Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain stood in front of Grand Mage Ravel, Elder Ghastly and Madame Mist as they were briefed on the next case. Valkyrie was, for lack of a better term, bored. Extremely so. She forced herself to focus of Ghastly's words; "Literally exploded. Was there, then was not. 27 in four days. I just, how?" Skulduggery nodded his understanding, no doubt already having a list of suspects. Then China Sorrows uncharacteristically barged in through the doors, with a very flustered Tipstaff following hastily behind, insisting that China leave immediately. She did not. Skulduggery didn't even waste a second glance, merely turned to look who it was, then briskly turned the other way. "Skulduggery," Sorrows breathed, "It's Ezra. We've found her."
Skulduggery stilled. Ghastly and Ravel paled. Everybody seemed to be holding their breath. Valkyrie looked around her. "Who...?" she uttered. No one answered. Ghastly spoke up. "You're... you're sure? He asked in a soft voice. China curtly nodded once. Finally Ravel found his voice. "Drop everything, your new mission is getting Ezra Bloom. Bring her back to us." He said, Madame Mist opening her mouth to object but was promptly ignored. Skulduggery turned on his heel and walked out, Valkyrie speed-walking to keep up. "Skulduggery... Skulduggery!" He stopped, Valkyrie nearly crashing into him. He tilted his head. "Who is Ezra Bloom?" He looked down at her, and for a moment Valkyrie wasn't sure if he was going to answer. China and Tipstaff were walking towards them to the exit.
"My sister. Ezra Bloom is my sister."

Annie Day sat in her new room in the children's home. Her bright blue eyes looked around her, unsure of what to do or how to feel. Her parents abandoned her when she was a baby. So she'd gone from place to place without ever actually being adopted. She didn't mind, she was content so long as she had people to talk to and music to listen to. She got up and wandered around. There was the kitchen, with mismatched chairs and plates, then a living room of sorts, with three tattered sofas, a coffee table and two arm chairs. Little children crammed themselves onto the couch directly in front of the TV, enthusiastically yelling over the game they were currently playing. One looked up at her and smiled, and she smiled back. She then wandered outside to where teenagers her age sat in the summer sun. A girl with dark skin but warm eyes gestured for her to come over, and Annie did. "Hey!" the girl said, to which Annie replied "Hello."
"What's your name again?"
"I'm Annie, and you?" she asked, holding her hand out. The girl shook it, while saying "Chloe." Annie nodded, gesturing around herself. "So, do you like it here?" Chloe shrugged, "It's not bad. Frank and Beth are really nice, just some of the other kids are a bit..." She shrugged again, biting her lip. Then the window on the top floor smashed, raining glass upon them. Annie raised her arm defensively, then looked up to see a brute of boy seething from the now empty window pane. A boy who was sitting on the grass swore under his breath, clearly used to these outbursts but not approving.
He caught her eye. "Welcome to the Home."

Skulduggery and Valkyrie were sat in the beautiful black beast that was the Bentley outside of a highschool an hour or so outside of Haggard. "What are we even doing here? Isn't it creepy? I feel creepy." Valkyrie complained.
"Why's that?" Skulduggery mumbled.
"Because we are sitting outside of a highschool staring at teenagers!"
"You say that like you're not a teenager."
"Yes but I'm a teenager sitting in a noticeable car with a man who has sunglasses, a hat and a scarf on. That's... well-"
"Creepy?"
"Exactly! I mean it's just-"
"Wait." Skulduggery said in a quiet voice, raising his hand for silence. Valkyrie followed his line of sight to a girl with blonde... No, no not blonde. Gold hair. Like a soft gold, like you're looking at the sun through a window stained yellow, and piercing blue eyes. She was talking to a black girl and a boy with ginger hair. She threw her head back and laughed and Skulduggery's breath hitched. He was seeing his sister for the first time in four hundred years. Valkyrie was willing to bet it was taking all his will power not get out of the car and go to her. He'd scare her; her personality had been changed by who ever kidnapped her to begin with. Skulduggery started the car and pulled away without saying a word. They drove in silence for fifteen minutes. Then Valkyrie couldn't take it. "Tell me about her." She said. Skulduggery was silent for a moment, then started talking.
"She was my best friend. We fought together in the war with Malevolent. That's when she went missing. I thought she was dead. For all these years. But here she is, still laughing." He chuckled to himself, then continued. "She never took the first hit."
"What, really?"
"Really. Never killed unless she absolutely had to. She would always seek the alternative, knock them out or restrain them. Never hit. She was too good for war, but I asked her, and she did. I should have never asked her. She was a Dead Man."
"I thought it was the seven of you...?"
"We didn't find anyone who could replace her, anyone who wanted to. There's no doubt you noticed her hair, right?"
"It's gold. How could I miss?"
Skulduggery nodded. "You know the magic ponds under Gordon's house? People attempted to drown her in there, but she managed to survive. Now she is the strongest elemental to ever live. Ever. Her power... isn't like ours. It's unique; no one has ever seen it before."
"What's it like? What can she do?" He chuckled.
"You'll have to wait and see."
So we can get her back, Valkyrie thought to herself.
Two hours later and the Dead Men, Valkyrie, Fletcher and China were gathered in Ghastly's tailor. Dexter Vex, Saracen Rue and Anton Shudder had all been told that Skulduggery had very important news and were getting irritated at the wait. "It's big." Rue said knowingly. "It's to do with the Dead Men's past, but I got nothing else." He said truthfully. Skulduggery unnecessarily cleared his throat and began. "We have found Ezra Bloom. She is alive. Her memories of magic have been wiped by whoever took her, but she is alive and well. I've contacted Cassandra, Finbar and Deacon, and they say they can lift the barrier. But it will be painful for her-"
"Do it." Dexter said, pale.
"We can still do it. the problem is, they need to get to know her. They must know her, her mind and the way it works to be able to get through the barriers. So this is my proposition. Saracen and China pretend to be married, and adopt her." He said shortly. It took a moment for it to sink in the room, and Valkyrie still wasn't sue why Skulduggery was trusting China, but she promised herself she'd ask him later. China spoke first. "Anything for Ezra." Valkyrie looked at her incredulously. She's never said anything like that before. Saracen shrugged then said "I'm hurt that you feel I look the most dad-like of you all."
But it was planned. Saracen and China would pretend to be married and adopt Ezra Bloom, known as Annie Day, while introducing Finbar as her cousin, Cassandra as her grandmother and Deacon as her uncle. They had to be sly and inconspicuous. Whoever took her are good, too good. Deacon said that places and words can upset the balance, and if that happened, her brain would shut down. She would die. So they would keep her, China and Saracen at Dexter's, while Dexter stayed with Skulduggery. The house was to be under constant surveillance. Valkyrie and Fletcher would enlist in her school and become her friend. Dexter and Anton would get jobs in the school. Ghastly, Ravel and Skulduggery would go between keeping watch and trying to find the people who took her to begin with. It had to be precise. It had to be perfect. If any of them let the cover down for a moment, it would go to ruins.