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"Since it is already done, agreed," he replied, eyes flashing with humor

With the collar off I could see ht phase, brilliant rays flashed froht sucked into it, and even the rooan to puzzle out how to do a quadrant of anchors I finally set it up in the way that made the most sense toit wrong I felt as if I restling six octopuses at once Was it supposed to be this difficult?

"Ah, Rhyzkahl co as if that was a good thing With a few flicks of his hand he set sigils around aze took in hoas holding the anchors "Now set a basic ktirem to hold it stable, and we have our foundation"

"A…what?" I could barely hold the anchors How the hell was I supposed to do so I even knehat it was?

"A ktirem," he repeated He quickly traced an unfamiliar pattern and anchored it to the quadrant "You can hold it, yes?

Gulping, I shookefforts The quadrant had been bad enough, but now I felt like I was trying to sprint while wearing a loaded backpack "I don’t kno," I gasped "I’ as he took in the structure ofthe sentence unfinished, but I had a feeling it was soodawful fucked up configuration?" or so Why else would I already be so wiped out?

But obviously Rayst didn’t have tiht now to teach me how to do it properly He quickly laid strands of potency on each of athered them and passed them to me "Now hold that like you would a veil for a portal All you need do is not let go"

I gathered the strands toas if I’d just been handed training wheels Rhyzkahl entered with long strides, angry cast to his face as he took note of an to add to Rayst’s pattern "You were not tofro ht wink

Rhyzkahl began to speak, but Rayst cut hi in the shikvihr is she, Rhyzkahl?" Even as exhausted as I was, I could tell it was one of those probing questions like "So, what sort of books does your child read?"

Rhyzkahl’s face went dark and dangerous He began to trace fluidly, e He lowered his head and spoke in demon to Rayst

The other lord shook his head and raised an eyebrow as he replied, eyes still on Rhyzkahl Meanwhile I wondered what the hell a shikvihr was if asking about it could piss off Rhyzkahl soThe two lords were definitely having an effect on the anomaly, but each yank of their pattern sentI continued to hold, but I was fast approaching the point of not being able to do esture that sent a wave through the pattern, accoing solely by tone and body language

Rayst replied with tords, and I didn’t have to know de awfully close to Fuck you

The two lords worked in tense silence I wanted to watch, see Rhyzkahl in action, but I didn’t dare pull any focus away fro, the ano with it I took a staggering step to the wall and slid down it Sitting felt like a really good idea at the moment How the hell could Idris do all this stuff so easily? What the hell aht nod to Rayst in as probably effusive thanks, considering his current le word and held out his hand, palm up Rayst pulled the collar out froht of the dalorious, even though I clearly didn’t knohat the hell I was doing How could I possibly go back to being soit in Rhyzkahl’s open hand "Why the need for the collar, Rhyzkahl?"

Rhyzkahl snatched it froht other qaztahl in my domain," he practically snarled "And I do not care to have her touched"

"Ah, yes," Rayst said "A valid concern uest oath specifying that she is not to be deeply read?" He sladly offerI stayed very still and quiet and did aze remained intense upon Rayst "Then offer it," he snapped, followed by a phrase in demon I frowned Why couldn’t Rhyzkahl have done this from the start so that I didn’t have to wear the collar?

Rayst repeated the sentence in deainst his left pal a marble-sized sphere of potency He offered it to Rhyzkahl with another feords that sounded forhtened his hand around the glowing ball When he opened his hand again the ball was gone

Apparently satisfied, Rayst glanced back to where I sat oh-so-elegantly against the wall "Kara, you need rest"

I gave hionna sit for a bit first" Rayst took a step toward me