Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stephanie Edgley's reflection was standing off to the side, watching the party goers. She was trying to appear as normal, for Stephanie, as possible. Up on the dance floor, a portly man was throwing his wife around with abandon, twirling and twisting and having a ball, while his wife spent her time looking terrified. When she finally broke free she slapped his arm and went to storm off, but dizziness overtook her and she wobbled sideways and collided with another dancer, and it was like a glorious domino effect in slow motion, with extra squealing. Something for the real Valkyrie to grin at, at least, when she gets the memories. She tended to think of herself as "Stephanie Edgley's reflection", when she thought of herself, which started happening at some point. She isn't sure why yet, it's something to examine, but she supposed that she wasn't really trying to reflect Valkyrie Cain, she was trying to be there instead of Stephanie Edgley, so it made sense to her, even if she refers to Valkyrie as Valkyrie. The band announced, in a loud muffle that was completely distorted by the feedback on the microphone, that they were going to slow things down now. The band consisted of two gents in black slacks and blue sparkly jackets. One of them played saxophone, and he wasn’t much good, and the other wore sunglasses and sang and played keyboard, and he didn’t do any of those particularly well. That is to say, he didn’t sing or play the keyboard particularly well – he wore sunglasses as competently as anyone who chose to wear sunglasses at night. None of this seemed to matter to a room full of drunken people who would dance to anything as long as they thought they recognised the tune. There was a doorway leading to another room, presumably where all the tables and chairs were stored between functions. It was dark in here so the reflection turned on the light. It just needed a moment to consider how to approach this. A number of people had approached it trying to say and do all sorts of things, and she didn't recognize most of them, even with Stephanie's memories. She looked at all these people, Valkyrie's relatives, and thought how amazing it was that most of the people here were the direct descendants of a race of super-magical Ancients, and yet it looked like they would have difficulty crossing the street without assistance.

Stephanie's cousins, Carol and Crystal, barged in, knocking the door open wide. They had attempted to insult Stephanie earlier, and were rather unhappy with the curt responses and ignoring the reflection had done.

“Oh,” Carol said, looking at Stephanie's reflection. “It’s you.”

“Yes,” The reflection said stiffly. “It is.”

“Here with all your friends, are you?” Crystal said and the twins laughed.

“I’m just getting a break from everyone,” the reflection said. “What brings you two in here?”

Carol regarded it with half-closed eyelids, in what was presumably meant to indicate scorn.

“We’re looking for somewhere to light up,” she said, producing the cigarette from what Valkyrie would say is her frightfully gaudy purse. She wouldn't have been wrong.

“You smoke?” Crystal asked.

“No,” The reflection said. “Never really saw the point.”

“Typical,” Carol muttered and Crystal made a show of trying not to laugh.“You'd better go somewhere else then. Oh, and you better not tell on us, all right? You better keep your mouth shut.”

“You got it.”

The twins looked at each other triumphantly and the reflection left the room without another word.

Stephanie Edgley's Reflection walked out the glass doors onto the balcony overlooking the dark golf course. It felt the fresh breeze, and the smell of the sea past it.

It considered its circumstances. Not something a reflection usually does, but this one was used more than most. Valkyrie was scared, she was going to be vampire bait tonight, but she did it anyway. She was scared of being hurt and scared of dying. But mostly she's scared of letting down her parents. Other kids her age, she could see it, they’re embarrassed by their folks. Maybe the mother won’t stop fussing or the father thinks he’s funny when he’s not. But Valkyrie Cain loves her parents because they’re good people. If she fails in this, if they don’t stop Vengeous and the Grotesquery, then her parents will die. 

And yet, theres a significant chance that Valkyrie will die tonight. She wasn't wrong talking about Skulduggery's track record with vampires, at least as far as they knew, and even with Tanith there, thats no guarantee. 

Valkyrie was right about another thing, her parents are good people. And the reflection doesn't want to see them hurt. The thought almost startles it, but it's true. Just as Valkyrie doesn't, it doesn't. If she dies tonight, it will stick around, because it has to of course, but it can work on emulating her a bit more. On being more... Real. It's already on its way, so why not more? Her parents had just remarked about the distance, perhaps it can fix that. It could- 

Stephanie Edgley's Reflection spotted movement in the dark, shadows over the turf. It blinked. For a moment it had looked like a person, running and keeping low, but now there was no one there. Were this any other night, it might have been inclined to believe it was merely its mind playing tricks. A reflection still works like a normal human in that respect. But this wasn’t any other night. The vampire was coming. It had to warn-

Stephanie Edgley's Reflection heard screaming start from behind it, and as it turned around, a dark crimson-splattered blur was rushing at it.

