Gabe smiled. The light of it made his halo glow brighter. "You do. In a way. Merlin will enact it by closing the circle, but the spell itself will be powered by your souls and thoughts. That is the most important thing here." He looked at each of them, one by one, full in the face with an earnest gaze. "Tell us stories. Tell each other stories. Remember when all you've endured together, all that you've lost, all that you've suffered."
"Don't ignore the parts when you were on the outs with each other," Rafe added. "The times when you were angry only cast your connection in starker light. In spite of those moments, you endured. Remember them, and remember your forgiveness of one another."
He didn't look at Anton, and Anton didn't look at him, but to the angels his soul resonated stronger. Not exactly pleasantly, though he himself wouldn't quite know why. The fact that he was there said more than anything else could. The fact that he was there would make the spell so much stronger, just for his presence.
"The spell will gather strength from each of your regard," Gabe continued. "As it does, it will open up avenues between you which were always there, but which you couldn't use until now. It's those avenues which will allow you to take on Skulduggery's burden." That was what the circle was for. To take the memories and turn them into silken bindings, to make sure Skulduggery's burdens was eased along them instead of each of their feelings being spread without control.
"How will we know when it's done?" Corrival asked, his face blank and eyes hooded in the manner of a leader reserving judgment.
"You'll know," Gabe said with certainty. "The circle is built to do the work. You'll feel what Skulduggery feels first." He glanced toward Erskine. "That's when the backlash will be most likely. There's room to doubt, once you know his anger--a backlash would only happen if one of you rejects him." He smiled. "But I don't think that's likely. You wouldn't be here if you, any of you, were going to do that."
"But you'll need to keep going beyond that," Merlin added from outside the circle, not exactly distant but still having to lift his voice a little to be heard over the sound of the almost-inaudible hum. "To solidify those ties permanently. You'll know when that happens. That will be when the circle will have served its purpose."
"Y'all might want to sit down, though," Rafe drawled, and threw a wink at Erskine. "I ain't takin' your magic this time, but stories sound so much better 'round a campfire, yeah?"
"Are you ready?" Gabe asked the Dead Men at large once again, but this time his gaze was all for Skulduggery.
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"Don't ignore the parts when you were on the outs with each other," Rafe added. "The times when you were angry only cast your connection in starker light. In spite of those moments, you endured. Remember them, and remember your forgiveness of one another."
He didn't look at Anton, and Anton didn't look at him, but to the angels his soul resonated stronger. Not exactly pleasantly, though he himself wouldn't quite know why. The fact that he was there said more than anything else could. The fact that he was there would make the spell so much stronger, just for his presence.
"The spell will gather strength from each of your regard," Gabe continued. "As it does, it will open up avenues between you which were always there, but which you couldn't use until now. It's those avenues which will allow you to take on Skulduggery's burden." That was what the circle was for. To take the memories and turn them into silken bindings, to make sure Skulduggery's burdens was eased along them instead of each of their feelings being spread without control.
"How will we know when it's done?" Corrival asked, his face blank and eyes hooded in the manner of a leader reserving judgment.
"You'll know," Gabe said with certainty. "The circle is built to do the work. You'll feel what Skulduggery feels first." He glanced toward Erskine. "That's when the backlash will be most likely. There's room to doubt, once you know his anger--a backlash would only happen if one of you rejects him." He smiled. "But I don't think that's likely. You wouldn't be here if you, any of you, were going to do that."
"But you'll need to keep going beyond that," Merlin added from outside the circle, not exactly distant but still having to lift his voice a little to be heard over the sound of the almost-inaudible hum. "To solidify those ties permanently. You'll know when that happens. That will be when the circle will have served its purpose."
"Y'all might want to sit down, though," Rafe drawled, and threw a wink at Erskine. "I ain't takin' your magic this time, but stories sound so much better 'round a campfire, yeah?"
"Are you ready?" Gabe asked the Dead Men at large once again, but this time his gaze was all for Skulduggery.