Ghastly watched Corrival go with a mix of feelings he didn't want to try and pick apart. None of them were as intensely negative as they had been just last night, and for now, that was enough. Ghastly didn't see the need to dig.
In fact, his earlier smile hadn't quite vanished yet. "Are you?"
Skulduggery's head tilted. "Am I what?"
"Jealous."
There was a long moment of silence, and then Skulduggery's head tilted further. "That is not a question I would ever have expected from a conversation like that."
On the surface, it was a dodge. But Ghastly had known Skulduggery for far too long. He remembered when Skulduggery first met his future wife, remembered seeing the signs long before Skulduggery even recognised them himself - let alone admitted to them. And now... now, Ghastly knew what the decision during that personal conversation had been. Which was to say, there hadn't been one. Nothing definite.
Which meant that there would eventually be one in the positive, because Skulduggery only left important decisions like that open-ended when he was afraid of the result he already knew. It was interesting. Was Skulduggery's hesitancy for the same reasons as before, with his wife? Because Gabe was an Archangel? Or because he didn't feel like he deserved it?
Either way, the pair would have months to figure it out. Months, at the very least. Vile was dead. Raphael was on his way for angelic healing. Very soon now, Ghastly was going to meet Merlin. Merlin. 80,000 people did not die at the Stadium. Scarab, Dusk, and Springheeled Jack were all in prison. All in all, the last few days had been pretty good.
"Maybe you should give us more credit, then." Ghastly rose to his feet. "I should go make sure the others haven't found a minefield. You two behave yourselves."
He heard Skulduggery sigh as he turned to leave the room. "I'm going to have to get used to this, aren't I?" the detective lamented in a voice full of carefully engineered regret.
Ghastly laughed. "Skulduggery, imagine when Erskine and Dexter find out. You'll never have a moment's peace. Might as well get as much as you can now."
The tailor was mildly pleased to hear Skulduggery laughing as well, just before Ghastly shut the door.
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In fact, his earlier smile hadn't quite vanished yet. "Are you?"
Skulduggery's head tilted. "Am I what?"
"Jealous."
There was a long moment of silence, and then Skulduggery's head tilted further. "That is not a question I would ever have expected from a conversation like that."
On the surface, it was a dodge. But Ghastly had known Skulduggery for far too long. He remembered when Skulduggery first met his future wife, remembered seeing the signs long before Skulduggery even recognised them himself - let alone admitted to them. And now... now, Ghastly knew what the decision during that personal conversation had been. Which was to say, there hadn't been one. Nothing definite.
Which meant that there would eventually be one in the positive, because Skulduggery only left important decisions like that open-ended when he was afraid of the result he already knew. It was interesting. Was Skulduggery's hesitancy for the same reasons as before, with his wife? Because Gabe was an Archangel? Or because he didn't feel like he deserved it?
Either way, the pair would have months to figure it out. Months, at the very least. Vile was dead. Raphael was on his way for angelic healing. Very soon now, Ghastly was going to meet Merlin. Merlin. 80,000 people did not die at the Stadium. Scarab, Dusk, and Springheeled Jack were all in prison. All in all, the last few days had been pretty good.
"Maybe you should give us more credit, then." Ghastly rose to his feet. "I should go make sure the others haven't found a minefield. You two behave yourselves."
He heard Skulduggery sigh as he turned to leave the room. "I'm going to have to get used to this, aren't I?" the detective lamented in a voice full of carefully engineered regret.
Ghastly laughed. "Skulduggery, imagine when Erskine and Dexter find out. You'll never have a moment's peace. Might as well get as much as you can now."
The tailor was mildly pleased to hear Skulduggery laughing as well, just before Ghastly shut the door.