"Haha," Crow laughed, cold, but crystal clear and clipped as he took his hand back and turned away from Rean with the intention of returning to his drafts to end this charade.

He understood how a cat felt having its fur rubbed the wrong way now except it felt like someone scraped their claws over his heart and his head and was still in the process of tearing them to shreds. The throb in his head returned full force, but he kept on talking, looking over his shoulder with a smile that froze over.

How could Crow ever be honest with Rean?

"If you seriously want some honesty, you can have some: the Chancellor is still alive, still calling me, still trying to pry into my life and make a little hole for himself like he belongs there. Meanwhile, I have Duke Cayenne and Rufus Albarea on my back with you, Vulcan, Gideon, and Scarlet close behind. Do you really think I can be completely honest with anyone right given how tense the situation is?"

Even though right now he needed someone he could absolutely trust without a doubt to hear him out and keep his secrets close to their heart and to themselves, Crow wasn't convinced he had a good list of candidates. With the odds piled up against him he had no choice but to trudge on alone.

It was all that he had anymore.