It had happened. It frequently happened, in fact, that the righteous damned saw something divine and mistook it for evil--like with Cotter and the Grail--simply because Lucifer had managed to turn their moral compasses so much on their heads.

Of course, it also helped that angels could exist without being seen by humanity at all, but that would have been boring. It was just that Gabriel's usual covers weren't intended for longevity--unlike Michael's.

The Archangel smiled grimly and rather sadly. "Oh, she does. Most people like her still have consciences. They just twist it to speak the things they want it to, or block it out altogether." He pressed his palms flat against the Bentley's side, enjoying the warmth and the smoothness. "Redemption is always possible because my Master will always give it to those who wish it. Lucifer's damned are damned because they can't acknowledge they might be wrong enough to want it, and there comes a point when you can tell, looking at their souls, that their eyes are forever blinded to such faults in themselves."

He didn't look at Skulduggery this time. He didn't really need to.