"He was, essentially, brainwashed," Skulduggery explained further. "Now he's not. Just think of it that way, and you'll be fine."
"I don't hang around anyone who's still evil," Valkyrie assured her mother. "Promise. They're all either reformed, or on the dark-grey part of the evil scale."
It was sort of meant to be a joke, but not even her father laughed. He didn't so much as crack a smile. Maybe he could sense that a part of Valkyrie was completely serious, maybe he wasn't amused, or maybe he just didn't hear her. He had that look about him that he got sometimes, usually when he was trying to remember what it was that he forgot. Either way, Valkyrie thought it was probably best not to add anything more to the conversation.
"In our defence," said Erskine, "most of us only met her a week ago. Dexter there, myself, and the Grand Mage. I actually thought she was over eighteen, at first. She's certainly tall enough to be."
Skulduggery's head tilted, and an eyebrow raised. "You met her over a year ago, Erskine."
"Once. Fleetingly. Thank you, Skulduggery, that was much appreciated."
"Alright, hang on a second here." Valkyrie's father stepped forward, dropping Melissa's hand. "Unlike my beautiful wife here, I'm not going to start kneeing anyone in the groin if I don't like the answers to our questions. I will get upset if we don't get answers, though. Here's what I've got so far." He pointed at Solomon. "Blind mind-reading Elder who used to be brainwashed and evil, but isn't anymore, and can manipulate the lifestream. What the hell is the lifestream? Wait, never mind, that's not important." His finger moved to each of the others in turn as he kept speaking, heedless of the fact that Valkyrie was quietly groaning. "Not-blind Elder who can create illusions of himself. Magical janitor who probably has Merlin-like skills of cleaning. Living skeleton detective who was friends with my late brother. Elder with... some heretofore undiscovered form of magic. And then there's a Grand Mage. How am I doing?"
"I'm an Elemental," Erskine corrected him with an amused smile. "Otherwise, close enough."
"Are all sorcerers so pretentious?"
"Oh, you should hear some of our names. Short answer, yes."
Valkyrie could still scarcely believe this was happening. Erskine Ravel, talking about magic with her father in the Sanctuary. This couldn't be happening. Maybe she'd wake up and it would all be a dream.
Skulduggery had stepped over next to her while her father talked, and when she looked up at the detective, he nodded. "See?" he told her, voice lowered so only she could hear. "Just imagine how much worse the fallout might have been if you waited to tell them until you graduated."
Valkyrie stared at him in disbelief. "Are we watching the same two people here?"
"With remarkably different perceptions, I take it."
"They are going to kill me. I've never seen Mum this angry. They are going to ground me for life, Skulduggery. I've never been grounded before. I don't know how to be grounded. I don't think my parents even know how to ground me."
"Well, you can learn together."
"You'll rescue me, though, right?"
Skulduggery gave her a look that was all too clear, what with his face still up and all. "From what? From a loving family that cares about you and wants to keep you safe?"
"Exactly."
Skulduggery shook his head. "Probably not, no."
Valkyrie glared down at the ground, but she didn't try to argue. He had a point. Her parents had points. Hell, even her unborn little sister had a point. They all had points. They all had very annoying points that were going to make her life incredibly boring for the next few years, with nothing but memories to tide her over. "Sorry," she murmured.
"Sorry?"
"For Mum. What she did in the car."
"Ah." To Valkyrie's amazement, Skulduggery chuckled. "You have nothing to be sorry over."
"Would you have?" she asked. "If you could go back and do the whole thing over again, would you have told my parents right away?"
"No."
But he wouldn't stop them from punishing her now. Valkyrie had no idea if that was responsible or not. Or whether she was grateful for it or not. "What about when I turn eighteen, and they can't tell me what to do anymore? Can I come back?"
"Well, that's not up to me, is it?"
"Yeah, but can I still be your partner?"
Skulduggery's look turned... odd. Warm, almost. "Valkyrie, you'll always be my partner. You're my partner right now. You'll be my partner a year from now. If I have to give you some time off, I consider that a fair price to pay."
