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Eventually, he withdrew his hands "You have much to consider and process, Kara"

I scowled "Ya think?"

He remained unruffled by my snark "Yes, I do Helori will take you away froed at my mouth "What do you mean, away? And who’s Helori?"

"Helori is a demahnk syraza," he told me "Away from here You need time and space to recover"

I looked away from him, watched as an ilius coiled its way across the floor to settle in a corner of the rooood to you all busted up inside and out, huh?"

He didn’t argue the point "Nor are you serving yourself in any way" He reached and ran his hands three times frohtened and clasped his hands behind his back

I sat up Nothing hurt anye "Thank you," I said "Where are you sending me?"

He inclined his head to me "I trust Helori to take you to places appropriate for you to regain so of yourself"

My eyes drifted to the grove beyond the southern all Horove could take me there I wish I’d never becoain

"Give it tientle voice "You have much potential and will reain"

I stiffened "Stop readinghate that shit"

"I cannot," he replied,out to the doorway of the balcony "As I have noted before, it is as invisibly natural as the beating of my heart"

"Well, try" My hands shook, and I clenched them in the sheet Rhyzkahl read ainst me ruthlessly "It’s like a h I give you my word that I will not use it to your detriht I didn’t have a whole lot of trust for lords going on at the , I pulled the sheet up My hands brushed my torso, and I froze, felt the blood drain from my face "There are scars" My voice shook badly "They scarred" None of my other wounds he’d healed had scarred Why these?

"I did all that could be done," he said, regret coloring his voice "The nature of their creation--the taint of rakkuhr--prevented more"

I flinched "I have to live with thee that I would have a constant reminder of what happened tocoht, mood suddenly bleak Why should he? He wanted me as his summoner Didn’t matter to him whether I was all scarred up I pulled the sheet back up, shivers going through ht in my head for more than a few seconds I kneas in deep shock and suffering fro able to do sos I felt utterly fractured, and I didn’t have the faintest idea of how to even begin putting ether

Mzatal turned back to h he was about to say so, then he shifted his attention to the door "Helori is here to take you"

I followed his gaze to see a syraza crouched silently by the door Larger than Ilana and apparently es on head and torso that marked him as an Elder I hadn’t heard him come in For all I knew he’d been there since before I woke up Hoas I supposed to prepare for a trip with hi?

Helori rose fluidly and ain "I a smile "And I would be honored if you would accoed up an unsteady smile from somewhere "Okay" I didn’t knohat else to say after that

Apparently it was enough Helori lifted his eyes to Mzatal "I have her now"

Mzatal gave the syraza a nod, eyes traveling over me before he turned and departed

"Do I…?" I frowned, tried again "Should I pack so?"

"I have done so for you," he told h I will have access to most necessities while we are away"

"I don’t think I need anything" My frown deepened I was pretty sure that was true

Helori stood, and now I saw he had clothing in his hand "I have these for you," he said, setting on the foot of the bed the necessary underwear as well as shirt and pants auzy material He placed simple slip-on shoes on the floor nearby "If they do not suit, I will find others" He tilted his head "Yes? No?"