"She wasn't taking me seriously," Gabe said simply in answer to Ghastly, fanning the cards to cut them, shuffle them once more and then start to deal a new hand. "Do you remember what she said our second meeting, Skul? That she doesn't believe in the divine, just analogous power? She was thinking of me as something close to human. As if the word 'angel' was just another word for 'sorcerer', instead of another being altogether."

The Archangel glanced up and over at the detective, and smiled with relief to see Skulduggery had calmed down considerably. The smile turned gentle. "You didn't really understand the difference either, until you saw my true form. And you were more willing to trust me than Ms Sorrows."

At Valkyrie's question Gabe only shrugged. He knew, of course. For the moment that China had stepped into him her clarity had only made her clearer, and he had seen the intent and reasoning behind it. Seen Solomon speaking to her. He chose not to mention it; Solomon Wreath was on a quest of his own, and Skulduggery would only get irritated.

"I don't think it was desperation," he said, setting the deck down and picking up his hand absently even as he turned to look at China. There was a clinical facade on his face, but in his eyes was pity, sorrow and resignation. "Just hubris. Ms Sorrow's magic is under my domain. If she had a patron saint, it would be me. I suppose that only made her more interested in claiming control."

He sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm no healer, even if I was up to strength. If she's truly broken, there won't be anything I can do."