"Tanith?" Gothica's small voice asks behind me. I turn and look at the teenage girl. She was clutching the same doll she had arrived in my room with last night in her hand.
"Hey, love. How are you feeling?" I ask walking over to her. She looks down and I lift her chin up with my palm. Her bright blue eyes are filled with tears. I get the image of her father in my mind. His eyes were the brightest blue eyes in the world. They were filled with the emotions he wanted to hide. I guess (as much as I hate to say it) he and Gothica are more alike than anyone thought. They both liked to act tough, but when it came to Valkyrie they were fragile.
I never liked Fletcher all that much. He was annoying- I mean take your annoying little sibling who's always whining and times that by three- that's Fletcher. I'm not saying that he wasn't a good kid. He was smart most of the time, kind, loving, funny, egotistical, and he had a great smile. I guess Gothica shares those traits.
I smile sadly, remembering the day I learned that Fletcher was blown up during his mission. I was last to know due to the remnant.
I look into Gothica's eyes again and an idea comes to mind. Just then Arturius, Ekaterina, and Ghastly come down the steps. I look at Ghastly smiling like a maniac. He looks at me wearily and I nod towards the living room. All the kids see this and rush to the living room knowing by the look on my face that there was something great coming.
Ghastly walks over to me and I wrap my arms around his neck. "What's going on?" he asks. I smile and kiss him.
"I think it's time we take a trip down memory lane," I say, rubbing my hands on his chest. He looks at me unsure. I grab his hand and pull him to the living room. Then I walk to the closet and I rummage around till I find the box filled with pictures of my friends. I walk back and sit in the middle of the floor. Gothica looks at me and sits on the ground to me, still holding that doll of hers.
"Mummy, what's going on?" Ekaterina asks me. She dashes over and sits next to Gothica. Slowly, Ghastly and Arturius walk over and sit around the box.
"Goth?" I say gesturing towards the box.
"Alright," she says, her voice still sounding sad. She reaches for the brown flaps and pulls them open. Inside is a bunch of pictures. Gothica picks the first one up and flips it over so she can see the picture. Her eyes light up in shock. She looks at me eyes wide. "I-is this m-my dad?" she asks holding out the picture for me to see. There it was, one of my favorite photos of Valkyrie and Fletcher. He had teleported the three of us to France and he gave me the camera and swooped Valkyrie up in his arms in front of the Eiffel Tower. I was sort of surprised by her reaction to it. Hadn't she seen a picture of her own father?
"Yeah, that's him," Ghastly says his voice filled with annoyance. "He was . . . special." I looked at my boyfriend and laughed while punching him playfully. "It's true. Don't deny it, Tanith." I looked at him and he leaned forward and kissed me quickly on the cheek.
All day my family and I were looking through the pictures. I couldn't stop from crying here and there when I would tell the kids a memory that has always meant a lot to me. All day I watched Gothica laugh and look at the pictures of her parents. I didn't tell her the main memories-like big missions that involved all of us saving the world or anything about Darquess. She still isn't ready for those. Ghastly and I told her about the memories that involved small missions like stakeouts and Vaurien Scapegrace (before he became "good" and started working for the Sanctuary). We told her of times where all of us would just sit around and laugh and play games.
Before we all knew it, Lev had come home from the meeting he had with some client. I look at the clock and see it's already six-thirty. I walked to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.
I leaned against the fridge and let out a long and quiet sigh. It was hard to go back and remember these photos and memories. I know that I need to do it more often or else I'll never get over Val's death, but when she died, I lost my sister. I close my eyes and remember the day we first met in China's library.
She was so little and unsure then. Back then; I never thought that she would be killed. I never would have guessed that she was supposed to be the destroyer of the world. And I never would have guessed her best friend would be an egotistical skeleton detective.
Since she was twelve, we were close. She was always smart, sweet, funny, kind, amazing, beautiful, brave, and strong. She was a four year old on the inside, there's no denying that. I smile as I remember the first mission we had together. We went through a lot together over the years.
I feel a coldness wrap around me like an embrace. It was welcoming in a strange way. I open my eyes when I hear the faint whisper of, "I love you, Tanith." There wasn't anyone there, but I knew who it was.
"Val?" I say softly. I feel the coldness let go of my waist and grab my hands. I can see a slight shimmer in the air that's shaped like a person. Slowly the shape takes form and becomes denser so I can make out details. It was her. "Val," I explain. She puts her finger to her mouth as if to tell me to be quiet.
"Tanith," her voice is like the wind. It's faint, but noticeable. "Let her go. She can't stay here much longer or else someone's going to get killed," Valkyrie explains. I look at her and then at my family.
