Valkyrie didn't know what she was expecting when China woke up. If even Gabe wasn't sure what her condition would be, it would have to be bad, but... Valkyrie was having a stupidly hard time imagining China as anything other than perfectly controlled and poised and confident, gently and yet harshly teasing with every word.
But now... now she was crying.
In three years, Valkyrie had only ever seen China lose control of her temper once. And even then - even when a good portion of her library was accidentally destroyed - she'd regained her composure almost immediately. Valkyrie didn't think she'd ever seen the woman come even close to breaking down. She wouldn't be surprised if China, in over four hundred years of life, never had. But there were tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and she just looked... she looked broken. Well and truly broken.
Valkyrie had to sit down. It didn't take a genius to work out what China must have meant with her half-formed question, especially since Gabe answered firmly almost right away. The implication didn't even shock Valkyrie anymore. She just felt numb.
She was beginning to wonder why they'd ever been scared of Gabe, though. Here was someone who'd just tried to control the Archangel using his true name - someone he'd gotten angry at before just for using her natural and passive ability on him - and not only did he shrug it off, he proceeded to treat her like a child under his care. Which, technically, she was, but... still. China didn't even seem to mind, didn't try to move away or comment or do much other than stare blankly off into space. That... wasn't the China Valkyrie knew.
Tanith looked just as shocked and frightened and unsure as Valkyrie felt. So did Fletcher. But both Skulduggery and Ghastly were as impassive as ever, just watching. What was it with living for centuries and suddenly not being able to show basic human emotion anymore?
"He's impressive," China finally said, her tone just as devoid of anything as it had been a few minutes ago. She looked like she was about to say something else, but pain clouded her vision and her mouth snapped shut.
Wow. China was actually in shock. Properly in shock, like a limb had just gotten sliced off or something. Not that Valkyrie could really blame her, if she'd actually seen -
For the first time since that fateful day three years ago, Valkyrie truly felt like she'd gotten in over her head.
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But now... now she was crying.
In three years, Valkyrie had only ever seen China lose control of her temper once. And even then - even when a good portion of her library was accidentally destroyed - she'd regained her composure almost immediately. Valkyrie didn't think she'd ever seen the woman come even close to breaking down. She wouldn't be surprised if China, in over four hundred years of life, never had. But there were tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and she just looked... she looked broken. Well and truly broken.
Valkyrie had to sit down. It didn't take a genius to work out what China must have meant with her half-formed question, especially since Gabe answered firmly almost right away. The implication didn't even shock Valkyrie anymore. She just felt numb.
She was beginning to wonder why they'd ever been scared of Gabe, though. Here was someone who'd just tried to control the Archangel using his true name - someone he'd gotten angry at before just for using her natural and passive ability on him - and not only did he shrug it off, he proceeded to treat her like a child under his care. Which, technically, she was, but... still. China didn't even seem to mind, didn't try to move away or comment or do much other than stare blankly off into space. That... wasn't the China Valkyrie knew.
Tanith looked just as shocked and frightened and unsure as Valkyrie felt. So did Fletcher. But both Skulduggery and Ghastly were as impassive as ever, just watching. What was it with living for centuries and suddenly not being able to show basic human emotion anymore?
"He's impressive," China finally said, her tone just as devoid of anything as it had been a few minutes ago. She looked like she was about to say something else, but pain clouded her vision and her mouth snapped shut.
Wow. China was actually in shock. Properly in shock, like a limb had just gotten sliced off or something. Not that Valkyrie could really blame her, if she'd actually seen -
For the first time since that fateful day three years ago, Valkyrie truly felt like she'd gotten in over her head.