He swallows sharply when Ninon reaches up to touch his cheek, his own hand lifting to catch hers as she withdraws so he can bend over her hand and kiss her fingers, grateful and reverent even though he does not know exactly what he's going to decide in the end.

Letting her slip away, Benedict watches until she closes the door between them and then takes up his customary place outside her doors, trying to reach deep into himself to find that calm center that was so easy to sink into when he was at the Temple.