Requiem: Chapter Twelve...

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"Any luck?" Valkyrie asked, looking up from the coffee she was nursing as Skulduggery and Tanith walked through her front door. She was curled up on the sofa with a book on a rare day off. She'd injured her arm the previous day in a fight and it was taking a while to heal, so Tanith had stepped in for her.

"None at all," Skulduggery answered. "Very few people have heard of Maylen Dark and those that have thought she was dead. As usual the Vampires in the Fang district won't talk and she's left no evidence to follow." They'd been searching for her for over four months with no luck. Requiem and Argent had both been sentenced and deposited in the Gaol cells, the Infected had been cured and released or assimilated into the Fang district with very little fuss, and the armour remained safely locked away in the Sanctuary. The only loose end was Maylen.

"Stupid Vampires and their code," Tanith muttered. "Even when it threatens the safety of others they're more bothered about protecting each other."

"So they're all friends then?" Valkyrie asked, closing the book and laying it on the coffee table.

"Oh no, they hate her," Skulduggery answered. "But their code demands that they protect their own. They have confirmed that she isn't in the Fang district and if she was she would be forcibly removed, but they won't say any more than that. So yet again it appears we've hit a dead end." Tanith dropped onto the other empty sofa and propped her legs up on the arm as Skulduggery sat next to his partner, letting the facade flow away.

"She's got to slip up at some point," Valkyrie said. "We'll get her. How's Scapegrace doing?"

"He's as irritating as he's always been."

"The Killer Supreme," Tanith snorted. "Imagine calling yourself that when you've never actually killed anyone."

"He was bragging that he broke your arm," Skulduggery said. "How is it by the way?"

"Healing," Val smiled. "And it was the bartender that broke my arm. He literally had nothing to do with it."

"That's what I said. He decided that if he'd picked a different bar you would never have broken it so by proxy he was responsinble."

"Criminal logic," Val tutted, shaking her head. Skulduggery chuckled.

"In the meantime we have a new case to occupy our attention. It's our first undercover case together."

"That sounds exciting," Valkyrie answered, leaning forward eagerly.

"Somebody is posing as a buyer for magical artefacts, meeting with the sellers, leaving them horrifically injured and stealing the artefact. Not only is this person's unique ability threatening to expose magic to mortals with every attack, they've left several people so injured that they've died."

"What's unique about them?"

"The profile is a Neoteric with the ability to cut through flesh with a single touch."

"God, that sounds gruesome," Valkyrie wrinkled her nose.

"Yes, and it leaves some messy crime scenes, as you can imagine."

"It sounds gross, but I don't understand how that potentially exposes the magical community," she frowned.

"The bodies that are turning up are covered in hundreds upon hundreds of lacerations. Their organs inside are equally lacerated without their chest cavity ever being opened up."

"Ah. Got it," she nodded.

"The attacks and murders are concentrated around a small town a few miles outside of Dublin. The buyer gets the seller to go there and then attacks them and steals the artefacts." He brushed a speck of lint from the brim of his hat. "We'd be there for several days, possibly even a week or longer depending on how successful we are."

"You mean like a stake out?" Valkyrie's excitement peaked as a wide grin spread across her face. "We have the coolest job."

"We do," Skulduggery chuckled. "You'd need to tell your parents you won't be here."

"I'll tell them we're going on a trip. Not exactly a lie," she shrugged.

"Do they still think you two are dating?" Tanith asked.

"Yes," Skulduggery answered. "It's easier to explain my constant presence that way."

"I bet that makes for some interesting dinners," she grinned.

"It's super weird, my mum loves him. I think if my dad paid more attention to what was happening around him he'd have the sense to get jealous," Valkyrie mused.

"It's not my fault she recognises charming wit and a sophisticated fashion sense. You wanted her to think we were dating and that's exactly what I made her think. You, on the other hand, splutter like a fool every time she mentions me." She could tell if he'd had eyebrows they'd be raised in mock innocence. Over the past few months she'd grown used to all of his nuances even without the facade.

"Aww, do you get all embarrassed Val?" Tanith propped herself up on her elbows and grinned at her.

"Shut up," Valkyrie muttered.

"She does. Melissa asked if she'd worked up the nerve to kiss me yet and she went so red I half expected her hair to catch fire," Skulduggery teased.

"You mean your mum thinks you've been together for almost five months without kissing?" It was Tanith's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Aren't you worried they'll start to suspect something?"

"Luckily for us, Melissa has accepted that Valkyrie's awkward spluttering has prevented it up to now," Skulduggery answered before she could say anything. He turned back to her, head tilted in amusement. "You know, after our stake out you're going to have to pretend you have. You can't go away with your boyfriend for a week and continue to pretend you never touch him."

