"Ah." Right. Ghastly had been wondering when Skulduggery was going to mention that. The two of them barely spoke about it after that unsettling conversation in the safehouse, so when Skulduggery didn't talk to Corrival right after the election, Ghastly couldn't really say he didn't understand why.
He hadn't really thought about it since. He suspected Skulduggery didn't, either - or at least, tried not to. That didn't mean Erskine's anger wasn't understandable, just... unexpected.
Ghastly leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, wondering how the hell he was supposed to go about explaining this. "He did, in a way. He told me. Me, Tanith, Valkyrie, and Fletcher. We were the only ones available at the time."
A storm of emotions ran across Erskine's face, none of them even remotely trying to be subtle. But in the end, the Elemental managed to relax a little. "He told you?"
Ghastly nodded. "We decided there were more important things to focus on at the time. We didn't trust the Sanctuary, and Scarab was trying to blow up a stadium. We prioritised."
"And what about after that?" Erskine demanded, tense all over again. "Scarab was behind bars, the bad guys lost, and Corrival was acting Grand Mage. Why didn't he say anything then?"
Ghastly shrugged. "Overprotective, probably. He has always thought he can handle things on his own."
Erskine bristled. "That's because he doesn't trust any of us. And apparently, he never has."
"Well, of course he doesn't. Would you? Somehow miraculously coming down from five years of being the most evil human being on the face of the planet, and you think you'd be able to trust anyone after that? Least of all yourself?"
"He - "
"I'm not saying he's right. Yes, he should have said something earlier. But Erskine, I could have. I didn't. And you're not angry with me."
Erskine opened his mouth to deliver an angry retort, but the wind blew out of his sail as he realised there wasn't anything to retort with, and he let out a long breath. "You're different."
"How?"
Erskine looked away and didn't say anything. Ghastly nodded once. "Because I'm not Vile. I was never a Necromancer. You wouldn't be nearly so upset if this was just Skulduggery being Skulduggery. So what is this really about? Dexter, for example. Why aren't you upset?"
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He hadn't really thought about it since. He suspected Skulduggery didn't, either - or at least, tried not to. That didn't mean Erskine's anger wasn't understandable, just... unexpected.
Ghastly leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, wondering how the hell he was supposed to go about explaining this. "He did, in a way. He told me. Me, Tanith, Valkyrie, and Fletcher. We were the only ones available at the time."
A storm of emotions ran across Erskine's face, none of them even remotely trying to be subtle. But in the end, the Elemental managed to relax a little. "He told you?"
Ghastly nodded. "We decided there were more important things to focus on at the time. We didn't trust the Sanctuary, and Scarab was trying to blow up a stadium. We prioritised."
"And what about after that?" Erskine demanded, tense all over again. "Scarab was behind bars, the bad guys lost, and Corrival was acting Grand Mage. Why didn't he say anything then?"
Ghastly shrugged. "Overprotective, probably. He has always thought he can handle things on his own."
Erskine bristled. "That's because he doesn't trust any of us. And apparently, he never has."
"Well, of course he doesn't. Would you? Somehow miraculously coming down from five years of being the most evil human being on the face of the planet, and you think you'd be able to trust anyone after that? Least of all yourself?"
"He - "
"I'm not saying he's right. Yes, he should have said something earlier. But Erskine, I could have. I didn't. And you're not angry with me."
Erskine opened his mouth to deliver an angry retort, but the wind blew out of his sail as he realised there wasn't anything to retort with, and he let out a long breath. "You're different."
"How?"
Erskine looked away and didn't say anything. Ghastly nodded once. "Because I'm not Vile. I was never a Necromancer. You wouldn't be nearly so upset if this was just Skulduggery being Skulduggery. So what is this really about? Dexter, for example. Why aren't you upset?"