"Ah," Gabriel murmured. "That must have been frustrating. People tend to underestimate the value of words in magic." Even people of the blood had a habit of leaning toward the flashier forms if they could. Not that Gabriel could blame them; there was a certain fun about it. But people forgot there was power in words.

He followed quickly and glanced over his shoulder, even though he could no longer see the intersection. The rumble had made him uneasy.

The Archangel turned back toward Skulduggery and gave him a rueful smile. All of a sudden he wondered if this was one of those situations where it might be better to lie. It was just too bad he wasn't a very good liar. "I've actually never done this before, to be honest," he admitted. "Usually I already know where the true name lies. But souls--there's a tenor to souls. I know where to look, and you're not bound in the same way people usually are. Are you ready?"