"If I didn't think I could trust you with something private, I wouldn't be here right now." He glanced at her. It was partially what he had meant when he said he didn't make decisions like this casually. It opened him in more ways than one, a hard earned lesson for him in the way he was wired.

"There are aspects about it I won't talk about. No one...no one needs to hear that sort of thing." The spreading of horror and scars was something he didn't wish to do. It would feel too much like doing the demons' work for them. "I can think of several good reasons to tell you some. You're trusting me to look after your sister. We've worked together many times already and likely will again. And now there's this. Seeing one another. There's some risk involved for both of us for different reasons.

"If I'm going to take a risk, I'm going to take it whole, not pick and choose the easiest parts." He offered her the bottle again, this time holding her gaze.