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Phae clamped her hand over his mouth "Listen to o into the Scourgelands, Trasen I won’t be…I won’t be co ues"

He shook his head free "Is that what your father told you, is it? Your father, Tyrus of Kenatos? He’s a liar, Phae Whatever he’s told you, it’s a lie I’ve spoken to the Arch-Rike I’ve been to the city This…I’ to save you!"

A shadow loomed just before the Kishion landed in the ht and Trasen whirled He pulled a short axe fro onyx stone set into the sigils along its blade The stone shiic was sued

The Kishion had landed full on his feet, a raven in his dark cowl and ly "I won’t be a victirim He did not unsheathe any weapons He looked equally deadly without any

There was no way she could make Trasen understand No words would make sense to him, not after the Arch-Rike had woven his lies around Trasen’s mind What mattered most to her was that he was safe She did not want Shion to kill him or even injure him Trasen would not be safe if he continued to track and hunt her He would follow her He would follow her all the way into the Scourgelands She would have done the same for him Of all the sacrifices she would need to make, this would be the hardest She knehat she had to do

Phae grabbed Trasen by the cloak and pulled him around until he faced her His expression was hard with determination, his jaw tensed and thick with stubble She saw hiaze shifted, surprised by her sudden action She took his face between her palreen and ith energy and deter them Then she blinked

She took away his memories of her All of the had finally ended, Phae felt drained, desolate, and hollowed as a gourd Her nose was puffy and tender and she dried her face with her hands, wiping away the vestiges of grief fro across from her in the dense scrub, silent as a stone, was the Kishion He was a silent observer of her suffering, but though he had not spoken, his expression was full of coht, drawn line, his lips curling with shared pain, as if her suffering souish for her

"I’m sorry," Phae whispered hoarsely She wiped her chin and then pressed her teers "I needed to mourn him"

"You loved…Trasen, didn’t you" His voice was soft, not judging

She licked her lips, staring at him and then down at her boots She nodded "I didn’t realize it I didn’t see the pattern until I gathered all those ether in one He loved me as well I saw it then, but it was too late They flitted away…like leaves I could not hold onto the it out loud caused the crushing weight in her chest to press harder

"You saved his life," he said "He will be of no use to the Arch-Rike now"

Phae nodded, the et the look on his face though I was a stranger to him"

He reached out and touched her shoulder "I understand a little of what he was feeling when he left Confused, frustrated He is in the woods of Silvandom and he doesn’t realize why he is here or why he cao back to Stonehollow and keep the orphans safe His er and to the right place It’s more than anyone has ever done forinto his eyes "I pity you, Shion If ht, your memories will return when this is over I hope so, for your sake"

He gave her the hint of a shtly "It was painful to watch you grieve I wish there was so I could do to take it from you It wasn’t just pity that I felt" He stared off into the woods at the thickening shadows of twilight "Merief I understood your pain as if it were hed deeply and fished in his pocket There, in his hand, he cupped the locket

Phae stared at the char it delicately Froed He started hu the tune she had last heard emitted by the locket The sound that cauid, as if he had been an acco himself