Indulgently Solomon watched as Hayley focussed on the sphere. He honestly wasn't expecting much of a reaction the first time, particularly as she demanded he be quiet so she could work. Even those who knew they had magic very rarely got reactions when they tried to get one.

Then again, the expression on Hayley's face just earlier had been filled with awe, and the sort of intensity of someone more concerned with knowing an object than owning it. And she was already familiar with magic. Perhaps it wouldn't take her as long as usual.

"Not necessarily," he said with a smile. "You're attempting to will it into breaking, aren't you?" It was barely a question. "Necromancy isn't a matter of will; it's more a matter of subtly." He touched the sphere and it coiled a little tendril of shadow around his finger almost in acknowledgement before fading. "Don't attempt to break the sphere simply because you want it to break. You aren't seeking to dominate the shadow; you're seeking to manipulate it. For that, you need to know it. Understand it. What constitutes a shadow? How would you seek to change a shadow's form?"