Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Solomon – Raven

Chapter 60

Although their plan was to keep her hidden, the Elder's had other ideas. And Valkyrie and Crow simply had to be there for that particular meeting.

They drove fairly openly as the house was just about finished, certainly enough for them to be creating their final plan later that day, as well as clearing out the last of the monsters with the Dead Men's various friends whom Valkyrie hadn't gotten to meet yet. So, they had already decided to allow Valkyrie to be seen in the hopes Caelan followed them back to the house where their friends were to draw him in for the final part which they were, again, deciding that night. Valkyrie was practically giddy to be free of the vampire so she could go back to her own life.

"What is the meeting about anyway?" Valkyrie asked, bouncing her leg excitedly as they drove to the Sanctuary.

"I believe it has something to do with Guild but I'm not sure how. I do know that Erskine and a dear friend of ours, Corrival Deuce, is there. Have I told you about Corrival?"

"Many times, don't worry," Valkyrie said, rolling her eyes. "You've all spoken about him so many times I feel like I know him and we've never even spoken."

"Yes, he's been quite busy these last few years. He's been in Ireland a few times but always had to go away again a few days later or it's been in the middle of a case of ours. I think you will like him."

"I think I'm going to be his favourite," Valkyrie said offhandedly.

"Why? He doesn't know you."

"I'm everyone's favourite. I'll be Corrival's favourite too," she said confidently.

"Oh really? Well, I should warn you that Corrival is a hard man and a mean one at that. He'd definitely think it right to put you over his knee if you put even a toe out of line. He'll call you 'young lady' a lot and cross his arms and do a lot of lecturing."

"Sure, sure," she said with a smile. "Look, he can't be worse than Anton, Kenspeckle or Meritorious. They all love me!"

"You do know that's not his first name, right?"

"Yes, but I already learnt it wrong, alright, it's not my fault. Don't draw attention to it, okay?" She grumbled, looking at her phone. Nadia had been very quiet these last few days and Valkyrie was going to ask her after their meeting if everything was okay at home or if she'd upset her somehow. "How far away are we?"

"Only a few miles left," Crow said.

As promised, they got there with time to spare, giving Valkyrie a chance to fix her hair in the mirror before they had to get out and go inside. In there were the usual people, as well as Snake and a somewhat elderly looking man with sharp eyes and frown wrinkles on his face from all the pressures of his previous jobs. He had a strong body though, and stood, as Crow said, with his arms crossed and was waiting impatiently for them.

"What time do you call this Pleasant?" He growled out. "I've been waiting here for you for the last half hour."

"We were held up in traffic," Crow said smoothly. "It's good to see you again Corrival. I'm proud to introduce my partner and Co-head of department, Valkyrie Cain. The Dead Men's apprentice."

He looked at her sharply and she looked at him the way she already envisioned him in her head – a massive marshmallow that wanted to look horrible to her brothers but secretly loved her to bits. She knew he didn't feel like that yet, but she already adored the man and gave him a smile. "What do you have to smile about, hu? You proud of being late too?"

"We're not late, you're just really early," Valkyrie said. "And anyway, Guild will hold us up by at least half an hour so it doesn't matter."

"It certainly does matter young lady! If only I met you some years ago, then I could make you run around this building until you were sick and yelling 'yes, sir' when I told you how stupid you sound. Now take me to this meeting room. I still have to finish this damn crossword puzzle."

Valkyrie grinned. He was perfect and she wanted to adopt him. She did what she was told though because she really did believe he'd do that if he could, and after knocking a few times on the meeting room door, she let them in. Corrival sat down with a grumble and got to his crossword while the other two men sat nervously some seats away. Valkyrie sat next to Corrival and checked her phone.

"What are you doing with that thing?" Corrival asked gruffly.

She glanced at him. "I'm seeing if my girlfriends sent me a text. She hasn't."

"Should she have?" He asked.

"No, but she usually would have mentioned being busy. I'm just worrying about nothing," she said, putting it away.

He huffed in discontent. "Back when I was young you'd never have young women and men dating so young."

