"What sort of magic?" Desmond's arms had folded. "Why is everyone tiptoeing around us?"
"That would be because there are certain things you really don't want to know." Erskine shrugged apologetically. "You have to understand. We're not using that phrase lightly. We're not saying you'd prefer not knowing, or that we don't want you to know. We're saying you really, truly, definitively would regret being told. These are things most sorcerers wouldn't be able to handle. You saw John. We're telling you everything we can."
Far from pacifying Des, the explanation made him fold his arms and narrow his eyes. "But Stephanie knows?"
"Stephanie?"
"Uh." Valkyrie raised a hand surprisingly meekly. "That would be me."
"Oh. Right. Yes, anyone who spends a lot of time around Skulduggery tends to learn things they wish they never knew. He ends up in the middle of things a lot."
"I never try to," Skulduggery pointed out. "Unusual and fantastical things gravitate towards me."
"Does that mean Gordon knew?" Des demanded.
"Well..." Erskine bit his lip. "He was a writer. He put himself in the middle of things a lot. He didn't know about any of this, no, but that's mainly because he was already dead when they started happening."
"Would he have known?"
Skulduggery and Erskine both answered at the same time. "Yes."
"So he would have known, Stephanie does know, and we're not allowed to?"
Erskine looked, three different times, like he was about to say something, but eventually he just sighed and glanced towards Solomon. "I'm sorry. I tried, but he has a point. It's either you, or..." Gabe, Rafe, Merlin, and Lucifer.
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"That would be because there are certain things you really don't want to know." Erskine shrugged apologetically. "You have to understand. We're not using that phrase lightly. We're not saying you'd prefer not knowing, or that we don't want you to know. We're saying you really, truly, definitively would regret being told. These are things most sorcerers wouldn't be able to handle. You saw John. We're telling you everything we can."
Far from pacifying Des, the explanation made him fold his arms and narrow his eyes. "But Stephanie knows?"
"Stephanie?"
"Uh." Valkyrie raised a hand surprisingly meekly. "That would be me."
"Oh. Right. Yes, anyone who spends a lot of time around Skulduggery tends to learn things they wish they never knew. He ends up in the middle of things a lot."
"I never try to," Skulduggery pointed out. "Unusual and fantastical things gravitate towards me."
"Does that mean Gordon knew?" Des demanded.
"Well..." Erskine bit his lip. "He was a writer. He put himself in the middle of things a lot. He didn't know about any of this, no, but that's mainly because he was already dead when they started happening."
"Would he have known?"
Skulduggery and Erskine both answered at the same time. "Yes."
"So he would have known, Stephanie does know, and we're not allowed to?"
Erskine looked, three different times, like he was about to say something, but eventually he just sighed and glanced towards Solomon. "I'm sorry. I tried, but he has a point. It's either you, or..." Gabe, Rafe, Merlin, and Lucifer.