"Wow. This is thrilling stuff." Dani handed the chapters back to me.

"You like it?" I asked.

"I love what you've done with the Reynard/Rowan character. That's a lot of fun. You stuff a lot into these two chapters. Let me see... In six pages, you flesh out Rowan's backstory, introduce Lilith, establish several new characters and relationships. Then you confront the fallen possessing Morgan. It's packed. That's not a critique. The pace rolls along. I wonder if some of this might benefit from more space to breathe."

"You think it needs more details and pauses?"

"Maybe. And it's hard to mourn for Rafael because I didn't spend any time with him. He and Morgan both existed offstage for most of the story. Even their attack was offstage. Mostly I feel bad for Lyn that her father and brother are dead and her sister is possessed by a demon, but even there, I never saw them interact, so..."

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I shrugged sadly. "Yeah, I see what you mean. I'ma go back and flesh out Morgan's character soon. I wanted to jump into the conflict, but that's the sacrifice, right? Establish characters and relationships, or give the reader something exciting?"

Dani smiled knowingly. "What else happened since our last meeting?"

I thought for a moment and remembered, "My brother Jude called me. He turns 18 next month, and he wants to come to San Francisco and live with me."

Dani's usual placid composure broke in surprise. I didn't mention my family often. "Are you and Jude close?"

An itch flared across my chest. I scratched it absentmindedly and answered, "Sort of. When Morgan died, he and I were all the other had, so we were alone, together. We don't get along... at all, but we understand each other." I shrugged. "We're brothers."

Dani's bespectacled gaze was piercing; her voice, compassionate but firm: "how did Morgan die?"

My body tensed, and I looked away from Dani around at her office. She shared it with another caseworker. When Dani met with clients, her associate left the room. Was that right? Was I a client? Dani said she was my friend, but it was her job to say that, wasn't it?

"It was a car crash," I said finally, scratching my chest again. "Three days before Christmas. It ruined the holiday for me forever."

Dani sat quietly. Her nod seemed to whisper, 'go on.'