Ah. Yes. That. Gabe bit his lip, absently fingering the hem of the sheets turned down over the blankets. Stopping Lucifer. Skul wanted to know how to stop Lucifer? After millions of years, Gabriel had no idea how to do that at all! He doubted even Michael did. Not without sacrificing that which made them different to him.
The Archangel had no idea how to answer that, and the second question was more distracting. More distracting and more important anyway, even as Gabe blinked in surprise at the fact that Skulduggery was willingly raising the topic.
"You're reducing it to a matter of statistics, Skul," he said patiently. "I don't know how Lucifer could possibly make it here, unless it's related to Rafe and Merlin's coming in some way. And I couldn't have known that when I first left."
Gabe fell quiet for a moment, his head tilted and gaze staring past Skulduggery's shoulder. Even if he had known it would result in all this, would he have gone to rescue Skul anyway? Could he had made that choice?
Already he knew the answer was 'yes'. "A risk," he repeated Skul's own word quietly. "Just a risk. Not a certainty. I can't control Lucifer's choices, Skul. If he comes here, if he doesn't--that's on him. But I couldn't have stepped aside and known you suffered and done nothing. I just couldn't. Even if I'd known beforehand what could happen." He smiled slightly, rueful and half wondering and a little apprehensive. "I've already been in this position once. And I knew even less then than I do now when I made the same choice."
When he'd helped Joby, believing he would be damned for it, just because he could no longer do nothing even in spite of his Lord's order.
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The Archangel had no idea how to answer that, and the second question was more distracting. More distracting and more important anyway, even as Gabe blinked in surprise at the fact that Skulduggery was willingly raising the topic.
"You're reducing it to a matter of statistics, Skul," he said patiently. "I don't know how Lucifer could possibly make it here, unless it's related to Rafe and Merlin's coming in some way. And I couldn't have known that when I first left."
Gabe fell quiet for a moment, his head tilted and gaze staring past Skulduggery's shoulder. Even if he had known it would result in all this, would he have gone to rescue Skul anyway? Could he had made that choice?
Already he knew the answer was 'yes'. "A risk," he repeated Skul's own word quietly. "Just a risk. Not a certainty. I can't control Lucifer's choices, Skul. If he comes here, if he doesn't--that's on him. But I couldn't have stepped aside and known you suffered and done nothing. I just couldn't. Even if I'd known beforehand what could happen." He smiled slightly, rueful and half wondering and a little apprehensive. "I've already been in this position once. And I knew even less then than I do now when I made the same choice."
When he'd helped Joby, believing he would be damned for it, just because he could no longer do nothing even in spite of his Lord's order.