She waited until the woman had dropped her hands back down, then she wrapped her right arm round her throat. The sleeper hold came on at once and the woman jerked back, the crowbar falling, her fingers digging into Valkyrie’s armoured sleeve. Valkyrie squeezed. Her broken hand sent white-hot daggers straight into her brain.

The woman powered backwards, slamming them both into the wall. Valkyrie banged her head, but didn’t let go. The woman’s Remnant-augmented strength was astonishing. She tried flipping Valkyrie over her shoulder, but Valkyrie wrapped her legs round her slim waist. They fell, the woman scrambling, panicking, but all she did was allow Valkyrie to adjust her position, to bend her knee round her foot. After a few more seconds, the woman went limp, and Valkyrie released her.

Her parents hurried up as Valkyrie got to her feet. Her dad handed her back her twig.

“That was so cool,” he said.

“Yeah,” she answered, trying not to cry with the pain. “I know.”

They hurried on, passing another two sentries whom they left oblivious behind them. The streets became broader, more open. Valkyrie found herself wasting more and more time trying to figure out ways to progress undetected. They doubled back twice, tried a different route.

Frustration biting into her words, Valkyrie said, “Mum, stay here. Dad, head over to that corner and see if we can get across the street from there. I’m going to check further up.”

She took off before either of her parents could object, the shock stick in her hand. Her leg was getting better the more she used it, but every step was causing her pain. She only had a few leaves left, though, so she withstood the discomfort. She reached the end of the alley, found herself at a wall she could easily have jumped over with the aid of her Elemental magic, but which now may as well have been a hundred metres high.

She cursed under her breath. Allowed herself a moment of pure anger and helplessness as she spun round, punching at nothing.

Then she got herself back under control, and retraced her steps. She saw her mother at the mouth of the alley, looking like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Valkyrie slowed.

Her mother’s anxiousness was gone. She was standing up straight, not looking scared any more.

A dread filled Valkyrie. Was she—

The twig. She needed to check the twig. Where was the twig? As she neared, she looked her mother up and down and—

There it was. Her mother still held the twig, and it was in one piece.

“Do I know you?” a man asked, just out of sight, and Valkyrie ducked back.

Valkyrie’s mum shook her head. “Nope. Don’t think so.”

The man sauntered into view. He was middle-aged, wearing slacks and a heavy jumper. “You look nervous.”