“Please,” China said dismissively. “I know what he had for breakfast this morning. I know what he’s been doing since he got back to Europe. I was only wondering how long it would take you to reveal him.”

A smile appeared on Scorn’s lips. “You always were impossible to surprise. Jaron here has just returned to the fold. I hope there’s no bad blood between you.”

“What’s in the past is in the past,” China said. “I’m going to end up killing every one of you for all this, and one more name added to the list won’t make much difference.”

Gallow looked at her, then at Scorn. “I thought you said she was under control.”

“She is,” Scorn said. “She just likes to say these things to pretend she’s still in charge. But as long as I keep her secret, China will do what she’s told. For instance, I told her to come back with information about all this Necromancer fuss I’ve been hearing about. China?”

Everyone else was standing, so China sat on a pew and crossed her legs. She looked at Scorn without tilting her chin, pleased with the way she had changed the dynamic of the room. “Melancholia St Clair is the latest Necromancer to be handed the title ‘Death Bringer’,” she said. “Unlike the others, however, it seems that this girl will actually strive to fulfil her duties.”

“And what are her duties?” asked Gallow.

“To usher in the Passage, and to save the world. If your next question is to ask me about the Passage, you can save your breath. It is something of a mystery, even to those who trade in mysteries. Suffice to say, the end result is a supposedly better world where the living and the dead exist side by side.”

“Ridiculous,” Scorn said. “That would completely negate death. It would reduce it to a mere concept.”

“And, possibly, make the world a better place.”

Scorn shook her head. “The world is how the Faceless Ones left it, and that is how it shall stay. If it looks like the Necromancers have a chance of success, we may have to act against them.”

“But that’s what the Sanctuary is doing,” Prave said, hurrying over. “Shouldn’t we stay out of it? We’d just get in the way.”

Scorn didn’t even look at him, but Gallow did, and Prave shrank back. “I don’t know you,” Gallow said. “I’ve just met you. Already I want to hurt you.”

“You, uh, you actually do know me,” Prave said. “We met twice, actually. It was only for a few minutes, though, so you probably don’t remember.”