Like most witches or wizards who had lived through both wars - even if she'd been a child during the first - Essery's shudder was visible at the thought of the Dark Lord and any of his followers. They were the stuff of nightmares - knowing they were real, that they were still around, was worse.
Knowing what he must have gone through to pretend to be one of them.... She tried to push that out of her mind and smile again, "Oh? Have I had something to do with that, then? I'm flattered."