Okay, let's make it clear; I'm Indian. I'm just super plastic. Everything in hindi is coming from me and if it's too terrible, let me know in the comments with a fix. K continue with your regularly scheduled program.

"What do you mean 'Valkyrie's out of the country for the a few weeks'?" Robin pouted, "Who else am I supposed to have a slumber party with?"

"You have a husband for that," Ghastly told him, marking the fabric he was working with in white chalk. He had started working on Valkyrie's ball dress, not sure if she would end up wearing it if she didn't come back soon. Oh well, it gave him something to do.

"He doesn't want to play League of Legends with me all night."

"Nobody wants to do that," Ghastly informed him deftly.

"So, did Satya say why the two of them have decided to go on holiday?" Robin asked, sticking his feet on top of the patterns table.

Ghastly shoved them off with a glare. "No, she didn't but she said they'll explain everything when they get back," He said, smacking the back of the other man's head.

"No need."

"Oh, fun's here!"

Ghastly glared at the redhead, "I'll remember that," He promised him, "The next time you decide you feel like baking in my kitchen."

"Don't worry, Robin," Saracen said with a grin, "I'll let you into my kitchen."

"Your kitchen is the size of my toilet," Ghastly muttered under his breath, "Where's Dexter?"

"He went to the Sanctuary, a case came up," Saracen answered.

"So, do you know where Valkyrie and Satya are?" Robin asked accusingly, "Mr-I-Know-Things?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Saracen said, "India."

Ghastly froze.

"Wait, wait, wait-" Robin sat up, waving his hands, "Pause game. India as in Satya's home country India? As in that country where her sister is currently running a Necromancy Temple for wayward girls?"

"No, I was talking about the takeout across the street," Saracen said dryly.

"Why would she go there?" Ghastly asked. And more importantly, why didn't she say anything to him? After their conversation about honesty and secrets?

"That I don't know."

"More importantly, why would she take Valkyrie with her?" Robin mused.

"I don't know."

"Bet that killed you to say," Robin said with a cheeky grin. Saracen pulled a face at him.

Ghastly went back to marking, pulling away the brown paper patterns, thinking hard. Satya hadn't seen her sister Mastani for two hundred years, in fact, it wasn't long after her son and husband were killed that she went there and only the Dead Men knew what it was really for; to seal her name.

Ghastly was the only person who knew what exactly happened in the three visions Cassandra had shown Valkyrie, Skulduggery and Satya, while the rest of the Dead Men only knew of Valkyrie's possible future.

It was obvious that both Skulduggery and Satya changed after their family's deaths- Perhaps this was what was to come out of Valkyrie's family's.

Ooooooooooo

"Like this-" Valkyrie watched as Satya tapped the top of the small, round, sphere like poppadom with a spoon, filling it with a mixture of potato and beans, followed by a green water, stuffing it into her mouth in one go.

She laughed as Satya let out a gasp as the cold water splashed around her lips, swallowing down the food quickly.

"It's been too long since I've had real Indian food," Satya announced with a sigh, "Your turn."

Valkyrie mimicked her actions, savouring the taste of the spicy water and the warm potato, crunching away with relish. "What's the plan?" She asked after she took a sip of water, not used to the spice.

"Hire a car," Satya answered, "And a driver- It might be a five, six hour ride till we get there so we can grab some ghantiya and stock up on water- Keep your fluids up," She warned.

"Yes, Mum," Valkyrie replied, going for a second round of Pani Puri, "Fluids, snacks, got it."

Satya was out of it, Valkyrie could tell. The plane ride was awkward, consisting of Valkyrie flicking through movies while Satya played with her fingers, occasionally rifling through a black leather journal that had strange childish pictures drawn onto the age-stained pages.

Ever since they had landed, Satya hadn't shown any of the characteristics of someone who hadn't been home in over two hundred years. In fact, the only show of longing was when they had stopped for food at the street markets and she had bought a variety of foods for them to eat for lunch.

They carried on eating, crunching away.

"Didi-" Valkyrie flinched as a young boy came upto their table, hands out with a pleading face, "Please, Didi-"

"Ghuan ya se!" Satya exclaimed, waving him away, "Jhao."

"Please, Didi," The boy pleaded, "Tora se dena?"

Valkyrie wasn't sure what he was asking, but she got the gist of it.

"Jhao ya se!" Satya repeated forcefully.

"Satya, it's alright- I have some change," Valkyrie reached for her pocket but Satya shook her head.

Dejected, the boy went away to the next table.

"Don't give the beggars money," Satya warned her, picking up the spoon, "You see that brand on his arm?"

Valkyrie looked then nodded, seeing the ring between the rips of his sleeve.

"It's the ring he's part of, everything he gets goes to the man running the show," Satya said bitterly, "They take the kids, injure them in some way to get them reliant on them. Then they go out, beg and take the cash back to pay back what they think they owe."

"Could have helped them pay back their debts, then," Valkyrie said, slightly reproachfully.

"No one pays their debts here," Satya shook her head, "Not on the streets. I certainly didn't."

Valkyrie looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

Satya smiled a bitter smile, "A lot of things have changed in India," She spooned potato into her poppadom, "Human trafficking is not one of them."

They continued the meal in silence. After they finished, Satya sighed. "We'll get a hotel tonight, I think," She said, "Get a car tomorrow. It's too damn hot and I need a shower."

"Thank god," Valkyrie joked, "I wanted to mention the smell."

Satya cuffed her around the head good naturedly, wrapping an around her shoulders as they walked, bags in tow.