"Didn't people get married at thirteen a few hundred years ago?" Valkyrie asked him.

"Exactly! They'd get married and be happily unhappy. Or they'd cross their legs and wait until they finished their education, that's what I always said they should do. You still in school?"

"I'm home schooled, mainly by Crow – that's Skulduggery, sorry, and Tanith. The others chip in, but they do the bulk of it."

"And which one told you to get a boyfriend?"

"Girlfriend," she clarified. "And none of them. They all said not to go near boys, so I didn't. Except for Anton, he didn't say much, but he knew it wasn't going to work before the other ninny heads caught on."

He grunted a laugh. "Ninny heads. Yeah, that suits them. And this girlfriend, you gonna marry her? Or is she some plaything? Because I hate when people disrespect the people they're dating and the youth of today don't exactly make me feel confident in the future."

"Is it disrespect if I don't know if I want to marry her but I love her?" She asked uncertainty. "I mean, I'm fifteen, I like to think I can finish my own education first. We might have to slow down a bit."

He grunted. "Good enough," he said. "For a kid taught by ninny heads."

Valkyrie had to grin at that, and they were interrupted by the Grand Mage and Elder Crow joining them from a door at the back. Meritorious gave Valkyrie a nod when she stood up and shook Corrival's hand quickly and they sat down without small talk.

"We are waiting on Guild but what's new?" Meritorious said, handing out some papers to them. On it, Valkyrie read quickly, was information about Esryn Vanguard, the man Scarab had been framed for killing but had actually been killed by Guild personally who'd then framed Scarab. There was more information on there, all things Guild had done to annoy the Sanctuary both before and after his anointment.

"Are we finally getting rid of Guild?" Valkyrie asked hopefully.

Meritorious nodded. "That's the plan. He's crossed too many lines and we've finally found a replacement Elder in order to go through with firing him."

"Who?" Corrival asked gruffly, looking at Meritorious.

"You."

"Me?" He asked in the same tone.

"Yes, you. You are the perfect candidate."

"I am not. I don't want the job. I don't want any job, I enjoy travelling and doing nothing," he told the Grand Mage. "You'll have to find someone else, like Skulduggery here."

"There is no way I'd allow Detective Pleasant a seat as Elder so long as I live," Meritorious said with a thin smile. "As it is, we need someone who the public will be glad to have working for us, someone who won't be stupid or do stupid things like Guild has. He allowed a lunatic to be a detective and when we removed him, Guild brought him back. He allowed that same detective to stalk and harass Valkyrie Cain as an attempt to have her and Skulduggery as well as the other Dead Men removed from our employ. He's spent thousands of euro on stupid projects that lead to nothing. People have lost faith in him and it's extending to the wider Sanctuary. We need someone very skilled and competent to take that place."

"No. And you're an idiot for hiring him. Ask Bliss."

"There was already a vote which came back negative for him. But you are very much wanted here."

"What could you possibly give me," Corrival said, leaning back in his chair, "that could possibly entice me out of retirement?"

"Easy," Meritorious said, looking at Valkyrie. "An apprentice."

"Me?" Valkyrie asked unsurely.

"Yes, you. Corrival, Valkyrie Cain is the most talented and inspiring young women we have. She is the gem of the new generation, she's the diamond of our society right now. She is the apprentice of multiple people already but has chosen to work in the Sanctuary alongside Skulduggery. As the Dead Men's leader, you are just as entitled to help teach her."

"The most talented in her generation? The diamond of our society?" He asked, looking at Meritorious like he didn't buy even a little of that. Valkyrie wasn't sure she did either. "How long did it take you to think that up?"

"It's true," Elder Crow said lightly from her chair. "Detective Cain knows multiple and diverse magic and is not swayed by other's opinions. She is sure of herself. She is confident. She is the face of our Sanctuary currently, and with some further guidance from someone with more experience than the Dead Men, she could be the shining light of our country."

"The Dead Men have plenty experience," he said with a frown.

