"They can be, once you get past all the rumours," Merlin agreed softly and with a smile. He was still looking at the others to give the boy some privacy, but keeping a corner of his eye on Fletcher. Something in his chest tightened, just a little, at the vulnerability in the Teleporter's words, his tone; he wasn't even aware of how much he was revealing about himself.
"I've known Gabriel since I was seven years old," he said. "He saved my soul. You see, when angels fall, the nature and tenor of their magic changes. It becomes something darker. Something like necromancy--or rather, necromancy sounds and feels something like demons do." His smile took on a rueful, accepting cast. Not a bitter one, but ... melancholic, almost. "My father was a demon, but my mother had no magic at all. When I was born, all the power I had was tainted by what he had been. It was ... very difficult, almost impossible, to deny the nature of that magic."
He watched the trio at the door; watched Valkyrie laugh, Gabriel grin, Skulduggery look torn between embarrassment and fond irritation. His words didn't come at a remove, but they came at a distance--a distance of over a thousand years. "Mother had me baptised as soon as she realised just what my father was, of course, but it's only a beginning. Being good or evil is a choice, Fletcher. At that age, it felt as if Mother and her priest were simply trying to stop me from having fun. To them, I must have seemed terrifying; using magic at a whim, and often cruelly. It was Gabriel who made me realise there was even a choice to be had."
Gabriel, with his cover as a simple groomsman, with the way he sat and genuinely listened to a young boy's rants and raves, with the soft-spoken questions that seemed silly but appealed to Merlin's burgeoning sense of critical thinking. It had been Michael who trained Merlin in his magic, but it was Gabriel who had helped him choose the path he wanted to follow.
Tearing his eyes from the others down the hallway, Merlin turned suddenly to Fletcher, and now his smile was of soft fondness. "Did you know he was the first angel to truly choose free will? And it was for love that time too. For the love of my grandson, and for the love of his Lord. It never seems to matter how big or small a person thinks they are; once his, Gabriel does not forget them."
Clapping a hand to the boy's shoulder and giving him a light squeeze, Merlin turned to stroll toward the others just as Gabriel was saying almost apologetically, "It was fairly important, Skulduggery."
"You're having a Talk, are you?" Merlin asked drolly, lifting a sardonic eyebrow. "An important one?" He turned to Valkyrie. "Did I ever tell you that I got the Talk from an angel? I actually asked Gabriel, but he refused."
"You make it sound like I was embarrassed!" Gabriel protested.
"You told me to ask Michael," Merlin pointed out, and his eyebrow tweaked higher.
"Michael's a woodsman and a healer," Gabe countered. "He knows more about anatomy."
"You're the patron saint of childbirth, Gabe. If there was anyone who'd know how the process went, I'd think it would be you." Eyes twinkling madly, Merlin glanced back at Valkyrie. "I was fourteen and convinced that if it embarrassed an angel, it must be worth knowing."
"I wasn't embarrassed," Gabriel grumbled, "I just wasn't sure if it was something I should have been telling you."
"Are you certain it's something you should be telling Skulduggery?" Merlin asked innocently. "Perhaps Raphael should perform that honour."
Gabe's cheeks started going pink, but he lifted his chin a little. "Need I remind you, Myrddin, that the reason you were asking to begin with was because you were convinced you were in love with a young lady from the court?"
"As I said, I was fourteen," Merlin pointed out. "Teenagers are allowed to be stupid. It's expected."
"Yes, but it was also your first love. I think it's only fair that I get to tease you about yours if you tease me about mine." The Archangel crossed his arms. "And if that doesn't work, please do recall I've known you for over a millennia. That's a lot of embarrassing stories to tell."
"Blackmail, Saint Gabriel?" Merlin asked, his lips twitching. "Twice in one day? I think Skulduggery is a bad influence on you. I think we may have to have you separated."
Gabe's eyes widened and he flushed deeply, and for several moments he spluttered, "That wasn't--I don't--" Finally he started laughing. "You're awful!"
