<strong>Sunset</strong><br/><br/>Her eyes had only been closed for a few minutes before she rise, half yelping and half shrieking in surprise as she ducked away from the bed and threw her feather duster at it in protest, as if it had been responsible for whatever horrible thing she had just seen or experienced.  A deep breath later and she seemed to be reasonably calm, moving over towards the package of dead bones which had been dropped off.<br/><br/>After a bit of rummaging, she pulled out a skull, an ashen, charred wreck of what used to be part of a human being.  Staring into the eye sockets, she gave a soft sigh of forlorn sorrow, staining her hands with each touch of the thing.  "She was having so much fun," Carrie said.  "She didn't know.  Maybe it's better that way.  I don't know.  I didn't ask for this, but that doesn't mean I can stop."<br/><br/>Carrying the skull over, she set it down upon the table to stare at Alan, or at least appear to stare.  The blackened bone looked to have been roasted in an oven, and the soot that covered it quickly stained the table.  "It's so quick," she said gently, grabbing some tissues to clean her fingers.  "An instant between life and death.  The Imbued can resist lower level forms of black fire, so far, but the higher level forms don't have any protection."  She stared down at him.  "I'm not blaming you for my father's death, younger brother.  They didn't come to you in time.  He didn't listen when I said that you would be here soon because he didn't want anyone else to die.  I want you to understand that, but it doesn't stop your mission."<br/><br/>She gave Nadia a quick glance as well, no less meaningful but far less stated.  Nadia's task in this matter was far more obvious.