Skulduggery Pleasant Fan-fiction- Love Amongst The Cain (Sequel to The Cradle Of Magic)

Burning Papers Into Ashes.

-Skulduggery

There was a light thump from down the hall, a slight giggle and the closing of a door as the resident couple moved a hefty sofa through the house and into a separate room across the hall from where it had been. Tanith's delicate giggle mixed with the 60s Beetles vinyl that clicked and hummed opposite me as it turned the record player, Ghastly's baritone chuckle less regular than her laugh but still common in the hum.
The tailor had decided to make the most of the new guest, inviting her to stay with him on full term. It was quite sweet really, but not entirely unexpected, and since she had left for all that time without a word after the war there was no doubt he'd try and plant her down for good. Inevitable for them both really- they were entirely smitten from the start.
It was nice to see him happy for once.
However, a thick cloud of worry lay over my conscious; writhing inside. It flexed pain on every thought of her and caused quick anxiety.
Vin.
She'd been away before, of course, and had gone without a word, but this time it seemed different. It seemed... Off.
A night had been spent together, apologising and fretting over pointless matters which later dissolved into blissful oblivion, soft kisses and gentle jokes passed back and forth. It had been good; it had been perfect.
So why would she leave without a word? Not so much as a kiss goodbye; at least I had the curtesy of that. I understood her cases were just as important as mine, if not less so, but even still a word would have been good. Now fret sat on my shoulder like a conscious.
"Ghastly, it won't fit!" Flicked my attention back to the scene in the back room, causing my head to turn rather rapidly. There was a chuckle and a light thump as the sofa hit the wall.
Thank every god known to man.
Tanith laughed and hit the doorframe, cheering lightly as the sofa (quite obviously) passed into the penultimate room where it was let down with a light 'thump.'
I sniggered gently, resting my head back on the wall of the tailor's shop and slipping my hat over my eyes. Peace.
There was a gentle buzz against my leg, a disturbance to my tranquility.
It was annoying.
The phone was tucked into my trouser pocket, buzzing frequently in rounds of three to signify a call. Dipping my hand into the pocket I retrieved it as the caller's name came onto screen.
'China Sorrows.'

***
-Saracen

My fists burnt through clenching, the blood leaving and causing them to whiten as I paced the waiting room of the mortal hospital. Sighs came thick, angry and often as the seconds ticked by and the tread slowly deteriorated on my shoes as I paced back and forth. The light was muffled by clouds and dense condensation on the window, the room dull and musty. The pain in my side ached and burned, the stitches disjointed and badly done. Blood had congealed over it and now stuck to my pale shirt, causing a dark mark where it sat. It stung and winced pain over my torso, the key was to grit and bear it or else it would only get worse. Raven sat on a chair near the door, her eyes stinging red and wet with fear as her hand rested on the chair's edge. She shook in her sleep, worrying over the same thing as us all.
Dexter.
A thick cut shocked through his system where her knife had plummeted, cutting accurately into his vital organs and through the bottom ventricle of his heart.
Only those with magic and knowledge could have kept him alive for this long.
She'd fled, ran far from her lover and was now surely out of the country. Her mind's intention was to kill, however her heart would have made a far more accurate blow if honestly into it.
There wasn't a sole member of the ensemble that didn't now hate the name, but in all honesty, it felt as if Oblivion Armageddon had never intended to kill Dexter Vex.
No, there was something very off key in this situation.
She had no motive, no reasoning and to the untrained eye it would seem as she had been possessed. But no, I would have noticed something. Dexter would have noticed something.
Unless it was something to do with the events of seven months ago.
Something had happened there. But what?
Nevertheless, I'd swear to get her for what she'd done.
That treacherous bitch that she was.
There was the light click of a door opening across the room as a taller man bowed his head on entering, checking a clipboard with a sigh. He chewed on his lip and swallowed.
"I'm sorry."
-Were his only words.