"I'll get round to it," she muttered, her ears turning red at the thought of her mother once again interrogating her on what their relationship was like. "My mum just asks some very direct questions."

"She asked what my lips tasted like," he told Tanith, who cackled loudly in response.

"You don't have to tell her, moron," Val grumbled.

"But it's funny," he shrugged.

"When do we head off anyway?" She tried to steer the conversation back to safer waters.

"This evening. Vex gave me the file this morning after interrogating the Idiot Supreme. He has accomodation sorted in the centre of the town."

"So will we be tailing this guy in the dark and staying hidden?"

"Nope. We have three suspects. One of them frequents a local bar twice a week. We'll start with him. The second is a man that has been posing as a mortal for a long time. The last suspect likes to eat dinner at the best restaurant in town. My plan is to follow the three of them in plain sight. We can get close enough to listen to their interactions that way."

"But everyone knows what I look like," she frowned. "They'll recognise me immediately."

"That's what this is for," he answered, pulling a necklace out of his pocket and passing it to her. She turned it over in her palm, noticing the symbol carved into the back of the pendant. "A China Sorrows special," he told her.

"She made me a facade?"

"She did. I don't wear mine often enough during cases for word to have spread, so we felt I would get away with using my usual face. You, however, are now famous enough in the magical community that you need to look different."

"This should be interesting," Tanith grinned, sitting up as Valkyrie let the skeleton sweep her hair to the side and fasten the necklace around her throat. The light brush of his gloved fingers on her skin tickled enough to make her squirm.

"All you need to do is touch the pendant," he said. Valkyrie touched it and felt the facade flow over her skin. It was strange, like a layer of makeup that was just a tad too heavy. She stood up to look in the mirror, blinking in surprise. Her dark hair had been replaced by soft crimson curls. Her face was rounder and her eyes were wider and hazel coloured instead of their usual brown. A smattering of freckles littered her cheeks, and the cheekbones were lower than she was used to. She looked down at her arms to find one of them encased in an intricate tattoo sleeve that extended across her collar bone and over the back of her hand. She had several earrings in one ear.

"This is super weird," she said quietly, feeling vaguely creeped out as the lips of the stranger moved and her voice came out. She flashed back suddenly to the weird dream she'd had about Lord Vile and the girl calling herself Darquesse, but she shut that thought out as quickly as she could.

"You look so different," Tanith said, getting up to flick one of the red curls that now sprouted from her head.

"It's weird. Is this how you felt when you first saw the facade?" She turned to Skulduggery, who was watching her in silence with his head cocked.

"Somewhat," he answered. "Oh, Doctor Raze sent this for you. She asked me to make sure you use it before we head out." He pulled more of the yellow rock out of his pocket. Valkyrie smiled gratefully; she'd run out of it the day before thanks to yet another punch up. She loved her new job but Skulduggery had her ending up in the Infirmary far too often.

"Awesome." She touched the pendant, letting the facade disappear as she took the rock from him. He pulled out his pocket watch.

"I would say now would be a good time to call your parents to say you're going away, and then it would be best for you to use the rock and pack some things," he said. "We leave in a few hours."

"I'll tell An and Jordy for you," Tanith said with a smile.

"Thanks." She slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialled her mother's number. "Hey mum."

"Steph? Hi sweetheart. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to let you know I can't babysit Alice for a week. I'm going away."

"Ooh, anywhere nice?"

"Somewhere outside of Dublin," she answered.

"What's the place called?" Valkyrie panicked for a second. Skulduggery hadn't given her the name.

"Uh...It's a surprise," she said quickly.

"Oh, I see. It's a spontaneous romantic getaway is it?"

"Something like that." The room was quiet enough that she knew Tanith and Skulduggery could both hear everything her mother said.

"That sounds lovely. How wonderful, I wish Des would whisk me away somewhere nice." Melissa sighed dreamily. "He's probably got you a lovely little cottage in the hills, just the two of you and the countryside."

"Maybe," Valkyrie mumbled, feeling her cheeks begin to heat again.

"And you'll have to kiss him this time Steph. You can't keep the poor man waiting much longer." Tanith snickered and Valkyrie saw Skulduggery's head tilt in a smug manner.

"Mum, you know I don't like talking about that," she muttered. "I didn't call to discuss my relationship."

"I'm sorry, don't get angry. It's just that Doug is such a nice man and you'd be a fool to let him go. He won't wait forever."

