'It's hard to miss it when souls bear my brother's mark.' Even if, in this case, it was a metaphorical mark. Well, it always was, but it was in the way the souls turned and spun, their pulse and metaphysical hue. Davina Marr was damned.
Guild's shock and curiosity were so intense that Gabriel's mouth twitched and he couldn't help but grin at the sorcerer, pushing up the brim of his hat. In point of fact, it was a ridiculous thought for Guild to even entertain, even given the limits of the man's knowledge. That didn't mean Gabe couldn't have a bit of fun with it, and besides, it wasn't as if Gabe himself had a problem with the concept. (Even though angels didn't need or really even entertain the idea themselves.)
"Of course, Grand Mage," Davina said calmly, her eyes narrowed at Gabe. The Archangel's gaze slid sideways, but his grin didn't falter. She hadn't missed the unintentional inference either. Gabriel found he didn't care. "Cleavers!"
The door was already opening and two Cleavers were stepping in when Gabriel raised a finger and stepped forward. "'Scuse me, ma'am, but I just have one question," he said quite cheerfully. "Where's Ms Low?"
Marr's expression remained unchanged, and so did her gaze, though she spoke to Skulduggery. "This really is the worst rescue you've ever come up with."
In her surface thoughts, ones Gabe didn't even need to probe to hear, Tanith's location sifted: down in the cells, locked in a magic-binding cell. Gabe nodded once with satisfaction. "Yep, that's what I thought. Thanks, ma'am."
All at once Davina Marr's back prickled and she felt that unwavering certainty that this ridiculous cowboy was going to make his move. "Cleavers!" she shouted, her fingers clenching on Ghastly's shoulder and her other hand flinging out to send a wave of repelling air at the irreverent pair.
Too late. The cowboy had already taken Skulduggery's arm, and even as the Cleavers' hands fell to restrain them, they and Bespoke vanished in what had to have been--had to have been!--the same instant. Davina jerked away from the chair, staring with wide eyes down at where Bespoke had been, and then she looked up at Guild. Teleporter was one thing, but she had never heard of one who could Teleport someone without even touching them! And the way he'd spoken--as if he knew where Low was--even though Davina hadn't said anything to indicate it.
Then her head snapped around again and she moved toward the door, not hurrying, but urgent. "With me!" she snapped to the Cleavers, but she already knew that when she reached the cells, Tanith Low would be gone.
She just didn't expect to get there and find the cell still locked from the outside.
~~~
In point of fact, it hadn't been the same instant. There had been a split-second difference, too little for the normal human brain to register, while Gabriel flew to Ghastly and swept him up, and then kept going to where he knew Tanith was. In flight, he had a sense of oneness with his surroundings, just like when he extended his self into a building or an object to experience it as it was.
So he could see everything. He could see the the Sanctuary, just as he'd seen Guild's office; he found the cells, saw the resonances of the magic-binding and then the ones between Tanith and Ghastly and Skul. Only another split-second after he had Skulduggery and Ghastly in hand, the Archangel had Tanith as well.
Then they were, once again, beside Skulduggery's Bentley in a landing which was gentler for Gabe's passengers than for the Archangel himself. He couldn't quite restrain the whimper this time, but manage to make his slump against the Bentley more of a lean.
"Ow," he managed, blinking away any shininess in his eyes. This was ridiculous.
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Guild's shock and curiosity were so intense that Gabriel's mouth twitched and he couldn't help but grin at the sorcerer, pushing up the brim of his hat. In point of fact, it was a ridiculous thought for Guild to even entertain, even given the limits of the man's knowledge. That didn't mean Gabe couldn't have a bit of fun with it, and besides, it wasn't as if Gabe himself had a problem with the concept. (Even though angels didn't need or really even entertain the idea themselves.)
"Of course, Grand Mage," Davina said calmly, her eyes narrowed at Gabe. The Archangel's gaze slid sideways, but his grin didn't falter. She hadn't missed the unintentional inference either. Gabriel found he didn't care. "Cleavers!"
The door was already opening and two Cleavers were stepping in when Gabriel raised a finger and stepped forward. "'Scuse me, ma'am, but I just have one question," he said quite cheerfully. "Where's Ms Low?"
Marr's expression remained unchanged, and so did her gaze, though she spoke to Skulduggery. "This really is the worst rescue you've ever come up with."
In her surface thoughts, ones Gabe didn't even need to probe to hear, Tanith's location sifted: down in the cells, locked in a magic-binding cell. Gabe nodded once with satisfaction. "Yep, that's what I thought. Thanks, ma'am."
All at once Davina Marr's back prickled and she felt that unwavering certainty that this ridiculous cowboy was going to make his move. "Cleavers!" she shouted, her fingers clenching on Ghastly's shoulder and her other hand flinging out to send a wave of repelling air at the irreverent pair.
Too late. The cowboy had already taken Skulduggery's arm, and even as the Cleavers' hands fell to restrain them, they and Bespoke vanished in what had to have been--had to have been!--the same instant. Davina jerked away from the chair, staring with wide eyes down at where Bespoke had been, and then she looked up at Guild. Teleporter was one thing, but she had never heard of one who could Teleport someone without even touching them! And the way he'd spoken--as if he knew where Low was--even though Davina hadn't said anything to indicate it.
Then her head snapped around again and she moved toward the door, not hurrying, but urgent. "With me!" she snapped to the Cleavers, but she already knew that when she reached the cells, Tanith Low would be gone.
She just didn't expect to get there and find the cell still locked from the outside.
~~~
In point of fact, it hadn't been the same instant. There had been a split-second difference, too little for the normal human brain to register, while Gabriel flew to Ghastly and swept him up, and then kept going to where he knew Tanith was. In flight, he had a sense of oneness with his surroundings, just like when he extended his self into a building or an object to experience it as it was.
So he could see everything. He could see the the Sanctuary, just as he'd seen Guild's office; he found the cells, saw the resonances of the magic-binding and then the ones between Tanith and Ghastly and Skul. Only another split-second after he had Skulduggery and Ghastly in hand, the Archangel had Tanith as well.
Then they were, once again, beside Skulduggery's Bentley in a landing which was gentler for Gabe's passengers than for the Archangel himself. He couldn't quite restrain the whimper this time, but manage to make his slump against the Bentley more of a lean.
"Ow," he managed, blinking away any shininess in his eyes. This was ridiculous.