MAXI

As soon as I was sure no one was following us, I let myself turn back to normal. Siren eyed me coolly and I stared back at her.

"Any reason you tried to rip his throat out?" she said calmly but I knew Siren was mad.

"Amos is dead," I told her and I felt Siren freeze. "Gracie, what are we going to do?" She closed her eyes as I said her given name.

"I don't know James," she whispered and I nodded. That was a good enough answer for me. "How did he die?"

"Protecting the Teleporter," I growled. "I have his files. Dylan is moving them now. Cyrus should be helping. "

"So you decided to rip his throat out?" she said, her voice civil.

"His arm got in the way," I murmured. "Anyway, it would save us a whole lot of trouble and a lot of heartache if we just killed Renn."

"But he's useful," Siren said, so quietly I almost missed it.

"What on earth could you possibly want with him. One of the others I can understand but Renn?" I glared and then felt stupid. "Oh."

"They know about us but he doesn't. Do you want to finish the thought?" Siren asked. I scowled.

"He'll be open to manipulation,"I finished and she smiled. "What else?"

"I need you to get something. I think it's time we start looking for alternatives to all our problem," I looked at her and she was picking at the sleeve of a jacket I didn't know. She looked at me thoughtfully. "I'm going to need a Grimoire. Will you be able to do that for me?"

"It's in one of the libraries isn't it?" I frowned. We owned hundreds of libraries.

"Try Normandy or Dublin," she said. "I don't want Shadow knowing about this. At least not yet. Would you be able to fly to the Manors?"

"I can get the jet to France," I flicked my hair out of my face and scowled. "Someones listening to us." Siren nodded and I felt a stabbing pain in the back of my head. Memories flooded through me and I got the true plan. "I'll get the jet ready." I felt my body ripple and I flew off, settling on a lamp post to watch.

Dexter appeared around the corner and settled against the wall.

"Ready to go?" he asked. Siren nodded and looked at Dexter.

"What do you know about the Book of Names?" she asked.

"Hidden. Why?"

"There's something I wanna look at," she frowned. "Let's go." And they left.

I landed letting myself transform to my normal body. I looked around and rocked back on my heels as Skulduggery stepped out of the shadows.

"Dead man," I said warily.

"You and your sister are plotting."

"We do that a lot."

"Without Shadow?"

"You'd be surprised how much we do that," I tapped my foot and looked behind the skeleton. "You will keep them safe I trust?"

"Of course," he bowed slightly. "Where are you going?"

"I'm needed to track down a few shitheads, then on to find a book for a while. If I live, I come home and I fight."

"If you live?" the skeleton noted. "You don't expect to come home?"

"I never do," I shrugged. "Makes it all the more worthwhile. You'll quickly learn, we were born for different reasons. Siren's diplomatic. Casper's persuasion. Dimitri for secrecy. I was born to kill."

"And Shadow?" the skeletons head dipped.

"You really don't know?" I grinned but my heart felt like it was going to burst. The skeleton nodded. "He's the one who kills us all."

Everything froze. I suddenly realized that Skulduggery wasn't alone. Ghastly stood in the shadows and Anton was standing between them. All three stared at me. I opened my mouth and closed it looking away.

"Why?" Ghastly's voice was strangled. I thought of how well he and Casper got on.

"A curse. A lot like yours. But four of us go mad. And one lives. It was the same with Dad."

"But Sylvester-" Anton argued.

"Was born after it. The curse had flown its course," I shrugged and tapped my foot off the ground. "That's what she wants the Grimoire for."

"To see if there's a counter curse?" Skulduggery asked.

"How much do you believe in Christianity?" I asked. Almost as one, they shrugged. "The Grand Grimoire. They think they have it in the Vatican. That is not it. The real one is in a manor house. We're going to summon a demon and make it lift the curse."

"Where is this house," Anton asked.

"I think it's the one in Sicily," I shrugged slightly. "The books tend to change. We don't know why but the important ones tend to teleport. Which is annoying but I have it on good authority that it's there."

"How long will you be gone?" Ghastly asked.

"Hopefully I'll be done by May. If not then I don't know. I have to go to my team first though. I've left them for long enough."

"May?" Skulduggery's head tipped. "I will get the book. You cannot wait that long. One of the Teleporters can bring me." I eyed the skeleton.

"Siren's going to kill me anyway. Cyrus will help you, or talk her into helping you," I sighed and tipped my head back looking at the clouds. My stomach wouldn't settle, so I turned my gaze back to Ghastly.

"Keep my brother safe. He'll take a liking to Sanguine. I did when I was his age," I looked him in the eye. "He'll want Sanguine to help you. He'll make you work together. Endure it is all I can say. It'll feel like forever but you'll survive. He's a pain in the ass but when he's on your side, he's reliable."

"Those words don't seem to match," Ghastly mumbled. I smiled, agreeing slightly with him.

"If you can get the Grimoire, send word. The best to ask is Cyrus, Dylan or Robin or any of the servants you think you can trust. They should know the manors. They're all practically identical but they have different surprises. Be careful detectives. They are humans watching us. So when you go, don't go back straight away. Ring a teleporter, get them to teleport you back to the Hotel. Take the hotel. It'll be safer. I'd grab Sorrows as well and make haste. Good luck Mr Pleasant. Tell Shadow I'm sorry I went without him."

I turned and walked down the road, shaking off the foreboding feeling in my stomach. I could hear a car driving behind me. It stopped, a door slammed.

"Stop and put up your hands," a voice squeaked. I laughed and turned to look at the Detective. She was young, small and new.

"They sent you," I nodded and smiled. "Good luck."

I turned and changed fluidly, my wings spreading. The only evidence I had been there was a small black feather.