"Something tells me he would," she answered, glaring at Skulduggery as he chuckled.

"Well I hope you enjoy your trip dear, take plenty of pictures for me."

"I will. Love you mum."

"Love you too, sweetie." The call clicked off and Tanith let out the laugh she'd been holding in.

"I thought you were joking when you said she loved him but she really does, doesn't she?" she chortled.

"She does. She mentions him literally every time we talk." Val rolled her eyes, scowling at her partner. "This is your fault."

"What did I do?"

"You encourage her."

"How?"

"Last time she asked if we'd kissed you pulled that stupid sad face and said no."

"Oh, that was funny. You looked so angry."

"You're the one that's happy to make her believe you could keep my attention romantically for so long without coming anywhere near me," he answered. She could hear the smile in his voice. "If you'd just say yes when she asked she wouldn't ask you every time."

"But then she'll make me talk about it," Valkyrie whined, screwing up her face. "And I don't know what to say."

"It's easy. You lie," Tanith interjected. "If you just humour her she'll get over it eventually."

"That's what I said," Skulduggery agreed.

"I'm gonna go take a bath," Valkyrie glowered, stomping out of the room as the pair laughed at her. By the time she reached the bathroom her cheeks were scarlet. She set the taps going and sat on the edge of the tub. She'd thought about saying she had kissed him, but she knew her mother would ask for a blow by blow retelling of how it happened and what it was like. The thought of having to describe something like that with Skulduggery made her stomach flip strangely. So far she'd done a good job of not pursuing that feeling, and she didn't intend to start any time soon.

She stewed in silence until the bath was full and the rock was dissolved, then gingerly undressed and removed the sling and bandages from around her broken arm. Slipping into the water was heavenly. The ache in the cracked bone dulled immediately, and she sighed and sat there for a while, letting her anxious thoughts settle as steam floated around her and the magic rock healed her bruises and scrapes.

She stepped out of the water eventually and towelled her hair dry before tugging on a thick bath robe and heading to her bedroom. She pulled out a few things and put them in her small suitcase, careful not to injure her newly healed arm. She deliberated over what to take for a minute before shrugging and putting the only dress she owned into the case with a pair of strappy heels she never wore. When she was done she pulled on her protective clothing, grateful that the fabric never creased or got dirty. When she was done she let her hair hang loose to dry naturally and took her case into the living room.

"Your arm looks better," Tanith said.

"That rock works wonders. It's still kinda sore but the bone is healed now. It just feels like a bruise."

"We'll have to be careful on this case," Skulduggery said. "The last thing I want is for you to end up in the Infirmary again. Doctor Raze will use my bones as furniture if you keep getting punched."

"Stop making people want to punch us then," she retorted. He laughed. "I didn't know what to take so I just packed whatever I could find."

"I don't suppose it matters too much as long as you've packed enough for a week."

"Oh wait. My mum asked us to take pictures. What do we do about that?"

"...We take pictures," he said slowly.

"I mean if we can't be seen in public without the my facade how are we supposed to take photos of ourselves?"

"We'll figure it out, I'm sure," he answered. She arched an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Nothing. I just don't like it when you spring things on me and then act like you're not worried at all."

"But I'm not worried," he answered.

"What's to worry about?" asked Tanith.

"Everything," Valkyrie muttered. "Never mind. Are we going or what?"

"You want to head off early?"

"Is our accomodation ready now?"

"Yes."

"No time like the present then." She shrugged on her heavy coat and set her hands on her hips as he stood and activated his facade, the square jaw and piercing green eyes returning in an instant.

"You two love birds have fun now," Tanith simpered, grinning as she ducked the cushion Valkyrie aimed at her head. "I'll see you when you get back." She waggled her fingers at them as they headed out of the door. Skulduggery put Valkyrie's case in the boot beside his own as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"Shouldn't we take my car if we're going under cover? The Bentley isn't exactly subtle."

"I'm not leaving my car behind for a week," he answered. "And I'm definitely not driving a Kia."

"Who said you'd be driving?"

"Me."

"Are you the authority these days then?"

"That's how our whole dynamic works. I lead the charge with sparkling humour and intelligence, smashing down doors and arresting bad guys, and you follow me around like a puppy and hang off my every word." She elbowed him. "Ouch."

"Moron."

"You love it."

"Sure."

"You'd be lost without me."

"Uh huh."

"You're no fun today." She didn't answer. "Are you worried you might fall in love with me if we spend a week alone together?"

"In your dreams," she muttered.

"You're blushing."

"I am not!"

"Tell your cheeks that."

"Skulduggery?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

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