"It was years before you were born. Perhaps it was the reason you were even born," Damon whispered softly.
"Like me, Xander had fallen. He had become a small man driven by vengeance. He was better than this. I admit, I hated him for how stalwart and honorable he had always been to his ideals, but on that day, it felt like I was looking into a mirror."
Damon had not forgotten how Xander had looked that day. His expression, his clothes, even the scent of despair that seemed to cling to him.
"A small part of me was satisfied. I wanted them to suffer. I wanted all of House Ravenscroft gone. I wanted to erase their entire bloodline. The only thing I didn't have was justification. Not for anyone else, but for myself. Without that, I had no reason to do it."
He glanced at Ric. His true expression was hidden behind the body of the woman he was possessing, but Ric could still see it.
