Disclaimer: I do not own the Skulduggery Pleasant series.

When Skulduggery heard the news, words couldn't describe what he felt then. Fletcher had called him and told him Valkyrie had almost been killed. The skeleton detective felt a rage inside him. He wouldn't hesitate to kill the person who nearly killed his partner.

Skulduggery wasted no time running to his Bentley and driving to the new Sanctuary in Roarhaven. He felt someone following him after a few miles and he looked in the rearview mirror. Ghastly was following close behind him in a van. He didn't slow down to wait for him. He didn't want to. He didn't need to. His friend that was once a statue was quickly catching up.

The ride to the Sanctuary felt like eternity. Skulduggery didn't waste time honking or stopping for red lights. Valkyrie was more important than some laws that some people invented. He pushed past the speed limit and avoided any police that were on his trail. Time went by as he took a shortcut and arrived at the Sanctuary in record time.

The people at the Sanctuary looked at the incoming Bentley and wisely said nothing. An Elemental shook his head on how many rules Skulduggery broke to get to the Sanctuary. He parked his car and wasted no time going through the doors. Ghastly parked his van beside him, and hurried to catch up with the skeleton detective.

"I just heard," Ghastly said. "Any idea what happened?"

"None," said Skulduggery, not slowing down. "She called Fletcher, said she was on the cliffs. She lost consciousness as soon as he arrived."

The people inside the Sanctuary hurriedly made way for the detective by flattening themselves on the wall. They had seen him in rage; the least they could do was make way.

"She'll be OK," Ghastly told his friend. "We have a new doctor. Apparently he's brilliant on a level with Kenspeckle Grouse. Madame Mist brought him in."

"Fletcher said she's cut deep. Kenspeckle would take care not to leave scars."

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Skulduggery didn't have time to be suspicious when he heard that Madame Mist brought someone in. His mind was clouded with rage and anger. He was usually so graceful when he walked. Now it just looked deadly on him.

Skulduggery stalked on to the operating theatre, seeing Fletcher pacing, his face extremely pale.

"She's still in there," Fletcher said, his voice shaking.

Skulduggery barged in through the doors with Ghastly and Fletcher following behind him without a word. They knew he was furious. They nearly bumped into him when he froze.

Skulduggery first looked at Valkyrie. She was covered in blood; her eyes were slashed together, making her possibly blind in the future. She was slashed everywhere, arms, legs, face, body, and her clothes were tattered and dirty. The surgical sheet that was supposed to be white was now a deep blood red. Valkyrie's blood was on there, which enraged him even further.

And that was when Skulduggery looked what was on top of Valkyrie. That creature. The same creature that dissected her when she discovered her true name. And the very same creature that tortured his teammates when he was in war. Faster than anyone could blink, he had out his gun.

"What the hell is going on?" Skulduggery snarled and everyone could see his gun already in his hands, pointed at Nye.

"Kill me if you must," Doctor Nye said in its high voice, "but if you do so, your friend will bleed to death. Make up your mind. I have a lot on my plate tonight.

Skulduggery felt like drenching and choking Madame Mist to death.

"What's wrong?" Fletcher asked in confusion. "Who is that?"

Not who, Skulduggery wanted to correct him. What.

"Step away from her," Ghastly commanded. "We'll get another doctor in here."

Then do it, Skulduggery wanted to say. But he was holding the gun without any hesitation in his hands. He wanted so badly to shoot. A high annoying whine interrupted him.

"Another doctor would not be able to save her life," Nye responded, sounding bored. "These are wounds inflicted with abandon. No method, no design, no finesse. But they are severe, and there are many, and organs have been sliced an arteries nicked. I have completed my examination and I know exactly how to proceed. If you call in another doctor, they would need to start over. By that time, she would be dead."

Skulduggery hated that voice. He hated the way it spoke, the way it sounded so bored. As if she was just another subject. Just another patient. But still, he had to ask the obvious.

"You can save her?" Skulduggery asked.

And Skulduggery hated how he had to see that thing on his partner. He hated how he had to talk to it.

"Undoubtedly. And if I am allowed to get back to work immediately, there won't even be any scarring."

Skulduggery looked at Ghastly, and then nodded. He wished Kenspeckle Grouse was still alive. He was so enthusiastic about treating patients. Now he had to rely on a creature that had tortured his teammates in the war. Not to forget the dissection of course.

"Get back to work, Doctor," Ghastly said. "Skulduggery, I'm sure you'll want to stay, to make sure he behaves."

"I'm not going anywhere," Skulduggery said. He didn't put his gun away.

Not until Valkyrie is alright, and until that creature is out of my sight, Skulduggery thought.

"Me neither," said Fletcher.

Ghastly left to find Madame Mist in her chambers. Nye stared at Skulduggery while he stared back. He didn't put the gun away and kept it pointed at its head.

"Are you going to let me work in peace?" Its high pitched voice infuriated Skulduggery. "Or put that gun away?"

"No," Skulduggery said, and kept to his word.

"It will be harder to work-"

"No."

Nye looked at the gun, and back to Skulduggery who glared at him with a cold expression. Nye started working immediately. It took out a tool and worked on Valkyrie's face. When it stared back at the spot Skulduggery was in, he was gone.

It was too much for Skulduggery, and he swore, he was going to find the attacker, and hunt the person down.