***
-China

"I knew you'd never leave me, China."
Said the words of Skulduggery Pleasant as he paced slowly from the mist. His hat was tilted halfway over his eyes, his cuffs however uneven and scruffed. Surely he could have changed to a better suit on meeting a former dead woman. To be frank it was unbelievably rude. I chuckled lightly, turning to him with a slight smile. Gun in palm.
"Of course not. You're too funny just to leave like that, Mr Pleasant." A small smile broke over my lips as I met him, waiting for him.
He paced closer, the light tred of his shoes on the gravel crumbling beneath his feet. His figure was broken slightly, the weight of his world on his shoulders. He chuckled gently, unevenly and roguishly, a faint smile twitching over his waxy lips.
"I suppose you worked it out quickly, Mr Detective." I mused, lifting my gaze to his startling green eyes as he dipped his head inches from mine. "You were always the clever, clever boy of your siblings. Smarter, quicker than your brothers." I paused as he slipped his phone into the fore pocket of his trench coat, his eyes moving from mine. I slipped a finger to his chin and brought his gaze back to mine. "Handsomer."
He sighed deeply, jaw clenched but eyes soft and gentle.
"Where is she, China?"
I paused, searching his eyes for a second more before pulling my hand away and delicately placing it at my side, left hand clenching over my gun.
"Skulduggery... Seven missed calls. Where were you?"
His tongue ran over his fine, white teeth as he swallowed and tilted his head to the sea.
"Where is she, China?"
I paused, stepping away from him and wrapping my coat closer, the sea breeze causing my hair to flick rapidly across my face in frantic whips and lashes.
"I-I... I don't know."
"Then why are you here?" His voice was cold, without emotion. His eyes narrowed across the stilled sea, jaw hard and teeth clenched. The cold didn't bother him.
There was a pause between us, the gentle hush of the sea and distant rumble of clouds overhead as the ocean storm rolled over the headland.
"Dusk." I murmured gently, defeated.
Skulduggery Pleasant was an easy man to read if known well. His voice would lower to a growl, shoulders stiffen and eyes grow cold when angered. It reminded me very distinctly of a fox.
His crest.
Pleasant's head shot round, a deep growl perpetrating from his dried lips as his deep eyes caught mine. They narrowed as his fist clenched and at that precise moment he was gone.
The dock was empty once more, the soft growl of the car against stone ringing in the air.
Soft droplets of rain fell, running down my face in the mist. The sea growled and rolled, the wood of the wharf now drenched in its own sweat.
A gentle tear ran down my cheek as the heavens broke loose.

***

The table was dank with broken light as it broke gently into the chapel room, the dark haired girl sitting at the edge of it as her fiancée and herself discussed quietly together. Her right leg lifted and crossed over the other, the click of heels signalling him to take a seat as the door opened and the grand Mage entered. She did not do the same.
Madame Mist took her end of the table, eying over the woman as she flicked through her papers in reassurance.
"I was under the impression you neglected my letter." She mused, sucking her bottom lip in to wet it gently, dark eyes flicking upwards from under her veil casually.
"Of course, only at first. It would seem I over estimated your allegiance to the skeleton."
The girl hummed gently, fists clenching gently in and out as her head dipped; scar over her eye shining gently in the poor sunlight.
"You know of my plan now, of course. To bring him down and take over. To create what Erskine Ravel never managed. Pleasant is the centre of it all and it is crucial that we must end his name. For your sake and for mine." She paused, standing and taking the set of papers to the man and woman; setting the wad down with a distinct thud.
"There is war brewing again, nothing has been the same since... Since the unpleasantness. You know for a fact that neither of you are safe in this world anymore. The mortals are developing; learning."
The dark haired girl hummed, her eyes skimming over the papers gently.
"And what's in it for us?" Asked the man, his head raising slightly from his fiancée's stare.
"I'll grant you protection. I'll grant you all protection. Even the detective will be better off after this, you have to understand that."
Fletcher Renn looked over to the girl on his right, hand brushing over hers.
Valkyrie Cain looked up to Madame Mist, her jaw clenched and eyes set hard.
"So, do you accept? Are you prepared to bring down Skulduggery Pleasant and all those that support him for the sake of your future?"
Valkyrie's head bowed, a soft hand felt on her lower abdomen. She looked over to the blue eyes of her husband as he murmured something gently, the bulge on her middle feeling heavier than ever.
"I accept." She said.

****
Sorry it's late. But I came up with this new sub plot thing half way through and I needed to add it ^-^!
Hope you guys are okay, and if you're on holiday hope you're having a great time
(I MISSS YOOUU VVVVIIINNNN :'( )
Anyway, I'll update soon.
Love you all and thanks for clinging on through
-Bliv xxxx