The story made sense of all that she had come to learn of Zen in the past few weeks. His rigid adherence to the principles of the Way. His status at the school, powerful and revered yet feared. The guilt with which he spoke of demonic practitioning. Last night, history had repeated itself. But he is free of the demon now, Lan thought, yet the image of his pale, unmarred hands flashed in her mind’s eye. Zen had been released from his bargain with the demon—at a huge cost.
