So not even Skulduggery's best friend could accept it. Yet, at the same time, Ghastly persevered. Part of Solomon hated Skulduggery for the way he drew in people, even while he couldn't help being one of them. Ghastly simply accepted that part, and kept going on. He was still Skulduggery's friend, in spite of all that he'd done.
Solomon shook his head but said nothing. Even if he asked Ghastly again, he wasn't sure the tailor would know how to answer the question. Would understand how he could still be Skulduggery's best friend even after that. And, Solomon thought, did it really matter? However Ghastly was dealing with it probably wouldn't help Solomon. What mattered was that he was.
Now Solomon had to figure out for himself how he could do the same. Or if he wanted to.
"I did," he said after some moments. "Fight him. In the Temple, when Vile was new, Tenebrae used to stage duels. I don't know whether they were to train him or to prove he was powerful enough to be called a Death Bringer, but they always, always ended in him killing his opponent. Except once."
With his eyes closed the lifestream around him felt similar to that death-bubble he'd summoned, enough that he could almost summon the memory. He opened them, and something sardonic twisted his mouth. "He didn't even remember it until I mentioned it a few days ago. I spent the rest of the war terrified Vile would come find me for not dying and I was just a footnote to him."
He still didn't know how to feel about that. Part of him still felt a bit relieved. Another part insisted that if Skulduggery cared as much as Ghastly said he did, Skulduggery would have remembered.
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Solomon shook his head but said nothing. Even if he asked Ghastly again, he wasn't sure the tailor would know how to answer the question. Would understand how he could still be Skulduggery's best friend even after that. And, Solomon thought, did it really matter? However Ghastly was dealing with it probably wouldn't help Solomon. What mattered was that he was.
Now Solomon had to figure out for himself how he could do the same. Or if he wanted to.
"I did," he said after some moments. "Fight him. In the Temple, when Vile was new, Tenebrae used to stage duels. I don't know whether they were to train him or to prove he was powerful enough to be called a Death Bringer, but they always, always ended in him killing his opponent. Except once."
With his eyes closed the lifestream around him felt similar to that death-bubble he'd summoned, enough that he could almost summon the memory. He opened them, and something sardonic twisted his mouth. "He didn't even remember it until I mentioned it a few days ago. I spent the rest of the war terrified Vile would come find me for not dying and I was just a footnote to him."
He still didn't know how to feel about that. Part of him still felt a bit relieved. Another part insisted that if Skulduggery cared as much as Ghastly said he did, Skulduggery would have remembered.