"Fathered by a demon," Merlin said, deadpan and with utmost dignity, and then finally let the grin break through with a deep chuckle.
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"I've known Gabriel since I was seven years old," he said. "He saved my soul. You see, when angels fall, the nature and tenor of their magic changes. It becomes something darker. Something like necromancy--or rather, necromancy sounds and feels something like demons do." His smile took on a rueful, accepting cast. Not a bitter one, but ... melancholic, almost. "My father was a demon, but my mother had no magic at all. When I was born, all the power I had was tainted by what he had been. It was ... very difficult, almost impossible, to deny the nature of that magic."
He watched the trio at the door; watched Valkyrie laugh, Gabriel grin, Skulduggery look torn between embarrassment and fond irritation. His words didn't come at a remove, but they came at a distance--a distance of over a thousand years. "Mother had me baptised as soon as she realised just what my father was, of course, but it's only a beginning. Being good or evil is a choice, Fletcher. At that age, it felt as if Mother and her priest were simply trying to stop me from having fun. To them, I must have seemed terrifying; using magic at a whim, and often cruelly. It was Gabriel who made me realise there was even a choice to be had."
Gabriel, with his cover as a simple groomsman, with the way he sat and genuinely listened to a young boy's rants and raves, with the soft-spoken questions that seemed silly but appealed to Merlin's burgeoning sense of critical thinking. It had been Michael who trained Merlin in his magic, but it was Gabriel who had helped him choose the path he wanted to follow.
Tearing his eyes from the others down the hallway, Merlin turned suddenly to Fletcher, and now his smile was of soft fondness. "Did you know he was the first angel to truly choose free will? And it was for love that time too. For the love of my grandson, and for the love of his Lord. It never seems to matter how big or small a person thinks they are; once his, Gabriel does not forget them."
Clapping a hand to the boy's shoulder and giving him a light squeeze, Merlin turned to stroll toward the others just as Gabriel was saying almost apologetically, "It was fairly important, Skulduggery."
"You're having a Talk, are you?" Merlin asked drolly, lifting a sardonic eyebrow. "An important one?" He turned to Valkyrie. "Did I ever tell you that I got the Talk from an angel? I actually asked Gabriel, but he refused."
"You make it sound like I was embarrassed!" Gabriel protested.
"You told me to ask Michael," Merlin pointed out, and his eyebrow tweaked higher.
"Michael's a woodsman and a healer," Gabe countered. "He knows more about anatomy."
"You're the patron saint of childbirth, Gabe. If there was anyone who'd know how the process went, I'd think it would be you." Eyes twinkling madly, Merlin glanced back at Valkyrie. "I was fourteen and convinced that if it embarrassed an angel, it must be worth knowing."
"I wasn't embarrassed," Gabriel grumbled, "I just wasn't sure if it was something I should have been telling you."
"Are you certain it's something you should be telling Skulduggery?" Merlin asked innocently. "Perhaps Raphael should perform that honour."
Gabe's cheeks started going pink, but he lifted his chin a little. "Need I remind you, Myrddin, that the reason you were asking to begin with was because you were convinced you were in love with a young lady from the court?"
"As I said, I was fourteen," Merlin pointed out. "Teenagers are allowed to be stupid. It's expected."
"Yes, but it was also your first love. I think it's only fair that I get to tease you about yours if you tease me about mine." The Archangel crossed his arms. "And if that doesn't work, please do recall I've known you for over a millennia. That's a lot of embarrassing stories to tell."
"Blackmail, Saint Gabriel?" Merlin asked, his lips twitching. "Twice in one day? I think Skulduggery is a bad influence on you. I think we may have to have you separated."
Gabe's eyes widened and he flushed deeply, and for several moments he spluttered, "That wasn't--I don't--" Finally he started laughing. "You're awful!"
"Fathered by a demon," Merlin said, deadpan and with utmost dignity, and then finally let the grin break through with a deep chuckle.