[ he hesitates in answering, though by law he knows he shouldn't. his fingers twitch, and he unfolds his hands, reaching down into his pocket for the worn deck once more. pulling the ribbon loose, he spreads the entire thing across the table. there's more in it than the standard 78-card deck, probably nearer a hundred, and a few of the cards look newer than the others. ]

I can bind the souls of the angels I kill. .. All of their gifts thereafter are mine. [ his fingers drift over the cards, finding several and touching them gently. ] I've lived very long for one of my kind. I can be.. choosy with the angels I take now. And.. Executioners are, by virtue of our breeding, immune to all Other magic. [ his glance lifts again through his lashes, anxious for a moment, then flicks away again. ] .. The queen keeps me close because of it.