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She nibbled on her bottom lip, fiddled with the bottle of pills "I feel fine"

"That won’t last"

Shoulders wilting, she said, "How long do your victier" He settled on the other side of the fire Not sure I can hold et an actual hu for a distraction "Curators were--are--spirits"

A flare of ire in her expression, the world around thenored her question "Who gave it? And how?"

"Doesn’t matter" Wistful, she added, "I used to be able to co So had every other fairy-tale princess "I’ conversations"

"Yes" She sighed "The body changed everything"

"You can’t leave it behind?" Soht have saved her

"Hardly I’aze sharpened on hi me to my hideous fate?"

He chose levity over brevity "There’s no way I’d abandon you e’re about to play ame Incompetent Doctor and Uncooperative Patient" But he failed to achieve the desired results

She frowned at hi to try" But would it be enough? It hadn’t been with Mari

He gnashed hisdifference This was a whole new ball gah I know better

"Why?" she asked "I’ll only repay you with pain and agony, and eventually death"

She’d stated the words so silinted like diamonds He al to harit, and you’ll do whatever is necessary tothe depth ofto leave you out here to suffer--" to die "--alone"

He experienced a keen sense of loss he didn’t quite understand At the thought of her death? Why? He barely knew her She wasn’t a friend He should feel the guilt, yes, but nothing more

"But why?" she insisted "You warned me I even chose to suffer this way Reave her: the truth as he knew it "I’m sorry Mari’s dead I’m sorry I touched her Sorry she sickened and died such a terrible death I’h to walk away fro in his chest proved far more lethal than a blade or claws "Especially when I knew nothing good would ever co I can do to change anything The past is the past Over, done Like you, I can only plow ahead and do ht"

She turned her head away To hide tears?

The sting inside him sharpened But he welcomed the pain, deserved it "Don’t cry Please, don’t cry"

"Never!" she snarled, her hackles raised