Izzy inhaled when she caught sight of Cerasus in the doorway, her steps--and resolve--faltering when he smiled. She blinked and shook her head, the depths of his first words to her deeper than she suspected he realized.
	Her neck twitched at being called “my servant,” but she closed the distance between them nonetheless. She leaned her staff against the wall beside the doorway as he reached out to her for the bag. Her decision had been easier made while outside, alone, with only the rain to whisper its advice. Here, staring at Cerasus, listening to his voice, made her want to leave [i]this[/i] side of things that much further behind her. Her phone felt like a heavy weight in her pocket. Her breathing quickened slightly, and she let the strap of the bag fall from her shoulder. She caught it in her hand, not quite meeting his gaze.
	“Breakfast,” she muttered, handing it to him. She turned to leave him alone while he consumed the limbs, a hand going to the pocket with the heart. She took a deep breath and hung her head, her fangs biting into her lower lip. She suspected if her heart still beat, it would have gone into overdrive.
	“Cerasus,” she said quietly, bending her neck to look at the ceiling as if it could solve all her problems. She exhaled and closed her eyes. It was not too late to change her mind, to not have to deal with Cerasus any longer.
	 The image of Trevor's face when he read his messages crossed her mind, of when he tried to text back or call and received no answer. Then, her parents, their panic when she simply did not come home. [i]It’s not like it’s my [u]duty[/u] to do this,[/i] she thought. [i]The world's survived this long without my involvement.[/i]
	She reached into the jacket pocket and gently gripped the heart inside. “You know, you really [i]should[/i] have listened to my concerns about Riley.” She hung her head, took another deep breath, and tried to wipe all but a look of self-satisfaction off her face as she turned to face him. “Immortal or not, you aren’t infallible. Riley’s the reason the hunters defeated you.” Her fingers curled around the strong muscle. “He was helping them, and...” she glanced to the floor, then back to him. “And he took this.” She pulled the heart out and brandished it in front of her. Holding her breath, she tossed it to him, watching it sail through the air in a perfect arch.