"This is what you've been doing to stave off the Shadow? This?" Daniel looked down at the corpse by his feet. The disgust on his face was apparent, and Alexander bristled at it.

"I think a life to save a life is more than a fair trade." He held out a hand to help Daniel to his feet-the man had collapsed halfway through the ritual, either through the energies they were summoning or at witnessing the methods that had summoned those energies. Daniel ignored Alexander's outstretched hand and rose shakily to his feet. Alexander clasped his hands behind his back to hide that they were now clenched into fists. "It's not as if they were anyone important, Daniel. They were only-" he almost said the word 'humans' but caught himself in time, "criminals. Yes, murders, rapists. I told you one of the functions of this keep was a jail for the towns nearby. Why not make use of them instead of letting them waste away in my dungeons? Let them serve a more noble purpose than they ever did in life."

"You're killing people and not cleanly. The way that man screamed before he-" Daniel shook himself. "Where is the nobility in an act such as that?" He gestured at the corpse.

"I think saving your life is an act that is more than noble, more than righteous."

"But it wasn't just this one, was it? It wasn't 'a life for a life' as you put it. How many lives have you taken before tonight to save mine? I've been here…two weeks already. Have fourteen men died by your hand already? And there is to be more. From what you've said this is not the last, there will be more. How many? How much blood before that damned thing that chases me will be appeased? Answer me!" His voice had been rising gradually during his tirade until he was shouting.

"I do not know." Alexander said, his voice low and emotionless.

"I can't-" Daniel rubbed his face with the back of a shaking hand, not knowing if the wetness that came off on it was sweat or tears. "If a life must be paid for by these means…" He shook his head. "surely such a life isn't worth the saving."

"You're hysterical. Calm yourself." He moved toward the younger man, arms reaching out.

Daniel closed his eyes and stepped back, waving him off.

"You do know," Alexander spoke slowly, as if treading carefully with his choice of words, "that it is not just your own life I labor to save. When I decided to harbor you, my own life became imperiled as well."

Daniel's head jerked up, eyes wide. Alexander brushed his thoughts and was pleased to see the faces of Dr. Tate and his professor Herbert were flashing in his mind. "So it's not purely for altruistic reasons that I do these unpleasant deeds."

"If I go, if I leave…"

"You said you never wanted to leave Brennenberg." He left the 'and me' unspoken but was sure it was understood. He couldn't keep the accusatory tone out of his voice and Daniel flinched at it. "Besides, did leaving save any of the others you went to for help?"

Daniel shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. Pleased that he was able to turn their argument to his favor, Alexander reached out again and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. His physical ministrations weren't brushed away this time, he was pleased to see. He tightened his hold and pulled the young man closer to him, too far to be an embrace but close enough that he could feel the heat of the other man's body. It was an effort not to purr, not to close the distance between them, but he didn't want to frighten. And he didn't know how he would react if Daniel rejected him again.

"They were…bad people?" His voice was small, child-like.

"The vilest of the vile, I swear it."

"And I just have to be present for these rituals?" Such distaste in the last word. "Just watching, no…participating?"

The silence was almost a physical being. Daniel gave a soft moan, his head falling forward to bury in Alexander's shoulder. Before Alexander could bring up his other hand, could take a step to press his body against Daniel's and comfort the shaking man, Daniel had regained his composure and had gently pulled away. Alexander let his hand fall away, trying not to let his disappointment show.

"Fine. Should we do something with… Shall I help you…?" His eyes fell on the body.

"Yes. Help me carry it to the morgue." He moved to take what had been a hulking brute of a man in life by the shoulders and waited for Daniel to take the feet.

"I didn't know castles had morgues."

"Castles have many surprises. This one more than most I expect you'll find out soon enough."

"How did you…" He cleared his throat. "How do you know how to do these things, these rituals?"

There was a long pause. "I read." He was almost appalled that Daniel seemed to think this an acceptable answer.

After they had disposed of the body-there was a small episode when Daniel observed just how many bodies there were in the morgue- Alexander led his guest, now turned pupil, upstairs. Daniel's enthusiasm over the elevator on the ride down was muted on their return journey. His young brow was furrowed in thought, mouth set in a small pout, looking for all the worlds like a small boy trying to work his way through the answer of 'why is the sky blue?' It was adorable. He only hoped that Daniel wasn't trying to add up the corpses in the morgue or else he would have to think up a clever lie as to why, if he averaged a body a night, there appeared to be more than the fourteen that Daniel's stay would have accumulated. He was honestly surprised that the boy had bought into his lies so readily, such a guileless young man. Alexander brushed a lock of brown hair from his face; Daniel was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice.

They arrived at the ground floor, a screech signaling the end of their journey. "Will you be all right tonight by yourself?" He cursed himself, hoping the boy wouldn't read into the question the blatant offer of his bed that it was.

Daniel shook his head. "I…don't think I will sleep much tonight."

"You can't spend the whole night brooding, Daniel. I won't allow it."

"It's not a matter of brooding. His screams, I can still hear them. How can I sleep with that in my ears?"

Alexander clenched his teeth, roughly grabbed Daniel by the arm and led him up the stairs, veering for the halls that led to his rooms rather than Daniel's.

They didn't talk until Alexander pushed Daniel into a chair and turned to the cabinet. He pulled from it a vial of clear blue liquid. He hesitated and then went over to the jug of water by his bedside. He poured an ample amount of the liquid into a glass and diluted it with the water before thrusting it into Daniel's hands with the order, "Drink."

Without asking what it was, Daniel complied. He made a face. "What is it? It tastes of alcohol, but also somehow medicinal."

"It's laudanum." He held up a hand to stop Daniel from putting the glass down. "A small dose. It will help calm your nerves enough to sleep tonight."

"Really?"

"Do you think me a liar?" I am.

"No," whispered. Daniel downed the rest of the drink in one gulp. Trusting little fool.

"Good boy. Come lie down for a while."

"I told you I'm not tired. I can make it to my own room." But when he tried to get up his knees gave out from underneath and if not for Alexander's quick hand under his arm, he would have fallen to the floor.

"Just for a while. Rest."

"But where will you sleep?" Even as he protested, he let Alexander lead him to the bed and fuss over him until he was stretched out, shirt loosened and covered with blankets.

"I think I'll manage."

"It's a big enough bed and we're both men."

There was a long silence. "Don't tempt me, boy," Alexander snarled at last, but Daniel was already asleep. His dreams, for once, were untroubled. Not so the thoughts of the man that watched him until dawn.