re dawn. Stupid. Proba

e, the small choice, the choice that kept me alive b

n a stranger'

oman's wedd

quietly, methodicall

ces. I dressed in the dark a

ough the air itself was heavier and the flames were working harder. The temperature dropped three degree

the la

hing - labored, deliberate, the breathing of a man fo

ost missed it, a sound like cra

rse ma

the rest of the house slep

un around ou

appeared from nowhere with

ving through spaces wi

as doing its usual thing; reveali

e you been th

looked at the door, then at

n pain,

anged. Not surprise. Like h

ting me to end up in this cor

oon, but e

new is that you are standing outside his door at three in the mo

" I replie

n't kno

ut you're not sure I'm wrong

f draggin

the door changed - slower now, the

mity alone was

d whatever was behind that door w

register in his face - a fract

he had held f

at I expected,"

said. "That's always

that stretched slightly too

not approving, just remov

noc

nd suddenly, - the breathing

everythin

with pain and somethin

y from t

the wood. Steady. "I'm not here to fix

oor with my back against

e that was what Ironveil did; strip away the careful sane ch

ere for

rning on my neck had been relieved to a low

ind his door

eal k

silence that

now if it

yself it

lready