Do you believe?

Chapter 8

Valkyrie awoke from her sleep when she heard Arabella humming to herself in her room so she rubbed her eyes and sat up straight "Morning." she yawned and Arabella turned around and smiled brightly "Good Morning Valkyrie!" she beamed and hopped over to her "So how was your dream!"

"Um...it was nice I suppose."

"Good! Now come on its time for your next challenge!" Valkyrie groaned but eventually pulled herself out of bed and followed Arabella out her room and to the challenge room where Duke and Lorcan were already waiting for them "Ah Miss Cain, I hope your sleep was pleasant!" Lorcan greeted and Valkyrie smiled sleepily "Thanks."

"Now shall we get to you next challenge?" Duke asked and Valkyrie nodded "Lead the way!" Duke started to walk off so Valkyrie picked up her pace and caught up with him "So what is this challenge?"

"This challenge is about sacrifice's ."

"Ah...ok then."

"Don't you worry Miss Cain these choices wont effect your life to come."

"Good!" They stopped and a small door so Duke pushed it open and Valkyrie looked on in wonder as the room looked exactly like Skulduggery's living room "What is this?"

"This is the living room of the person who means the most to you."

"Yes but...why is it here?"

"It helps to make you calm."

"Ok then...so do I go in now?"

"Yes!" Valkyrie stepped in the room and looked around, everything was exactly the same! All the books and chairs were in the same place! It was like it was real! She walked further into the room "Good luck Miss Cain." Duke said and shut the doors while Valkyrie awaited for the challenge to start when suddenly the doors opened again so Valkyrie whirled around and saw the Dead Men being pushed in one by one and then the last person to come in was Skulduggery who was being personally tied up by a big muscular man "Cain." he snarled and Valkyrie looked at him confused. He could see her? Valkyrie looked the man who now had a gun to Skulduggery's skull "Now missy do you want to save your skeleton?"

"Let him go!" Valkyrie growled and the man laughed "If you really want to save him you must make sacrifices!"

"What?"

"If you want your skeleton to live you must kill you other friends!" Valkyrie tensed and looked at the dead men who looked like they were begging "No, no I wont do it!"

"Ok then!" the man said and went to pull the trigger "Wait!" Valkyrie yelled with tears in her eyes and the man grinned evilly and passed her a gun "Shoot them." she whispered and Valkyrie's eyes grew wide "No...no I cant!"

"Ill kill the skeleton then!" Valkyrie had tears rolling down her face "Please...please don't make me choose!"

"Sorry missy!" Valkyrie turned to the dead men who looked at her with pleading eyes "I'm so sorry." she whispered and shot her first victim. Anton then Saracen then Dexter and then Erskine but last of all was Ghastly. He was like a farther to her "I...I cant do it!" she yelled "Valkyrie." Ghastly said calmly said and she looked at him "Shoot me." he smiled and Valkyrie cried harder "I cant!"

"Valkyrie, do it. Save Skulduggery you can do this, I wont be mad."

"I'm...im so sorry." she whispered and pointed the gun at Ghastly's head "I love you sweetheart." he said and Valkyrie closed her eyes and shot Ghastly. She dropped the gun and collapsed to the floor as she cried into her hands. She felt like a monster. She was a monster, "I hope you realise missy that you could have just shot me and saved all your friends." the man said and Valkyrie screamed with tears "Now...shoot yourself!" the man said and Valkyrie picked up the gun and aimed it at the mans head "No." she snarled and shot him in the head and his lifeless body fell to the floor with a thud "Valkyrie..." Skulduggery whispered but before she could reply Skulduggery faded away like vapour along with the 'Dead' men (That was a pun...to soon...ok, sorry!). Valkyrie cried so hard she was sure her cries echoed throughout the palace "Val..." Arabella whispered and Valkyrie looked up before launching herself into Arabellas awaiting arms "I'm a monster..." she whispered and Arabella just rubbed her back in circles soothingly.