Right. If they needed help, just... pray. Tanith could do that. She'd done it before, honestly; she'd just never expected an answer. Or a potential rescue. It would definitely be the most efficient backup plan Tanith could ever count on having.
"Excellent," Skulduggery finished cheerfully. "Fletcher, if you'd do the honors?"
A few seconds later, the group of four had teleported. There was something mildly ironic about having no trouble watching four people disappear into thin air, when Tanith had just jumped at one man losing his temper a little bit. The fact that he wasn't exactly a man notwithstanding. Or that he could very probably kill them all with a stray thought... Schoolgirl crushes really were illogical things.
Silence permeated the library for a brief moment, before China released a breath she'd apparently been holding. "Who was-"
"Don't," Ghastly cut her off gruffly. "Trust us. You don't want to know."
Tanith gave China a beaming smile in turn as the librarian looked towards her. "What? Don't look at me. Ghastly's right. You really don't."
China's eventual smile was as worrying as it was beautiful. "I've never regretted learning anything before," she informed them gently. "Skulduggery's just unintentionally offered me a challenge. What kind of person would I be if I didn't at least try to meet it?"
~~
When they reappeared in Skulduggery's living room, the detective made a beeline for the nearest front window, purposely ignoring everything else as he glanced through the curtain. Nothing was outside except for those two funeral homes, situated quite hilariously across the street from each other. No strange cars, no strange people. Still, Skulduggery didn't quite allow himself to relax until he turned back around and saw his own living space.
It wasn't exactly like he'd left it. Valkyrie had been spending a lot of time here, he imagined. Maybe Fletcher. They would have gotten more mileage out of that television in one year than Skulduggery had gotten from it since he bought it brand-new. But it still felt familiar. The air settled over each piece of furniture in a comfortably peaceful way, perfectly known to Skulduggery. If he concentrated hard enough, he might have been able to tell where each small animal in the house was. And that armchair, right over there... that was the last place he'd used to meditate just before all the business with Batu.
"I'm home," he voiced aloud, slowly and with an edge of surprise. He'd thought it before, heard it from Gabe after they'd first torn through into Guild's office. This was the first time Skulduggery truly believed it.
Valkyrie had stumbled into the back of a couch from the teleport, but recovered her balance fairly quickly; she smiled at Skulduggery as he looked around. "Yes. You are."
Just a few hours ago, Skulduggery had been talking to an imaginary version of Valkyrie while he searched for his right arm, wandering through a reality he was supposed to have been lost in forever. That he should have been lost in forever.
Gabe had never given up on him. Not back at Landel's, not after learning about the war or what Skulduggery had descended into, and not now. The Archangel's words directly after Skulduggery's confession had been simple, but they still rang through his skull even now.
Are you sorry?
To Gabe, it was just that simple. Skulduggery couldn't quite agree with that, but he had to admit one thing - he was grateful the Archangel had come back for him.
no subject
"Excellent," Skulduggery finished cheerfully. "Fletcher, if you'd do the honors?"
A few seconds later, the group of four had teleported. There was something mildly ironic about having no trouble watching four people disappear into thin air, when Tanith had just jumped at one man losing his temper a little bit. The fact that he wasn't exactly a man notwithstanding. Or that he could very probably kill them all with a stray thought... Schoolgirl crushes really were illogical things.
Silence permeated the library for a brief moment, before China released a breath she'd apparently been holding. "Who was-"
"Don't," Ghastly cut her off gruffly. "Trust us. You don't want to know."
Tanith gave China a beaming smile in turn as the librarian looked towards her. "What? Don't look at me. Ghastly's right. You really don't."
China's eventual smile was as worrying as it was beautiful. "I've never regretted learning anything before," she informed them gently. "Skulduggery's just unintentionally offered me a challenge. What kind of person would I be if I didn't at least try to meet it?"
~~
When they reappeared in Skulduggery's living room, the detective made a beeline for the nearest front window, purposely ignoring everything else as he glanced through the curtain. Nothing was outside except for those two funeral homes, situated quite hilariously across the street from each other. No strange cars, no strange people. Still, Skulduggery didn't quite allow himself to relax until he turned back around and saw his own living space.
It wasn't exactly like he'd left it. Valkyrie had been spending a lot of time here, he imagined. Maybe Fletcher. They would have gotten more mileage out of that television in one year than Skulduggery had gotten from it since he bought it brand-new. But it still felt familiar. The air settled over each piece of furniture in a comfortably peaceful way, perfectly known to Skulduggery. If he concentrated hard enough, he might have been able to tell where each small animal in the house was. And that armchair, right over there... that was the last place he'd used to meditate just before all the business with Batu.
"I'm home," he voiced aloud, slowly and with an edge of surprise. He'd thought it before, heard it from Gabe after they'd first torn through into Guild's office. This was the first time Skulduggery truly believed it.
Valkyrie had stumbled into the back of a couch from the teleport, but recovered her balance fairly quickly; she smiled at Skulduggery as he looked around. "Yes. You are."
Just a few hours ago, Skulduggery had been talking to an imaginary version of Valkyrie while he searched for his right arm, wandering through a reality he was supposed to have been lost in forever. That he should have been lost in forever.
Gabe had never given up on him. Not back at Landel's, not after learning about the war or what Skulduggery had descended into, and not now. The Archangel's words directly after Skulduggery's confession had been simple, but they still rang through his skull even now.
Are you sorry?
To Gabe, it was just that simple. Skulduggery couldn't quite agree with that, but he had to admit one thing - he was grateful the Archangel had come back for him.