Chapter Text

Tanith sat on her bike and tried not to fidget. Her body wasn't used to sitting still and not doing anything. She tried to relax, but every so often a shot of adrenaline would pump through her and her right leg would kick out involuntarily. It was very embarrassing. She was parked in an alleyway, phone out, along the path Valkyrie had been jogging. She should be turning the corner in a couple minutes. Skulduggery was parked somewhere else along the route, and they were both keeping an eye out. Tanith checked her watch. The lunar eclipse was three hours away. Plenty of time to get what they needed to get and do what they needed to do. Hopefully. Her phone rang. She picked up, and heard Skulduggery on the other side say "I know where Dusk is, get Valkyrie, and meet me back at her house. She'll need Ghastly's clothes, and hurry." And he hung up. Well, that didn't sound good.

Valkyrie had been jogging for a little while now, she was actually starting to get tired. "Next time I'm supposed to be bait, I'll make sure I don't have to do a bunch of exercise first." As she was getting up to the corner to where Tanith was waiting, a figure dropped in front of her. For a moment, she thought it was Dusk, but the Long legs, ragged suit, and top hat quickly disabused her of the notion. 

"Dusk's been followin' you, Right?" He spoke with a thick London accent. 

"Yes, who are you?"

"Don't matter at the moment, but I figure since he was after you, you’ve got somethin’ to do with Vengeous, am I right?”

"Well... I'm trying to stop him, yes."

“Good enough. See, they roped me into doin’ ’em a favour. Didn’t appreciate that. So here I am, doin’ you a favour. That big guy, the ugly one? They’re keepin’ him at Clearwater Hospital. Don’t know what you can do with that information, but if it messes up Sanguine’s plans then I’m happy.” He doffed his hat to her and started to walk off.

She frowned. “You’re Springheeled Jack.”

He stopped and turned. “Yes, I am, love.”

“You’re a bad guy.”

His smile was unpleasant. “Right again.”

She stepped back. “You’re meant to be in prison. Tanith put you there.”

Jack frowned. “You know Tanith Low?" 

"Of course."

“She’s… she’s close?”

“She’s somewhere around here, yes."

“Oh, bloody ’ell,” Jack said, looking around nervously. “Oh, that’s not good.’ Ave I just helped ’er?”

“I’m afraid you have.”

“Oh, for… oh, for ’eaven’s sake. Well that’s just… That’s just typical, that is. Don’t tell 'er I was here, right? I saved your neck. Literally, your neck I saved. Promise me.”

“Are you going to leave the country?”

“I’m leavin’ now.”

“Then I’ll tell them tomorrow. If any of us are still alive.”

“You’re a right lady, you are. G’night now."

"Wait! You said Dusk "Was following me", where is he now? Why's he no longer following me?"

"No Idea love, I followed him to some house, got there just as a car was pulling out of the driveway. He followed it, and I was about to follow him when I saw you leave. That's all I know, Good luck." And with a leap and a bound, Springheeled Jack was gone. 

Tanith pulled up on her bike, and handed Valkyrie a helmet "Skulduggery says he knows where Dusk is, and you'll need your clothes. Also to hurry."

"Shit. I think I know too. Tanith? Rush."

"They're fine, they have to be. Even if Dusk attacked, he's just one vampire, plenty of people would have had time to get away." 

Chapter Text

Tanith got to the country club well before Skulduggery and Valkyrie, and was just walking up to the bentley's window as Skulduggery parked. Her helmet was off, and she had an expression Valkyrie hadn't seen on her face before, and couldn't hope to interpret. Skulduggery rolled down the window so she could talk and a whiff of a smell she couldn't yet place flowed into the car. 

"Skulduggery, could I talk to you? Val, give us a sec and wait in the car, Please?" Tanith said.

Valkyrie didn't Remember the last time Tanith had said Please to her, not like that, so she listened, while Skulduggery exited and walked a little ways away with her. Of course that didn't mean she wasn't going to try and listen to the conversation, so she wound down the window and kept an ear out. She didn't hear anything aside from the wind through the grass and trees and the far off sound of the surf on the beach, at first. The smell, on the other hand, Grew much stronger. An iron tang mixed with a fetid yet sweet smell she couldn't identify. Before she could consider any of this, Tanith and Skulduggery started talking, which she could faintly hear.

