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"Kara, I a to place you on your belly for a tiently settled in with your back"

I held ot me settled and my arms into the most comfortable possible position then adjusted the blanket oversun, the sky alight in orange and purple and pink

Mzatal splayed both hands overfroain, treined it Gradually the faan to flow from his hands With every heartbeat the pain faded and rew easier

I drifted as he worked, but not like before where I thought I o into on those rare occasions when I could afford a full body e, but the sense of deep relief and easing was the same as he seemed to literally pull the pain from me I wanted to sleep, but that was still impossible

He lifted his hands froht beyond the glass now "Is it working?" Itheh I was still a long ay froness had definitely lessened

Mzatal didn’t answer for a moment, and when he did his voice carried none of its usual potency and richness "Your back is coue and faint quaver in his tone "I will shift you now so that I ently as possible It still hurt, but it was so much less than before that I only cried out once I looked up into his face as he tugged the blanket back up to ht intensity, and he held his e to spew

He took a et cloth froaze flicking over the sigils, reading the patterns The arcane cauterization of the blade left the cuts seeping--nothing like the bloody mess that would have resulted froh me at his appearance It didn’tof my captor, yet even so it was clear that he’d pushed hiet me back Whatever the hell his motives were, he’d saved ils clearly sucked ass

"You okay?" I asked

Mzatal gave a slight nod as if to say, yes I’rimace and shook his head "I require aas nor from him "This is difficult"

"It’s cool" I paused "Thanks"

He knelt beside the bed, one hand resting lightly on my upper arm He closed his eyes, bowed his head I wondered if he was still drawing froest desire to cover his hand with h I was sure I still couldn’t move my arm to do so Probably a lot better that way I was fucked up in so ment was completely bonked Hell, that’s how I’d ended up in this mess

Mzatal remained still and silent for what had to be at least five minutes Finally he lifted his head and opened his eyes They held a bit h still far from their usual keen intensity "Noill finish," he said "And you will be able to sleep"

"Sleep…here?" I asked, brow creasing

"Yes, it is safest" He set one hand on my upper chest and one onthe resources to begin again "And under h "Under your eye Guess I won’t be allowed to go on hikes to the grove"

His gaze shifted from my sternum to my face, silent

"Why didn’t you just…tellbadly "Why not…just say: Hey, Kara, he’s going to fuck you up?"

The fatigue on his face seean to work "I intended to tell you as soon as I removed the mark, and you were clear of Rhyzkahl’s influence Even then, you would likely not have believed me But the information could have served you later, while you were at his palace" He breathed slowly and soils fadedthis extreht I wouldn’t have believed hiht on to the undercurrent at Rhyzkahl’s if I’d had the warning

"I’ain, ah I was fairly sure it had nothing to do with ils "If you h it is in the realm of possibility that you will not"

It was the answer I’d expected, but that didn’this face carefully "If I don’t agree to work for you, then why the hell would you possibly let me continue to live?"

Mzatal shifted his hands to the very first sigil that had been carved upon me, and now the last one to be healed What seeo, he’d asked me my heart’s desire My life had depended on my answer then, and he echoed it back to me now "Because, Kara Gillian, you have yet to reach your full potential"

I looked away "You’re a slickheat flooded through all the sigils My hands clenched in the sheet as he kept firh hih his teeth Finally the heat faded, and his hands slid fro in relief, I took several deep breaths The sense of wrong was gone now I remained plenty fucked in other ways, but at least I didn’t feel as if I’d been dipped in sewage

Mzatal sank back to his heels, head bowed, trehtly as his hands dropped lirimace on his face