It was refreshing, for the steady beeping noise that had plagued Skulduggery all night to now be rapidly increasing. Or at least, it would have been refreshing, if not for the reason behind it.
"I... guess?" Valkyrie answered slowly, looking taken aback by the abrupt change in Solomon's state of mind. "He was wearing a cowboy hat. How do you know him? You passed out before they came up."
"He was with Ghastly?" Skulduggery asked from back by the door.
"Yeah."
Skulduggery knew all of Ghastly's friends. He thought he knew anyone Ghastly was likely to talk to after what happened at the church yesterday. Corrival was definitely one of the people he might have named, and in the end, would have been right about. (Skulduggery just hadn't quite expected them to drunk-dial Anton, but that was a whole other kettle of worms.) The idea that Ghastly had spoken to someone else beforehand, been to see Solomon with someone else beforehand, someone else who apparently knew what Solomon's given name was...
Unnerving, to say the least.
It was someone Skulduggery didn't know. Which implied that, whoever it was, they'd gone to Ghastly rather than the other way around. And judging by the way Solomon was reacting now, particularly if he'd caught a glimpse of this person just before going under...
There were two possibilities. One was Rafe - or perhaps Merlin, or maybe even Michael - but if any of them had arrived already, Gabe would know about it. And he wouldn't have kept it from Skulduggery.
(And, a small part of Skulduggery didn't mind informing him, that was quite possibly the weirdest unironic thought he'd ever had.)
Which meant that, whoever it was, could hide themselves from an Archangel.
Which meant that Skulduggery was going to end this train of thought right here and now before he could add another impending shock to the already-impressive and considerable list.
Valkyrie looked back and forth between them. "I don't get it. Who is he?"
Easier said than done, unfortunately. Skulduggery looked at her. "Kian was Solomon's given name, before he became a sorcerer. Solomon and I are the only ones who know that."
Ordinarily, Skulduggery would have let Solomon decide if he wanted Valkyrie to know or not. In this instance, she deserved to understand what was giving her former mentor such pause, Solomon's own insecurities be damned. This, if Skulduggery worked it out correctly, was something everyone should be aware of.
Everyone, of course, being a relative term. Everyone directly involved. Guild certainly didn't need to know. Nor did any other sorcerer.
Valkyrie's eyes had widened. "But then how did he...?"
no subject
"I... guess?" Valkyrie answered slowly, looking taken aback by the abrupt change in Solomon's state of mind. "He was wearing a cowboy hat. How do you know him? You passed out before they came up."
"He was with Ghastly?" Skulduggery asked from back by the door.
"Yeah."
Skulduggery knew all of Ghastly's friends. He thought he knew anyone Ghastly was likely to talk to after what happened at the church yesterday. Corrival was definitely one of the people he might have named, and in the end, would have been right about. (Skulduggery just hadn't quite expected them to drunk-dial Anton, but that was a whole other kettle of worms.) The idea that Ghastly had spoken to someone else beforehand, been to see Solomon with someone else beforehand, someone else who apparently knew what Solomon's given name was...
Unnerving, to say the least.
It was someone Skulduggery didn't know. Which implied that, whoever it was, they'd gone to Ghastly rather than the other way around. And judging by the way Solomon was reacting now, particularly if he'd caught a glimpse of this person just before going under...
There were two possibilities. One was Rafe - or perhaps Merlin, or maybe even Michael - but if any of them had arrived already, Gabe would know about it. And he wouldn't have kept it from Skulduggery.
(And, a small part of Skulduggery didn't mind informing him, that was quite possibly the weirdest unironic thought he'd ever had.)
Which meant that, whoever it was, could hide themselves from an Archangel.
Which meant that Skulduggery was going to end this train of thought right here and now before he could add another impending shock to the already-impressive and considerable list.
Valkyrie looked back and forth between them. "I don't get it. Who is he?"
Easier said than done, unfortunately. Skulduggery looked at her. "Kian was Solomon's given name, before he became a sorcerer. Solomon and I are the only ones who know that."
Ordinarily, Skulduggery would have let Solomon decide if he wanted Valkyrie to know or not. In this instance, she deserved to understand what was giving her former mentor such pause, Solomon's own insecurities be damned. This, if Skulduggery worked it out correctly, was something everyone should be aware of.
Everyone, of course, being a relative term. Everyone directly involved. Guild certainly didn't need to know. Nor did any other sorcerer.
Valkyrie's eyes had widened. "But then how did he...?"