Next update coming right up :) Hope you like this, I'm quite happy with it. The next chapter will be up in the next few days, if the crappy Internet where I'm staying holds up. And we are nearing the end of the fic, so hold your breath for a couple of fights, some drama and a bit more romance over the next few chapters and then it will all be over.

I am going to be writing a sequel following on for this, so over the next few weeks I might put a poll up on my profile so I can find out what you guys want to read. Look out for that!

As usual, please review. I'd love to hear what you guys think, and anything you particularly want to read in the next few chapters.

And huge thankyou to my reviewers for the last chapter: jcat, ApparentlyTheOtherNameIsTaken, Deadgirl19 (as always :) ), ttumwczs is forever and kali-necrosis. It means a lot, your reviews really made my day :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 20

She suposed she should have been scared. But as Valkyrie got to her feet, perfectly steady, and felt the magic at her fingertips, she realised that she felt neither scared, nor nervous.

Skulduggery narrowed his eyes. There was something different about Valkyrie. Physically little had changed, yet she was now surrounded by an aura of power. It made Ghastly suppress a gasp, and all the Dead Men looked slightly in awe. In her chocolate brown eyes there was now a certain maturity, a certain aged look which would have looked more at home in the eyes of a war veteran than the eyes of an 18 year old. And how Valkyrie carried herself-her back was straighter, her shoulders set back. She looked almost regal.

And then Skulduggery understood. She now, perhaps for the first time, truly was the Last of the Ancients.

Tanith could also see these differences, but she was bored and impatient. She now wanted to get the job done. A big mistake.

"Cleavers-get her."

But as the cleavers sprung towards Valkyrie and the Dead Men began to rush forward, no one expected what happened next. Valkyrie raised her arms, gathered the shadows together and let them fall beside her. They fell to rest in the shape of another black cleaver, whose form became clearer as the shadows tightened and intensified themselves. And now Tanith's cleavers paused, stood to attention and positioned themselves around Valkyrie at her nod.

Tanith paled. She looked around her. The Dead Men, with Skulduggery at their head-could she beat them? Maybe. The cleavers? Possibly. Valkyrie? Given what she had just seen-probably not. All of them together? Not a chance. She gave a weak smile, and then Tanith Low turned on her heels and fled.

As the Dead Men turned to embrace Valkyrie, she relaxed slightly, yet she still carries herself straight and tall. With a wave of her hand the cleavers, led by the one Valkyrie had created, ran out of the cave after Tanith.

And then, finally, she turned to Skulduggery. She held out her hands, as if to say, "well-what do you think?" But Skulduggery just rolled his eyes and enveloped her into a hug. It was cold, and his suit collapsed between her fingers. But she didn't mind.

"I was worried about you, the surge can be a painful thing. People have died. I would have rather you'd been in a hospital with Kenspeckle, than in a cave with me.

"You must have done something right. I'm here, aren't I?" Walkyrie said, laughing. "Besides, I'm too pretty to die. Now, let's get the hell out of this cave."

Ten minutes later they emerged into the green sunshine of the rainforest. Valkyrie breathed it all in-it was like being on a different planet. She sent feelers of magic out, testing changes in the ground and air, and without looking she could tell that there was an ant nest a few metres on her left, and that a bird had just landed on a branch directly above them. One thing for sure: she would never be sneaked up on again.

Turning around to share her discoveries, she saw Saracen leaning heavily on Shudder as they climbed out of the cave. Valkyrie felt bad-here she was, selfishly revelling in her post surge magic, whilst Saracen had been injured fighting to protect her.

Saracen lay down on the ground, clearly in pain, as Ghastly, Dexter and Shudder went off to collect firewood. He beckoned Valkyrie towards him.

"Val, you're going to have to trust me on this, ok?"

Valkyrie was confused, but nodded.

"You feel the magic in your body? Try to push it into your hands,"

"Why?"

"Just do it, I'll explain later. Trust me-I know things."

Skulduggery watched on in silence. Valkyrie focused on that power, that magic she could feel bubbling and boiling inside of her, and pushed it all into her hands. She was surprised at how easy it was, how obedient her new power seemed to be. And as her hands started to glow a bright, dazzling white, Saracen, with his eyes wide, told her what to do.

"Put your hand on my wound and keep them there. If I look in pain or it gets hot, don't worry. Just keep your hands still.

Valkyrie, with her hands still shining, did so, and sure enough, her palms began to burn. Saracen screwed his face up against the pain that his now glowing would was causing. But slowly, the wound began to knit together and heal. After a few minutes, Valkyrie knew instinctively that she could take her hands off, and as she did so, she revealed a thin silvery scar on Saracen's stomach where just a few minutes ago had been a large and nasty gash.

She swayed on her feet, and Skulduggery leapt forward to catch her and guide her to the ground; the effort of the magic had left her exhausted.

Saracen, however, seemed fine as he sat down beside Skulduggery and gave her a smile.

"Thanks for that."

"Saracen, I think I want an explanation." Valkyrie looked at her hands in awe. What she had just done took her breath away.