"It is not as much as we wish to impress on Detective Cain," she said, staring at him with hooded eyes. "Valkyrie Cain is the new generation, the leading figure of the future. We need to train her to not only fight or learn business skills or have charisma but also to negotiate and hold her temper. You can teach her the things the Dead Men… lack."

He grunted. "I suppose that is true. But I still don't want to be Elder. I could stay for a few years to help, maybe borrow your oh so amazing child-Detective and teach her, but why would I want to be an Elder? It's too much hard work."

"We have that part covered," Meritorious said with a sly smile. "We'll hire more assistants and three undersecretaries. The work you'll have to do is simple and the meetings can be kept to a minimum. All work you enjoy will be assigned to you and we'll do the rest, and your day will end at ten at the latest no matter what else is going on, period. Does that sound like a deal?"

"And the pay? I want good pay to come out retirement," he said with narrowed eyes. "Or did Guild blow that too?"

"You'll receive the same as myself and Morwenna, two-hundred and fifty thousand a year. It's not as much as it could be, but we do want the Sanctuary to float after all. You've seen what they did in America. How is that?"

"Sure," he said, leaning forwards and shaking both their hands. "But you could have just offered a fraction of that and it would still be worth it compared to being retired."

Guild chose that moment to barge into the meeting. "Are we ready to start?" He snapped at then, sitting in a chair loudly and glaring at Valkyrie and Crow.

"Guild," Corrival said disdainfully. "How you haven't changed."

"Deuce," he sneered. He noticed the sheet sitting in front of Corrival and frowned a little harder. "Eachan? What is this?"

Meritorious sighed. "This is your retirement Thurid. You need to hand in your notice of resignation and go on a long, long holiday with your family."

"Retirement? Resignation? Why?"

"Several months ago, Detective's Pleasant and Cain uncovered the truth of Vanguard's death, as well as helped compile a list of other transgressions those at the Sanctuary were able to add to. The amount of verbal abuse alone should be enough to fire you, but we want to give you an option due to your other, more honourable work in the war. Resign and we'll destroy this information, or don't and we'll have you arrested and send you away for war crimes."

Guild went red in the face. "You're not even going to give me a choice?"

"It is a choice," Crow said gleefully. "A choice I hope you make rashly."

Guild sneered at Crow. "I'll be in my office. Writing my resignation papers. When should I expect to vacate?"

"Two months is standard," Meritorious said. "But we can make it one for you. Say goodbye to your assistant too. We know she's been having an affair with you."

He sneered and swooped out the office without looking back. Valkyrie grinned from ear to ear.

.*****.

They decided Corrival should come back with them to plan since he had no other place to be and Valkyrie had decided he was her new second-most favourite person after Nadia. He was quiet except to question Valkyrie on the Dead Men and their home, on how they live and how they train and teach her. The others seemed amused, as if they thought he'd make it worse, but Valkyrie could already see the harsh layers melting and they hadn't noticed. He was an awful backseat driver and for every snap he made at Crow for his driving, he'd speak that bit softer and nicer to Valkyrie.

Her brothers had no idea what was in store for them. Valkyrie chuckled evilly in her head.

They got to the mansion and Valkyrie immediately took in the new appearance. The outside was much more foreboding, with black iron gates that must have been twelve foot at the height of the curve, going down to an eight-foot high wall on either side.

The wall, the original stone up to six foot, had been added to with matching iron spikes that had signals all over each and every one of them to make it next to impossible to scale. Shrubbery was on the outside sitting beautifully by the curb to offset the iron, something they decided to do to keep the mortals from getting suspicious as to why only big iron spikes had been added to the house.

Crow used a beeper with the English Sanctuaries technology Tanith had been able to get from her past flame at the Sanctuary, a Mage Identification Device, which was keyed not only to the beeper into all gates, but also the house itself. Only someone with actual, verbal permission could get into the house without them all knowing all about it now.

The iron gates opened a lot quicker and smoother than Valkyrie thought they would and closed immediately after. The road had been re-gravelled, and the flowerbeds and grass attended to at the same time as working on the house. There were new windows all over with signals that would stop them being broken into, but did allow them to be broken out of for an emergency.

