Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Solomon – Raven

Chapter 58

They decided to see Moloch first, that being Valkyrie, Tanith, Crow and Wolf, heading in the Bentley up to Ballymun, a district on the edge of Dublin. The vampire, Crow told her, was centuries old and had a deal with the Dead Men.

"We met him almost two hundred years ago. He was chained up and about to be slaughtered with his Infected but managed to break his chains. We expected him to rampage or escape, but he broke open the cages to his Infected and the other vampires and was protecting them so they could escape," Wolf recounted. "I remember him trying to bargain with his captures, offering himself in their place. We stepped in and we fought them together."

Crow continued. "After the battle, we made a deal, a truce of sorts. He had to have no involvement in the war and we would offer protection. When the war finished, we changed it so he couldn't hurt humans in exchange for us getting him land to live on. Ghastly and Hopeless never trusted him, but the rest of us trusted he'd honour the deal because it benefited him."

Valkyrie nodded. "I'm assuming he has then?"

"Yes."

"And if he's centuries old he'll know Caelan?"

"Perhaps," Crow said. "Moloch may be centuries old but he is rather reclusive. He'll either know him well or not at all."

They arrived at an apartment complex on the north end of the estate and got out the car. It was an overcast day and so much colder than the day before. They didn't waste time going into the building and right up to the top, twelfth, floor. They knocked and a few moments later it was opened by a vampire. Inside were several vampires and a young woman standing in the middle with a syringe. When she saw them she burst out crying and ran out the door, throwing the syringe on the floor.

Valkyrie watched her go with an uneasy feeling, glancing at Tanith who was looking just as unsure.

"Skulduggery, Dexter," a vampire said silkily. He had been sitting in a high-backed wooden chair, so Valkyrie assumed he was Moloch. "It has been so long since we last saw each other."

"Yes, quite," Crow said a little drily. "I see we scared away your dinner."

"The first time can be a little daunting," he said with a small upturning of his lips. "Will you introduce your companions?"

"This is our close friend Tanith Low, and my adopted daughter," Valkyrie couldn't help but smile at that, "apprentice Dead Man, and partner Valkyrie Cain," Crow introduced. "Valkyrie is the Co-Head of department at the Sanctuary and Second Detective."

Moloch inclined his head to Valkyrie. "You are doing very well for yourself, I see."

"I work very hard," she said quietly.

He stood and came forward with very normal movements compared to the hunched, stalking moves Valkyrie had imagined in her head. He held a hand out to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am honoured to meet someone so young and talented. Come, sit with me."

Valkyrie was gently led from her friends to sit with the vampire. He sat in his high-backed chair and another vampire with a soft smile brought up another chair that sat just as high as his. It was equal except the vampires standing beside him.

"Valkyrie," he said, taking her hand in his own and resting them on the armrest. "Tell me why you are so anxious for a young woman so strong and successful?"

Valkyrie scowled. "I am not anxious."

"I can smell your anxiety, your nerves. But why feel that way?"

She took a deep breath. "There was an incident yesterday with a vampire. We need to know more about him."

"What incident?" He asked.

"He was – he attacked me," she said, feeling the anxiety acutely. She could speak about it with family and Nadia, that was okay, but a random stranger was a little different. It was a boundary thing. "He tried to hurt me. His name is Caelan."

His face darkened. "Yes, I know him. I know what he has done to you." He looked sharply at Crow. "How did you allow her near such a beast?"

Crow tilted his head. "I didn't. Valkyrie met him in secret to organise seeing a dealer about an item she wished to gift me with for Christmas. I didn't know of the meeting, of course, and I know nothing about Caelan whatsoever."

"Caelan is a disobedient little pup. I would deal with him myself but I must respect the code," he said, referring to vampire code not to kill a fellow vampire. "Of course, you killed several of my vampires before."

Valkyrie pulled her hand back from him, and he let her go which kind of surprised her.

"I am willing to make a deal with you though," Moloch said, looking at Valkyrie alone. "If you can kill Caelan, I will not take any actions against you."

Valkyrie nodded. "We need to know some information on him first."

"Yes, I think that would be wise. Caelan is not a child of mine. I do not know who turned him, but it was in Belgium some hundred and twenty years ago, and he came over to Ireland after being a vampire for just a handful of years but left again to travel, but always returned. He is incredibly violent. He becomes obsessed with women, kills their lovers, husbands, their families and children, and then forces them to have sex with him. He will tie them up and leave them there for weeks, using them for amusement. He believes he can impregnate them and if he does, they will love him. He cannot, of course, as he is a vampire and it is a biologically impossible feat, and when he grows frustrated or they try to fight him, he simply kills them and finds someone else."

