The detective was saying nothing Gabriel hadn't already seen in his soul. He was saying nothing Gabriel didn't already know. But still, to hear it out loud, to hear it explained, to feel that simple resolution, was something else. Speaking intent aloud always gave it solidity.
Gabriel watched Skulduggery with a soft smile, watched the way his soul lit golden and shone with an array of colours. "That you would make that choice and not another," he said quietly, "is only proof of that which is worthy in you."
He was proud. He wasn't going to hide it. But in those moments he also felt, more keenly than ever, a fierce kind of love which was similar to what he'd felt for other wards and yet different at once. This was more personal. Not a kind of hope and happiness in something observed which lightened the heart, but the close kind of watching someone overcome a difficult hurdle, all on their own, and know what they were worth.
The Archangel let Skulduggery feel some of that, in the presence of his wing over the detective's shoulders. Not too much. Not to overwhelm him, or make him feel obliged, but just so that he would know that that wing wasn't going away.
Corrival, silent and contemplative while Skulduggery and Ghastly argued, finally spoke again. Dryly. "To sum up: nothing's really changed from before Skulduggery's kidnapping and there's a way to avoid it ever happening again at the expense of his redemption. Is that about it?"
Gabriel laughed, looking toward him. "That seems about the speed of it, yes."
The sorcerer nodded, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. His eyes weren't narrowed, but they were sharp with the thought of a quick mind. "And you can't leave until you're healed. How long will that be?"
"I don't know," Gabe admitted. "We don't heal without outside influence. Raphael would be able to do it, but he's going to need rest and healing himself by the time he arrives. It could be some time."
For a moment Corrival stared up at the ceiling, but finally he grunted, his voice wry. "Don't suppose you could put some kind of soul-leash on him which one of us can hold?"
Gabe paused, his eyes slid sideways toward Skulduggery, and for a moment there was an impish gleam in his eyes. "You know, there's an idea ..."
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Gabriel watched Skulduggery with a soft smile, watched the way his soul lit golden and shone with an array of colours. "That you would make that choice and not another," he said quietly, "is only proof of that which is worthy in you."
He was proud. He wasn't going to hide it. But in those moments he also felt, more keenly than ever, a fierce kind of love which was similar to what he'd felt for other wards and yet different at once. This was more personal. Not a kind of hope and happiness in something observed which lightened the heart, but the close kind of watching someone overcome a difficult hurdle, all on their own, and know what they were worth.
The Archangel let Skulduggery feel some of that, in the presence of his wing over the detective's shoulders. Not too much. Not to overwhelm him, or make him feel obliged, but just so that he would know that that wing wasn't going away.
Corrival, silent and contemplative while Skulduggery and Ghastly argued, finally spoke again. Dryly. "To sum up: nothing's really changed from before Skulduggery's kidnapping and there's a way to avoid it ever happening again at the expense of his redemption. Is that about it?"
Gabriel laughed, looking toward him. "That seems about the speed of it, yes."
The sorcerer nodded, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. His eyes weren't narrowed, but they were sharp with the thought of a quick mind. "And you can't leave until you're healed. How long will that be?"
"I don't know," Gabe admitted. "We don't heal without outside influence. Raphael would be able to do it, but he's going to need rest and healing himself by the time he arrives. It could be some time."
For a moment Corrival stared up at the ceiling, but finally he grunted, his voice wry. "Don't suppose you could put some kind of soul-leash on him which one of us can hold?"
Gabe paused, his eyes slid sideways toward Skulduggery, and for a moment there was an impish gleam in his eyes. "You know, there's an idea ..."