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Balthazar lowered his hand. “If I thought for one second that what’s in here,” he toed the unconscious Roan, “was in here,” he poked Caemorn’s chest, “do you think I would simply let your mind be free?”

Caemorn blinked.

Balthazar let out a low laugh. “Now, he gets it! Caemorn, you can make dead animals love you and bring back the Harrows because your skill at what you can do is second to none! But you forget that the rest of us lowly Immortals are just as good at what we do!”

Caemorn frowned. “I admitted that you were stronger than me--”

“We’re pretty evenly matched, but you have some ultra-cool powers, but I am a master of the mind,” Balthazar told him. “I know what’s in your head, your heart and your soul. This here,” again he toed the unconscious Roan, “yes, it’s that nasty part of you distilled and twisted so tight as to be unrecognizable,because it isn’t the core of you. Trust me when I tell you that I know you now. I know all the parts of youintimately.”

Caemorn’s eyebrows went up. “Intimately--”

“Yes, Caemorn! In order to turn things all around in your head, I have to know you really damned well,” Balthazar explained. “Every slice I got my hands on made me know you better. So when I clean out this one of the filth that’s got on it and return it to you… nothing is going to change for you. Because the core of you, the whole of you, is not Roan.”

Caemorn looked down at Roan. “You’re certain?”

“Yes, because, like I said, if it was, I would change it,” Balthazar said.

“You can do that?” Another lifted eyebrow.

“Can you make a skeleton dance a jig?” Balthazar challenged.

“Of course, that is simple--”

“Exactly, it’ssimple. Same for me if I wanted you to be different, but I don’t,” Balthazar said. “As annoying and irritating and--”

“Do go on,” Caemorn remarked dryly.

“Intelligent and funny and compassionate and ruthless and… oh, the list goes on. The truth is that I like and respect you, but even if I didn’t, what and who you are isn’t Roan,” Balthazar told him.

“Hear, hear,” Arcius cheered.

“Well said, Balthazar,” Fiona added.

“Totally true,” Julian agreed.

“Yes, most definitely,” Christian said.

“Kaly, you need to try and trust what Eyros is telling you. He would have no reason to lie to you. Quite the opposite,” Daemon remarked simply.

“I see,” Caemorn said with a faint smile on his lips.

“Oh, and by the way, when you’re fully integrated, youoweme, Master,” Balthazar said with a grin as he tightened his hold on Christian’s hand.

“Owe you? What do you think I--”

“Presents!” Balthazar told him. “Masters give their fledglings presents or so I am told.”

“I haven’t gotten any presents,” Christian muttered.

“Oh, just you wait.” Another grin but this time aimed at him.

“Do I get presents, Daemon?” Julian asked.

“I will get you whatever you want, my only one,” Daemon replied.

“Presents? Where did you hear this?” Caemorn looked unconvinced.

“It’s true!” Fiona chuckled. “You owe Balthazar hundreds of years of presents. One for every year since you turned him.”