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"I don't hang around anyone who's still evil," Valkyrie assured her mother. "Promise. They're all either reformed, or on the dark-grey part of the evil scale."
It was sort of meant to be a joke, but not even her father laughed. He didn't so much as crack a smile. Maybe he could sense that a part of Valkyrie was completely serious, maybe he wasn't amused, or maybe he just didn't hear her. He had that look about him that he got sometimes, usually when he was trying to remember what it was that he forgot. Either way, Valkyrie thought it was probably best not to add anything more to the conversation.
"In our defence," said Erskine, "most of us only met her a week ago. Dexter there, myself, and the Grand Mage. I actually thought she was over eighteen, at first. She's certainly tall enough to be."
Skulduggery's head tilted, and an eyebrow raised. "You met her over a year ago, Erskine."
"Once. Fleetingly. Thank you, Skulduggery, that was much appreciated."
"Alright, hang on a second here." Valkyrie's father stepped forward, dropping Melissa's hand. "Unlike my beautiful wife here, I'm not going to start kneeing anyone in the groin if I don't like the answers to our questions. I will get upset if we don't get answers, though. Here's what I've got so far." He pointed at Solomon. "Blind mind-reading Elder who used to be brainwashed and evil, but isn't anymore, and can manipulate the lifestream. What the hell is the lifestream? Wait, never mind, that's not important." His finger moved to each of the others in turn as he kept speaking, heedless of the fact that Valkyrie was quietly groaning. "Not-blind Elder who can create illusions of himself. Magical janitor who probably has Merlin-like skills of cleaning. Living skeleton detective who was friends with my late brother. Elder with... some heretofore undiscovered form of magic. And then there's a Grand Mage. How am I doing?"
"I'm an Elemental," Erskine corrected him with an amused smile. "Otherwise, close enough."
"Are all sorcerers so pretentious?"
"Oh, you should hear some of our names. Short answer, yes."
Valkyrie could still scarcely believe this was happening. Erskine Ravel, talking about magic with her father in the Sanctuary. This couldn't be happening. Maybe she'd wake up and it would all be a dream.
Skulduggery had stepped over next to her while her father talked, and when she looked up at the detective, he nodded. "See?" he told her, voice lowered so only she could hear. "Just imagine how much worse the fallout might have been if you waited to tell them until you graduated."
Valkyrie stared at him in disbelief. "Are we watching the same two people here?"
"With remarkably different perceptions, I take it."
"They are going to kill me. I've never seen Mum this angry. They are going to ground me for life, Skulduggery. I've never been grounded before. I don't know how to be grounded. I don't think my parents even know how to ground me."
"Well, you can learn together."
"You'll rescue me, though, right?"
Skulduggery gave her a look that was all too clear, what with his face still up and all. "From what? From a loving family that cares about you and wants to keep you safe?"
"Exactly."
Skulduggery shook his head. "Probably not, no."
Valkyrie glared down at the ground, but she didn't try to argue. He had a point. Her parents had points. Hell, even her unborn little sister had a point. They all had points. They all had very annoying points that were going to make her life incredibly boring for the next few years, with nothing but memories to tide her over. "Sorry," she murmured.
"Sorry?"
"For Mum. What she did in the car."
"Ah." To Valkyrie's amazement, Skulduggery chuckled. "You have nothing to be sorry over."
"Would you have?" she asked. "If you could go back and do the whole thing over again, would you have told my parents right away?"
"No."
But he wouldn't stop them from punishing her now. Valkyrie had no idea if that was responsible or not. Or whether she was grateful for it or not. "What about when I turn eighteen, and they can't tell me what to do anymore? Can I come back?"
"Well, that's not up to me, is it?"
"Yeah, but can I still be your partner?"
Skulduggery's look turned... odd. Warm, almost. "Valkyrie, you'll always be my partner. You're my partner right now. You'll be my partner a year from now. If I have to give you some time off, I consider that a fair price to pay."