Paddy laughed, if only because Solomon didn't quite manage the feat. "I'll admit, it might not have been the right time. I just couldn't resist."
He wouldn't have drawn attention to it at all if Solomon hadn't. Humour as a coping mechanism. A trait he suspected many sorcerers shared - or at least the ones he'd met. Paddy was occasionally guilty of it as well.
He let Solomon talk after that, smile fading quickly, but leaving understanding in its wake. At its most basic, Solomon was just talking about giving in to temptation. It was a struggle everyone went through to some degree; Solomon was just having a much more difficult time of it. Because the consequences were more severe, the potential repercussions catastrophic, and the amount of good Solomon could do otherwise simply mind-boggling.
He certainly had changed. In the space of a week, Solomon Wreath was already different from the man who'd first walked into Paddy's church questioning the existence of God. And that was after the initial trauma of meeting Saint Gabriel. To say he'd changed could probably be considered the understatement of the century.
And now, even more so. Paddy's eyes widened. "An Elder?" Yes, that had been explained to him; usually by Tanith or Valkyrie, a few times by Ghastly, and once by Skulduggery. He'd been worried about the possibility of the Sanctuary deciding it was too dangerous to let a 'mortal' priest go free with intimate knowledge of their world. Fortunately, that didn't sound like it would be the case. And certainly not now, with Solomon serving on it. Solomon serving on the Council of Elders.
That was a mark of just how strong Solomon really was. Put through the wringer in every way, shape, and form, yet willing to take on the leadership of a whole country. He may not have volunteered for it, but surely it was a position you could turn down? Solomon definitely wasn't lacking for excuses to turn that down. It likely wouldn't have taken much convincing for him to be left alone, either.
"Ah." Paddy glanced up at a corner kitchen cupboard. "That, I think I can help with. Would headache pills work? We have Advil."
It was half a joke, half seriously offered. Paddy still didn't know everything about the world of magic, after all. Maybe sorcerers could still benefit from Advil.
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He wouldn't have drawn attention to it at all if Solomon hadn't. Humour as a coping mechanism. A trait he suspected many sorcerers shared - or at least the ones he'd met. Paddy was occasionally guilty of it as well.
He let Solomon talk after that, smile fading quickly, but leaving understanding in its wake. At its most basic, Solomon was just talking about giving in to temptation. It was a struggle everyone went through to some degree; Solomon was just having a much more difficult time of it. Because the consequences were more severe, the potential repercussions catastrophic, and the amount of good Solomon could do otherwise simply mind-boggling.
He certainly had changed. In the space of a week, Solomon Wreath was already different from the man who'd first walked into Paddy's church questioning the existence of God. And that was after the initial trauma of meeting Saint Gabriel. To say he'd changed could probably be considered the understatement of the century.
And now, even more so. Paddy's eyes widened. "An Elder?" Yes, that had been explained to him; usually by Tanith or Valkyrie, a few times by Ghastly, and once by Skulduggery. He'd been worried about the possibility of the Sanctuary deciding it was too dangerous to let a 'mortal' priest go free with intimate knowledge of their world. Fortunately, that didn't sound like it would be the case. And certainly not now, with Solomon serving on it. Solomon serving on the Council of Elders.
"How did..." Paddy paused, frowned, tried to smile. "You accepted it, though?"
That was a mark of just how strong Solomon really was. Put through the wringer in every way, shape, and form, yet willing to take on the leadership of a whole country. He may not have volunteered for it, but surely it was a position you could turn down? Solomon definitely wasn't lacking for excuses to turn that down. It likely wouldn't have taken much convincing for him to be left alone, either.
"Ah." Paddy glanced up at a corner kitchen cupboard. "That, I think I can help with. Would headache pills work? We have Advil."
It was half a joke, half seriously offered. Paddy still didn't know everything about the world of magic, after all. Maybe sorcerers could still benefit from Advil.