Xander narrowed his eyes. He didn't sense any tricks. Ric was looking straight at Damon, shaking his head. Then he buried his face in Damon's stomach and wrapped his arms around his waist.
He would not let Damon give him away like that.
Damon knew it, and his own hands were shaking. He felt a deep lump in his throat, and tears threatened to fall from his eyes. Even so, he kept himself composed, forcing his expression to remain cold.
"I really hated Godric Ravenscroft, but my hatred for him can only compare to the depth of the love I had for my mother. When I was a child, she was everything to me. My world started and ended with her. No matter what happened, I knew I could run back home like any other child, of course."
