Damon leaned against the wall for a few seconds, catching his breath. The conversation had been brief, but maintaining control over his own core the entire time had demanded far more effort than any physical training. The challenge wasn't just answering Seraphine's questions; it was ignoring everything stirring within him while she spoke. With every carefully chosen word, it felt as though she were trying to locate the cracks in his mind. Fortunately, during that encounter, she hadn't found any large enough to slip through.
Elizabeth approached slowly as the servants began moving through the hallway again, pretending nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. She watched Damon lean back against the wall and waited a few seconds before speaking.
"You did exactly what was needed."
Damon let out a soft, weary laugh.
"I survived."
"That, too."
"That, too?"
"But that wasn't what mattered."
He looked up.
Elizabeth kept her voice low so that only the small group could hear her.
