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That required a"The risk that I could fuck up your world versus the chance I could be of use to you later," I said "It was all a bunch of ames and extreme bullshit so you could determine whether to kill me or keep ave h adequately accurate stateht to remove the mark, I kneanted to ith you, and that it would be mutually beneficial And then," he said with a shake of his head, "you were gone"

A flush of anger washed through in to tell you how fucked up all of that is I mean…" I trailed off Yeah it was a total ethical catastrophe, but I couldn’t get past the fact that, despite his willful domination and abuse of power, he’d pulledsince then

I took a settling breath and shifted to afroet what you wanted fro my eyes at hiet what you want now?"

He stood silent for athe question disturbed hiet what I want," he said quietly "What I want fro the best summoner you can be That serves your best interests and mine, and will serve to thwart Rhyzkahl and others"

It didn’t exactly answer et froave Mzatal a sharp look "Are you sure--absolutely sure--that Rhyzkahl doesn’t have any way to recalllike that?"

"I checked you thoroughly before, during, and after the healing," he said "There is a streak of arrogance in Rhyzkahl Once he had you, he did not think he could lose you"

Goosebu to do with the teance," I said, rubbing my arms "You were able to hide a recall from him"

"We did a full purification ritual on you while you slept," he said "and found nothing noteworthy"

A frown tugged at my mouth "Rhyzkahl found an implant of yours and reered it to kill me"

"He lied," Mzatal said without hesitation "When you ith Pyrenth at Rhyzkahl’s grove, I sought to activate htly touched the center of my chest "Unfortunately, it failed and unraveled There was nothing in it to kill you"

I nodded slowly as I processed his answer "So you had two iht shiver that ran through me "How did you put them in me?"

He exhaled "The first--the one that failed--I i the purification ritual upon your arrival"

"And the second?"

"The second was conditional, a failsafe for the first," he explained "When you disrupted the reed We were in a criticalof tih chance that Rhyzkahl would recover you before I could rehtened "If he did, I kneould have to remove the er upon its re "I irove, before your escape"

I blinked in realization "That weird-as-hell kiss"

"Only a heartbeat before, it had not been my intention to implant it in that manner," he said slowly, "but, yes"

I processed that and decided another change of subject was in order "What about these?" I asked, touching one of the sigils on ainst me somehow? Does he have any connection to them?"

"There are no direct connections," he told me, "but as was in your mark, there are residuals of both the blade and the rakkuhr that taints it" A shudder passed through hiils been cut with the purpose of recall, there would be no doubt But they were not" He exhaled "As it is, Kara, I cannot be absolutely certain about the potential those sigils hold Szerain knows more He was the one who first worked with rakkuhr and determined it was incompatible with us, with this realm And Rhyzkahl and Jesral, based on what I witnessed of the ritual, have harnessed it in neays"

"What is it?" I asked Me panic rose, and I had to take several deep breaths to fight it down

"I do not know its full nature as it is a potency alien to this world," Mzatal replied, eyes darkening "It subtly alters arcane harmonics, and its use has the potential to cause rimaced "It affects me deeply It affects Idris as well, but not nearly as much" His eyes went to mine "Kara, I will do all in ain" He said it quietly but backed with deep intensity "Idris has great skill and determination He ork on this as well"

So of his solid support "When do we start?"

"You should rest tonight, and ill begin your training tomorrow"