Skulduggery was silent for a moment while he composed himself, reaching for a state of mind where he could answer the questions he should really have been expecting. This was a good chance to go over some things himself, too, more objectively than he'd managed before. As if this was just a story, happening to someone else, and Skulduggery needed to make all the competent decisions for the incompetent main character.

He lifted his head and let his hand fall back onto the table. "Elemental magic. Control over the four elements. Yes, I can, but it requires a much clearer focus than Necromancy does. I was drugged beyond all comprehension last night, and given incentive to become who I was before I decided to give up Necromancy. A singularly unpleasant man, to say the least."

'Incentive' was putting it lightly, but Skulduggery couldn't get into that just yet. Not until he determined whether the doctor had been telling the truth about a group of hostages somewhere in the Institute, when he would probably need help rescuing them. "I don't know how much of it is permanent," he admitted with a sigh. "The drugs likely won't be, but Necromancy is addictive. If I have access to it from now on, and even the slightest nudge in that direction, Landel won't need to force me to do anything."