"You have made yourself very clear," Valdis replied, her voice frigid, "And yes, you have misjudged me if you think that after what Malicant has done I would stand for anyone threatening to bring him back. You have also misjudged me in that you have suddenly decided that I would kill a man merely because there is a possibility of him going wrong. I may be a hypocrite in many ways, but that is not one of them."

"And, unlike that man, at least I do not have the audacity to implicate someone I care about in planning my own destruction. I would not burden them with such a thing, nor expect them to carry the weight of my death for the entirety of their lives. That is why I chose you, because you are cold-hearted and would not hesitate, nor do I suspect at this point that you would care." A beat, and then another, "To kill a man on a possibility is far different than killing a man who has taken action. You have blown this far out of proportion, further proof that you have been emotionally compromised."