Asher was relieved he had stopped himself before he promised the truth along with asking Elijah to run away with him. Of course Elijah couldn't. He had a life. Something to stay behind for. Long before he ever met Asher.

Asher did let himself entertain that idle fantasy of playing house with Elijah. It would surely be pleasant while it lasted, but Elijah was a tree with deep roots and Asher had the southern winds and the call of the wild.

He was so stupid.

"One if my old aliases pinged as active again. You never linked it to me so none of your people noticed," Asher explained instead of addressing the counter offer to his request. "I'm reasonably certain it's one of my old allies in particular and I need to take him down. I've a reputation to maintain and I don't want him mucking it up."