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Worry for him rose "Mzatal?…Mzatal?"

He remained perfectly still aslast he took a deep breath and lifted his head, though I had the sense it took incredible effort to do even that

His gaze touched mine "Here," he replied softly "Now you sleep"

And I did

Chapter 20

"Co me from my fitful doze "You have work to do"

I drew back froave the leash another sharp tug, then lifted a quirt and smacked it across my bare hip I yelped and scraan to walk Heart pounding, I hurried after hi me if I didn’t

He pulledchaover h above, and as I stood shivering, ils flared into life to surroundaway froaze around "Mzatal?"

Rhyzkahl caught my chin and tipped ave a soft smile "It is so much better this way He would only use you I told you"

I recoiled "You You hurt me!" A lasso of potency wrapped around my wrist, but it didn’t come frory and hard as he dragged me toward him

"I am here," he snarled "I will retrieve you, and I will hold you"

I struggled against the lasso Kadir’s cold laugh echoed through the darkness

"Pain is epheain as he raised the blood-slick blade "You are eternal Mine"

Jesral stepped out of the darkness "Ours"

Mzatal bared his teeth and dragged me closer to him

Dull pain flared in , doht sky, replete with softly winking stars Not Rhyzkahl’s su cha back a sob of both relief and dismay

Mzatal moved into my view "Kara A dream It was a drea breath and focused on hi the same white dress shirt he’d had on before, now patterned with dried blood that I kneashe’d woken only an instant before I had

He poured tunjen juice into a glass, then slipped an ar ht "Drink You needat residual pain in lass, he siain

I stared down at the pale pink juice, struggling to find a way to get everything toHow could I have been so fucking gullible?

"Drink lass and drank "There is more work to be done on your shoulders," he said as soon as I finished, "then that aspect will be colass and set it on the side table, helped an to work, shas I could have done differently Yet I’d stuht into Rhyzkahl’s trap

Mzatal leaned overone hand on each shoulder War the pain away He remained silent while he worked, either because of his own obvious fatigue, or perhaps because he knew that a bunch of talk wasn’t what I needed right now I turned rey of the early lass doors carried the scent of rain and flowers, and the incessant low roar of the waterfall offered a soothing backdrop of sound<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>