Skulduggery's conspicuous absence didn't go unnoticed by China. She could guess at the implications. But she also wasn't worried; wherever Skulduggery had gone, she would have been willing to bet money on the fact that Gabriel was with him. As long as Gabriel was here, they didn't have anything to be worried about.
She still wouldn't have told Bliss, even without her promise to an Archangel blocking her from doing so.
Less obvious was how no one had died at the hands of the armour - although some were claiming Tesseract had. China doubted that. And her suspicions were confirmed when first Dexter, and then Corrival, explained the extent of Solomon's new soul magic. China kept her thoughts to herself, but unlike anyone else in the room, she'd fought alongside Lord Vile. She knew intimately the sorts of abilities he had. If anyone would be affected by any sort of magic that stole souls from their host bodies...
But Solomon was asleep. Ghastly was standing behind Tanith's chair, which in turn was at the head of the couch Dexter had been forced onto, and Ravel hovered close by. The camaraderie and friendship in the room was reaching almost sickening levels.
"We're not going to be able to get a Necromancer to help us, are we?" Ravel asked. "The only other one to leave the Temple isn't actually a Necromancer."
"It doesn't matter," said Ghastly. "We'd need someone like Tenebrae for them to be of any help."
"Then why not ask?" China spoke up from her relatively hidden position in the corner of the room. "Surely he'd be just as eager to stop any return of Lord Vile."
Ravel laughed bitterly. "Because he'll agree to help us, of course, no strings attached. And it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to bring him anywhere near Solomon."
"Tenebrae might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he wouldn't try anything against the Sanctuary. Particularly while inside the Sanctuary."
Ravel shook his head. "I was there when Gabe made him release Solomon. Believe me, he has both the capability and the reason to be reckless. For one thing..." He paused, as if debating the best way to phrase it, and then shrugged. "For one thing, he still believes Vile could be the Death Bringer. There's a good chance he'd fight our excellently detailed plan to destroy the armour. And while we're on the subject, it would probably be a good idea not to mention our excellently detailed plan to anyone else."
He was looking directly at China when he said it, and she shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Who would I tell?"
Tanith looked up sharply. "You mean besides anyone who asks and has something valuable enough to trade?"
China let her demeanour cool somewhat. "I'm not a fool. I don't simply trade state secrets willy-nilly. Lord Vile has always been a sensitive subject, even among worshippers of the Faceless Ones. Especially among worshippers of the Faceless Ones."
"Then we have your word?" asked Ravel.
"I never give my word. You'll just have to trust that the prospect of Vile returning is as bad for me as it is for any of you."
Which, of course, it was. Skulduggery knew what China had done now. If anything were to break his control, China would be the first person he'd come after. China had a vested interest in the destruction of the armour, and she certainly wasn't going to start endangering that plan simply because she might be able to add something to her collection.
no subject
She still wouldn't have told Bliss, even without her promise to an Archangel blocking her from doing so.
Less obvious was how no one had died at the hands of the armour - although some were claiming Tesseract had. China doubted that. And her suspicions were confirmed when first Dexter, and then Corrival, explained the extent of Solomon's new soul magic. China kept her thoughts to herself, but unlike anyone else in the room, she'd fought alongside Lord Vile. She knew intimately the sorts of abilities he had. If anyone would be affected by any sort of magic that stole souls from their host bodies...
But Solomon was asleep. Ghastly was standing behind Tanith's chair, which in turn was at the head of the couch Dexter had been forced onto, and Ravel hovered close by. The camaraderie and friendship in the room was reaching almost sickening levels.
"We're not going to be able to get a Necromancer to help us, are we?" Ravel asked. "The only other one to leave the Temple isn't actually a Necromancer."
"It doesn't matter," said Ghastly. "We'd need someone like Tenebrae for them to be of any help."
"Then why not ask?" China spoke up from her relatively hidden position in the corner of the room. "Surely he'd be just as eager to stop any return of Lord Vile."
Ravel laughed bitterly. "Because he'll agree to help us, of course, no strings attached. And it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to bring him anywhere near Solomon."
"Tenebrae might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he wouldn't try anything against the Sanctuary. Particularly while inside the Sanctuary."
Ravel shook his head. "I was there when Gabe made him release Solomon. Believe me, he has both the capability and the reason to be reckless. For one thing..." He paused, as if debating the best way to phrase it, and then shrugged. "For one thing, he still believes Vile could be the Death Bringer. There's a good chance he'd fight our excellently detailed plan to destroy the armour. And while we're on the subject, it would probably be a good idea not to mention our excellently detailed plan to anyone else."
He was looking directly at China when he said it, and she shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Who would I tell?"
Tanith looked up sharply. "You mean besides anyone who asks and has something valuable enough to trade?"
China let her demeanour cool somewhat. "I'm not a fool. I don't simply trade state secrets willy-nilly. Lord Vile has always been a sensitive subject, even among worshippers of the Faceless Ones. Especially among worshippers of the Faceless Ones."
"Then we have your word?" asked Ravel.
"I never give my word. You'll just have to trust that the prospect of Vile returning is as bad for me as it is for any of you."
Which, of course, it was. Skulduggery knew what China had done now. If anything were to break his control, China would be the first person he'd come after. China had a vested interest in the destruction of the armour, and she certainly wasn't going to start endangering that plan simply because she might be able to add something to her collection.