our bargain concerning you."

"But I can't go back!" Scapegrace cried. "He'll put me in jail!"

"You seem to think I care."

"Scapegrace," Skulduggery said, in a voice devoid of any human emotion. "Get back to the car. Start walking." He needed to get back before the Torment realised something was wrong, and that Valkyrie was still alive.

Scapegrace shuffled off, leaving only Skulduggery, the Torment and the reflection.

"I wish to thank you, Detective." the Torment said. "I look around at this world, and what it's become, I look around at my fellow sorcerers as they huddle in the shadows, and I realise now that I have been waiting. Do you see? I have been waiting for a reason to live again, to emerge from my dank and squalid cellar. I have a reason now. I have a purpose now. For years I have slumbered, but now I am awake. You have awoken me, Detective. And we shall meet again."

"Count on it." Skulduggery responded. The Torment smiled, then turned his back and walked away. Skulduggery waited for him to be a safe distance away, then began to run back to the car.

He caught up with Scapegrace and walked beside him, carrying the dead girl in his arms. Scapegrace looked afraid. He probably doubted he would survive the journey back to the Sanctuary. As far as he knew, Skulduggery had been forced to kill what was probably his only friend, and there was no one else around for him to take it out on. They got to the car and Skulduggery laid the girl's body carefully in the boot then looked back at the town. The Torment was gone from sight and the town looked empty now, as night fell.

"Well, we did it." Skulduggery said, happy to joke now the Torment was out of earshot. Scapegrace frowned, but didn't say anything.

"This has been a good day so far, all things considered," He continued. "I have the location of the Grotesquery and I got to kill Valkyrie, which is admittedly something I've wanted to do since I met her. She can be incredibly annoying. Have you noticed that?"

"Um."

Skulduggery caught a glimpse of Valkyrie's black clothing out of the corner of his eye, and kept talking. "She hardly ever shut up. I pretended to be friends with her, but honestly, I just felt sorry for the poor girl. Not the brightest, you know?"

"You're such a goon" said a voice from behind, and Scapegrace whirled around and squealed as Valkyrie Cain walked up, hands in her pockets and a smile on her face. "Did you get what you need?"

"Bancrook," Skulduggery said, ignoring him. "Vengeous probably has Vile's armour by now, but the Grotesquery should still be in Bancrook. We got what we need.

"You're dead," Scapegrace said in a small voice. "You're… you're lying in the boot."

Valkyrie frowned. "Am I? I didn't think I was."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but her reflection is lying in the boot." Skulduggery interrupted.

"No," Scapegrace said. "No, I've seen reflections, you can tell if something's a reflection…"

"Not this one," Skulduggery told him. "She uses it practically every day. Over the past year, it's kind of…" Skulduggery's voice died down as he realised Scapegrace was still shaking his head.

"I don't care what you say." He said firmly. "That wasn't a reflection."

Skulduggery sighed. "Valkyrie, tell him."

Valkyrie raised her head. "Tell him what?"

Skulduggery was confused. "That you're-" He paused. "That you are-" He paused again, and the next time he spoke it was cautious. "You are, aren't you?"

"I'm what?" Valkyrie asked innocently. Skulduggery froze for a second, before grabbing the hem of Valkyrie's tunic.

"What are you doing?" She yelped.

"Hold still for a second." He said, searching for something. He knew that he was being idiotic, but surely it wouldn't hurt to check…

Ghastly had, as his clothing got more popular, begun to sew the shop's name onto the insides of the clothes he made. It was a habit that he was often teased for, but it stopped people from taking credit for his hard work. Skulduggery was fairly certain Valkyrie's tunic had had "Bespoke Tailor's" sewn into it.

He found what he was searching for, and fell silent as he read it.

s'roliaT ekopseB

He looked back up into the girl's eyes- the reflection's eyes. This girl was the reflection.

Which made the dead girl in the boot Valkyrie Cain.