Titans of Chaos

I said, "My cell phone number is-," and I told him the number.

Boreas turned his head and looked over his wing-cloaked shoulder. "I can find you at any time."

I said, "Not for long. Good evening, Headmaster."

He looked for a moment as if he were about to question me on that point, but then he shook hishead, whether in amusement, or sorrow, pride, or disgrace, I could not guess. He said, "Goodevening, Miss W- Amelia."

"What?"

"May I call you Amelia? I did save you from certain dangers you encountered, and have acted toprotect you on other occasions. Since this apparently will be my role henceforward, I do not thinkit improper to ask. May I?"

I frowned. "Headmaster, I do not understand you, and I certainly cannot trust you. I don'tunderstand any reason for anything you do. So perhaps, considering the circumstances, we hadbest keep our relationship formal."

He snorted. "My reasons for doing what I did are very simple. Pellucid."

"Tell me."

He drew a deep sigh, but his brow furrowed. "My lord Terminus sent his dying message to me.

Not to his wife, not to his sons. Me. He was a great man. You have seen how dangerous andwillful his sons are; you can guess how powerful his foes in Chaos are. Yet, he ruled them all.

Under his reign, there was peace, order, and even some justice. I have done as I have been bid; itis a measure of his foresight that things have turned out as well as they have. Does that explainmy soul to you, little girl? I do not think you know the love a loyal follower can feel for a greatleader, or know what a leader must do to win that loyalty."

I said softly, "I think I can imagine it..."

"Then farewell for now, Miss Windrose. I imagine I shall hear great things of you in the future."

And he fell from the window, caught the night air in his great wide wings, rose, and was gone.

Colin shimmered and appeared as he yanked the ring of Gyges off his finger. In his other hand, hebrandished the truncheon he had from his demon-form, a scepter glittering with black energies.

"Next time I kill him! Oh, God, I swear! Next time! Pow! He's a lump of dead meat! I would havedone it this time, too, if Quentin hadn't zapped me!"

A segment of the darkness beyond the second window pushed itself into the frame, and when itebbed, Quentin was standing there, a cloak as dark and weightless as the night sky drawn allaround him.

He gestured, and all the windows slid shut. A pressure in my ears told me that all the soundscarried on the winds had been hushed.