“-but it would be in our mutual best interests.” He chuckled, low and wry, shaking his head a little. “-and we’re fully in our rights to bring it up. She wasn’t from Ottawa and was an honorary member as much as the next person at the table. “Among other territories,” the leprous martyr added. “You attacked Ottawa first-” the Behaim woman started. “You’re doing this, and now you’re giving me ideas on how I might get revenge?” he asked, hoping his tone made it clear how unimpressed he was.

A form of attack that evades much of what we’ve discussed.” “I could see you creating a void to leech spirits out of our area. “Especially with how power hungry you’ve been,” the Behaim chronomancer told him. And then manipulate us through energy exchanges,” the Gaudette martyr said, before giving him a serious look. “It would be a devious line of attack for you to agree to a ceasefire-”Ĭharles resisted giving any indication he was as irritated by the little summoning as he was. Gaudette spoke, not letting the interruption cost much momentum. “I have,” Charles said, slouching in his seat. “You’ve toyed with knots and inverted spaces, Carmine.” “…tying back to the issue of power flows between Ottawa’s purview and the Carmine’s,” the necromancer Wegner said, pushing papers around. He had to do it while keeping his word and providing his undivided attention. His senses were limited to what was in this meeting room, he had no idea what was happening elsewhere, but he had to plan for every contingency. He had the power, the longevity, the security, through the deal with international powers, and he had the price on his head more than ever before. Every passing second brought it into sharper contrast, and there had been a lot of seconds passing. Never had he felt that reality more than here, now. A being that would die, sooner than if he’d never become immortal at all. He’d become a being that shouldn’t die, in the sense of aging, illness, or any of that, with millenia open to him, and he’d become a being with enemies who would seek to extinguish that existence. It had marked Charles’ victory, and the moment of transition where he’d become the Carmine Exile. Five minutes had marked the count, where the Dog Tag hadn’t been able to rise again and resume the fight. That bite had been what brought John Stiles down. There had been a moment that came exactly five seconds after a child from the Hungry Choir sank its teeth into John Stiles’ neck.

Meaning of beyond a shadow of doubt