Valkyrie was not looking forward to being back in this room, this room of so much pain hanging heavy in the air. And it was just as bad as she remembered; the only reason neither she nor Fletcher stumbled this time was because they were bracing themselves for it.
Still, Valkyrie could feel her knees about to buckle. She gritted her teeth and gripped Fletcher's hand, blinking furiously down at the ground where Raphael had abandoned the magic-binding shackles. Watching them come off so easily unnerved her at first; now she was glad. The sooner Gabe was healed by someone powerful enough to help, the better.
Almost instantly, the pain died down. Valkyrie glanced up to see, as she was sure she never would again, two Archangels in the middle of the crater - one damaged, one supporting, and Skulduggery sandwiched between the two.
She might see that again. She hoped she didn't, but she might. How many people could say that?
The very first thing Valkyrie noticed was just how big Raphael's wings were. Because she'd thought Gabe's wings were enormous, stretching out across the whole living room when he had them unfurled. They were nothing compared to Raphael's. Wings built much more for stamina than for speed, they barely fit in the room - which was probably a very good thing in this case, because that made their job of supporting Gabe's molting wings that much easier.
The next thing Valkyrie noticed was how much better she felt. Actually, she felt better right now than she thought she'd ever felt in her entire life. Kind of like her body was a tool that had been reset to its factory settings, refreshed and charged and raring to go. She straightened up slowly, worried that a sudden movement might break the spell, and admired the way Raphael's light played off of... well, everything. Skulduggery. Gabe's wings. Gabe's light. Illuminating even that light, somehow, brightening its oily glow. Similar to the way Gabe's presence drew out beauty, but... different. Almost peaceful.
The room subtly transformed from a room of pain to a room of healing, and Valkyrie wished she had the time to bask in it.
She didn't, of course. "Kenspeckle Grouse," she responded promptly. "He'll drop everything. But... China Sorrows built this place. She... she probably won't." She wouldn't normally, anyway, but especially after doing the stupidest thing imaginable and nearly getting herself killed? Valkyrie could only imagine what China had been up to since the whole fiasco in the church, and... she stopped. Raphael could read minds. Could Merlin?
"At least," she added after a moment's thought, "not without some convincing. I can do that."
"Why do we need her?" Tanith asked. "For all we know, she's been driven insane. Wouldn't surprise me."
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Still, Valkyrie could feel her knees about to buckle. She gritted her teeth and gripped Fletcher's hand, blinking furiously down at the ground where Raphael had abandoned the magic-binding shackles. Watching them come off so easily unnerved her at first; now she was glad. The sooner Gabe was healed by someone powerful enough to help, the better.
Almost instantly, the pain died down. Valkyrie glanced up to see, as she was sure she never would again, two Archangels in the middle of the crater - one damaged, one supporting, and Skulduggery sandwiched between the two.
She might see that again. She hoped she didn't, but she might. How many people could say that?
The very first thing Valkyrie noticed was just how big Raphael's wings were. Because she'd thought Gabe's wings were enormous, stretching out across the whole living room when he had them unfurled. They were nothing compared to Raphael's. Wings built much more for stamina than for speed, they barely fit in the room - which was probably a very good thing in this case, because that made their job of supporting Gabe's molting wings that much easier.
The next thing Valkyrie noticed was how much better she felt. Actually, she felt better right now than she thought she'd ever felt in her entire life. Kind of like her body was a tool that had been reset to its factory settings, refreshed and charged and raring to go. She straightened up slowly, worried that a sudden movement might break the spell, and admired the way Raphael's light played off of... well, everything. Skulduggery. Gabe's wings. Gabe's light. Illuminating even that light, somehow, brightening its oily glow. Similar to the way Gabe's presence drew out beauty, but... different. Almost peaceful.
The room subtly transformed from a room of pain to a room of healing, and Valkyrie wished she had the time to bask in it.
She didn't, of course. "Kenspeckle Grouse," she responded promptly. "He'll drop everything. But... China Sorrows built this place. She... she probably won't." She wouldn't normally, anyway, but especially after doing the stupidest thing imaginable and nearly getting herself killed? Valkyrie could only imagine what China had been up to since the whole fiasco in the church, and... she stopped. Raphael could read minds. Could Merlin?
"At least," she added after a moment's thought, "not without some convincing. I can do that."
"Why do we need her?" Tanith asked. "For all we know, she's been driven insane. Wouldn't surprise me."