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She tried "I… You… It’s…"

Nothingat this It was beyond her skill What had she thought, that she would be able to summon some warmth fro it? He would think she was disgusted by hi, stiff as a board, and silent as the godforsaken stalagmites all around her She had to try harder

She… nodded

Oh, great Do that soht, and with the other reached up as though to stop herself fro her hand over her

Really? Was this really the best she could do? He atching her tie herself in a knot, hand over her esture that could so easily be misinterpreted, and there came a flicker of uncertainty into his wide, broeet, brown--questioning eyes, which drove her to one final, monumental effort

"I like it," she whispered, and her hand didn’t stop her fro like a fool, but it did muffle her words, so that Ziri didn’t understand

He inclined his head in query "What?"

She moved her hand away, and said, as clearly as she could--which wasn’t very--"I like it You, I ht back over her mouth and reddened, and was about ready to call on that fell chioddess of assassins to come and put her out of her misery when the flicker of uncertainty vanished from Ziri’s brown eyes

What his smile did then should have irritated her, because it splayed crooked in amusement--at her expense, at her extre--but it didn’t stop there It kept going, his smile, from amused to purely pleased to deeply relieved It was so lovely that she felt it in her heart

"Good," he said "I like you, too"

And she blushed deeper, but he was blushing, too, now, so it wasn’t so bad

No, it was still bad What now? Was she supposed to string ether? Maybe she could list all the other things she liked, how she iht, except that--oh, well, she didn’t like s, so the list would be short, and it would only kill a moment

She didn’t want to kill a moment She wanted to live one Live odstars do you do that? Was it too late to learn?

"Uh," said Ziri He s They flared, see in the close space as vast as a stor his throat, "One of the worst things about being the Wolf was not being able to fly I’estured out through the crescent opening where the time of purest blue had passed to black, and the stars were thick as sugar

Oh Okay Liraz was almost--almost--relieved to have this ended, so that she could slink away Melt Curse herself Die a little

Ziri cleared his throat and looked at her So earnest So hopeful "Do you… want to co she could do She didn’t even have to risk the syllable it would take to say yes She just had to nod

78

(BREATHE)

Karou combed her hair Calmly Well, the calm was an exercise (Breathe) She laid down the comb It was a Kirin relic that she’d found: carved bone with a crude silhouette of a stor to keep it

(Breathe)

By the light of a flickering skohl torch, she looked down at herself She was still in her Esther clothes They were in a decent enough state, though she didn’t like knowing there was Razgut drool on her sleeve She’d left a few things here in the caves when she went away, but they were dirtier still She wondered if she would ever again know the simplicity of a closet full of clothes, and the pleasure of choosing an outfit--a clean outfit--in which to go and meet her… what? What could she call Akiva?

Boyfriend sounded too Earth Lover was affectation, intended to shock "Have you met my lover? Isn’t he divine?" Nope That is, yep, he was divine Nope, she wasn’t go to call hiency to make him that

(Breathe)

Partner? Too dry

Soul h her When had it ever been truer than it was for her and Akiva? And yet, as a word, it, too, rang an associations "You like the Pixies? I swear, it’s like we’re soul ht now She just had to go to him, and she was pretty sure he wouldn’t care what she earing

One last breath Her heartbeat kicked up a notch, getting wind that it was time, really and truly time, at last

Akiva had helped her conjure Ziri’s body He’d tithed, at his insistence, and he didn’t need vises, which was good, because she didn’t think she could have touched his bare skin to cla back into the state of trerand cavern She’d sunk into her trance state knowing he was there, and then, when it was done--the new body wrought and stretched out on the floor, as yet inaniht of Akiva watching her He’d looked kind of dazed with happiness, and i had blooest I’ve ever been able to look at you," he’d said

"I thought you were going to watch the resurrection" She gestured to the new body, glorying in the sight of it It looked alht that he could pass as his natural self She’d even left off hamsas, in part because the true Ziri hadn’t had them, and in part because she wanted them to become obsolete

"I ers through his short, thick hair in that way he had "I got distracted"

"Well, no fair I didn’t get to look at you back"

"I promise to hold still for you later" Later? After, hestill

(Breathe)

"I accept"

And then, and then, oh holy, at last: the smile