"Look, Skulduggery, she's killed a Couple people in self defense, and didn't stick around after. You haven't taken her to anything Particularly gruesome yet. She's 13! You had been a soldier for hundreds of years in some of the worst fighting possible, and it Still devastated you. I may not be the most responsible person around, but this is obviously a horrible idea! What if she tries to go after Dusk? She's not even Close to ready! And she's enough like you she will, you Know that!"

"After Gordon, she worked with me on solving things and helping stop Serpine. It's only us two, against Dusk. An extra hand will help. She can handle it." She heard Skulduggery say

"I know I wasn't with you during the war. I don't know what you went through, but I think you've lost perspective! It's one thing to take her around detecting and all that, she's smart and surprisingly mature for her age, but putting her through this is-"

Valkyrie had enough of letting them talk about leaving her behind, and even more of waiting around while her parents were probably hiding from a vampire or being held hostage. She got out of the bentley and stalked over to both of them.

"Enough. You aren't leaving me behind. I need to help whoever I can here and make sure my parents are alright. Even Fergus and Beryl and the twins. I won't let Dusk hurt anyone else."

And with that she rushed past them. As she approached the club, the smells got stronger, along with several other odors becoming evident. Bile, and sweat, and other less mentionable bodily functions having been loosed it seemed. However, as she crested the hill and the party was in view, she stopped. Her brain refused to process what was in front of her. 

There were red splatters everywhere. People were torn apart, their limbs separated from torsos that had been peeled open, guts and ribcages exposed. The smell of shit coming from the various intestines strewn about the dance floor like streamers. Valkyrie moved her foot as she doubled over to vomit and kicked what must've been a chunk of bone down the hill, where it bounced and rolled to a stop against the crushed remains of someones head, apparently torn off their body, brains spilling out of the shattered skull. 

She didn't recognize most of the bodies. Of course, many of them had been so disfigured she couldn't have. But she thought the broken head's remaining facial features looked an awful lot like Beryl.

Valkyrie rushed down, around the bloody dance floor, trying to find anything Identifiable, and when she didn't, ran past it towards the club building. A few feet away from the door, she tripped over a leg, or well, most of one. She stood up, glanced at it, and Froze. She recognized the shoe it was wearing. Her mother had a pair just like it. She remembered seeing her wearing them earlier that night. Not particularly far away there was most of a torso with 1 one arm, and the arm was wearing her dad's watch. He always had the dial oriented wrong so she had re-marked it when she was younger. 

Valkyrie just stood there staring. She wasn't sure how long, though she vomited again. At some point, she had fallen to her knees and grabbed the arm, cradling it and the remaining section of torso. She was just looking at the now permanently broken watch face on her father's wrist when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Skulduggery, with Tanith on the other side of her. 

"I'm sorry."

Valkyrie felt something within her break. What, she wasn't sure yet, but she wasn't whole any longer, she knew that much. At that moment though, she heard a large amount of movement. Skulduggery and Tanith looked up, and

Skulduggery said "Valkyrie, I know you're going through a lot right now, but there's a crowd of just infected vampires rushing at us, and I need you to be ready. Can you do that? I understand if not, you can head back to the car, and Tanith and I can-"

She didn't bother letting him finish. She stood up, dropped the arm, and walked forward, looking at the mass of infected rushing at them.

"Valkyrie, you're hurting, but-"

She tuned the rest of it out. She could feel the breeze. Underneath the gore, she could smell the sea. The stars were out, things could be beautiful, if she fixed them. But these Things had hurt her family, her Parents. Good people, Innocent people. Because of her. They needed to be stopped. A numbness washed over her, and all that was left was anger and a strange sense of anticipation.

