She heard footsteps approaching, and she froze, knowing she should leave before she found out who it was, but she couldnâ€™t tear herself away, couldnâ€™t flee.  It was curiosity, perhaps, or her guilt.  When she heard his voice, it was such a shock.  Had he seen her?  It only took a second to realize that he hadnâ€™t, she was still safely hidden in her shadows, in her powers.<br/><br/>She heard the flick of a match being lit, the scent of smoke and fire.  Lighting candles?  Yes- she could feel the flickering lights with her power, even though she faced away from him.  She stood there, not moving, unable to think as he spoke, spoke to her.  Guilt wracked her mind as she listened to his voice, the same voice that had comforted her, warmed her, shown her that she still could be loved, even if she couldnâ€™t even like herself.  She strained her ears, desperate to hear every word.  She could hear from his voice that he was shaking, that he must be crying.  When he sobbed she wanted to shout out, to tell him it was alright, she was here.<br/><br/>He was silent, sitting there, in front of Evanâ€™s grave, in front ofâ€¦her grave?  She should have looked, she would have found it quickly.<span style="font-style: italic">Then what? </span>Some part of her whispered.<span style="font-style: italic">What would you have done?  You were too afraid to do anything.  You were living in fear.  And you still are.</span><br/><br/>He had done this before?  Heâ€™d apologized for being lateâ€¦<span style="font-style: italic">Oh, Zane.  You were always too good for me.  I knew it, even when you thought you were a monster.  You loved me even when I was nothing more than a shell, a demon who could do nothing but fight, even when I told you I meant to die soon.  How much that must have hurtâ€¦and Iâ€™m still hurting you.  You should have left me, I told you to, I knew it would lead you to heartbreak, though I never expected it to hurt me as much as it has, for the years gone past.  I thought I'd be dead.  I</span>should<span style="font-style: italic">have died.</span><br/><br/>She felt something on her cheeks.  She raised a hand and discovered tears, pouring down her face.  She pressed her hand to her chest then, to her beating heart.<span style="font-style: italic">Let me be brave, </span>she prayed.<span style="font-style: italic">Let me do the right thing for once in my life. </span>Turning, Alais materialized out of the shadows, knowing he would see her, though she was little more than a dark shadow within a shadow.