They parked the Bentley inside the new gazebo-like car shelter – she'd been told its fancy, real name and immediately forgotten it – they had erected to fit all their cars that were regularly used so there was more space in the garage for the other vehicles they didn't use often. Crow had been against leaving his beautiful Bentley to the elements until he had seen it under the ivy and rose covered gazebo and realised how gorgeous she looked. Now she lived there and Crow often looked out the window admiringly at her.

They got out the car and went into the house as normal – the new system knew who they wanted inside and not, so it was easy to let Corrival in. Inside looked identical still so there was no trouble going to the living room.

Greetings were short and sweet – Corrival told them to sit their arses down and to get him tea, which they already had. Easy.

There was no time for Valkyrie to get to know the other dozen or so other mages in the room before Corrival started up again.

"Tell me what all this is about then," he said, sitting back with his tea. It seemed to Valkyrie it had a calming effect on the man. This must be where Panda got it from. "Don't think I don't know Mage Identification when I see it."

"There's been some trouble," Crow said and then explained what had happened with Valkyrie and Caelan and the several sightings of something in the distance since, though didn't mention it had been a sexually driven assault, only that he was after Valkyrie and what they knew he'd done in the past.

The friends - who were also there and quiet in the presence of the new Elder - and Corrival nodded and looked deep in thought as Crow explained Caelan's violent history and finally had looks of determination when it came to the final line of coming up with a plan to kill him for good.

"Would it not be easier to find him alone?" Frightening, Tanith's knowledge in England and her past boyfriend, said in his deep, deep voice. "Or as a turned vampire?"

"I had thought that," Wolf said from his seat, one arm over Weasel's shoulders which wasn't an unusual sight, but definitely getting more common. "But we believe he's using the serum Dusk created years ago before we killed him. It keeps a vampire in their human form in the night. We think he's making it every few days and then just stalking us all night."

"You mean there's been a vampire outside this whole time and you never mentioned it?" A short lady asked. Valkyrie remembered her name was Aurora Jane. She had a mean scowl on her face.

"Yes," Crow said quickly. "We needed to secure the house before we could move onto our next project of destroying him as we didn't know how strong he'd be. Although relatively young and apparently not a good fighter, he is a vampire and he does have a long and violent history. We wanted to make sure whatever we decided to do had not only backup but also a place to come back to if anything happened."

"The plan, boy," Corrival growled at Crow. Valkyrie grinned – Crow was just a kid to Corrival, it was great!

Crow cleared his throat. "Yes, the plan. I am certain he is still on the grounds and unable to get off them now we have added to the security, something we hoped for. We will put the house on a fake lockdown, meaning it looks as if no one can get in or out of the house. The vampire doesn't seem to want anyone to hurt Valkyrie, so someone will pretend to attack her. Then, when we know Caelan is trying to get in, and I'm certain he'll take his chance, we will be ready from the back via the new tunnel system to attack and subdue."

"Subdue?" A short man asked from beside Fletcher. "I thought we were killing."

"That's the Dead Men's business alone," Crow said strictly. "If in the fight you have to kill him, do it. But unless necessary, leave that to us."

The others nodded. They decided to wait for half an hour before continuing with the plan, giving them all a chance to go to the toilet and prepare. Valkyrie checked her phone and decided to give Nadia that call.

Up in her room with the new impenetrable windows, Valkyrie sat on her bed and tried calling Nadia. She didn't pick up and Valkyrie ended the call feeling both fed up and really, really upset. Nadia never ignored her. Maybe her parents had taken it away? Nadia said they never wanted to do that since Valkyrie had been attacked without a phone though, they were too nervous for her.

She sat on the bed deep in thought for twenty minutes until her phone started buzzing from beside her. It was Nadia. She answered it excitedly and held it to her ear.

"Hello my beauty," Caelan said.

Dun dun duuuun! I wonder how many of you suspected that? I'll get the next one out tomorrow, don't worry ;) I'd love a review if you have the time, I love hearing from you, your comments and support mean a lot to me :)