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I had stolen and hidden a knife under Reyad’s bed a year before, after he had beaten y, just a terrible foreboding that when I needed it, I would be in Reyad’s roo of h I’d endured much pain that year, I hadn’t crossed the threshold of sanity Until that night

"Did sohost asked "Or were you procrastinating, like now? Learning to fight!" He chuckled "Iainst a direct assault I should know" He floated beforethe ht’s recollection "Go away," I said to the specter Picking up the book on poisons, I stretched out on htly as I read, but brightened whenever I glanced his way

"Was it ered too long

"No" The word sprang fro me I had convinced myself that his journal had been the final straw after two years of torment

The painful memories flooded with a force that shook ained consciousness fro, I’d foundhis journal beforethe growing horror on rievance he had against me for the two years I’d been with him Every time I disobeyed or annoyed him, he noted it, and then folloith a specific description of hoould punish er needed me for his experiments, Reyad had no boundaries His sadistic inclinations and overwhelination ritten in full detail As I struggled to breathe, ht was to find the knife and kill myself, but the blade was on the other side of the bed near the headboard

"We’ll start with the punishht" Reyad purred with anticipation as he crossed to his "toy" chest, pulling from it chains and other i with nue one recorded that I had failed to call hi the proper deference, I would assume a submissive position on my hands and knees, and then be whipped He would demand that I call him sirWith each lash, I would respond with the words, "More, sir , please" During the following rape, I would address hi him to continue my punishthe knife, but Reyad, thinking I was trying to escape, caught les were useless, as he forced h stone floor, Reyad chained htening than the actual event In a sick way, it was a comfort, because I knehat to expect and when he would stop I playedthat if I denied hie him further

When the horror finally ceased, blood covered s I curled into a ball on the edge of Reyad’s bed My ers were inside me Where he would always be, he breathed into my ear as he lay beside hts lingered on suicide

Then Reyad said, "I guess I’ll have to start a new journal"

I did not respond

"We’ll be training a new girl now that you’ve failed" He sat up, and dug his fingers deeper into e two"

"No!" I screa for a frantic second, I pulled the knife out and sliced at his throat A surface cut only, but he fell back on the bed in surprise I leaped onto his chest, slashing deeper The blade scraped bone Blood sprayed A war of satisfaction settled over er deterhs

"So that’s what set you off? The fact that I was going to rape you again?" Reyad’s ghost asked

"No It was the thought of you torturing another girl froe"

"Oh, yes" He snorted "Your friends"

"My sisters," I corrected "I killed you for theh h I knew in a tiny part ofexpression never changed, but I punched again and again until the first rays of dawn touched Reyad’s ghost He vanished fro, I sank to the floor After a while, I becas My fists were bloodied froh stone wall I was exhausted and drained of all emotions And I was late for breakfast Damn Valek!

"Pay attention," Ari said He jabbed me in the stomach with a wooden knife "You’re dead That’s the fourth time today What’s the esturedthe wall We sat down and watched Maren and Janco, engaged in a friendly bow match on the far side of the storeroom Janco’s speed had overpowered Maren’s skill, and she was on the retreat, backing into a corner

"She’s tall and thin, but she’s not going to win," Janco sang His words aimed to infuriate her--a tactic that had worked before Too often, Maren’s anger caused her to make critical mistakes But this time, she remained calm She planted the end of her boeen his feet, which trapped his weapon close to his body Then she flipped over his head, landed behind hirabbed him around the neck until he conceded