Valkyrie hadn't planned this far ahead. She didn't think there would be a 'this far ahead.' But there was, and she was at a loss for how to answer because the truth was the last thing her mother needed right then. Broken bones? Concussions? A chipped tooth, given to her by one ill-placed punch from a self-proclaimed sociopath? Driving a van off a cliff when she was only thirteen?
Gabe said sometimes you had to trust the people you loved enough to tell them about your burdens, but Valkyrie finally decided there was a time and place for that. Just because she had to tell them the truth didn't mean she had to tell them everything all at once. They'd probably both have heart attacks.
"I didn't know you." Skulduggery's tone was lighthearted, like he was talking about a peculiar turn in the weather lately, but there was something in it... an edge, something that made it abundantly clear his attitude and thoughts were anything but. "I knew Gordon, and I knew Stephanie. Stephanie told me she didn't want to say anything, and I respected that, because she's an amazing girl who's more than capable of making her own decisions. I'll admit, at the time I didn't think she'd continue the charade this long, but I haven't let her do anything she couldn't handle."
That, Valkyrie thought wryly, really depended on your definition of 'handle.' Kenspeckle would have taken issue with the statement, and she was pretty sure her parents would as well. But that was one of the reasons Valkyrie had liked Skulduggery from the start. He was the first person to treat her like an adult. He still had authority over her, because anyone who could make her sit down and learn about World War II as part of close-combat bodyguard training couldn't not have authority over her. And he had, occasionally, left her at home. Even in the beginning, he made her go to school if they weren't in the middle of a crisis.
This wasn't Skulduggery's fault. He grew up fast. He expected everyone else to do the same.
"As to who I am," he continued just as lightly, and just as seriously, "my name is Skulduggery Pleasant. I'm a detective with the Irish Sanctuary, the governing body of sorcerers in this country. This is Gabe, a temporary partner, who I'm sure will agree with me when I say that you both have raised a fantastically talented, creative, intelligent, and persistent daughter."
Valkyrie pulled away from her mother's embrace, just enough to be able to look her in the eye. "Skulduggery wouldn't take me anywhere if I didn't want to go. Please don't blame him for this. I'm sorry I - " Her voice cracked, but she pushed through it after only the briefest of pauses. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
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Valkyrie hadn't planned this far ahead. She didn't think there would be a 'this far ahead.' But there was, and she was at a loss for how to answer because the truth was the last thing her mother needed right then. Broken bones? Concussions? A chipped tooth, given to her by one ill-placed punch from a self-proclaimed sociopath? Driving a van off a cliff when she was only thirteen?
Gabe said sometimes you had to trust the people you loved enough to tell them about your burdens, but Valkyrie finally decided there was a time and place for that. Just because she had to tell them the truth didn't mean she had to tell them everything all at once. They'd probably both have heart attacks.
"I didn't know you." Skulduggery's tone was lighthearted, like he was talking about a peculiar turn in the weather lately, but there was something in it... an edge, something that made it abundantly clear his attitude and thoughts were anything but. "I knew Gordon, and I knew Stephanie. Stephanie told me she didn't want to say anything, and I respected that, because she's an amazing girl who's more than capable of making her own decisions. I'll admit, at the time I didn't think she'd continue the charade this long, but I haven't let her do anything she couldn't handle."
That, Valkyrie thought wryly, really depended on your definition of 'handle.' Kenspeckle would have taken issue with the statement, and she was pretty sure her parents would as well. But that was one of the reasons Valkyrie had liked Skulduggery from the start. He was the first person to treat her like an adult. He still had authority over her, because anyone who could make her sit down and learn about World War II as part of close-combat bodyguard training couldn't not have authority over her. And he had, occasionally, left her at home. Even in the beginning, he made her go to school if they weren't in the middle of a crisis.
This wasn't Skulduggery's fault. He grew up fast. He expected everyone else to do the same.
"As to who I am," he continued just as lightly, and just as seriously, "my name is Skulduggery Pleasant. I'm a detective with the Irish Sanctuary, the governing body of sorcerers in this country. This is Gabe, a temporary partner, who I'm sure will agree with me when I say that you both have raised a fantastically talented, creative, intelligent, and persistent daughter."
Valkyrie pulled away from her mother's embrace, just enough to be able to look her in the eye. "Skulduggery wouldn't take me anywhere if I didn't want to go. Please don't blame him for this. I'm sorry I - " Her voice cracked, but she pushed through it after only the briefest of pauses. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."