She walked forward and with a quick gesture of her hand, thin ice shards formed from the moisture in the air and floated around one of her hands. She made a throwing motion and the thin blades of ice sliced across and severed the heads of the front half dozen infected. Her other hand thrust out and a blast of pressurized flame burned and burst through another half dozen infected as chunks of the burnt flesh rained down from where they used to be. She clicked her fingers and threw a massive explosive fireball that engulfed another several, burning them to ashes and blowing those ashes apart. By this point a few of them had reached her, and the first one trying to bite her she punched, and her fist went through its skull. Meanwhile another rushed her and she kicked out with her left leg, and watched as the upper third of it's torso was ripped, spine and all, from the rest and flew off into the night. The third one had reached her and she grabbed each shoulder and Pulled, and it split in two, one side had the head hanging by some bone and muscle that were formerly part of its neck. Completely covered in blood and viscera, she walked up to the last one. She actually recognized it. Some distant cousin managed to be turned rather than eaten, drained, or slaughtered, and now she had to put them to rest with the rest of her family. She grabbed it's head, deceptively gently, and twisted. The head came off in her hands, torn neck and broken trailing spinal column hanging below it. She looked at it a moment before tossing it into the grass behind her.

She turned around, and Tanith was looking at her, slack-jawed. Both she and Skulduggery seemed thoroughly speechless, though Skulduggery had tilted his head in his way, inquisitively.

"I'm going to Deal with Dusk, you two see if you can find any survivors hiding anywhere or any remaining vampires." Valkyrie said

And turned around without listening to Tanith's "Wait" & "What-? How-?" Etc. she also ignored Skulduggery's confused look and request to accompany, and to wait. 

She stalked off to try and find Dusk. 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

It didn't take long. He was standing close to the edge of a bluff overlooking the stretch of beach and the sea. His clothes and skin glistened with what was probably a variety of other peoples bodily fluids, and he was holding something in his hands. As Valkyrie approached he turned around, and looked at her. 

“There you are,” he said. “I was almost fooled. Almost. But this one didn’t feel fear. And I can smell fear." 

She got a better look at what he was holding as she approached. It was her severed head. Well, her Reflections severed head, face seemingly frozen in horror. 

"It's almost a shame you won't get it's memories. Will never get to remember what I made it witness me doing to your family, and what your family did to eachother. How I made your parents watch as I tore its legs off, and then made it watch as I gutted them alive, before loosing the infected upon them."

He tossed her reflections head over the bluff, and she heard a splash. 

"It was so hard to hold them all back once they got a taste. This all would have been so much easier if we'd known all we had to do to get some Ancient blood was grab one of your pathetic family members. So helpless, especially when you weren't here to protect them. You know, it's your fault after all. I followed the reflection here."

She got a better look at him as she approached. He was Covered, head to toe, in red, and the scar on his face was visible even through all the blood and guts.

"I don't plan on killing you yet, first, I'm-"

Valkyrie rushed the last couple feet forward and threw a punch that rocked Dusk nearly off his feet. He looked up in surprise and as he did, she followed it with a kick to the stomach, doubling him over. He returned the favour by chopping at her neck, but his movements felt... Slow for some reason to Valkyrie, her eyes could track them relatively easily, and she ducked under his hand and struck his elbow with her palm. He caught himself from losing balance and retaliated with a kick to her right shin that probably should have broken it, but didn't. It still really hurt though. While she was processing this, he punched her in her left side sending her sprawling. He jumped on her, and tried to bite but she pushed him off.

Dusk stood up, and said "No more rules, no more Serum." As he started shaking.

"What Rules allowed you to murder my whole family that you're breaking now?!!" Yelled Valkyrie

and then tore his face off, along with the rest of his skin. Dusks true form revealed once more, he rushed at her.

Valkyrie was having a tougher time keeping up with him as they traded blows, racking up broken bones rather quickly. She managed to knock him to the ground and kept punching. However after a few hits, Dusk bit her on the neck, just above her protective collar, and flung her off him while she was distracted. 

Skulduggery & Tanith came charging up just as he did, and watched Valkyrie's body sail over the cliff. Dusk stood up and turned around, his lips were red with Valkyrie's blood, but his eyes were narrowed in confusion as he turned and looked back towards the cliff where he had flung her. He didn't take his eyes off that direction. Skulduggery took advantage of that distraction, not bothering to check what Dusk was looking at, firing his gun with one hand, and throwing fire from the other. Tanith had her sword out, rushing in to fight. But before she could get in melee range of Dusk, a massive burst of wind blew him off his feet. 

Past the cliff, just hanging in the air, was Valkyrie. The cold rage on her face had turned to a watery-eyed anger and reckless hate. She flew back to the ground, landed on her feet, and turned her momentum into a run. Her face turned cold again as she rushed Dusk to take a running punch at him, and her fist collided with his jaw. A couple teeth went flying like Valkyrie was a moment ago, out of Dusks mouth and onto the grass. She grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back, a wet Crack signalling it's break as much as Dusk's audible pain. 

