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They stood together on the shthouse Sun shone down brightly,the day feel more like early autumn rather than November’s end Elizabeth pushed up the sleeve of Asa’s black coat, exposing his tawny skin

In ain beco, but a few aspects of her ancient, once-iernails remained far harder than they should have been, less like any aspect of the flesh and more like steel

So Elizabeth was able to use her thumbnail to slice into Asa’s flesh

He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth as she drew her nail up the length of his inner ar the middle, just above the veins Blood welled fro down either side of his arround beneath their feet Asa pressed his lips together and adjusted his stance; Elizabeth kneas bracing hi the cut to deepen it, then took both hands and pulled the flesh apart Despite the heavier bleeding, she could now make out the very structure of the ar No need to delve all the way to bone

Only a small cry escaped Asa, and that he stifled as best he could Elizabeth wondered whether she should punish hih, she decided Quickly she brought to :

A call to war

A fire at night

A cry of purest pain

"Hold," she un to waver on his feet

"Quickly," he said, voice shaking "Iabout Fort Su out of their houses to fight in a war that would shred their ars and souls, take their lives before they really knehat living was

The church blaze she’d created to consu at the steeple, the screams of women whose attempt to defy her had been their finalout to die, thinking of the little boy she left behind and unable to keep herself froh Elizabeth, a shock as great as being struck by lightning She felt the crackle of it all throughout her body and deep into the earth, high into the sky There was no illuth, but she kneas enough

She had laid the foundation Now the bridge was co Soon the One Beneath would travel to the very brink of the mortal world

Asa stu"

"Please," he whispered With his wound held open, blood pulsing from him with every heartbeat, his demonic pride could hold no sway "Please stop My mistress, I only wish to obey Let it end"