Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Chapter 14

"-to you!"

"Make a wish!" Tanith told her.

Valkyrie thought about it for just a moment and then grinned and blew her candles out.

The Dead Men and Tanith clapped and cheered for her. Her thirteenth birthday, just a few months since Gordon had died and she had become a Dead Man in Waiting, and they had given her everything she had wanted for her birthday right down to baking her a cake and covering it in a sickly amount of sweet buttercream and then covered that in a mini pink and white marshmallows for fun. Rumour in the manor was that Wolf had baked it, meaning it would be good, but Bear had been pushed into placing, very carefully, all the tiny marshmallows and Valkyrie couldn't think of a better cake. Not to mention to the pile of presents they had gotten her and the large lunch they had just returned from for her birthday.

"What did you wish for?" Snake immediately asked for.

Panda hit him on the back of the head. "That's bad luck. Don't tell the idiot."

Snake rubbed the back of his head and winked at her. Instead, he said, "I want some of that cake!"

Tanith pulled the cake over and cut a big piece for everyone so the cake was gone but they all got to laugh over the hunk they received. Tanith had gotten her a training sword and a promise of training her into a 'The' master weaponist whilst the others got her gifts in their usual ways. Crow got her a few books on magic, mostly beginners material on several branches of magic, as well as two hard hats and no particular reason at all for the hats. Bear got her a charm for the bracelet he had given her years ago and a photo frame in which she wanted to put a picture of her family, the men and woman in front of her, within. Panda, since he had made her several protective things by now, simply made her a very pretty dress and had also given her some matching shoes she loved – her first pair of heals too, which she was very excited and nervous about wearing despite them only being a little more than two inches. Wolf got her an exquisite looking, finely detailed music box that could be wound to play an entire song that was just beautiful. Inside she had also found a pretty ankle bracelet and the smooth, inexpensive black ring she had seen with Tanith a while back and really liked. He had covered every base with his gifts!

Snake had bought her some questionable things, and likely the most. When she had woken up she had been somehow surrounded in her sleep by presents all by him. He had thought it was a competition, and if it was, he won by quantity hands down. He had gotten her socks, a massive water gun, some nice makeup things she'd need to watch YouTube to be able to use, a nice jacket, sparkle body wash that would leave her covered in glitter, some nice pens, all new school supplies in camo colours as well as a backpack that was a essentially a shrunken army bag, a box of chocolates, a birthday badge, and a big card that had several vouchers including one to get her nails done, another for her hair and money for a nice spa nearby. Since she had woken earlier than everyone – even Skulduggery had been meditating still - she had pulled herself from her bed, gathered the wrapping paper and quietly snuck into his room and places in on top of him. When they had woken each other up to surprise her, they had found Snake snoring under piles of pink wrapping paper and laughed at him, and Valkyrie had left her room already dressed and makeup-ed after said videos. Needless to say, they had been more surprised than her.

Finally, Weasel had bought them all tickets to see a show in a few days as well as them all putting their money together to get her a joint present. A pretty ballgown for the ball that night.

She was incredibly excited. There was meant to be mages her age there and she was apparently the hot topic of the magical world since Crow had been taking her out almost every day for cases in which she was ruthlessly able to take criminals down that other detectives had seemingly no chance. Crow blamed his teaching skills. All the time she got away from his ego had been spent laughing, training, learning, researching, and most importantly, magic.

Grinning to herself, Valkyrie finished off the last of her cake and looked around the table. Her strange family was happy too, even Crow and Weasel who didn't always seem as happy as she wanted them to be, nor as happy as they wanted to seem. Slowly, she was making them happier. With the little pranks and other ideas she had to keep them on their toes, she knew they'd be even happier soon.

Valkyrie helped Tanith clear the table and they went to the kitchen to wash up, Valkyrie had volunteered to be able to talk with her sister, and they got to work on the dishes. "Are you enjoying your day?" Tanith asked.

"Of course," she said. "Thank you, by the way. It's really fun. And I'm so excited to go out tonight!"

"Yes, there should be lots of boys," Tanith smirked. "And girls too, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to make friends."

Valkyrie nodded. "I need some of those. Since mine ignore me so much."

"Such a deprived girl."

"Tragic really."

"You should try being nicer," Tanith grinned. "Then your friends might like you more."

They bumped hips and smiled. "But what about you?" Valkyrie asked. "Anyone for you at the party?"

Tanith snorted. "We'll just have to see. I'm having a good time here you know, so if someone wants to ask I'll certainly consider it but I have no intention of making a change myself. Anyway, I have to focus on helping you date first!"

"Who says I want to date?" Valkyrie blushed. "I never said I would."

Tanith rolled her eyes. "You don't have to tonight, but you will one day, and then I'll be ready!"

"But it's a ball, and I can't dance, so there's not much point in that," she pointed out. "They'd ask me to dance with them and I'd stand on them, stand on my dress – oh God, Tanith, this is a bad idea."

"You'll be fine."

