This was, of course, 'payback' for Skulduggery being so obvious about teasing his friends earlier. 'Payback' wasn't exactly an angelic trait, but good-natured tit-for-tat was far from something Gabriel was unfamiliar with. He dropped the cross to his chest, chuckling softly to himself.

Gabe hadn't quite forgotten his injuries, of course. But poking fun at Skulduggery had helped the Archangel set it aside for the moment. Getting into the van ... proved to be more difficult than Gabriel could have wished. He had to lean heavily on Tanith and Ghastly to do it, and rely on them to lift him up.

"That sounds ominous," he murmured, and caught Ghastly's eye with a rueful smile as the man helped him settle into a seat. "If I didn't know any better I'd think he volunteered to drive to get us back."