"Alright, Dusk, by the authority of the Sanctuary, you're under arrest." Said Skulduggery.

Valkyrie however, wasn't done.

"No, that's not enough." And twisted his arm more, and pulled her left arm back to hit him again. There was a loud, wet tearing sound, and Dusk pulled at her grip, but she wasn't letting go. This sudden strength was too much for him to pull away from. He twisted as the first punch came in, rocking his head back, and the wet tearing got louder with the second, on the third hit, suddenly, the resistance was gone with a final tear, as Dusk forced his arm to rip out of his shoulder. Valkyrie was left holding the vampires bloody arm as he rushed off. They moved to try and stop him, only for the ground to open up, and Billy-Ray Sanguine come up underneath and grab Dusk, before pulling him back below.

Chapter Text

Valkyrie woke up laying in a bed, and heaved a sigh of relief. She was achy, probably from sleeping weird. She heard her mother calling from downstairs.

“Stephanie! You’ll miss the bus if you aren’t down soon!”

She turns her head a little and catches her reflection in the mirror. It steps out, and looks at her.

“Stay and rest from the fight, I’ll have dinner with mom and dad.”

But the door opens, and her mother is standing there, looking at both of them.

“Mom, I can explain-” 

But her mother just looks at her reflection and asks “Stephanie? Who is this?”

“It’s me mom, this is a lot, I know, but-”

“Stephanie, I know we taught you better than getting into situations with troublemakers and delinquents, you’re so smart, why do you have this girl in your room?” says her mother, not even looking at her

“She’s no one mom, just someone I'm letting rest in my room.” says her reflection

“You mean MY room! This is ridiculous, don’t you recognize me?”

As she says this, Valkyrie realizes the reflection had her school clothes on, while she is in Ghastly's outfit, and she didn’t summon it.

“No. I don’t, not through all the blood.” her mother says, finally looking at her

Valkyrie feels the wet warmth seeping into the cloth around her now, the crimson stains growing in every part of the sheet. Blood runs down in front of her eyes, blurring her vision. She pulls a hand out from under the blanket to wipe it away, and it’s dripping in scarlet. The rivulets run down her hands and into the sheets, and onto the floor boards, and then, they start flowing up, slithering up and around her mother’s legs like a snake. 

“Mom! Be careful! There’s something-”

“Oh now you tell me. A shame you couldn’t let me know earlier.” Her mother says as the red river runs round her neck, and tightens, tighter and tighter until her neck crunches with a wet pop. Her mother's head hangs limply, and unblinking she looks at Valkyrie. “You haven’t been my daughter in a long time. My daughter died with me.” And reaches out, grabbing her reflections head, and twists until it too is limp-necked and staring. 

“Come on Steph, we have to go get your father and head out. Oh, your father's puns are rubbing off on me. Leave the murderer in the bed you make.” And they walk out of her room, the faint sound of tendons tearing and bone breaking a minute later followed by the front door. She turns and looks trying to figure out what's going on when she sees… herself again, this time in a full black outfit of Ghastly's, red accents on the inside. 

“Well? You’ve got to get up and going eventually. I understand this is difficult, we loved them. But they're gone, and there's SO much out there to try, to understand, to explore, to enjoy. So get going, you’ve got a lot to do. I’d help with this, but Kenspeckle has done a good enough job, and you’ve gotta let the hot chicks fall out of the nest to fly for themselves eventually.”

And she is gone. She hears the sound of her parents' car leaving the driveway. She is alone.

Valkyrie is Alone.

She closes her eyes, tears running rivers like the blood earlier down her face. After a bit, she opens them.

Oh. She's in the Hibernian. 

On one of Kenspeckle’s patient beds.

Her whole body was sending her aches and pain from various injuries she recognized, now that she was more awake, were a lot worse than sleeping wrong. She looked around and noticed a metal tray with an arm next to her. Dusk’s arm. She needed another few moments after that. But when she was ready again, she looked in the tray, fearing the sight of blood running down her face and saw- nothing. Not just no blood, no her in the reflective metal of the tray. She could vaguely hear what she recognized as Tanith's voice outside. 

