Somehow it was that sentence, 'I don't know what else we might need the power for', which stuck in Gabriel's head. It implied that he shouldn't use it for one thing if they could use it for another, rather than simply holding back as much as possible. Choosing what to use it for, instead of using it for anything he needed.

Keeping his power in reserve was a foreign thought. It wasn't something he'd ever needed before. It wasn't something he'd ever considered before. And yet that's what he'd just been doing, wasn't it? Using his constructs sparingly, because his energy was limited. And the reminder of just how powerless he still truly was made a chill run down his spine.

He frowned a little and then snorted to cover his unease at the thought that he might not get all his powers back at all. "Somehow I doubt you could manage to throw this." He motioned to himself mockingly. Sure, he'd lost weight over the past week, they all had, but he was still bulkier than she was. "Especially on this kind of field." The archangel shook his head. "I'll manage. Rock is pretty basic."