'As soon as we can.' Assuming he was in any condition to do so. Assuming he wasn't drugged and bedridden. Assuming a great many things, most of which flitted through Solomon's mind as quick as a darting butterfly, and left him soon after.
He felt the weight of the gun against his side vanish, but his concentration was in and out. It took him a little while to realise that the thing Valkyrie was holding to her ear was a phone. His eyes dipped closed again, the rumble of the car around him oddly soothing in a way he knew was very, very dangerous.
Even knowing that, it was impossible to resist, and he teetered on the brink of that blissful black warmth of nothingness.
~~~
"--did not heal you so you could go around making entirely idiotic attempts at failed rescue missions! Your God, do you people even stop to think things over? Of all the ridiculous, moronic escapades since--well, since Valkyrie's intent to open a portal to a dimension of sanity-stealing dark gods, but that's beside the point--"
Despite himself, Gabe smiled where he sat with his back against the wall, his senses extended all around him. Kenspeckle had started ranting a while ago and wasn't showing any signs of slowing up anytime soon. Gabriel knew a lot of it was fear and a means of overcoming that fear, but it worked. Who was he to question it?
There was genuine annoyance there, but it wasn't heated. Not really. There was relief there too. But mostly, the loudness and the stamina came from pure fear. Gabe did wonder, idly, if Kenspeckle remembered who he was talking to; the phrasing of 'your God' implied so. Part of him was glad. He didn't mind familiarity, and it was better than awe or terror.
Gabriel had been locked in this cell for a couple of hours since Sanguine passed him off to the others. Even though the Archangel had been expecting Dusk and knew the tenor of the vampire from the glimpse he'd gotten at the Hibernian, Gabe had still paled at the sight of him. That, unfortunately, let Sanguine on that Gabe really didn't like vampires (not that it was a difficult conclusion to draw).
Gleefully the Texan had left him to his father's tender mercies. Gabe had, quietly, observed Scarab observing him in turn, watched the considerations, and then finally the choice to lock him up somewhere he couldn't mindread anyone. Which was when Dusk and Springheeled Jack had led him past Kenspeckle's cell to his own.
Which was when Kenspeckle had realised he was there.
Which was when Gabe had explained why he was there.
Which was when Kenspeckle had started cursing him out, and really, it was funny and strangely comforting. So Gabe had left him to it.
The Archangel was feeling almost good about this plan when he felt the swelling, worried ring of Valkyrie's prayer. "Gabe--Gabriel. Solomon's given up his cane and left the Temple, and Craven followed me to his apartment, and now Solomon is helpless and stabbed in the leg and we're going to the Dublin Methodist Hospital but I thought you ought to know because I'm pretty sure it's because of last night that he did it. So if you can get here sometime soon, that would be really, really, really really good."
Oh, no. Gabe's chest clenched and, in sudden need of action, he pushed himself to his feet to pace the walls, Kenspeckle's voice echoing strangely down the stone corridor. Why did everything have to happen at once? He was one angel! An injured angel! Gabriel stretched his wings experimentally and hissed at the pain that lashed down them.
Even so, he could leave if he needed to. Except that meant leaving Kenspeckle alone, and Gabe couldn't do that. Skulduggery didn't know where they were, and Gabe hadn't yet been able to map enough of the castle through passive means to know where they were in the country. Another half-hour or hour, he'd be able to do it, but not yet. Not without actively using his powers like he'd promised he wouldn't.
Still. He couldn't leave Valkyrie in the lurch either. The Archangel had already known about Solomon--that was why he asked Fletcher to pass on the message!
Gabe paused and rested his head against the stone, feeling it tingle with soft familiarity from his careful explorations. This was an emergency, he decided. An emergency, so he could expend some energy. A bit in a way that wouldn't be too draining. A message, then.
"Valkyrie," he whispered, and put a bit of power in his voice so it resonated on a plane no one else could see, a plane that would lead his words straight back to Valkyrie Cain. "Kenspeckle's been kidnapped. I'm in the middle of a rescue mission. Stay with Solomon, make sure he gets help and he's protected. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
His temples throbbed and Gabriel exhaled slowly, pressing his palms against the wall. Please let them get there in time, he prayed, perhaps unnecessarily, to a Master he firmly believed was here--somewhere.
no subject
He felt the weight of the gun against his side vanish, but his concentration was in and out. It took him a little while to realise that the thing Valkyrie was holding to her ear was a phone. His eyes dipped closed again, the rumble of the car around him oddly soothing in a way he knew was very, very dangerous.
