[ ah. the emotions unclench a little ] ...he told me as much himself, actually. The next week. That he wouldn't kill me because you told him not to. I was stupid enough to take him at his word. I don't trust him one bit, but I thought for your sake he'd hold his end of the deal.

It's why he caught me off guard when he did kill me. I was preparing for someone else to come after me, but I'd counted him out of the running. [ a bit of self-directed anger and disappointment at that, for daring to trust in him ]