The man who had approached them, full of charm and obviously on very good terms with their daughter, hesitated. "He is glowing," he started, "because... because Dexter Vex, over there, is creating the illusion of a glow."
"It's alright, Erskine," said Skulduggery. "Just say magic. They won't know the difference."
"Oh." The man called Erskine relaxed, then immediately tensed up again, eyes wide. "Oh. Do we need to call Scrutinous in here?"
"No." Stephanie was the one who answered, quickly and definitively and very, very firmly. "We told them. They know now. They're not going to tell anyone else. Actually, we can tell them the full truth about everything."
Erskine blinked. "We can?"
"Well." Stephanie looked back towards Gabe. "Within reason."
"Ah. Alright. Solomon is glowing because his magic allows him to manipulate the lifestream, which is invisible all around us except when he's touching it. Actually..." Erskine frowned. "I think all that golden light is his own soul, interacting with the lifestream. Either way. It's not dangerous, I promise. Well, not unless he wants it to be. Dexter can conjure things, and that's what you saw just then - one of his conjurations dissolving. No one was actually hurt. Skulduggery, why am I explaining this?"
Skulduggery didn't answer. Or maybe he did, and Desmond had just stopped paying attention. He couldn't be sure. A weird sort of daze had descended over him at the sight of the man glowing gold, and he had absolutely no idea what to think or what to say. He was glad for Melissa's hand just then, because Des couldn't be sure he'd even remember where he was if it weren't for her grip.
"What, glow?" Stephanie laughed. "No. No, I've never glowed. But as far as watching illusions disintegrate? Yep. Pretty much every day. That, and a whole lot stranger, too."
"They're her parents," Skulduggery explained to Erskine. "They wanted to meet the ruling mages who, and I quote, 'didn't try to stop a twelve-year-old girl from running around in this world of magic.' And why nobody told them what was going on."
It helped, just then, to see Erskine paling. Erskine, who was, so far, the most normal person in the room. And yet, still a sorcerer. That he could pale meant he knew the seriousness of the situation, and that was an oddly comforting thought for Desmond. It meant that no matter how fantastical this world of magic got, certain things still held true. Like how protective parents were of their children.
"You..." Erskine stopped, and cleared his throat. "You couldn't have called ahead to warn us?"
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"It's alright, Erskine," said Skulduggery. "Just say magic. They won't know the difference."
"Oh." The man called Erskine relaxed, then immediately tensed up again, eyes wide. "Oh. Do we need to call Scrutinous in here?"
"No." Stephanie was the one who answered, quickly and definitively and very, very firmly. "We told them. They know now. They're not going to tell anyone else. Actually, we can tell them the full truth about everything."
Erskine blinked. "We can?"
"Well." Stephanie looked back towards Gabe. "Within reason."
"Ah. Alright. Solomon is glowing because his magic allows him to manipulate the lifestream, which is invisible all around us except when he's touching it. Actually..." Erskine frowned. "I think all that golden light is his own soul, interacting with the lifestream. Either way. It's not dangerous, I promise. Well, not unless he wants it to be. Dexter can conjure things, and that's what you saw just then - one of his conjurations dissolving. No one was actually hurt. Skulduggery, why am I explaining this?"
Skulduggery didn't answer. Or maybe he did, and Desmond had just stopped paying attention. He couldn't be sure. A weird sort of daze had descended over him at the sight of the man glowing gold, and he had absolutely no idea what to think or what to say. He was glad for Melissa's hand just then, because Des couldn't be sure he'd even remember where he was if it weren't for her grip.
"What, glow?" Stephanie laughed. "No. No, I've never glowed. But as far as watching illusions disintegrate? Yep. Pretty much every day. That, and a whole lot stranger, too."
"They're her parents," Skulduggery explained to Erskine. "They wanted to meet the ruling mages who, and I quote, 'didn't try to stop a twelve-year-old girl from running around in this world of magic.' And why nobody told them what was going on."
It helped, just then, to see Erskine paling. Erskine, who was, so far, the most normal person in the room. And yet, still a sorcerer. That he could pale meant he knew the seriousness of the situation, and that was an oddly comforting thought for Desmond. It meant that no matter how fantastical this world of magic got, certain things still held true. Like how protective parents were of their children.
"You..." Erskine stopped, and cleared his throat. "You couldn't have called ahead to warn us?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"She kicked me."