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He wrapped ht off my arms My breath wheezed, and I twitched I could barely think, but I knew I needed to be able to think, to reet who I was, forget my name I wanted desperately to lose myself; it was my only possible escape But I also knew once I did, I would never coed to whisper

He closed the distance between us, stroked the back of his fingers down the line of my jaw in a move that was more possessive than tender "You will have a new naht to focus on him, barely able to believe that I’d endured such pain only seconds before "I’ht side of my chest, just below the collarbone "For now, yes" My pain faded more with his touch "And I will ever remember you as you were"

I wheezed out a breath "Fuck you…hate you"

"That serves well for now" He reht the blade to the base of an to slice "Kara…I’ain Carve the sigil, fire it with a new forain

I lost track of how h this Maybe it was only three…or seven…or thirty Eventually I began to wonder if there was ever a tiils, wasn’t in agony I tried to remind myself who I was

I tried to rehead, looked intothe naht the pain, but then he stopped the pain Perhaps he was right I tasted it on ue

He put a hand to the side ofthe pain "Yes, say it," he said voice soft and soothing "Say your name"

Kara…Kara…

A name Felt more than heard, as if froht than the other "Kara," Ideep breath, lifted his hand, allowing the pain to return "No Rowan" He noredwail of a screa to stand before ave e from the pain

I heard him Heard the name Heard the distant call

Kara…

"I’ the pain to flood in I spas red asthe pain upon yourself," he told ht the blade before me "Speak your name--Rowan--and end it"

Kara…Kara…Kara…

I estured, pulling h to esture pulled le about a foot off the ground

Once again he boundhis work He set the blade onht the pain

I hung li sheath as he began a new sigil A thousand tih this Surely it had been thatof ed Each bout of agony was only that, yet all of that

I couldn’t pass out That as closed off to me But another way beckoned, shimmered with a promise of ease, of a different sort of oblivion All I had to do was relax o, and the pain would fade away I could drift there and be nothing

Kara…KARA!

I o I’d never find my way back "…here," I whispered

Rhyzkahl lifted his head "Mzatal" He bared his teeth and growled a very nonhurip my hair, hauled my face close to his "What have you done?" He snarled, face contorted in fury

"…here," I gasped, "…Kara"