AND SHE WAS NOT AN ADVENTURE I FLYNN CARSEN

Death By Debbie Harry

Death By Debbie Harry

Clara found Flynn massacring his way through the hors d'oeuvres, the sight turning her stomach slightly. For all his airs and graces, he had the table manners of a pig. As he started stuffing stuffed mushrooms into his blazer pockets, Clara hastily sprung forwards, grabbing his hand to halt him. "That's enough," she said warningly, trying to ignore the raised eyebrows being aimed like ammunition in their direction.

"Their Vorspeise is visionary, Clara!" Flynn exclaimed, looking like he'd just found the Holy Grail. "Absolutely visionary!"

"We're meant to be finding the Stone, Flynn," Clara hissed, leading him away from the appetizers.

"You're holding my hand, Hartley," Flynn observed.

"Yes I am," Clara said tartly, dragging him into a discreet corner. "Now what about the Stone?"

"Where did you go?" Flynn said, completely sidestepping the question.

"Where did you go!?" Clara snapped, losing patience.

"I was here the whole time," Flynn said pettishly, pulling a stuffed mushroom out of his pocket and stuffing it in his mouth. "Found a wall."

"What do you mean you 'found a wall'?" Clara asked, confused.

Flynn glanced over his shoulder at a far wall where a steward stood guard. "That coat of arms belonged to John Sheffield," he said in an undertone, "the Duke of Normandy who was the architect of Buckingham House."

"Does that piece of trivial trivia have anything to do with the Stone?" Clara hazarded, tilting her head to the side.

"Yes it does," Flynn said furtively, "yes it does indeed."

~*~

"Hold your nose," Flynn instructed Clara, before clicking his fingers. As though by magic, the room was suddenly filled with skunks, scattering stewards and society beauties alike, complete chaos erupting, much to Flynn's smug satisfaction.

"How the hell did you do that?" Clara asked, impressed against her will.

"I called in a few favours," Flynn said flippantly, leading her through the hysterical throng, towards the wall he'd found. "The Skunk King owes me."

"I suppose he doesn't owe you anything now," Clara said, ducking as a dish went flying past her head.

"This is just him paying off the interest," Flynn said, slowing to a stop. "But it got rid of our steward friend, which is all I wanted."

"That's all you want then?" Clara said, raising a provocative eyebrow.

Flynn looked at Clara for a long moment, his gaze travelling over her, taking her in from top to toe, seeing everything and missing nothing, making Clara feel more exposed than she already was. "I want you," he said quietly, reaching out for her hand, only for Clara to draw back from him.

"So what's with the wall, big boy?" Clara asked acerbically, trying and failing to recover her composure.

Flynn just looked at her like she'd stabbed him through the heart. But before he could say or do anything, Ezekiel and Jacob popped up on either side of them, Ezekiel's pockets rattling suspiciously.

"What's with the Mephitis mephitis?" Jacob demanded, detaching a skunk from his suit sleeve.

"That's what I'd like to know," Eve said, limping over to them, one of the heels missing from her shoe.

"Was this you by any chance?" Ezekiel asked, looking pointedly at Flynn.

"There's no point in denying it," Jacob said. "This has Flynn Carsen written all over it."