"What do you mean?" I ask. I start to think that this is just my imagination, but when she tries to put her hand on the counter and it goes through I know it's real.
"Tanith, just do this for me. Sanguine, he's free you know that. He's working for him."
"For who?" I ask.
"The man who sent those men to kill me. But they failed. I'm not dead, Tanith. My spirit is still here. It's scattered all over and only Gothica can help me. But in order for her to do that, you need to let her go. You need to accept the fact that she can't stay here forever-you've known that from the start." I can feel my eyes water.
"I can't," I say softly. Valkyrie locks her dark eyes on mine.
"You have to."
I hesitate and look back at Gothica. Her dark hair, and pale skin making her look just like her mother did. I know Valkyrie's right. When I first brought Gothica home, I knew something was going to ruin it. I knew that she wouldn't stay with us. "Fine," I say sadly. "But you have to answer me this one question," I tell her.
"What?" Val asks me, cocking her head slightly to the side.
"Who killed you?" I ask her.
Suddenly, I can see the hatred fill her eyes and face. I can see her form start to fade. "Valkyrie, who killed you?" I say quickly but quietly needing the answer before she left.
"Salomon Wreath." Then, she fades to nothing. I stand there unsure of what to do. Wreath? He killed her?
Slowly, I walk out of the kitchen. Ghastly looks up at me. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." I look at him and at Gothica. I know the could tell I was about to cry, but I didn't care right now.
"Ghastly," I say, my voice shaky. "Can you schedule a meeting for me?"
"Um, yeah, with who?"
"Salomon Wreath."
"What's this about, Miss. Low?" Salomon Wreath asks as he walks into the questioning room. His dark hair was combed back and he was wearing his normal dark Necromancy clothing. His walking cane was surrounded with shadows.
"It's about Valkyrie Cain's murder," I say sharply. He looks at me and chuckles.
"And what about it?"
"Where were you that night, Wreath?" He looks at me with shock and disbelief.
"That was eight years ago. How on earth am I supposed to remember that, Tanith?" I look him in the eyes and he averts his gaze for a split second. "I would guess I was home that night."
"You sure?" he shrugs. "A shrug doesn't cut it, Salomon. Where were you?"
"By all due respects, Tanith, I don't know what you're getting at," he points out.
"Stop this crap, Salomon!" I yell. I know that my anger is getting the best of me, but I couldn't help it. You try seeing your best friend that's supposed to be dead again and have her tell you who killed her without being angry.
"What on earth do you mean?"
"I'll say this very slowly. You. Killed. Your. Friend." I can see how agitated he looks when I say this. "Didn't you?" He looks towards the door of the room. "You can't escape, Wreath. There's two cleavers out side that door. Anyways, didn't you ever hear the term 'doors are for people with no imagination?'" I ask him. He looks at me and I smile at his scowl. "Now, tell me, you non-imaginative person, did you or didn't you kill Valkyrie?"
"No." I sigh getting frustrated with him. I hate him. I've always hated him. He never had my complete trust, but he had Val's and I couldn't talk her out of it. He was the one who taught her Necromancy. He was her mentor. He was her friend.
And now, he was her murderer.
"Even if I did kill her- which I didn't mind you- you don't have proof do you, Miss. Low?" Wreath asks me. "Anyways I thought this case was closed. Now, why are you questioning me if it's not a case any longer?" I look at him.
"I got a lead. I followed it. Actual case or not, I am going to find out who killed my friend."
"Then what? You'll obviously track them down. But then what? Through them in jail? Kill them? Let that little monster of a remnant inside of you take control and kill them in the most painful way?" I quickly grab onto him and flip him around, pinning his hand to his back and his body to the wall. He crossed the line with that last remark.
I feel the searing pain on my back again-the pain that happens whenever I'm extremely pissed. I haven't felt it since I found Val dead. Back then I almost lost it. He snickers knowing he's right.
"What will you do, Tanith?"
"Shut up, you dumb ass," I hiss into his ear. "Now, answer my question truthfully and I won't have to call in the Cleavers to arrest you for lying to the law."
"I'm not lying."
"I think you are. And who do you think the Elders will listen to? Me- one of their detectives and the girlfriend of Elder Bespoke, or, you- a Necromancer who has a past of lying?" I can feel him tense up and I know he knows the answer to the question. "So, are you going to tell me the truth?"
"You really are stubborn."
"I like to think of that as a complement, Salomon."
"Alright, I'll tell you. I didn't kill Valkyrie Cain."
"Do you want to test that theory?" I ask flipping him so he could face me.
"And how would we do that? Do you have a video?"
"Nope. I have something better than that. I can see the question in his eyes. "I have an eye witness."