Even knowing that, it was impossible to resist, and he teetered on the brink of that blissful black warmth of nothingness.
~~~
"--did not heal you so you could go around making entirely idiotic attempts at failed rescue missions! Your God, do you people even stop to think things over? Of all the ridiculous, moronic escapades since--well, since Valkyrie's intent to open a portal to a dimension of sanity-stealing dark gods, but that's beside the point--"
Despite himself, Gabe smiled where he sat with his back against the wall, his senses extended all around him. Kenspeckle had started ranting a while ago and wasn't showing any signs of slowing up anytime soon. Gabriel knew a lot of it was fear and a means of overcoming that fear, but it worked. Who was he to question it?
There was genuine annoyance there, but it wasn't heated. Not really. There was relief there too. But mostly, the loudness and the stamina came from pure fear. Gabe did wonder, idly, if Kenspeckle remembered who he was talking to; the phrasing of 'your God' implied so. Part of him was glad. He didn't mind familiarity, and it was better than awe or terror.
Gabriel had been locked in this cell for a couple of hours since Sanguine passed him off to the others. Even though the Archangel had been expecting Dusk and knew the tenor of the vampire from the glimpse he'd gotten at the Hibernian, Gabe had still paled at the sight of him. That, unfortunately, let Sanguine on that Gabe really didn't like vampires (not that it was a difficult conclusion to draw).
Gleefully the Texan had left him to his father's tender mercies. Gabe had, quietly, observed Scarab observing him in turn, watched the considerations, and then finally the choice to lock him up somewhere he couldn't mindread anyone. Which was when Dusk and Springheeled Jack had led him past Kenspeckle's cell to his own.
Which was when Kenspeckle had realised he was there.
Which was when Gabe had explained why he was there.
Which was when Kenspeckle had started cursing him out, and really, it was funny and strangely comforting. So Gabe had left him to it.
The Archangel was feeling almost good about this plan when he felt the swelling, worried ring of Valkyrie's prayer. "Gabe--Gabriel. Solomon's given up his cane and left the Temple, and Craven followed me to his apartment, and now Solomon is helpless and stabbed in the leg and we're going to the Dublin Methodist Hospital but I thought you ought to know because I'm pretty sure it's because of last night that he did it. So if you can get here sometime soon, that would be really, really, really really good."
Oh, no. Gabe's chest clenched and, in sudden need of action, he pushed himself to his feet to pace the walls, Kenspeckle's voice echoing strangely down the stone corridor. Why did everything have to happen at once? He was one angel! An injured angel! Gabriel stretched his wings experimentally and hissed at the pain that lashed down them.
Even so, he could leave if he needed to. Except that meant leaving Kenspeckle alone, and Gabe couldn't do that. Skulduggery didn't know where they were, and Gabe hadn't yet been able to map enough of the castle through passive means to know where they were in the country. Another half-hour or hour, he'd be able to do it, but not yet. Not without actively using his powers like he'd promised he wouldn't.
Still. He couldn't leave Valkyrie in the lurch either. The Archangel had already known about Solomon--that was why he asked Fletcher to pass on the message!
Gabe paused and rested his head against the stone, feeling it tingle with soft familiarity from his careful explorations. This was an emergency, he decided. An emergency, so he could expend some energy. A bit in a way that wouldn't be too draining. A message, then.
"Valkyrie," he whispered, and put a bit of power in his voice so it resonated on a plane no one else could see, a plane that would lead his words straight back to Valkyrie Cain. "Kenspeckle's been kidnapped. I'm in the middle of a rescue mission. Stay with Solomon, make sure he gets help and he's protected. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
His temples throbbed and Gabriel exhaled slowly, pressing his palms against the wall. Please let them get there in time, he prayed, perhaps unnecessarily, to a Master he firmly believed was here--somewhere.