"-I'm just saying she seemed to have advanced a whole lot since we last talked, unless you've been keeping her skills to yourself. That fireball was massive! And she cut all their heads off with a storm of ice blades! I mean, don't get me wrong I'm real impressed, but that skill doesn't come from nowhere!"

Valkyrie heard Skulduggery now, his velvet tone clearly ruffled somehow "She said she'd been practicing whenever she could. And there was a lot of anger behind it. That can push your limits." 

"Sure, but that doesn't explain the flying! You've told me how hard that can be. Nobody has done that in ages, and she just... did it! Not to mention she was hitting those vampires like she was Mr. Bliss! She practically ripped Dusk's arm off of him, and he just ran from her, in full form! When's the last time you heard of a vampire running from anyone like that, let alone one as old and powerful as Dusk?" 

Skulduggery's voice lost it's tone, if his voice was normally velvet, this was river stone, still smooth, but dark, hard, and worn down to it's smoothness. "Loss and anger can fuel self discovery if burned right. You learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of on the edge."

His voice returned to closer to normal "She's apparently descended from the Ancients, now the last of their descendants as far as we know, who knows what that means for her magic."

Tanith started talking again, quieter "She can't have even had her surge yet, I-"

The doors to the room opened and Kenspeckle walked in, his usual grumpiness noticeably absent.

"Valkyrie my dear, how are you feeling?”

“Badly. Did it- Are- Did Dusk really…?”

Valkyrie crumpled, continuing her earlier crying. Kenspeckle shuffled over and hugged her, harder than she’d thought he could, considering how old he was. She watched as her tears ran down his coat, sunk in and absorbed towards the bottom of the material, leaving a small wet spot and otherwise no trace aside from the continued stream. No choking river this time, the tears were clear. After a little while, he pulled away and said “I’m glad you're safe. I had to take care of the vampiric infection rather quickly, it’s lucky he left your neck so intact with the bite, usually…” 

He seemed to realize what he’s said, and in what circumstances, and didn't finish the sentence. He did some more healing, before going back to hugging her. After a bit longer, Valkyrie spoke up, she wiped some of the tears from her face, though she was still crying.

“They were torn apart! All I found was my mothers leg, and his arm and only part of my dad’s chest! He said he hurt them, basically tortured them and my reflection, and made them watch. Their last moments were thinking a… monster was torturing me to death! He killed my reflection. I saw him toss my-, her-, it’s head into the sea. While I’m glad I don’t remember what he did to them, I also don't even get to remember their last hours. I hope they were good. I wasn’t really thinking about looking for the rest of my reflection at the time, and now I may never find it! The last time they spent with me, and it wasn’t even me, and it never will be cause I can’t remember!”

Skulduggery spoke up, which, if she weren't so distraught, might've surprised her.

“The last conversation you had with them, they were joking around, you told them to have a good time, and you all said you love each other. I know right now that hurts. It burns in your soul that they’re gone. But that is a better goodbye than most of the world, let alone most sorcerers, have ever or will ever get. They left the house with your love, and jokes, and smiles. You need to take some strength from that, cause you deserve to. You don’t feel like you do, but you do. The last time you saw each other was happy and joking, and full of love.” 

Skulduggery’s voice had taken on a quality she was only just beginning to be able to recognize, the grief. A wound scabbed over and bandaged, but grief nonetheless. With bits of anger lodged underneath.

“I… thanks. I’m not sure how much that helps, but it does, if that makes sense?” 

Tanith spoke up 

“And you beat the shit out of the one responsible and ripped his arm off right after, that's gotta count for something.”

Skulduggery would have winced if his body found the movement natural anymore, whereas Kenspeckle looked at Tanith in muted anger. Valkyrie was just quiet.

“It doesn't. Dusk is still out there. He killed them horribly, and I couldn't even kill him. He’ll probably just regrow that.” She said bitterly, gesturing at the arm in the tray.

“No my dear, as resilient as vampires are, a limb fully removed doesn't simply grow back. He could get someone like myself to reattach it, if he has access to someone extremely talented and that arm soon, but as I doubt that there are either willing to work on a vampire, well, he’s lost it.”

“Well that's something at least. So, I take it my lack of reflection is due to it's death and not developing vampirism?"

