Skulduggery juggled facts in his everyday life as easily as breathing, precisely because of moments like this; moments when facts were almost a lifeline. He went through as many of them as quickly as he could now: Valkyrie wasn't dead. Valkyrie was defending her decision, just as he'd taught her to. Valkyrie had brought them a possible lead to Dusk. Valkyrie was old enough to make her own decisions, questionable though they may be, and Skulduggery had no right to criticise her for it - for any of it. What was done was done and all they could do now was sweep up the pieces. Pieces which, as it turned out, might just be useful.

Whether Gabe was aware of how he'd distracted everyone else or not, Skulduggery was grateful for it. Slowly, carefully, he regained his composure, cautiously noting the irony of the only person in the room understanding the real danger being the Archangel.

None of them should have tried to rescue him. Not Valkyrie, and definitely not Gabe, not with Lucifer almost certainly making an appearance. But it was too late to change that now.

"Not here," Valkyrie contradicted Gabe, leaping on the distraction just as eagerly as Skulduggery had. "Well, okay, yeah, at night. But the sun binds their powers. During the day, they're basically mortals, just strong and fast with supremely annoying reflexes. The chemical Dusk has stops him from transforming at night."

"Caelan doesn't like Dusk," Tanith piped up. "He might help us out again if he thinks it'll put Dusk back in prison."