A/N: I don't own Erskine, Valkyrie, Tipstaff, Uncle Gordon, Skulduggery, Dexter or Ghastly. Jack Green is my OC, though.
I woke up to the sound of Lou Rawls pounding through our bedroom. "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" came on and as Lou's smoky, husky voice started to energize me, Erskine pounced out of nowhere with a happy grin on his handsome features, then gently pulled me up and into an impromptu dance. "Dance with me, Valkyrie." He purred, nuzzling into me as we swayed to the music.
And I gave in, giggling, even though I knew we had a case to get to. Erskine was more than a little crazy, but the good kind, and as I came awake I saw the loving light in his eyes. "Ah, there's my beautiful new partner." He said, then spun me away from him and then back into the safe harbour of his arms.
"Hello, handsome." I managed as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he laughed happily, his whole being lighting up. "Ready for our case?"
"Mmm, breakfast out first. Then a nice leisurely drive to the crime scene."
"You know if the Grand Mage hears you, he'll start barking orders to move faster. He's a tyrant, he is." I teased and he groaned.
"Please, Val. No shop talk, not now. I'd much rather chase you around the bedroom." He grinned wolfishly at me.
"Erskine Ravel, how you talk!" I feigned shock, then kissed him softly before going in for my shower. Soon enough we were indeed out and at breakfast, and I was glad Liam had agreed to stay behind. He knew our work was dangerous and that in order to protect him we'd put ourselves in harm's way. Erskine had picked out a little bistro and seemed rather pleased with himself as we nibbled French delicacies for breakfast. "Mmm, this is the life, Valkyrie. Living in a mansion, a beautiful wife, a sports car. And now we get to go on a case together." He said, his eyes dancing.
I laughed, hoping the case coming last was a joke. Erskine liked to act lazy, but he could work hard enough with the right motivation. "You know, if we get the case wrapped up fairly quickly, there might be something in it for you."
"What?" He asked excitedly.
"You'll just have to wait and find out." I said mysteriously. And with Erskine gazing at me in utter adoration I figured it better be good. He was still looking at me, pleading to know just as Liam had predicted he would. "A vacation. We need one, with Liam along, of course."
"And the rest of our family?" Erskine asked and my heart melted.
"He said you'd ask that too. Tipstaff looked into it for us and the Sanctuary will be fine for two weeks without us. All of us. Uncle Gordon is coming too, of course."
"Naturally. I love our alone time like now, Valkyrie, but having our family with us means everything to me. I keep expecting to wake up and find out it was all a dream. To be alone again." He said softly, then brightened. "But you're all convincing me it won't happen. How about dessert?" I smiled and nodded, enjoying my new partner's insistence on enjoying life.
We arrived at the greenhouse, entering by a small building aboveground, then riding an elevator deep into the Earth. The owner who had buzzed us in, met us in the underground greenhouse and I marveled to see the place. A vast network of caves, all lit by magic that duplicated natural sunlight. But where there should have been a vast garden of plants stood only slatted tables of grey wood. "Always a pleasure to see you, Grand Mage Ravel." The owner said with a polite bow.
"And you, Jack. Valkyrie, this is Jack Green. He is one of the people who keeps Sanctuaries worldwide supplied with magical plants. Jack, this is Valkyrie, my wife." Jack lit up.
"I always told you getting married would do you a world of good, Erskine." He said, dropping his formality. "Well, I can at least offer you two some tea. Ah, coffee, that's right you drink coffee." Soon we were in his home, also underground and he grinned at me. "I thank you for not staring my dear, or grabbing at me. I'm only half leprechaun, you see."
Erskine smiled. "He's not kidding, Valkyrie. His mother is a mage, his father is a leprechaun that became rather smitten with her and took her as his wife." I nodded, it explained the trim, small man's pointed ears and dressing in a green suit with a natty plaid vest, I guessed.
"Then that's how you're so good with the plants?" I asked, hoping I wasn't insulting our host.
"Indeed. Never could be a cobbler and I think it broke dad's heart, but he's a good man and when he found out I took after mom's gift with magical plants he had her teach me. It took everything I could do to get him not to go after the thieves himself." Jack said with a shiver. And I was glad he had. Far from being cute and cuddly, leprechauns could enact a terrible vengeance.
We chatted for a while then had a look around for clues. I wished Skulduggery was there since it had always been his job to be honest, but as I prowled after the dust for detecting magic showed nothing I came upon a small silver pin shaped like a star lying under one of the tables. At least I knew better than to just pick it up. "Jack, did you loose a pin?" I called and he shook his head then came to hunker down beside me.
"I can't remember a customer who wore one like it, either, and you know I'd pay careful attention to any metals that enter my home." He said seriously and I nodded. Legend had it that iron could kill any member of the sidhe and most likely poor Jack had inherited the trait.
