Skulduggery Pleasant fan-fic: The Cradle of Magic (UNDER EDIT)

Turning the leaf

-Bliv

The rooms ahead were dark and badly lit, it was difficult to make out the shapes ahead, coming from light-filled corridor, my pupils had now dilated and I could make out a door ahead. Feeling a bit like Alice in Wonderland, I decided to open it thinking it must be a broom cupboard or something, but gazed at its tardis-like abilities as the room was five times bigger than anticipated filled with glowing symbols and cages hanging from the ceiling. It was like a vast cavern, the floor about fifteen feet below me lead to by some stairs from the door. The symbols glowed more vigorously now, so I decided to spectate rather than investigate, that was when I realised that the cages were not as empty as I thought. Like canaries each Mage sat, small compared to the size of the enclosure, but all with their eyes on the light that was the crack through the door, and me. I noticed a young man near me pounding on what seemed to be a forcefield around the cage, yelling muffled screams at me, but my disturbance seized when purple sigils appeared around the cell, covering the Mage with black shadows and sedating him.A girl near him seized her pounding too, shocked, and obediently sat on the floor of the cage away from me. I then realised where I was, the well renowned sanctuary Gaol, how I managed to merely waltz in I don't know, but I suppose due to the amount of protection each cage has there is no way it could be penetrated from the inside, so I was safe. I backed out already seeing enough and closed the door behind me, which glowed purple. I breathed taking in what I had just seen, and walked back down the corridor with my head down, only to absentmindedly bump into a man of about six foot, with black suit and blonde hair. "Jeez..." He muttered looking at me.

-Vin

I had only recounted the memories of China Sorrow's library, I had only ever been to Ireland a couple of times and never by myself, so the day I set off on the ferry from Holyhead, was a bit frightening as I relied only on the directions from the text I received, my memory and the map in the envelope which was now in my pocket and had been for the last twenty four hours. I set off yesterday at 6:00 am from Cambridge and caught a taxi to the station, I then got a train to Holyhead, using the money in the envelope to get a ferry ticket and buy myself pot noodles for lunch. It took three and a half hours to get to Dublin Port luckily I took my iPod and scheduled a taxi to pick me up when I arrived at 5:34 pm to take me to my hotel, when I got to the hotel, (which was already pre-booked) I checked in and finished the pizza I had bought previously, by that time it was 9:34 pm and I decided to have an early night.

It was about 2:15 am when I heard a tap on the window (why is it always such a precise time that pigeons decide to bombard your sleep) but then realised it couldn't have been a pigeon when the window opened and a skeleton, with a 1940s gangsta mafia hat and blue suit strolled into the apartment. I smiled. The ironic thing was I actually knew this guy from when Bliv and I were about 14, when we had a bit of a problem with a vamp on a train, so it was no surprise to me when he said "Before you ask, in my opinion doors are for people with no imagination, and my god haven't you grown..." I laughed and being the rebellious chic I am, lunged forward and hugged him, he made a disapproving grunt and took a step back, " That, was for waking me up far to early, and criticising my size, because I'll have you know, I'm the same size as Bliv now.. So.." I looked into his eye-sockets long and hard... I then broke and started laughing and he followed, he sounds so weird when he laughs, I've always thought that.

After a long conversation about how everyone was doing, and what had happened over the years and etc. I finally asked "So, Um... You working for China now then.. Or?" He coughed, and replied rather, I thought, awkwardly " Well, I, er, I'm doing her a favour, because y'know she's a good friend and everything..." "And after you and Bliv, finished working with us, I was the only one who could find either of you... Well Done on getting into Cambridge by the way... You two worked hard for it..." There was something definitely up with him "Are you okay? It just seems like something's up..." I asked walking over to grab my cardi from the bed. "Yes, I'm fine.. I've just been.. I've seen some stuff... Prophecies I mean, about Val.." He faded "Oh.." I said rather taken aback at how informal he was being... "Anyway! He said and got up to get his coat, we have an hour before we meet China, you might want to get changed." I looked at the clock, it read 5:48 am, I looked back at Skul, but he had left the room.

I zipped up my brown leather jacket as I got into the Bentley, I had completely forgotten how big it was, but that might have been because the last time I sat in this seat I was fourteen. The radio was still tuned to the same radio station, and there was still an etching on the inside of the door that read 'I <3 China' where we dared Val one time. Ironic really. We arrived at China's with three minutes to spare, and as I got out the Bentley Skul signalled to the man with the blue eyes, said his goodbyes, wished me luck and left. I walked over to the man to whom said " You're much taller than described" I laughed.

-Vex

She was bright red in the face and looked absolutely petrified about what she had done, she was a little shorter than me, with long brown hair, deep brown eyes and looked between twenty or sixty, ( you can never tell as magic slowly ages us) but by the look on her face I guessed she was new here, and also because I would have seen her round, God, that was some tight fitting leather, I knew Saracen would also like her. It then came to me. The idiot. I give him a favour to do but he had to leave the poor girl wondering aimlessly around the place, and by the looks of it she had just been in the Gaol. I'd buy her a coffee later. "Jeez..." I muttered annoyed with Rue, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I, um I got a little lost and um..." She said flustered, I told her to calm down and forget about what she just saw, as it was a little harrowing, especially on your first day. "I'm Vex, I'm really sorry about Saracen, he's such a retard, I'll show you round if you want, and perhaps get you a um.. Coffee?" She looked down at her boots, her eyes flicked up and she nodded a small smile on her lips. I turned and neared the end of the corridor, when she said in a clear English accent "My name's Bliv, by the way, and I already know your name..." I turned slowly and looked back at her confused...

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This chapter was dedicated to @alirocks who has always supported me in everything x