As a descendant of the Ancients, Skulduggery wondered if Valkyrie was actually capable of learning manipulations of the metaphysical plane. Solomon could do it, to an extent. It was an interesting idea, even if it was one that never got entertained.
"What are you teaching Stephanie?" Desmond asked, the first of no doubt many questions to come.
"Elemental magic," Skulduggery replied. "The quieter course of magic. It's the manipulation of the four elements, and one of two types of magic sorcerers can specialise in. People who practice it, such as myself and Stephanie, are known as Elementals."
Desmond nodded, like he already knew that. Which, Skulduggery remembered, he might well have, if he grew up on the same stories as Gordon. "And what else?"
"What else what?"
"What else are you teaching her? Unless magic changes you physically, Stephanie's doing a lot more than just learning magic."
Skulduggery hesitated, and chose his words carefully. "Being a private detective in a world of magic and wonder is a little different from being a private detective in the world of mundanity. There's more call for self-defence. More call for being able to rely on yourself and your own magic. Stephanie's magic isn't strong enough yet, and won't be for a while. So she's been learning self-defence from several excellent teachers - Kenpo Karate, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, and Capoeira, to name a few forms."
"Why?" Desmond had turned all the way around in his seat. "How dangerous is this work? Is it anything like in Gordon's books?"
"Oh, no. No, not even close."
"Really?"
"Really. We've never been stuck in the middle of the Saharan Desert before."
"Skulduggery." Valkyrie glared at him in the rearview mirror. "Stop talking."
"Why? We haven't. Gordon's characters seem to enjoy throwing themselves into danger solely for the sake of the danger. We've never done that. We take danger very seriously."
Desmond was staring at him. Skulduggery sighed, turned on the engine, and pulled smoothly out onto the road as soon as everyone's seat belts were buckled. "Your daughter is my partner for a reason. She's taken on grown men and won, every time. She's solved mysteries. She's advancing in both magic and martial arts faster than I've ever seen anyone take to them. She's saved my life, and many others, more than once. She has, in fact, saved the world. Three times, now. There are many people, sorcerers and mortals alike, who would get down on their hands and knees to thank her if they could. Or, indeed, if they knew they owed their lives to her."
He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I'd remember that, before I punished her too hard."
no subject
As a descendant of the Ancients, Skulduggery wondered if Valkyrie was actually capable of learning manipulations of the metaphysical plane. Solomon could do it, to an extent. It was an interesting idea, even if it was one that never got entertained.
"What are you teaching Stephanie?" Desmond asked, the first of no doubt many questions to come.
"Elemental magic," Skulduggery replied. "The quieter course of magic. It's the manipulation of the four elements, and one of two types of magic sorcerers can specialise in. People who practice it, such as myself and Stephanie, are known as Elementals."
Desmond nodded, like he already knew that. Which, Skulduggery remembered, he might well have, if he grew up on the same stories as Gordon. "And what else?"
"What else what?"
"What else are you teaching her? Unless magic changes you physically, Stephanie's doing a lot more than just learning magic."
Skulduggery hesitated, and chose his words carefully. "Being a private detective in a world of magic and wonder is a little different from being a private detective in the world of mundanity. There's more call for self-defence. More call for being able to rely on yourself and your own magic. Stephanie's magic isn't strong enough yet, and won't be for a while. So she's been learning self-defence from several excellent teachers - Kenpo Karate, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, and Capoeira, to name a few forms."
"Why?" Desmond had turned all the way around in his seat. "How dangerous is this work? Is it anything like in Gordon's books?"
"Oh, no. No, not even close."
"Really?"
"Really. We've never been stuck in the middle of the Saharan Desert before."
"Skulduggery." Valkyrie glared at him in the rearview mirror. "Stop talking."
"Why? We haven't. Gordon's characters seem to enjoy throwing themselves into danger solely for the sake of the danger. We've never done that. We take danger very seriously."
Desmond was staring at him. Skulduggery sighed, turned on the engine, and pulled smoothly out onto the road as soon as everyone's seat belts were buckled. "Your daughter is my partner for a reason. She's taken on grown men and won, every time. She's solved mysteries. She's advancing in both magic and martial arts faster than I've ever seen anyone take to them. She's saved my life, and many others, more than once. She has, in fact, saved the world. Three times, now. There are many people, sorcerers and mortals alike, who would get down on their hands and knees to thank her if they could. Or, indeed, if they knew they owed their lives to her."
He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I'd remember that, before I punished her too hard."