In a way Armand is glad to hear that pointed tone, even if he glances away with a hint of shame. Killing Daniel means little to him- damning him to this existence is another matter. At times he thinks it should never have been done. More often than not it feels inevitable. When he's in front of Daniel like this he cannot imagine anything other than this horrific outcome. Their story is all horror, from start to finish. Walking in hell together, etc.

He takes the book, one last long look before vanishing. Actually away to lick his wounds, probably for the best. Reading and reading the little note, reading the whole book again, throwing it in a fit of anger against a wall before placing it carefully on an end table. Normal stuff.

No contact, which could be an answer. A new city, no sign of him on one signing but the next day there's a familiar face in the back row of a reading. Legs crossed, tshirt and jeans and sneakers and a hoodie. Contacts still, watching as the bookstore workers fumble with piles of books and the eager mass of people questioning which section he's going to read. Young people joking they hope it's a raunchy one. More solemn, obsessive fans irritated by the tongue in cheek ones. Not a single one believing a word of what they read beyond metaphor and historical fantasy.