"I'm going to embarrass myself completely. I'll never be able to go out again. I'll never make new friends let alone get someone stupid enough to love me!"

"And this is why you need me for dating," Tanith stated. "Let's finish this and we can ask someone to teach you to dance a little."

"This is going to be awful."

.*****.

"Valkyrie, we're going to be late if you don't come right now!" Panda yelled up the stairs.

Valkyrie shouted back, "I'm coming!" and then very, very carefully applied her mascara. One eye… careful… careful… second… eye… complete! She quickly applied lip gloss and took a step back to look over her full look. She was in her ballgown, a deep blue, almost black, dress with spaghetti straps and a corset, though only with ribbing, not to make her waist smaller, and the skirt was several layers of dramatic 'waves' with a very thin band of gold on the seam of those 'waves' of material. She didn't know what else to call them.

She looked young still, but also a young woman with a bold personality that knows what she wants and likes. Certainly older than thirteen. Her arms, that were already beginning to gain a significant amount of muscle in the few months she had really been training, made her fit much better with Tanith in her golden, A-line dress with a dramatic open back and beautifully straightened hair. Valkyrie had spent a long time sitting as Tanith curled her own into gentle waves and overall, she knew she looked incredible. Hopefully, she'd have someone to ask her out. Or to dance at least. That was her age. She'd already put a ban on her family dancing with her since that would look too desperate for attention on her part.

Grabbing her phone and, tucking it into the little silver clutch as well as her money, she carefully clip-clopped out her room and down the stairs.

They all watched her descend and she found herself blushing. "How do I look?"

"Wonderful," Wolf said immediately.

"They'll be all over you," Weasel added.

"Mature," Panda said sadly. "You remember what I said earlier?"

"Yes. No boys, especially of the older variety, no alcohol, no drugs, not hand holding, no thinking of boys and if they touch, want to touch or think about coming near me I will tell you," she recited again.

"Unless they're nice," Tanith smirked from the doorway where they were meant to be walking through to the cars. "In which case tell me and I'll arrange to have them threatened and then you can see them as much as you want."

"We're going to be late," Valkyrie laughed. They all looked through to the clock in the living area they rarely went in and it did tell them the party was about to start and they hadn't even left.

They all got into the cars that had been waiting for them and they were taken off to the party. Valkyrie, unfortunately for her, was made to go in the car with Bear, Crow and Panda while the other four went in the other car. It was quiet the whole way, obviously.

Just as they were getting out the car, Bear put an arm around her shoulder. "Just so you know, you can ask the girls out too."

Valkyrie glanced up at him. "What do you mean? Of course, I know that."

"I mean, if you like someone, you might need to initiate that. You are all young, at least I hope you pick someone your age. So, they may not know what they want. If you ask, you're more likely of getting a date, or dance, though be wary of rejection. People don't know what they want. They don't always imagine dating a girl until it is presented to them. Don't be scared. Be bold. Be you. It might just take a few tries getting the right one."

Valkyrie nodded, blushing but taking the advice as it was. "Thank you. I'll remember."

"I know you will," he said, straightening from his whisper. "You're our apprentice, our mock-child, our friend. We'll always be here for you."

She quickly hugged him and then they caught up with the others just as they got to the steps of the mansion. "What is this party by the way?"

"It's a fancy one," Wolf said.

"It's for rich people to show off," Crow added. "They invite people like us to look rich and important. We're always more popular than they are."

Valkyrie snorted. "Your damn ego."

"My ego is perfect. Now shush, you're going to embarrass us all talking too much."

"Because I'm the one that talks too much," she muttered with a grin, getting him to glance back at her with what she imagined was a smirk and wink. Weasel got their names checked off – Valkyrie had her name specifically on the list but Tanith was a plus one for "whoever" as Saracen said. No one knew who the man decided who her date was so she rolled her eyes at Saracen who raised his eyebrows at him.

She linked her arm into Panda's and stuck her tongue out at Saracen. "I chose already. Find someone else."

Panda looked pretty smug.

The hall was massive and gleaming all by itself, but they went up the large staircase and up into the ballroom directly across from the stairs with massive, wide open doors and men with deadly looking scythes on either side. The ballroom itself was massive once Valkyrie was half carried up the stairs by Bear who had let her hold his arm in support, with three chandeliers and windows at the very end that showed the grounds of the mansion beyond, showing both the wealth and size of the building and it's owner. Somehow, Valkyrie felt better knowing she had a mansion in comparison. If she didn't, it would have been very daunting in this hall but though hers was not as grand, she had ballrooms she played in that made this easier and her more relaxed.

There was a lot of people. They all looked at the Dead Men when they entered, as they usually did when they went anywhere, but much of it was appreciative of their fine suits and general good looks, such as they were on a skeleton and, obviously, Ghastly Bespoke.