Erskine joined us, narrowing his eyes at the sight of the star and his lips pulled back in a silent snarl. He took a pen out of his suit jacket pocket and fished out the pin, seemingly loath to touch it. "Watch." He said, his voice dark. He tossed the pin from him, then snapped his fingers and threw the summoned flame at it. Luckily he manipulated the air as well, shielding us all when the star exploded into deadly shrapnel, much larger than the actual star itself. Erskine seemed furious and neither Jack or I dared speak.
"This is guerilla warfare, Valkyrie. You remember how I told you the Dead Men's missions weren't always something pleasant? We went after a man once that we never did find. One of our few failures." His eyes flashed in anger. "He made jewelry like this, pins, exactly like this. He'd leave them places he knew his target would be, hoping they'd put them on. Then when they used magic-"
"But after the first victim?" I asked and he sighed his anger receding.
"You had a natural caution so did Jack because of your bloodlines, it's the same reason I was repelled by it. But most mages are so charmed they will put it on without thinking. He used to strike closer to the holidays of course when a silver star would be more likely to attract a victim."
"Then maybe it is a plant, Erskine. Someone may be trying to frame the man." Jack said sensibly and Erskine nodded. We continued searching and Erskine called some detectives in to continue the search as we withdrew.
"I don't like this, Valkyrie." He said as we rode the elevator upwards. "I don't think that pin was there by chance. Either it is a plant to buy the real criminals more time, or the man is question is back and spreading mayhem at random now. It should go without saying I suppose, but his favourite targets were the women and children of his real targets."
"Lord! Then if Liam had been with us-" I shivered miserably. My mobile rang and it was Liam.
"Mom!" He said helplessly.
"Sweetheart, I'm all right, everything's fine. Are you safe?" I asked.
"Yes. I knew just now what happened. How come I didn't know before?"
"It's happened before, remember sweetie, with Dexter? We're safe and coming home now." I said with a glance at Erskine who nodded. After several more reassurances we rang off just as we stepped out of the elevator. We both tensed. I had the sense you get when a person has just left a room before you entered and I didn't like it one bit.
We were greeted by everyone who was home when we got there and my eyes misted up slightly and I felt a lump in my throat as brother after brother hugged me and Ghastly and Skulduggery swooped in and held me tightly in between them as Erskine was mobbed with brotherly affection as he held Liam to him tightly. "I want you off the case." Skulduggery said and I could hear the tears in his voice.
"Dad, it's OK." I said, my voice breaking. But we both knew it wasn't. We also knew I couldn't quit, neither could Erskine. We were looked at as leaders and we had to set a strong example. As the greetings died down Erskine looked at all of us, taking on the role of leader as a Grand Mage should.
"I want everyone in this house to be careful. No one goes to work alone, starting now, and Liam is to be with a group of adults at all times. I know none of you want to hear this, but the Dead Men are going to be needed again and that means I want you all at the Sanctuary if we aren't all home at all times. You too, Anton, sorry." Anton nodded. Liam looked frightened and Erskine made soothing sounds.
The men looked at me then and I realized the expected me to be a leader now too. "I agree with Erskine. We don't know right now who left the silver star and that means any one of us could be a target. Until we know more, and maybe even then we'll be spending more time together than usual. We travel as a group when possible." I said and the men nodded in reply.
"Good thinking, Valkyrie." Erskine said, handing Liam over. "Don't worry, Liam. No one is going to let anything happen to you. " He soothed as Liam burrowed into me.
"From now on if you find anything strange, no matter what it is, you show an adult first, OK, Liam?" I asked and he nodded. "That goes for the rest of you too, I'm afraid. We know the stars are bombs that activate whenever magic is used, but let's not assume our killer is only using stars. I want you leery of any unexpected gifts or things you find, all right?" The men nodded again and we all gathered together in the living room, no one saying much.
Because we were all wondering who had been the real target. Was it Jack so he could no longer raise plants, or to keep him quiet? Was it Erskine to leave me a widow or me to leave my child and son alone? Or more worrying still, had the killer been watching us and hoped Liam would be along as usual? Skulduggery looked over at me. "No going Darquesse, Val. There's every possibility innocent people could get hurt." I nodded and we could all feel him taking over his natural role as leader of the Dead Men again.
"Valkyrie's right, we travel and live as a group until this mission is over. There goes vacation, but on the bright side the Sanctuary gets to bask in our presence on a daily basis since I need to do research, and guess who gets to help me?" He asked, tilting his skull and grinning at me. I hated the case already.
Erskine's mobile rang and as he listened he paled, he rang off and looked at us. "We have to go into the Sanctuary and now. Seven bodies have been found, all killed by shrapnel that is likely to be from the same type of stars. It looks like Damien is back after all."
That was supposed to be really different, but one part just seemed too heavy-handed. So the Dead Men are back and we have a killer who likes to go after families. Now the hunt begins and looking at bodies, and crime scenes and oh boy!