"I said I cured you of that in time. This is a rare thing for me to say young Valkyrie, but I'm not completely sure why you don't have one. It's a phenomenon going back a ways. Sorcerers, in the first war after that reflection spell was crafted, used it a lot, and consequently, a lot of reflections died, as proxies, or assassination bait, or any number of other reasons one dies in war. As long as the bodies were put back in the mirror, things seemed alright. And there were cases of unrecoverable reflections. Most of the time, even without the reflections body, the sorcerer still had one, they just couldn't cast that particular spell anymore. But occasionally, with an unrecoverable reflection, the sorcerer wouldn't have one anymore. We could never quite work out why it only happened to some sorcerers. The only correlation we found was constant use. There was one particular General who, after numerous assassination attempts, refused to attend any meetings himself, and instead sent his reflection. It survived numerous attempts as well, and was rather well regarded as a strategist and fighter, before eventually something incinerated the entire war tent it was in along with a few other officers and soldiers. All the ash was indistinguishable so it wasn't recoverable, however the general lacked a reflection completely afterwards. It's an interesting case actually. He survived the war, only to be staked and burned by mortals who thought he was a vampire. His paleness due to spending most of his time inside his safehouse, and general magic reliance, didn't exactly help his case either."

Kenspeckle suddenly seemed to realize he wasn't just lecturing apprentices and softened considerably

"But that won't happen, we live in an enlightened age of science, and also, you seem to be perfectly visible to digital cameras, so it shouldn't be too noticable."

Valkyrie took a deep breath.

"Right. I’m going to need a LOT of time to deal with all this, but I don’t think that's time we have, is it?” 

“‘Fraid not Val. Skulduggery said we had some people to gather, and things to do, and then onto the Grotesquery.” Tanith replied sympathetically

“If it wasn’t for this Grotesquery business I’d have you on a mandatory break from all this for a couple months at least, and given a therapist. But, since I can’t do that yet, stay safe Valkyrie. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks Kenspeckle, I might take you up on some of that after all this is done.”

“Good.”

“Right, so, let's go then?”

“Yeah.”

Skulduggery, Tanith, and Valkyrie exited the Hibernian, and all got into the Bentley. 

“Where’s your bike Tanith?”

“I left it at the Sanctuary, I figured that y- that it would be easier not to deal with parking both inconspicuously.”

Valkyrie had a feeling for what she meant 

“Thanks Tanith. So, what are we doing now?”

“Well, we have to go to Guild to request people, which I’m sure will be pleasant! He fired me last time we spoke, but I do think he had a small frown when he did.”

“Like he felt bad for getting rid of one of the sanctuary’s most important operatives in the midst of a crisis, especially one who he was beginning to like?” Tanith said

“No. I think he bit his tongue yelling at me. But I like to think it was also because he felt bad about it.”

“Speaking of, how are we dealing with him?”

“What do you mean Val?”

“He leaked information that got Vengeous released, he fired Skulduggery in the midst of that crisis, and failed to deny the leaking when accused. That sounds to me like he’s on Baron Vengeous’s side. So how are we dealing with him? Cause he’s in the sanctuary and all protected.”

“We don’t know that he’s on Vengeous's side, and we have to deal with the Grotesquery, and gather everyone we need to do that, there isn’t time to-”

“Bullshit. And besides, he let them know where Vengeous was being kept, its his fault Vengeous got out and his fault Dusk joined them and came after me, and I can’t let him get away with that. Do you get that Skulduggery? I CAN’T. So if we aren’t killing him, I refuse to let him stay in charge a minute longer.”

“It’s not that easy to oust a councilor, especially without two other members, it will-” 

“Tanith. Valkyrie, are you sure? This will have consequences. I know you are smart enough to realize that. We aren't the only council, and if we don’t have a council after the end of this, the others will swoop in. We don’t all get along, much like country governments there's conflict. You could start a war. I get where you are coming from Valkyrie, I really do. I know how you feel, because I’ve felt it. But right now we need to think rationally. Vengeance after stopping Vengeous. So. Do you really, genuinely, think, as my partner who I am trusting to make the right decision, that Guild is too dangerous to be in charge right now?”

“If he’s in league with Vengeous he’ll let them know we are coming, if he isn’t, at the very least, he’ll try and block us from getting as many resources as we’ll almost definitely need to stop Baron Vengeous and the Grotesquery. And Billy-Ray and Dusk.”

“She… isn’t wrong, Skulduggery. If there’s no Councilor, it’ll be up to the administration team, and I’m willing to bet Mr. Bliss will agree with you about the need for force. I Highly doubt anyone in that sanctuary after Guild is gone will go against you and Mr. Bliss agreeing on something.”

