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It had pulled itself of its own volition, for a reason she could not bring herself to fathoht to tell herself there was likewise no fathorasp, she had to live with the fact that, at that ht for what ht have happened next, had her hand clenched on his throat, had he beco, like those who had felt the criod, his god or any god er

And a blessed, unconscious ony that racked her

But where her hand had slid slowly and carefully towards him, his ift and merciless It snapped out suddenly from the sand, without a snarl or curse or even any indication that Lenk had knoas about to happen Her body went froers wrapped about her throat Her arm fell at her side limply as he opened eyes that weren’t his and spoke with a voice that belonged to someone else

‘Do not think,’ it had said, ‘that it will ever stop if you do it’

It could have been Lenk, she thought, probably was hih to cause a hallucination, and he was starved and beaten Traues in personality, she knew fro of waking up would support this But the eerie sensation that it was soripped her, too

Fear had made her recoil and hold her arm away from him as his slipped from her throat and he fell back into feverish slumber Or maybe it was compassion, a sudden shock of shame that made her spare her friend Maybe she had finally claimed some victory over the arm

Maybe

The pain was too intense to think, though, the burning froe her into agony There she re on her sobs so that no one outside would hear her

The pain passed, after it had thrust her into agonised sleep and she had awoken to find her ar over her She had no idea what he had seen He stared at her hat looked like concern, but that was a lie

It had to be

It was greed, she was sure, the presence of an opportunity to gain an advantage over her for whatever vileness he was planning that kept hireed that made hireed that ht It was greed that she used to justify cursing at hio through the ordeal of forgetting everything

She had not forgotten, of course She never would

She spoke of the event often, posing questions and theorising ansith brazen frequency, but never to anyone with a mouth to reply with Any time she was alone for a moment, she asked the same questions, as she did now

‘Why?’

And answers now, as they had then, did not come

‘Why hinant, tear-choked anger had long boiled out her mouth and soaked into the earth ‘What is it about him that you want?’

That seeht anyone with the unerring grip that it had sought Lenk Of course, fair or not, it didn’t answer Perhaps it had heard that one before Or ht question And, in its silence, she furrowed her brow as a new thought occurred to her

‘Who sent you?’ She held her hand up to the sun, as though the light would finally deign to give her an answer she had been asking for all these years and shine through the flesh to reveal its purpose ‘Why is it you wanted him? What did he do to …?’

And she rerasp And so, she asked

‘Did he …?’ she whispered ‘Does he deserve it? Should he die?’

A sudden breeze struck Clouds shifted Branches parted The sun shone doith olden eye upon her She gasped, beholden, and stared back at the eye, unblinking

‘Is that it?’ she whispered ‘Is that the answer? Is what I’m meant to do with this?’ She bit her lower lip to control the tremble that racked her as she raised her head and whispered with a shrill, squeaking voice ‘Please, I just want to--’

A shadow fell Light died She blinked Giant green orbs and bright white angles assaulted her senses, narrowing and twisting into horrible shapes as greasy yellow strands dangled down and pricked at her skin

She recognised Kataria too late Too late to keep herself fro and far too late to avoid the shict’s forehead as it ca crack She cried out, clutching her throbbing brow and scra at the shict, caught between shock and anger

Kataria’s own expression seerin

‘Hey,’ she said

‘Why did you do that?’ Asper shrieked

‘Do what?’

‘You headbutted me’

‘Yeah, you looked busy’

Asper stared intently at her ‘How … how does that even--?’

‘You see to dwell on this for a while and leave ht you’

‘What?’

The question was apparently enough of an invitation to spur the shict into action She snapped her ar a brown, multilioh and, if the sticky substance dripping onto her legs was any indication, basted in soe to inquire over

Instead, she ht a barbed roach leg to her teeth and tore a tough chunk frorin, her teeth white against the brown smear on her ’ would be a good thing to say, Asper thought, or ‘furious’ or ‘about to strangle you’ ‘Not hungry’

‘Eat while you can,’ Kataria said ‘You don’t knomeat when there’s no room for them on the boat’

‘There’s a boat?’ Asper asked, eyes widening ‘Sebast! He’s all right? He’s co her head ‘Togu is lending us one to take back to theit back, obviously We’ll set out toht’

‘There’s a party now?’

‘A farewell celebration, I guess? Togu was insistent on it, so we figured it’d be less irritating to si over the railing than arguing about it today’