One side of the room had gorgeous art and several clusters of women and men talking privately. On the other side was the more social side where everyone was moving from one group to another with smiles and conversation, and rumours she imagined. A bar had been set up in the top left corner with mostly men hanging around as well as what was likely wives and the occasional muscular woman that likely didn't socialise with anyone from their hardened eyes, so, they were there for the alcohol. The looked like the only one's Valkyrie would get on with.

The middle was taken up by the dancing, which wasn't packed but there was a lot of movement and beauty. The young people Valkyrie had been promised wasn't obvious at first as they were greeted by a greedy-looking woman with a fake smile and too much jewellery but a nice voice. The young ones were all talking and standing around the window at the back. Some of them looked over when she did, and she carefully looked them all over before pretending to listen in to the conversation again.

They all looked a little older or younger than her. She was the awkward middle. Damn.

They finished being interviewed by the host's mistress, as Snake had told her with a wink earlier, and they went to find the host who was by the bar with some other large men, many of them with scars and one with a lot of pock marks to help the scars stand out. Strolling carefully and keeping with Bear, they went to the host.

"Oh!" He said when he caught a look at them, pushing his previous guest aside roughly. "Oh! If it isn't the Dead Men! Goodness, I didn't expect you to come at all."

"Well, we have a celebration of our own," Crow said. "So, we thought we could treat our Ward at the same time as… socialising ourselves."

"And what celebration is that?" He asked. He had incredibly white teeth, dark eyes and short dark hair. Though he grinned, he didn't seem jolly more so than predatory. Valkyrie knew that it was purely a collector hunt though – the need for the perfect friends, the perfect connections, and if someone got in trouble the Dead Men were perfect as both.

"Valkyrie Cain's birthday," Weasel said smoothly. He looked pretty relaxed which surprised Valkyrie. She thought he would get overexcited.

"Ah!" He said, looking at her as Panda, Tanith and Snake parted to give him a proper look. "Why, don't you look sophisticated. I'd expect nothing more from Gordon Edgley's daughter, though you're far prettier of course. And how old are you?"

"Thirteen today, sir," she said. She didn't bother correcting him, a lot of mages that knew Gordon thought she was his daughter. It was the eyes.

"Congratulations, Miss Cain," he said. "I was quite fond of your father, you know. I was very sad to hear he died. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He held his hand out to shake and she did, having to let go of Bear to do so. "I don't think I was told your name."

"Peter Gifre," he said. He stepped forward slightly and said, as if just occurring to him, "You should allow me to get you a celebratory drink, and then I'll introduce you to my son, Billy."

He didn't let her answer, but she heard the others follow behind to the bar and Mr Gifre got them all drinks they wanted before turning back to Valkyrie. "And what do you want my dear? I don't suppose your guardians would allow you a small wine?"

Crow, gently placing a hand on the shoulder Mr Gifre wasn't holding and sliding it over to force, without touching, him to get off her, responded. "I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible tonight. If Valkyrie wishes to be a Sanctuary Detective she should begin her career well, don't you think?"

Mr Gifre nodded. "Of course, of course, just a little joke of course. How about a coke, or orange drink?"

Valkyrie accepted the J2O in a thin, tall glass and even had a pink straw. "Happy birthday," the bar waitress said quietly but politely.

"Thank you," she said, taking it before Mr Gifre had a chance.

"Come, allow me to introduce you to the 'teen' corner," Mr Gifre said. "I imagine you'll be very popular, my dear, you are absolutely stunning. You could rise to the top of society here with looks like yours and your lovely voice."

He prattled on and they very slowly made their way to the 'teen corner' as he said it, with just Bear coming behind them as support. She hadn't realised she required the escort but since it was Bear, she didn't mind so much. He, out of everyone, she would repeat things too before having the confidence to do so with anyone else. She could trust him not to tell anyone her secrets.

"Billy," Mr Gifre said immediately, and a tall boy obviously at least four years older than her, came over dully, though he did look her over with a small smile when his father looked away, only to see Bear behind her and the smile disappeared, as well as most the blood in his face.

"Billy, this is Valkyrie Cain, the young woman we've been hearing so much about recently," Mr Gifre said conversely. "I want you to be her personal guide tonight. Introduce her to your friends, the other young men and women here, and all the other people that will want to meet her, and I assure you it will be almost everyone. Could you do that for me?"

"Yes, father," he said, glancing over at Bear again who was doing something behind Valkyrie. It was very amusing.

"Good lad," he turned and too saw Bear behind them. "Oh, Shudder, you almost gave me a fright. Miss Cain, don't hesitate to ask for anything. Billy will get you all the drinks you want for your birthday, understand? I'll see you again, I hope."

With a last look at his son and then Bear, he left to see someone else and Bear gave her shoulder a squeeze and she a kiss on his cheek before she was left to Billy's mercy though, only by a hundred yards.

OOOOOHHHH I know what happens next and you will want to! Tell me things that you think might happen. I need to know! :D

I'm going to post the next one tonight anyway so it barely matters I'm too excited haha! (also, I'm sorry it says 'though' so much, I was in a 'though' mood)