And Darkness Rained Upon Them

Chapter 1 - Elegant As Poetry

Chapter 1 – Elegant as Poetry

The dull, repetitive beeping of my alarm clock slowly drifted into my dream waking me up. I slowly sat up in bed leaning against my headboard; blearily I opened my eyes as the last of my dream slipped from my memory. It was that same dream, if you could call it the same, because in each dream my mother was brutally murdered, but each time it changed, each time it became more vindictive. It wasn’t just the murder of my mother, no it was the assassin that managed to slip past my guard and kill my father so silently even the shadows didn’t notice. Gradually I became more alert, eyes sliding around my apartment, a snapshot of me aged six swinging on my mother, Laura Lenore, and my father, Gordon’s, hands with me, Raven Nevermore in the middle.

There was no light streaming through my window, nothing to fully wake me up but the dulcet tones of my alarm clock and the gentle tapping of small pebbles against my window. Groggily I muttered “Suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. ‘'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.’” Slowly I ambled in the dark over to where my bespoke clothes lay, the more I awoke the faster the tapping of the stones and the faster I pulled my clothes on.

Quickly I stumbled across the floor to my mirror checking my reflection; I stood around 5ft 10, tall enough for a seventeen year old girl, and my eyes peered back through the mirror at me, the irises a harmonious mix of green, blue and hazel, black and grey pinstripe jeans highlight the powerful muscle in my legs, my simple cotton halter neck highlighting my athletic shoulders and muscular arms; a simple poisonous purple Basque emphasising the curves of my torso. Dozens of necklaces hung from my neck, a tiny silver and black linked bracelet hung at the bottom of my arm warmers, which were black as sin. I added the final touches by choosing to place my swirled black onyx ear stretcher in.

Finally I turned grabbed my cell, thigh holster and leather bound dagger and jumped out the 5th floor window. 

The shadows rushed up swarming around me comforting my jump; finally a figure gracefully stepped out of the shadows.

The man began to speak in his unhurried bass like voice “I see you’re quoting Poe now? You realise you’re over half an hour late though, I assume you have a good reason?” 

Turning on the man I fixed my most withering looked at him and sharply replied “I’ve quoted Poe all my life, lets just say I had an odd but well educated upbringing. And the reason is unlike you I’m not undead! Some of us mortals need sleep and don’t like to be woken up at ungodly hours!” I skipped a beat then added in a more remorseful tone, “I’m sorry that was uncalled for, I’m just a little grouchy seeing as it’s gone midnight and I need to be up at six to start training before I go to the school where I’m branded an outcast just like I am everywhere else…”

“It’s fine, I know I’m a monster but luckily now I’ve found Dusk’s supply of antidote I can be human for the one I love.”

“You know I can hardly approve or disapprove of your emotions but please let’s keep this purely business.”

“As you wish. Both Valkyrie and Skulduggery have been sent over to your London Sanctuary to work as undercover operatives. From what I’ve heard it sounds like they’re going up against one of the big rivals like Springheeled Jack or Dusk. She’s going to be enrolled at your school, the year bellow yours. They seem to have a lead on your presence but not yet who you actually are, they’ve based a lot of their search on mere rumours.”

“Hmmm, but the Detective is good with linking rumours to fact… Thank you I have no idea how hard it must be for you giving information about the one you love to someone else.”