"It's a dangerous business playing with souls
And trouble enough to save one's own." Browning

The night was damp, and he had no patience. He tolerated fools only just, and his life was full of fools.

The moon was his salvation. She called him and he answered. Water was what he needed. Water's solace and strength. So he headed to the ocean, to his private place, where he felt safe and secure and protected. He had the making of Azrael's fire in the trunk of his Lexus and he needed its sweet acridity. He needed to bathe in its smoke, to cleanse himself of the fools he prostituted himself to. Worse, prostituted his art to. Stupid people, all of them.

Finding his place, the place he'd set his wards to protect, he built the pyramid and set it aflame, then sat back on his haunches to watch and wait. Slowly it seemed the fire's fumes took flight, then quickly, more quickly the smoke plumes danced and reached for the skies. Suddenly, he was struck as if by a blow: one which had never existed in this world. As quickly as the vision came, it was gone as the waves teased and licked at the flames. Lost in his visions, he felt the familiar arms around him, the arms he'd felt all his life. The voice. That same voice in his ear, same as it had always been, had always sounded.

In the far distance, a horn sounded, carried by the night air. The sound roused him and , as he gathered the fire's remnants, those offerings not taken by the sea, he felt his phone vibrate.

"What!" he barked.

"You need to be here now."

"Fuck 'need'" was the reply. "I need nothing. I'm a free agent. You don't own me, unlike your others !"

"You don't understand. It's him. "

"According to you, they're all the 'him' - so what makes this him 'him'?

"Touch him. You'll see."

Justin sighed. He hated to be interrupted. He'd just found some measure of peace when the chantry had managed to call him back. Not that the phone made a difference. It was in the blood. With a sigh, he headed back. Whoever 'he' was, 'he' had tests to pass. After that, ' he ' 'd better be a good lay.