"Okay," Valkyrie corrected slowly once she had also stepped inside, alighting on the marble floor just after Gabriel. "I take that back. This is gorgeous."
China had repurposed it, alright. It hadn't looked anything like this before. The basic layout was the same - Skulduggery could recall exactly where he'd thrown the dynamite, and exactly where his left leg had ended up - but all the marble was a new addition, and the glittering chandelier above. Their footsteps reverberated throughout the hall, which spoke of a scale that the entire area followed. Skulduggery briefly wondered if the grandiose surroundings would make Gabe uncomfortable, or... well, if they were more suitable for an Archangel. It was amusing to think about.
"We should be on the run from the Sanctuary more often," said Fletcher with an equally wide grin, while Tanith could do nothing but stare. "I had no idea being fugitives would be so awesome."
"A little pretentious for me," Ghastly murmured as he brought up the rear. His mobile rang when the portal shimmered closed behind him, and he stepped away from them to answer it. His voice was audible in the echoing marble hall no matter how far away he walked, but the words weren't quite understandable.
"Do we need to move the entrance?" Skulduggery asked Gabe. "You don't think your wards would be enough?" China was the only person they really had to worry about, and she might get a little suspicious if the entrance had been moved by someone other than her. Skulduggery would rather avoid any suspicion on China's part. She was a very persistent woman.
Ghastly glanced over and held up the phone. "Skul? China wants to know what happened to your mobile."
Case in point. "I have no idea," Skulduggery mumbled. It had disappeared along with everything else when Landel captured him. "Just tell her we arrived safely and we're grateful."
"She'd like to talk to you."
"I don't particularly want to talk to her."
Ghastly gave the detective a grim smile. "I know. But she's insisting."
After a moment, Skulduggery sighed, excused himself, and walked over to accept the phone. He waited until Ghastly had joined the others out of earshot before speaking. "China. How are you? What could be possibly be so urgent?"
"You'll forgive me if I skip the small talk," China responded with a worrying note in her tone that Skulduggery couldn't quite place, "but I've just been paid a visit by Guild, who had something very interesting to say."
"Hm. I'll bet he did." Skulduggery's mind was already racing through possible scenarios and possible responses to each one. No one could possibly suspect the truth yet, but that didn't mean China in particular wouldn't get worryingly close.
"That man you had with you before," she continued. "He's American?"
Good. That question was predictable. "He was born there, yes," Skulduggery answered. "He's been in Ireland long enough to-"
"When were you going to tell me that you're dating an actor? And a handsome actor, too. Skulduggery, I'm offended. I would have congratulated you. Will there be a happy announcement by the end of the week?"
Skulduggery's mind stopped.
"I'll admit," he eventually said, very slowly and carefully, "of all the things I thought you were going to say, that... was nowhere on the list."
no subject
China had repurposed it, alright. It hadn't looked anything like this before. The basic layout was the same - Skulduggery could recall exactly where he'd thrown the dynamite, and exactly where his left leg had ended up - but all the marble was a new addition, and the glittering chandelier above. Their footsteps reverberated throughout the hall, which spoke of a scale that the entire area followed. Skulduggery briefly wondered if the grandiose surroundings would make Gabe uncomfortable, or... well, if they were more suitable for an Archangel. It was amusing to think about.
"We should be on the run from the Sanctuary more often," said Fletcher with an equally wide grin, while Tanith could do nothing but stare. "I had no idea being fugitives would be so awesome."
"A little pretentious for me," Ghastly murmured as he brought up the rear. His mobile rang when the portal shimmered closed behind him, and he stepped away from them to answer it. His voice was audible in the echoing marble hall no matter how far away he walked, but the words weren't quite understandable.
"Do we need to move the entrance?" Skulduggery asked Gabe. "You don't think your wards would be enough?" China was the only person they really had to worry about, and she might get a little suspicious if the entrance had been moved by someone other than her. Skulduggery would rather avoid any suspicion on China's part. She was a very persistent woman.
Ghastly glanced over and held up the phone. "Skul? China wants to know what happened to your mobile."
Case in point. "I have no idea," Skulduggery mumbled. It had disappeared along with everything else when Landel captured him. "Just tell her we arrived safely and we're grateful."
"She'd like to talk to you."
"I don't particularly want to talk to her."
Ghastly gave the detective a grim smile. "I know. But she's insisting."
After a moment, Skulduggery sighed, excused himself, and walked over to accept the phone. He waited until Ghastly had joined the others out of earshot before speaking. "China. How are you? What could be possibly be so urgent?"
"You'll forgive me if I skip the small talk," China responded with a worrying note in her tone that Skulduggery couldn't quite place, "but I've just been paid a visit by Guild, who had something very interesting to say."
"Hm. I'll bet he did." Skulduggery's mind was already racing through possible scenarios and possible responses to each one. No one could possibly suspect the truth yet, but that didn't mean China in particular wouldn't get worryingly close.
"That man you had with you before," she continued. "He's American?"
Good. That question was predictable. "He was born there, yes," Skulduggery answered. "He's been in Ireland long enough to-"
"When were you going to tell me that you're dating an actor? And a handsome actor, too. Skulduggery, I'm offended. I would have congratulated you. Will there be a happy announcement by the end of the week?"
Skulduggery's mind stopped.
"I'll admit," he eventually said, very slowly and carefully, "of all the things I thought you were going to say, that... was nowhere on the list."