“Well, now,” Wreath said, smiling, “could it be that I have more faith in Valkyrie’s abilities than you do?”

“This isn’t about ability,” Skulduggery said curtly. “This is about aptitude.”

“What do you mean?” Valkyrie asked.

“In order for you to make an informed decision, can I assume Solomon here has told you about the Necromancer beliefs?”

Suddenly Wreath did not look happy. “Our beliefs are private. They are not discussed with…”

“With?” Skulduggery prompted.

“Non-believers,” Wreath said.

“You can make an exception for me, can’t you?” Skulduggery pressed. Somehow, he was now in the lead and Valkyrie realised they were heading for the source of the quiet commotion. “And as for Valkyrie, don’t her lessons with you entitle her to hear this?”

“Valkyrie,” Wreath said, “you could be considered one of our indoctrinates, one of our trainees, and as such you could expect to be taught these things gradually, over the coming years.”

“But you’ll skip the formalities,” Skulduggery said. “Yes?”

Wreath sighed and spoke to her. “Death is a part of life. You’ve undoubtedly heard that before. It’s meant as a platitude, to comfort the bereaved and the scared. But the truth is, life flows into death and death flows back into life.

“The darkness we use in our magic is a living energy. You’ve felt it, haven’t you? It almost has a life of its own. It is life and death. They’re the same thing – a constant, recycling stream that permeates all universes.”

“Tell her about the Death Bringer,” Skulduggery said, looking around.

“The Death Bringer is not relevant to—”

“Well, you can’t hide it from her now, can you? So you may as well.”

Wreath took a breath to keep his temper in check. “We’re waiting for a Necromancer strong enough to break down the walls between life and death. Some people call this person the Death Bringer. We have conducted tests; we’ve researched; we’ve taken a very clinical approach to all of this. This isn’t a prophecy. Prophecies mean nothing, they’re merely interpretations of possibilities. This is an inevitability. We will find someone powerful enough to break down the wall, and the energy of the dead will live alongside us, and we will evolve to meet it.”

“They call this the Passage,” Skulduggery said. “What Solomon here is neglecting to tell you of course are the names of a few people whom the Necromancers have proclaimed to be the Death Bringer in the past.”

“She doesn’t need to know this,” Wreath said, anger in his eyes.

“I think she does.”

“Tell me,” Valkyrie said to them both.

Wreath hesitated. “The last person we thought was powerful enough to possibly become the Death Bringer came to us during the war. Within two years of starting his Necromancy training, Lord Vile was the equal to any of our masters.”

“Vile?” Valkyrie said. “Lord Vile was your saviour?”