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I shook my head “Not exactly Froics The Apotheosis is supposed to cut away everything that hinders true growth, true power, and bring me to the peak of my potential If you remove all stoppers, all obstacles, whether mental or physical – ”
“Then you also remove the limitations of your power,” Carver said “How curious”
“Listen to yourself,” Sterling spat, his eyes boring holes intoto me directly “How can you be so casual about this? Did you even hear what you said? You’re talking about cutting away parts of yourself Think of the dangers, Dust”
It tugged atwas over all this, but it was my decision to make I knew that underneath all the cockiness and nonchalance that the heart of a good and loyal friend still beat in Sterling’s undead chest
“It was how Agatha Black described things to me herself, when she held me up in the air She said that I was never ain I was always supposed to be broken Fractured Why should I fight who I am?”
“And why should you listen to her?” Sterling barked, his teeth bared, his eyes soed onto the table Hairline cracks splintered across the wood Heads turned from around the coffee shop Carver’s hand spidered across the table, reaching for Sterling’s arhtly
“Sterling,” he muttered “Control yourself Use your words We’ve talked about this”
The traces of ani over his fangs The look he gave Carver was subetic, but when he turned back tojust under his skin
“Have you atha Black has wor you down the path that will turn you into just the perfect servant for the Eldest?” He leaned in across the table “Have you even considered that Hecate ue with them?”
“Sterling,” Carver hissed “That is a serious accusation Don’t speak so lightly about such things”
“That’s i across the table,into the wood “The entities only ever act in their self-interest Even Loki in his fucking boredom only ever wanted chaos, disorder I can’t believe that you, of all people, can’t be understanding about this You know about all the sacrifices I’ve made – that we’ve all made – to make sure the Eldest don’t annihilate us all Why the fuck are you so pissed at ?”
Sterling’s gaze could have stripped my flesh from my skeleton He spoke softly, slowly
“Because asyou of all of your blood, as , I don’t want to watch you destroy yourself like this Have you told Herald? Your father?”
I sta for straws as I answered “N-no, I haven’t”
Sterling sneered “They don’t deserve this froh to see ine what you would be doing to those you love, if you changed, if you disappeared What if the ritual corrupted you? And what if it failed? What if you died?”