The note was still burning a hole in Evelyn's pocket, the words ringing in her mind like a blemish she couldn't scrub off. Go now, and he'll be fine. Stay here, and he'll die with you.
She hadn't spoken a word to Damien. She just couldn't. The memory of how his eyes had darkened in the recent battle was still vivid, how he had jumped into danger without hesitation to save her. If he found out about this danger, if he saw the horrific deal Fji had offered her again, Damien would recklessly plunge into danger, willing to destroy the world for her. And this time, it might cost him his life.
So she folded the paper and placed it in the back of her diary, hidden away where not even Lucy would happen to find it by mistake. It was a riddle just for herself. Her own secret.
