"Of course I'm right," Gabe said with a dazzling smile, one that had been lurking on his mouth from the very instant Erskine had called. "I'm me. I'm too me to not be right."
The words were teasing, and in a way very like Skulduggery, enough that Gabriel felt the detective would appreciate them. And they were a cover for Gabe's relief when he felt Skulduggery's soul unwind just a little bit. Enough to be more receptive than he had been last night. That was what Rafe had been worried about, why he wasn't handling Skul with kid gloves, and it was a legitimate concern.
That was the part Gabe had had trouble getting through to him. The part where Skulduggery had already signed his own damnation warrant. Oh, he'd listened, but he was refusing delivery.
He'd been stupid. He knew that part. It was the part where he couldn't see how he was self-fulfilling his own betrayals that was frustrating. They wanted to forgive him, Gabe had said. They wanted to forgive him and they had the right to choose to forgive him if they wanted, but he wasn't being fair to them by deliberately sabotaging their attempts just because he thought he wasn't worth forgiving.
That was the part they'd argued about.
That was the part about which Skul was just beginning to unwind.
That was the part on which Gabe wasn't going to draw too much attention.
"Just a moment."
'Rafe, Erskine's requested our presence in the Sanctuary. And Merlin's. It's something about Lucifer.'
Barely a moment later both Raphael and Merlin popped into existence in the backseat, Merlin clutching a tall latte from a coffeeshop. He glared at the dark-skinned angel. "Some warning would be nice before you almost spill my coffee."
"Just a tick." Rafe held up a hand, but he was looking, narrow-eyed, at Skulduggery. He reached out his hand, conjured a cowboy hat, and whapped the detective's head with it all in one smooth motion before shaking the hat out of existence. Then he turned to Merlin. "Sorry 'bout that, man. Now we can argue."
Merlin cocked his head at Skulduggery. "I'll let you off the hook if you tell me what that was about."
"But then I'll miss out on a perfectly good argument!" Rafe protested.
"Oh, well, if you insist. You almost spilled my coffee, you clumsy--"
"There he is." Gabe pointed over his shoulder, looking wide-eyed and innocent at Skulduggery.
no subject
The words were teasing, and in a way very like Skulduggery, enough that Gabriel felt the detective would appreciate them. And they were a cover for Gabe's relief when he felt Skulduggery's soul unwind just a little bit. Enough to be more receptive than he had been last night. That was what Rafe had been worried about, why he wasn't handling Skul with kid gloves, and it was a legitimate concern.
That was the part Gabe had had trouble getting through to him. The part where Skulduggery had already signed his own damnation warrant. Oh, he'd listened, but he was refusing delivery.
He'd been stupid. He knew that part. It was the part where he couldn't see how he was self-fulfilling his own betrayals that was frustrating. They wanted to forgive him, Gabe had said. They wanted to forgive him and they had the right to choose to forgive him if they wanted, but he wasn't being fair to them by deliberately sabotaging their attempts just because he thought he wasn't worth forgiving.
That was the part they'd argued about.
That was the part about which Skul was just beginning to unwind.
That was the part on which Gabe wasn't going to draw too much attention.
"Just a moment."
'Rafe, Erskine's requested our presence in the Sanctuary. And Merlin's. It's something about Lucifer.'
Barely a moment later both Raphael and Merlin popped into existence in the backseat, Merlin clutching a tall latte from a coffeeshop. He glared at the dark-skinned angel. "Some warning would be nice before you almost spill my coffee."
"Just a tick." Rafe held up a hand, but he was looking, narrow-eyed, at Skulduggery. He reached out his hand, conjured a cowboy hat, and whapped the detective's head with it all in one smooth motion before shaking the hat out of existence. Then he turned to Merlin. "Sorry 'bout that, man. Now we can argue."
Merlin cocked his head at Skulduggery. "I'll let you off the hook if you tell me what that was about."
"But then I'll miss out on a perfectly good argument!" Rafe protested.
"Oh, well, if you insist. You almost spilled my coffee, you clumsy--"
"There he is." Gabe pointed over his shoulder, looking wide-eyed and innocent at Skulduggery.