Page 68 of Sinistram

“Same here,” Brent replied.

Father Leo blessed them and gave parting hugs. “Call if you need us. Or if you just want to talk.” He looked at Travis with the last comment.

“Will do,” Travis assured them.

For a while, they drove back to Pittsburgh in silence. Brent listened to the rumble of the Crown Vic’s engine and watched the scenery go by.

“How are you, really?” he asked, careful not to make eye contact.

Travis shrugged, uncomfortable despite how close their friendship had become. “They warn about dark magic for good reasons. My counselor said that soul wounds are real, and the source of a person’s abilities can be bruised, for lack of a better word. Those take longer to heal than anything physical.”

Brent nodded. “Makes sense. And it also explains why people who gravitate to tainted magic end up losing their way and going Dark Side. Slippery slope and all that. It certainly works that way for unethical decisions, even for people without abilities.”

“I don’t know that I’ll ever be sorry for doing it,” Travis said, “given what was at stake. And I know that can lead to rationalizing using that kind of power again, for the next dire situation. Which is why I’m glad I have good friends to keep me on the straight-and-narrow.”

Brent grinned at him, pleased that Travis had been so candid. “We’re going to do our fucking best.”

“I’m counting on it.”