Damien went back in alone with a notebook and pencil. Morana looked up when the door closed. “Where’s your girlfriend?”

“Imogen had other matters to attend to.” Damien sat down. “Shall we begin?”

Morana talked for hours, a long rambling account of her work with the cult. Damien was curious about her past, but his time was limited so he kept his questions to the point.

She didn’t know many of the small fry by name, but those she did know she gave up. He kept a constant watch on the flow of soul force in her brain and she never lied once. The sun had set and most of a keg of ale had been downed, all of it by her, when she finished her account. Morana didn’t look any more drunk than when they entered the first time.

The light in her eyes flickered. When Damien checked her core he found it almost depleted. “I thought you had a day or two.”

She sighed. “I’ve been using a trickle of power to heal the alcohol poisoning. I don’t care about lingering for another day.”

The light in her eyes went out. “Are you still there?” she asked.

“I am.” Damien held her hand.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Thank you for staying with me. It’s more than I deserve.”

“It’s all right.”

The last of her soul force flickered away and her hand went limp. Damien reached out and closed her eyes. Poor, deluded woman.

He collected his notebook and pencil, conjured a little light, and left the building. Imogen met him a few feet from the stairs. “She’s dead?”

Damien nodded and handed her the notebook. “There are seventeen names in there, not as many as I’d hoped. Will you see that the chief sorcerer gets this?”

“Of course. What about you?”

“I need to clear my head. Meet you at watch headquarters in an hour?”

“Sure.” Imogen touched his arm then flew away.

Damien sprang into the sky and flew out over the ocean.

Why did you stay with her?

“Can’t slip anything past you, can I?”

Not a thing. Now talk.

Damien lay on his back and stared up at the sky. “I told Lane once that Dad taught us to fight and kill without mercy or hesitation. And he did. All the masters hammered that into Jen and I for most of our lives. Over the last year and a half I’ve seen a lot, done a lot, killed, blasted, and destroyed. The only thing that kept me from turning into a monster like Connor was the occasional moments of kindness and knowing I had friends and family and someone I loved waiting for me.”

Damien.

“I didn’t stay with Morana for her sake. I did it to remind myself that I’m still human, still capable of showing kindness, even to an enemy. I fear what will happen to me if I ever lose that ability.”

I won’t let that happen. I promise.

“I know you won’t. That’s why I love you so much.”

The moon danced amid the waves and sparkling stars. It was a beautiful night and Damien breathed deep of the cool salt air. It was a good night to be alive.