"You can't do that by hiding from everyone," Poison points out.

She moves away from the wall and to the discoloured patch on the floor. Lightly, with the tip of her toe, she scuffs at it. The wood crumbles slightly under her shoe.

And still, it doesn't frighten her. Carlisle would have to show willing malice for her to turn on him now, and she doesn't believe for a moment that he is all that far removed from the person that she knew in Hadriel, even if he's been through more than enough to change him.

"I tried that once. It doesn't work, and all I did was hurt people."