"It's too far gone to remove it without killing you," he snaps, grabbing his arm to stop him. His grip is surprisingly strong. "You'll have to live with it. Unless you really want me to return your generous favor and relieve you of life's burdens."
He's a danger to everyone. If he goes back to Vanessa, he might kill her. Everyone he knows... Everyone he loves...
He accepted aid from this man. He knew there had to be a catch, knew it couldn't end well, and still he'd done it. All because he wanted to be free.
This isn't worth it. He should take the wizard up on his offer. As a threat to the very kingdom he swore to protect, he should be destroyed. It would be the good thing to do. The right thing.
"No." His voice shakes and he goes limp in the wizard's grasp. He can't break. Not here. Not in front of him. He already feels weak enough for wanting to live.
For a moment he sees himself, and he doesn't know if it's his own mind or the creature twined around his heart. Pity stabs him like a blade, and he loosens his grip.
"I doubt it would let you die, now that it's become attached to you. Count yourself fortunate that it wants you to survive, even if you disagree with it."
His voice is quiet. There's a tinge of bitter pain to it, the flash of an old wound.
Avery shakes his head. "That's impossible. She's never acted like this before." He glares up at the wizard. "The Vanessa I know would never have done this. You have to have done something to her!"
It should make anger rise in him all over again. Instead, there's nothing but a hollow sense of emptiness.
Couldn't he have gloated? Smirked and made him believe that, yes, that was exactly what happened? Dragged him further and further down? The wizard had already destroyed his life by saving it, had transformed him into some soul stealing monster with a parasite in his guts, but this...
Somehow, this hurts the most of all.
"I'm going to bed," Avery mutters, and pushes himself to his feet. Every step feels weighted, dragged behind him. The beautiful green of the forest just looks grey.
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He accepted aid from this man. He knew there had to be a catch, knew it couldn't end well, and still he'd done it. All because he wanted to be free.
This isn't worth it. He should take the wizard up on his offer. As a threat to the very kingdom he swore to protect, he should be destroyed. It would be the good thing to do. The right thing.
"No." His voice shakes and he goes limp in the wizard's grasp. He can't break. Not here. Not in front of him. He already feels weak enough for wanting to live.
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"I doubt it would let you die, now that it's become attached to you. Count yourself fortunate that it wants you to survive, even if you disagree with it."
His voice is quiet. There's a tinge of bitter pain to it, the flash of an old wound.
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Still, even as he sinks to the ground, a thought gnaws at him. He has to know. "Did you do this to her too?"
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"To her? I did nothing at all. She has more than enough power of her own." He would have thought the ice would be proof enough.
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Couldn't he have gloated? Smirked and made him believe that, yes, that was exactly what happened? Dragged him further and further down? The wizard had already destroyed his life by saving it, had transformed him into some soul stealing monster with a parasite in his guts, but this...
Somehow, this hurts the most of all.
"I'm going to bed," Avery mutters, and pushes himself to his feet. Every step feels weighted, dragged behind him. The beautiful green of the forest just looks grey.