“Alright, let me gather my case file.”

Chapter Text

They had gotten to the sanctuary in relatively quick time. Valkyrie burst through the first doors ahead of Skulduggery and Tanith, and right towards the administrative assistant. 

“Where is Grand Mage Guild?” She asks through gritted teeth

“I’m sorry, what's this about?” Asked the assistant 

“I’m afraid it's for the Grand Mage specifically, but feel free to join us.”

“Do you have an appointment with the Grand Mage? I don't know of one-”

“No. I take it he’s in the council chamber?” And she rushed past her. Skulduggery and Tanith behind her. The assistant followed after a moment.

Mr. Bliss seemed to be in middle of a discussion or meeting with Guild when they entered, and turned placidly to look at them, while Guild looked at them and said

“Detective Pleasant, shouldn't you be out looking for Vengeous, rather than interrupting important meetings with-”

Valkyrie spoke up with barely contained rage "Grand Mage Thurid Guild, we are placing you under arrest for treason.”

Skulduggery continued “as well as conspiracy to commit murder, theft, accepting bribery, and a host of other crimes I'm sure we'll come up with.”

“What is the meaning of this?! I am the Grand Mage! You can't arrest me!”

“We can if you committed the amount of crimes and treason all this evidence implies.” And Skulduggery held up his files

“This is absurd! I knew you were a poor Detective and had it out for me, but this-” the Assistant spoke up “Its true. I can testify to a number of things that only make sense with this accusation.”

It didn’t take long to get the Assistants testimony placing Guild in a number of places he shouldn't have been, doing treasonous deals with criminals, and agreements he shouldn’t have made. His signatures on all the evidence Skulduggery had was just the icing on the cake. The Irish Sanctuary was officially Elder Council-less till the current crisis is over. In the meantime, Skulduggery and Mr. Bliss were in charge of the cleavers and decisions. And their first order of business after sending the Former Grand Mage to the jail cells was assembling an assault force for fighting the Baron and the Grotesquery, as well as planning said assault.

Tanith sidled up to Valkyrie while she leaned against the Bentley.

“So, you still feeling like you can rip a vampire’s head off?” Tanith asked

“Unfortunately not. I was only sort of aware of what and how I was doing all that. Like watching my actions through frosted glass. Well, except for when I flew. I was fully there and aware then. I think I could do that.”

“Well, then practice, even just now give it a shot. It's something worth learning, especially with grappling and fighting you can do a lot if you can fly. Plus, depending on how fast and how much effort it is, no more need for airlines or boats or cars or bikes. Though I think Skulduggery would protest you no longer gracing his Bentley’s front seat.”

“Huh, yeah. And however it works I still want to ride your bike.”

“Of course you do. Tell you what, when we get through this, I’ll show you how to drive it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

They stood there a little longer, in comfortable silence. Then Tanith spoke up again.

“So you wanna try?”

“What, flying?”

“No better time than now, or at least, better now than in battle.”

“Sure I guess. Should probably go get Skulduggery first though, just to be safe.”

“Yeah.”

…

“So are you gonna?”

“Nope."

Tanith smiled

“Alright. Let's do this then. Do you remember how you flew?”

“Yeah, I had to concentrate and feel the air all around me, and sort of move the air above me to below me. I don't think I can use other magic while doing it, at least not yet.”

“Alright, Val, go ahead, give it a shot.”

Valkyrie focused on the air, on feeling its weight, its shape around her, the wind. Whirls her arms from above her head to her legs, running forward. After a moment, she lifts off the ground. She shoots up further and further into the air until she has to let herself fall a bit to use her magic to gather the air around her to breathe before realizing something.

She laughs, and then tips herself forward into a full superman pose. Since she has to gather and pull the air below her, as long as she’s facing below herself, she can breathe. She pulls faster and faster, getting used to the sensation. 

She yells into the sky, higher than she can guess, a mix of joy, and anger, and sadness, adrenaline, a number of feelings, a yell of expression. She isn't quite at the point where she can do this smoothly, still stuttering at changing directions and having to push full focus into it. But for a moment, she's not the girl who’s just lost her family, she’s free.

But of course, she has to come back down to earth. She needed to join Skulduggery, Tanith, Mr. Bliss and the rest of the forces for the assault on Vengeous’s base for the ritual.

They had a god to kill.