"Therefore the parallelogram is made of four ninety degree angles... I think."
Valkyrie put her pen down and massaged her hand. There had to be an easier way to do this torture that is her homework. Her reflection doing it was admittedly marginally better but she still had to suffer through the memory of having a cramped hand and the confusion that came with these damn theorems. But there was another reason she'd never use the reflection from her wardrobe again. She shivered at the memory of the chaos it had caused the last time.
She leant back in her swivel chair and jumped as her phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the display screen. Ghastly. She hit the green button.
"Hello?"
But instead of the light-hearted deep tones of Ghastly Bespoke, another voice answered. A silky smooth, cultured male voice.
"Hello Valkyrie. I hear yourself and Tanith have an epic tale to tell."
"Hey Skulduggery," she smiled. "Yes we do as a matter of fact. Had Ghastly told you anything?"
"No," a slightly irritable tone crept into his voice but Valkyrie could hear the smile. "I have considered thumbscrews and other various forms of torture but i figured calling you would be less messy."
"Speaking of which, why are you calling on Ghastly's phone?"
"Dramatic effect."
Valkyrie waited.
"My phone died okay?"
Valkyrie laughed. He hadn't changed. "So where do you want to meet?"
"Ghastly's. There's food there as far as i know. Will we pick you up?"
"No its okay I'll call Fletcher," she said and hung up.
Minutes later Fletcher Renn was standing in her room, his hair the immaculate mess as always. They kissed briefly and teleported to Bespoke Tailors.
They arrived ahead of Skulduggery and Ghastly. As always it was raining in the heart of Dublin. Valkyrie drew her hood over her head and Fletcher (who never wore hooded tops) stood in a piece of shelter that failed as a shelter. It had no 'raison d'être' as Skulduggery put it. She smiled. Valkyrie had managed to persuade Fletcher to stop teleporting straight into people's houses. Valkyrie could hear him grumbling over the pitter patter of the rain drops. They became alert as they heard the low growl of a motorbike approaching.
The motorbike pulled up and a young woman swung her legs over the side and kicked the stand on one swift sleek movement. If Valkyrie tried and practised for a thousand years, she would never have been able to pull that move of as gracefully. Unless landing on her arse qualified as graceful, she added in her head.
The woman pulled off her darkened helmet to reveal a familiar flow of dark blonde hair and slightly tanned complexion. She had the sort of tom-boy beauty people paid for. Her name was Tanith Low, freelance bounty hunter from London.
"Hey Val," she greeted Valkyrie with a hug. She turned to Fletcher and gave him a hug as well. "What's going on Fletcher?"
Even though he and Valkyrie were now officially dating, Fletcher never seemed to be able to get enough of Tanith Low. Yet somehow, Valkyrie was alright with his infatuation. Valkyrie knew that if Fletcher tried anything Tanith would drop kick him to Timbuktu. Apparently she had done it before but for different reasons (and not to Fletcher).
"Skul and Ghastly not here yet?" she said looking around.
"No not yet," Valkyrie replied.
"Jesus if you didn't know any better you'd think they were ga- Ghastly!" she was cut off by Ghastly's head popping out the front door.
"Sorry Skulduggery parked round back," he smiled in greeting at his guests. "What were you saying Tanith?
Tanith tried desperately to laugh it off. "Oh," she laughed nervously. "Eh, nothing y'know? Just making small talk!"
Ghastly raised his eyebrows sceptically, but stood aside to let his guests in.
As Valkyrie, Fletcher and Tanith walked in, Skulduggery was in the bathroom. This really was the first time he had been alone to contemplate the changes he had been through. He had gotten his body back. He sat on the edge of the bath. But what did that mean? How in the name of everything he had been through was he supposed to solve this mystery? Well with Valkyrie and Tanith here maybe he could finally find out. He left the bathroom and went straight into the kitchen and made a beeline for the fridge.
Sifting through the contents of the fridge he found everything needed to be micro waved, toasted, oven cooked or grilled. Damn I'm hungry, he thought. He remembered back to the 1800s where if you got fed twice a day you were considered lucky. And now look at him. Barely an hour after lunch and he was hungry again.
"Skul!"
Skulduggery jerked and hit his head off the top of the fridge. He turned around to see the leather clad Tanith laughing at his head verses fridge showdown. Surprise and confusion masked his face until he moulded it into a slightly bemused expression. He smiled and hugged Tanith in greeting.
"Hey Tanith, long time no see." Hello... what was this he was feeling? "How've you been? They stepped back.
"Oh y'know, nothing Professor Grouse couldn't handle," she laughed.
"Where's Valkyrie?"
"In the living room with Fletcher and Ghastly. Has he told you anything?"
"Not even a speck of useful information has been given to me by anyone... except that Michael Jackson died."
"I know right? I had tickets to his concert in London and all!"
They walked into the sitting room but Skulduggery stopped short when he spotted Valkyrie. She had grown, well that's what happens after two years, but her eyes had hardened and her coat... there was something strange going on with her coat. Like it was collecting shadows.
"Hey guys, look who I found!" Tanith dragged Skulduggery the rest of the way. He was still staring at the hem of Valkyrie's coat.
"Skulduggery!" Valkyrie squealed. She ran over and threw her arms around his neck. As she stepped back she noticed the smile on Skulduggery's face didn't meet his eyes. What was wrong with him?
"Hello, Valkyrie," he replied as she squinted slightly at his face. "Anything interesting happen while I was... away?"
This statement made her forget Skulduggery's expression instantly. She felt she was going to explode. She needed a way to tell Skulduggery everything at once. Hastily Ghastly stood up. "I'll make some tea," he suggested and left the room.
Minutes later, five mugs of tea and coffee and a plate of biscuits (as per usual in an Irish home) lay spread out on the table. Valkyrie watched Skulduggery savour his coffee. He had never tasted it before. When he had been alive for the twenty six years he had only tried tea once (and hated the stuff) and only because he had broken into Lord Vile's house looking for information the box of tea had 'just been sitting there'. He said it had been too good an opportunity to pass up. After half an hour of small talk Valkyrie sat forward.
"Alright Skulduggery what basically happened was-"
Ghastly's phone rang. Valkyrie howled in frustration. She had been looking for an opening the last half hour! He passed it to Skulduggery after answering it. "It's for you. And charge your phone for God's sake."
Skulduggery raised an eyebrow. "Hello?"
"Hello, Detective," a velvety female voice wafted into his ear. "I hear you've left the cinema." China's disapproving tone was evident. "Where are you now?"
"Ghastly's," he replied, leaning back into his chair. "About to find out how I got back so..."
"Fine, catch up on the history. Afterwards i may have a case for you."
"By the looks of things I'll see you tomorrow."
He hung up and looked at Valkyrie. "Okay first things first," Skulduggery pointed to the hem of Valkyrie's coat. "I see you've changed disciplines. Who's your instructor?"
"Wreath." Valkyrie's eyes widened. He noticed already?
"I see," he waved a hand. "Carry on."
Valkyrie took a breath and began to speak.