Gabe didn't answer. For once, there wasn't even arguing. He'd heard it, because he'd responded to the first one, and because his face... it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what the Archangel was feeling, but by the time Gabe looked away, Skulduggery was left feeling like he'd missed something. Something important. It wasn't exactly a good feeling for a detective to have.
Luckily, this feeling was tempered, and almost immediately, by surprise. Fletcher was back.
Skulduggery hadn't expected any of them to come back. True, Fletcher would have the least amount of context, but even he must have heard of Lord Vile. Must have asked Valkyrie or China. Would have recognised the Necromancy.
At the very least, he should be scared. Why did he come back?
"What, you thought I wouldn't?" Fletcher sounded almost offended as he spoke to Gabe and unwittingly answered Skulduggery's unspoken question. "You're still here, right? I might not understand a lot, or... well, anything, really, about what just happened. But - "
Gabe hugged him and Fletcher's voice cut off abruptly. Skulduggery was forcibly reminded of when the teenager came back, at Aranmore Farm, to reopen the portal for them despite terror he'd probably never felt anything like before in his life. He was an idiot, but... he was certainly a brave idiot, and Skulduggery couldn't hold that against him. Skulduggery himself had been a brave idiot, once upon a time. Every great man had to start somewhere.
With Gabe's warning from earlier playing through his mind, Skulduggery wanted to add in his own 'thank you,' but caught himself a little too late. His jaw had moved a centimetre against itself, and the fresh wave of pain paralysed him for a few seconds. Still trying to cradle the lower half in place, Skulduggery nodded to Fletcher with a small noise of pain and gratitude.
"I came back for a reason," Fletcher mumbled, suddenly and refreshingly self-conscious. "Come on, let's go."
'You probably shouldn't start with that,' Skulduggery warned Gabe as Fletcher carefully led the angel back up to the front of the church. 'He'll be angry enough about treating my jaw before he sees that you've done exactly what he told you not to. It's best if I'm just an afterthought.'
~~
Fletcher had tried to ask about what happened in the church. China, more politely than she'd really intended, turned him away. And he'd accepted it, fortunately; left before China's precarious hold on her emotions cracked again. Adrenaline still pumped through her body, bolstered by the confusion and shock that she was still alive.
The last thing China needed or wanted was a situation where she would have to think. A situation where she would have to play her usual mind games and employ her usual manipulation - especially without the use of her powers. Because for once, she was afraid that holding a basic conversation with someone would be too taxing for her.
So when Solomon pounced on the opportunity to gloat, or question, or God knew whatever else he might want, China didn't even turn, barely even smiled. She was simply not in the mood.
"What happened here?" she asked instead. Directly. Uncertainly. Without answering the Necromancer's question, which would force her to think again. Pure, unadulterated emotional reaction. That was all she could handle at the moment. And her library, the safety of her library, was the immediate priority.
no subject
Luckily, this feeling was tempered, and almost immediately, by surprise. Fletcher was back.
Skulduggery hadn't expected any of them to come back. True, Fletcher would have the least amount of context, but even he must have heard of Lord Vile. Must have asked Valkyrie or China. Would have recognised the Necromancy.
At the very least, he should be scared. Why did he come back?
"What, you thought I wouldn't?" Fletcher sounded almost offended as he spoke to Gabe and unwittingly answered Skulduggery's unspoken question. "You're still here, right? I might not understand a lot, or... well, anything, really, about what just happened. But - "
Gabe hugged him and Fletcher's voice cut off abruptly. Skulduggery was forcibly reminded of when the teenager came back, at Aranmore Farm, to reopen the portal for them despite terror he'd probably never felt anything like before in his life. He was an idiot, but... he was certainly a brave idiot, and Skulduggery couldn't hold that against him. Skulduggery himself had been a brave idiot, once upon a time. Every great man had to start somewhere.
With Gabe's warning from earlier playing through his mind, Skulduggery wanted to add in his own 'thank you,' but caught himself a little too late. His jaw had moved a centimetre against itself, and the fresh wave of pain paralysed him for a few seconds. Still trying to cradle the lower half in place, Skulduggery nodded to Fletcher with a small noise of pain and gratitude.
"I came back for a reason," Fletcher mumbled, suddenly and refreshingly self-conscious. "Come on, let's go."
'You probably shouldn't start with that,' Skulduggery warned Gabe as Fletcher carefully led the angel back up to the front of the church. 'He'll be angry enough about treating my jaw before he sees that you've done exactly what he told you not to. It's best if I'm just an afterthought.'
~~
Fletcher had tried to ask about what happened in the church. China, more politely than she'd really intended, turned him away. And he'd accepted it, fortunately; left before China's precarious hold on her emotions cracked again. Adrenaline still pumped through her body, bolstered by the confusion and shock that she was still alive.
The last thing China needed or wanted was a situation where she would have to think. A situation where she would have to play her usual mind games and employ her usual manipulation - especially without the use of her powers. Because for once, she was afraid that holding a basic conversation with someone would be too taxing for her.
So when Solomon pounced on the opportunity to gloat, or question, or God knew whatever else he might want, China didn't even turn, barely even smiled. She was simply not in the mood.
"What happened here?" she asked instead. Directly. Uncertainly. Without answering the Necromancer's question, which would force her to think again. Pure, unadulterated emotional reaction. That was all she could handle at the moment. And her library, the safety of her library, was the immediate priority.