Ludwig's mouth tugged into the faintest of smiles, not one of mirth but of dry inevitability. "I was planning on doing that regardless," he said, his tone plain. Yet his eyes flickered over Danny's worn form, the trembling limbs, the exhaustion in his posture. "But can you handle the trip?"
"Yes," Danny answered at once, and his hands tightened briefly over the crystal as though to anchor himself. His eyes closed, his lips moved, and a low chant spilled forth, each syllable laced with fragile conviction.
