Do you believe?

Prologue

Valkyrie Cain stood on shaky legs on the top of the burning sanctuary with her little sister Alice looking petrified on the other side of the building "Alice!" Valkyrie shouted and the little girl looked up from the crumbling roof underneath her and started at Valkyrie with teary eyes "I'm scared Stephanie!" she shouted and began to cry "Its ok Alice! Don't worry! Just look at me!"

"Stephanie, help me!"

"Don't worry Alice! I'm coming to you!" Valkyrie stepped forward but the surface below her started to crumble so she stepped back in to her original position "Alice! You have to come to me sweetie!" she shouted over and Alice shook her head furiously "I'm too scared!" Valkyrie looked down and tried to think of something. Anything. Then she remembered a game they both used to play all the time "Alice, its ok...were going to play a game! Were going to have a little fun! Ok?"

"Ok!"

"Remember that game we always used to play at Uncle Skulduggery's?"

"Hop scotch?"

"Yes! Hop scotch, were going to play that alright?"

"Alright?"

"Ok! Its as easy as one-" Valkyrie took one step forward to Alice and the ground cracked "Two-" she moved her right foot forward and she tripped a bit but managed to laugh it of with Alice pretending it was a joke "Three!" she took a large step towards her sister and the surface was level and strong "Ok, now its your turn Alice! Ok, One-" Alice breathed in and took one step forward and the ground rumbled "Its ok Alice! I promise everything will be alright! You have to believe in me! Ok now Two-" she took another step and Valkyrie outstretched her hand towards her "Three!" Alice took one might leap to her sisters arm and Valkyrie caught her and threw her off the edger to the awaiting arms of Ghastly Bespoke. When she looked down to see he had caught her she smiled and Skulduggery opened his arms for her to jump into but just as she was about to jump the building made a large rumble and the ground beneath her cracked and the whole building collapsed with Valkyrie and she fell straight in to the middle of the flames and they enveloped her body.

The last thing she heard was Skulduggery screaming her name.