Gabriel allowed Valkyrie and Fletcher to follow Skulduggery first, and came through last, pulling the door to behind him. "The choice we're talking about isn't always a conscious one, Valkyrie," said the Archangel. "Sometimes it is, but frequently it isn't. There are many in the Church who commit themselves to my Master with words, who truly believe they do His Will, and belong to Lucifer. And there are others who know nothing about my Master at all, and are His greatest champions."

His eyes slid to look at Skulduggery's back. "This is a choice more of the soul. Those who embody His grace and love, who stand for justice and righteousness, will always be His, whether they consciously know and worship His name or not."

Like Joby, before Lucifer had introduced him to the Church as a means of subversion, and even after. Like Skulduggery now, who walked every day in the valley of darkness, glowing like a beacon and never knowing just how bright he was. Like so many other good people.