Skulduggery might have been able to block out Gabe's immediate reactions. But once he had the feather in his hand, he couldn't help catching a reflection of the Archangel's face off the floor - a floor so startlingly clean that, while the image was fuzzy, Skulduggery still managed to see the furious blinking and the lines of pain. He turned away from the reflection and focused instead on the next feathers, abruptly and not quite surprisingly wishing Gabriel had never tried to cross the dimensional wall. Things would have been better for everyone if he hadn't, including Gabe. Especially Gabe.
Given those sudden feelings, piled on top of what had already been considerable guilt, Skulduggery wasn't surprised when he felt disproportionately irritated at Kenspeckle's personal treatment of the Archangel. What did surprise him, quite thoroughly, was when the irritability didn't pass. Not even when Gabe became so visibly relaxed at the massage that he seemed to forget, for a moment, that there was pain at all. That was a good thing. It should have been a good thing.
Fear gripped him. Was the anger making another show, so soon after nearly spiraling out of control? Skulduggery shoved the inexplicable feeling down as Kenspeckle turned back to his cart, concerned once again for the disturbing lack of control he had since escaping from Landel's. There wasn't even anything to get angry over. Had what happened a few minutes ago opened a door Skulduggery wouldn't be able to close? Even though Gabe stopped him from going too far at the time?
The reflection of Gabe's face vanished from the floor as the Archangel's head tilted back in happiness, but it wasn't particularly hard to tell from the back how much relief the lavender concoction was. Excellent. Kenspeckle's own healing magic might have been boosting it, but the Professor wouldn't be giving them the bottle if he didn't think it would help in some small way.
'Lavender?' Skulduggery questioned. 'There's holy water in that, I assume.'
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Given those sudden feelings, piled on top of what had already been considerable guilt, Skulduggery wasn't surprised when he felt disproportionately irritated at Kenspeckle's personal treatment of the Archangel. What did surprise him, quite thoroughly, was when the irritability didn't pass. Not even when Gabe became so visibly relaxed at the massage that he seemed to forget, for a moment, that there was pain at all. That was a good thing. It should have been a good thing.
Fear gripped him. Was the anger making another show, so soon after nearly spiraling out of control? Skulduggery shoved the inexplicable feeling down as Kenspeckle turned back to his cart, concerned once again for the disturbing lack of control he had since escaping from Landel's. There wasn't even anything to get angry over. Had what happened a few minutes ago opened a door Skulduggery wouldn't be able to close? Even though Gabe stopped him from going too far at the time?
The reflection of Gabe's face vanished from the floor as the Archangel's head tilted back in happiness, but it wasn't particularly hard to tell from the back how much relief the lavender concoction was. Excellent. Kenspeckle's own healing magic might have been boosting it, but the Professor wouldn't be giving them the bottle if he didn't think it would help in some small way.
'Lavender?' Skulduggery questioned. 'There's holy water in that, I assume.'