What was it with Gabe and breathing? There were plenty of other ways to say 'Be careful,' especially given that Skulduggery didn't actually need to breathe.
It was also slightly off-putting that the Archangel could tell so easily now. Back at the Institute, he'd needed physical contact to read Skulduggery's emotions, and affect them in some small way. It was both heartening and disconcerting that he didn't need the same physical contact here. Heartening because Skulduggery had never had someone so firmly attuned to his mind before, and it could be helpful - the last resource he needed to control the anger once and for all. Disconcerting for more obvious reasons.
But the next part... that was interesting.
"China wants to kill Crux?" Valkyrie asked, frowning.
"China panicked?" Tanith asked with the same level of confusion.
Ghastly was more thoughtful. He and Skulduggery both knew China better than anyone else in the room - neither of them were exactly surprised. "If China wants to kill Crux," he mused out loud, "because she panicked, then it would most likely be because she's trying to cover something up."
Valkyrie barked out a sort of half-laugh. "Crux is insane. Half the stuff he says doesn't make sense, and the other half is about how great the Faceless Ones are. What does China have to be worried about?"
"You guys didn't see her in the library," Fletcher added. "She really doesn't look like she could kill anyone, even if she wanted to. Did anyone else notice that her magic's gone?"
China wanting to kill someone wasn't exactly new, or noteworthy. The implication that she would actually follow through this time, and especially after learning an Archangel was walking the Earth? Slightly more noteworthy, but still ultimately none of Skulduggery's business; China had done many things during the war she regretted now, and if she thought killing someone was the best way to cover it up, that was her business. With the intended target being an insane lunatic who'd tried to kill Valkyrie, Skulduggery might even have given her his blessing, rather than try to stop her.
But the fact that she panicked. Yes, she was in a delicate state right now, after what she tried to do. But Skulduggery would have thought she'd be avoiding emotion at all, let alone something so volatile as panic. That was enough to grab his curiosity, and... to be perfectly honest with himself, it was also the last excuse Skulduggery needed to go and find Crux. What happened when he did eventually find the ex-Detective remained to be seen.
no subject
It was also slightly off-putting that the Archangel could tell so easily now. Back at the Institute, he'd needed physical contact to read Skulduggery's emotions, and affect them in some small way. It was both heartening and disconcerting that he didn't need the same physical contact here. Heartening because Skulduggery had never had someone so firmly attuned to his mind before, and it could be helpful - the last resource he needed to control the anger once and for all. Disconcerting for more obvious reasons.
But the next part... that was interesting.
"China wants to kill Crux?" Valkyrie asked, frowning.
"China panicked?" Tanith asked with the same level of confusion.
Ghastly was more thoughtful. He and Skulduggery both knew China better than anyone else in the room - neither of them were exactly surprised. "If China wants to kill Crux," he mused out loud, "because she panicked, then it would most likely be because she's trying to cover something up."
Valkyrie barked out a sort of half-laugh. "Crux is insane. Half the stuff he says doesn't make sense, and the other half is about how great the Faceless Ones are. What does China have to be worried about?"
"You guys didn't see her in the library," Fletcher added. "She really doesn't look like she could kill anyone, even if she wanted to. Did anyone else notice that her magic's gone?"
China wanting to kill someone wasn't exactly new, or noteworthy. The implication that she would actually follow through this time, and especially after learning an Archangel was walking the Earth? Slightly more noteworthy, but still ultimately none of Skulduggery's business; China had done many things during the war she regretted now, and if she thought killing someone was the best way to cover it up, that was her business. With the intended target being an insane lunatic who'd tried to kill Valkyrie, Skulduggery might even have given her his blessing, rather than try to stop her.
But the fact that she panicked. Yes, she was in a delicate state right now, after what she tried to do. But Skulduggery would have thought she'd be avoiding emotion at all, let alone something so volatile as panic. That was enough to grab his curiosity, and... to be perfectly honest with himself, it was also the last excuse Skulduggery needed to go and find Crux. What happened when he did eventually find the ex-Detective remained to be seen.