"And thus the first steps are taken down the path to my destruction."

The corner of his lip curls up, and the air around him grows thick, cloying with the scent of roses and rotting paper.

"The most dangerous lies we tell, are the ones we believe with all our hearts."

He is condemned by God. For him to believe in just the possibility of refuge now is a dangerous indulgence. A weakness he cannot bear.

He lets her hands go and steps back.

"Let our truce hold, just a while longer."