Reactions were something China enjoyed a wonderful degree of control over - both on her own face and in others. It didn't matter how powerful the target was, it seemed. This time, China had to work amusingly hard to keep the thrill of victory out of her own expression, but she didn't particularly care. Skulduggery was as impossible to read as ever, but Gabe... it was like he didn't even try to be subtle.
So. This was what angels looked like, then?
A little... less impressive than China had been picturing, at least at first glance. The fact still remained that Gabe identified her abilities right away, pushed back, and had gotten angry at her for it - which wasn't so strange in itself; that tended to be the general reaction among people she first met. But what had been strange was how the others had reacted to Gabe's anger. Wary. Frightened. Almost as if they expected him to... what was the word? Smite?
It explained Guild's misconception, as well. Now the only question remaining was why on earth an angel would need Skulduggery so badly that they would rescue him from the equivalent of hell, and what on earth was making Skulduggery put up with one. There was some kind of deal there she suspected she wouldn't have the resources to figure out.
"Oh, I'm not," she assured Gabe after a moment - and that was also true. Angel he may be, but he came from another world. Another dimension. He might not be divine at all. "You surprise me, Skulduggery. You haven't heard about the visions?"
Skulduggery looked at her. "Well, I have just gotten back. Care to enlighten us?"
"Not up to your usual standards yet?" China shook her head in mock disappointment. "Any Sensitive with any form of real power in the world right now. They're all having the same vision. They all describe it as 'angels coming to save us.' Divine beings in white that apparently take it upon themselves to stop anything bad from happening."
Of course, Skulduggery would have placed himself right in the middle of it. China really should have made the connection between those visions and this handsome barefoot stranger sooner. His accent now didn't change the measured way he'd spoken earlier.
"I didn't think you would believe in that sort of thing," said Skulduggery.
"Oh, I don't. Beings powerful enough to be called angels, maybe, but ultimately based on the same principle as the Faceless Ones. Not divine, and certainly not to be worshiped solely for that power."
no subject
Reactions were something China enjoyed a wonderful degree of control over - both on her own face and in others. It didn't matter how powerful the target was, it seemed. This time, China had to work amusingly hard to keep the thrill of victory out of her own expression, but she didn't particularly care. Skulduggery was as impossible to read as ever, but Gabe... it was like he didn't even try to be subtle.
So. This was what angels looked like, then?
A little... less impressive than China had been picturing, at least at first glance. The fact still remained that Gabe identified her abilities right away, pushed back, and had gotten angry at her for it - which wasn't so strange in itself; that tended to be the general reaction among people she first met. But what had been strange was how the others had reacted to Gabe's anger. Wary. Frightened. Almost as if they expected him to... what was the word? Smite?
It explained Guild's misconception, as well. Now the only question remaining was why on earth an angel would need Skulduggery so badly that they would rescue him from the equivalent of hell, and what on earth was making Skulduggery put up with one. There was some kind of deal there she suspected she wouldn't have the resources to figure out.
"Oh, I'm not," she assured Gabe after a moment - and that was also true. Angel he may be, but he came from another world. Another dimension. He might not be divine at all. "You surprise me, Skulduggery. You haven't heard about the visions?"
Skulduggery looked at her. "Well, I have just gotten back. Care to enlighten us?"
"Not up to your usual standards yet?" China shook her head in mock disappointment. "Any Sensitive with any form of real power in the world right now. They're all having the same vision. They all describe it as 'angels coming to save us.' Divine beings in white that apparently take it upon themselves to stop anything bad from happening."
Of course, Skulduggery would have placed himself right in the middle of it. China really should have made the connection between those visions and this handsome barefoot stranger sooner. His accent now didn't change the measured way he'd spoken earlier.
"I didn't think you would believe in that sort of thing," said Skulduggery.
"Oh, I don't. Beings powerful enough to be called angels, maybe, but ultimately based on the same principle as the Faceless Ones. Not divine, and certainly not to be worshiped solely for that power."