"Nothing," Skulduggery interrupted any potential response from the older Archangel. "He wasn't saying anything. And he's going to continue saying nothing for as long as I'm in the room."
It wasn't a joke, Tanith realised slowly, her eyes wide and her mouth open. None of it was. Raphael might have been pointedly teasing, but he was still being perfectly serious. And Gabe's reaction alone...
China was smiling. It was a tentative smile, but not the sort of tentative China usually wore; it wasn't calculating. She wasn't trying to figure out what the best option for her was. She wasn't sizing Merlin up. It was... It was almost like she wasn't sure if she should be smiling at all. And that was so unlike the China Sorrows Tanith remembered that she couldn't help staring at that, even with all sorts of other thoughts careering around her head.
"Well, if you're that interested..." China hesitated. "It's not quite in the condition it used to be, but if you can forgive that, then by all means."
So she either already knew, just like Ghastly did, or she didn't think remarking on it was wise. Probably that latter one, actually. Skulduggery hadn't even looked at her the entire time. Suddenly, it made sense that China would want to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible. The question was whether that was completely out of fear for her own safety, or partly out of respect for Skulduggery. Two days ago, Tanith would have been certain she knew the answer to that. Now, she wasn't so sure.
So she turned her attention instead back to Gabriel, and tried very hard not to think too loudly. Because the kind of things she was imagining now, she didn't particularly feel like being called out on in front of everyone. "Wait, does that mean..." her voice faltered, and she tried again. "Are you guys actually..."
She couldn't finish. She just... couldn't. How did that even work? How did...? Was Skulduggery capable of - why didn't Ghastly tell her about this before? Why didn't someone, somewhere, mention something?
Skulduggery didn't answer Tanith, but after a moment his whole frame shifted. "Thank you, everyone, for all your help. But we have a potential mass-murderer to track down, as soon as Valkyrie feels up to it."
Valkyrie groaned. "I can't just take the rest of the day off?"
"You could. But every moment that slips away from us is a moment Marr has to slip out of the country."
Valkyrie waved a hand dismissively in the air. "You just start without me. I'll help in the morning."
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It wasn't a joke, Tanith realised slowly, her eyes wide and her mouth open. None of it was. Raphael might have been pointedly teasing, but he was still being perfectly serious. And Gabe's reaction alone...
China was smiling. It was a tentative smile, but not the sort of tentative China usually wore; it wasn't calculating. She wasn't trying to figure out what the best option for her was. She wasn't sizing Merlin up. It was... It was almost like she wasn't sure if she should be smiling at all. And that was so unlike the China Sorrows Tanith remembered that she couldn't help staring at that, even with all sorts of other thoughts careering around her head.
"Well, if you're that interested..." China hesitated. "It's not quite in the condition it used to be, but if you can forgive that, then by all means."
So she either already knew, just like Ghastly did, or she didn't think remarking on it was wise. Probably that latter one, actually. Skulduggery hadn't even looked at her the entire time. Suddenly, it made sense that China would want to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible. The question was whether that was completely out of fear for her own safety, or partly out of respect for Skulduggery. Two days ago, Tanith would have been certain she knew the answer to that. Now, she wasn't so sure.
So she turned her attention instead back to Gabriel, and tried very hard not to think too loudly. Because the kind of things she was imagining now, she didn't particularly feel like being called out on in front of everyone. "Wait, does that mean..." her voice faltered, and she tried again. "Are you guys actually..."
She couldn't finish. She just... couldn't. How did that even work? How did...? Was Skulduggery capable of - why didn't Ghastly tell her about this before? Why didn't someone, somewhere, mention something?
Skulduggery didn't answer Tanith, but after a moment his whole frame shifted. "Thank you, everyone, for all your help. But we have a potential mass-murderer to track down, as soon as Valkyrie feels up to it."
Valkyrie groaned. "I can't just take the rest of the day off?"
"You could. But every moment that slips away from us is a moment Marr has to slip out of the country."
Valkyrie waved a hand dismissively in the air. "You just start without me. I'll help in the morning."