Valkyrie felt herself go pale during that recap.

"I suggest the full Dead Men, and your sister, all fight him at once. He is not a good fighter, but I do believe he is single-minded and likes to think he is wholly independent of the vampire."

"He's delusional," Crow said darkly. "And you say we can kill him without consequences?"

"There is no vampire I would rather kill except perhaps whoever decided to turn him," Moloch said with conviction.

Crow nodded. "Thank you for the information. We will be in contact when he is dealt with. Valkyrie?"

She stood and so did Moloch. He held his hand out and Valkyrie shook it. He held it for a moment and wrapped his other hand around their hands and closed his eyes. "I hope you have your revenge, Valkyrie Cain."

"Thank you," she said quietly. She knew he didn't have the full picture but there was no way she was getting into that conversation. Or maybe he considered all assaults as equally evil. Just leave it there. It was much easier.

"You are welcome."

He released her and they went down the stairs and into the open air. None of them spoke until they got back in the car.

"Okay, that was kind of creepy," Tanith said from the back seat.

"You're telling me," Valkyrie said with a nervous laugh. "Let's go to China's."

They did, turning on the radio to dispel the feeling Moloch had left on them. By the time they were in the library they felt a lot better, Valkyrie especially. China was some way into the aisles looking over her books but gave them a smile when they approached. "Valkyrie, Dexter, Skulduggery, it's so nice to see you. Tanith."

Tanith didn't say anything, just crossed her arms. Valkyrie hid a smirk behind Wolf. "How are you China?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm always well," she said with a sweet smile. "I assume you're not here just for a social visit?"

"Unfortunately not," Wolf said.

"Sanctuary business?" She asked looking to Crow.

"Dead Man business. Can we talk privately?"

China raised a delicate eyebrow but nodded and led the way to her apartment. They sat down and Crow took his hat off. "So what is it I can do for you?" China asked.

"We need to know some information on a certain individual," Crow said. "He is a vampire, about one hundred and twenty, his name is Caelan. Has a history of abusing women."

China frowned lightly. "I don't believe I have. I've heard of women that have been slaughtered by vampires, but that is equal to the amount of human men slaughtering women in the same way, as well as the many women that kill male humans and vampires. I would need to know more details to identify one from another."

"We don't know the exact women he has killed," Crow said. "But he does have a history if killing their families also."

She sighed and shrugged. "Again, so many murders happen in similar ways. I am sorry I can't help you more."

Crow nodded. "Thank you anyway."

"Can I know why you're looking for such a person?" China asked, glancing at Valkyrie.

Valkyrie nodded. "There was an incident yesterday. I escaped but we think he'll come back. We're going to be prepared."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" China asked, looking to Crow.

He tilted his head curiously but nodded. "We wanted to ask if you could put some signals around the walls of the property to make them harder to get over, if not impossible."

"I will send some of my apprentices to assist you," she said. "I hope you can deal with the vampire easily."

"Same here," Valkyrie muttered darkly. "We've battled harder people, one vampire will be easy."

China smiled at her. "I'm sure it will be."

The meeting was short after that and they went back home where the others had been hard at work organising the changes to the house and extended property. Valkyrie went straight to her room to avoid being roped into helping with the changes. It looked too much like hard work to her.

Of course, being alone in her room meant phoning Nadia. She picked up after a few rings. "Hey Val," Nadia said tiredly.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Valkyrie asked. She sounded stressed.

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "I was just worrying about you, and then mum was telling me about some schools she wants me to apply to when I get my results but they're all really far away and I don't think I want to go."

"How far is far away?" Valkyrie asked slowly, sitting on her bed.

"Not Ireland," Nadia said. "The closest is London, but that's the one I hate the most. I don't know what to do Valkyrie. I don't want to live so far away from home or you."

"I don't know. Can you just tell her no? Talk to your dad?"

"Dad wants me to go more than her. They're mage finishing schools for people with straight A's, so he really wants me to go there. Mum was on my side since they are so far away but now he's convinced her and I've got no one."

"Aw baby, I'm sorry. We'll work this out. Maybe you could do the course here? Or say you want an apprenticeship here. Or just pretend to apply and not do it," Valkyrie suggested.

"I guess," Nadia said uncertainly. "I kind of like some of them though, they're just so far away from you."

Valkyrie bit her lip. "Don't not go because of me," she said, trying to sound normal. "Do what you want to. We'll work us out along the way. Don't worry."

"Will we? I wanted to move in with you, not move to France."

"We'll work it out. I promise. Tell me more about these schools."

I know, I know, not enough Cealan faces in the mud, I'm getting there! Trust me. It's okay.