"Valkyrie, you know yourself that you're descended from the Last of the Ancients. And your surge has broken down some of the walls to the source of your magic. Kind of like discovering your true name, only slightly less of a big deal. So now you can access the power of the Ancients. In a way, you ARE the Last of the Ancients."

"And what power is that?" Skulduggery cut in.

"Here my knowledge fades, so you'll have to do some experimenting. But essentially, you now have moments over what is around you; the power to both create and destroy matter."

With that, Saracen wandered off the help the others with firewood, and Skulduggery turned to Valkyrie.

"So."

"So."

"How do you feel about your new powers?"

"I don't know." Valkyrie twisted her hands in her laps "I feel different."

"You look different."

"Good different or bad different? If I've suddenly become ugly the surge has a lot to answer for."

Skulduggery sniggered. "Good different, I wouldn't worry about being ugly; there's little likelihood of that happening. You just look older. And powerful-I wouldn't want to get in a fight with you anymore.

He paused.

"Although obviously I'd still win."

Valkyrie laughed. "I doubt that. When all this is over, we can find out. And when I win you have to buy me food."

"Fine. You've got yourself a bet."

They shook hands, smiling at their own stupidity as the others came back, with bundles of firewood in their arms.

Soon, after Valkyrie had practised her newly strengthened elemental powers, they were all sitting around a roaring fire.

Valkyrie found herself sitting next to Dexter. She yawned, tired, and oblivious to the winks and wide smiles from the rest of the Dead Men, leant into him, with her head resting on his shoulders. His hand hesitantly met hers, and he put his other arm protectively over her shoulders. Valkyrie felt happy and safe, and she could feel butterfles in her stomach as she nestled further into Dexter's muscley body.

She could have fallen asleep there and then, but Skulduggery cleared his throat and everyone looked his way.

"We need a plan. Right now we have two threats-Tanith and her green-eyed friend," Skulduggery's lip curled, "and the Unamed. We know next to nothing about either. That has to change."

Ghastly nodded in agreement.

"So Dexter, Anton and Saracen, I want you to investigate this man with the green eyes, Right now, he's at an advantage because we don't know exactly what he wants and how he plans to get it. So we can't stop him. Tanith has played into our hands though-she should lead us to him. Valkyrie, I'm assuming you have control of those cleavers?"

Valkyrie nodded. She could feel her creation, like a mental link in her mind.

"Tell them to slow down. To follow, but subtley. Let them know that some of us will be joining them, and that they must obey them."

She smiled. When Skulduggery was in his commanding mood, nothing would stop him getting the job done.

"And you three? If you encounter him, take him down."

Saracen looked happy enough about this arrangement, but Dexter had tensed up beside her. He didn't look quite so happy. Shudder also looked peeved-he knew that he wasn't in for much peace and quiet over the next few days. If Skulduggery noticed any of this, he didn't say anything as he turned to Ghastly.

"Ghastly, you're with us. We're going to find the Unnamed."

Skulduggery lapsed into silence after his over-dramatic speech. Valkyrie realised that this was where he came alive. When there were battles to be caught and enemies to be defeated. She supposed that deep down, she was the same.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dexter standing up, he kept hold of her hand though, and murmured to her: "Care to join me?"

Valkyrie got to her feet, stretched, and followed him into the forest, ignoring Saracen's knowing wolf-whistle as she did so. They wandered quietly, hand in hand, for a few minutes. The contact made Valkyrie's stomach do flips.

Abruptly, Dexter turned to face her.

"I don't like the idea that I'm not going to be with you for the next few days."

"I know Dex," Valkyrie said, smiling, "but it's only a few days."

"A lot can happen to you in a few days, Valkyrie. I think you have shown that already."

"I'll be fine. I'm with Skulduggery and Ghastly-what's the worst that can happen?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds even worse. Can you do me a favour?

She nodded.

"Just try to stay safe."

"I do try to stay safe. I never go looking for trouble, trouble just finds me."

"Well stay safe this time. Because..."

"Because?"

When all this is over I'm cooking you dinner. I guess you don't have to like it, and hell, you don't even have to come, but that's what I'm going to do, and I would love it if I didn't have to do it next to you in a hospital bed."

Valkyrie smiled, a beautiful, beautiful smile, and leaned towards him.

"I will like it, and I sure as hell will be there. " She hesitated. "And I'll try not to bring a hospital bed to third wheel on our first date."

"It's a date?"

"It's a date."

And with that, Dexter leaned down and kissed her. She melted into the kiss, and he tasted of sunshine and leather and sweat and clean, fresh grass. The kiss deepened as he slowly caressed her face and she wrapped her arms around him. The contact sent shivers down her spine.

They broke away as they heard whoops and cheers coming from the direction of the campfire. And then:

"Good job Dex!" Saracen shouted loudly.

Valkyrie blushed and Dexter shrugged.

"He knows things."

Hmm. Saracen knows a lot of things in this chapter, doesn't he?

I guess his power is one of the mysteries of the book. And I have been thinking about it, and I have a theory. But I'd be interested to know what you guys think, so review with your theories on Saracen's power and I might pick the best one and post it with my next update.

Thanks for reading!