Anabel took a minute to think about everything Shadow had said, just mulling it over quietly. Finally she said, “Honestly, we could just sit and talk. I rarely ever speak to anyone besides Emilia, and she can be pretty dour company. She and I are kind of a case of an unlikely friendship. She’s honestly kind of a bitch. I like her, but sometimes she’s just too much. I need somebody who can listen to me without giving a snide comment, or scoffing. The problem with Emi is, she was raised to be hard and unyielding. She views confessions and venting as weakness . . . there are many things she thinks of as a sign of being weak. It’s kind of sad, honestly.” She smiled softly at Shadow. “Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest . . . thank you for listening. Also - it means a lot to me that out of everyone in Dawnshire, you chose me to speak to.”

“So draw your knives, ladies, prepare for war. . . .”