"There is still the matter of the anchor," I breathed, his face only inches from mine, "It's getting worse."
The hand that wiped my tear slowly went from cupping my face to tangling into my hair. His other hand brushed against my cheek before resting against my face. "I know, vhenan. And we are running out of time."
A searing green light blinded me as the anchor flew across the unmarked flesh on my arm. Only slightly behind it was the ripping pain. The pain pulled me into a dark chasm. Every inch I fell only fueling its hold on me. Falling further and further, the pain started to ebb. Unable to see, or hear, my other senses heightened. A burned smell invaded my nose and mouth. I was inhaling pure smoke, but where was the smoke coming from? I started to lose the sense that there had ever been anything other than this hole. It was all consuming.
Just as my stomach was adapting to the feeling of constant falling something was dragging me out. I was being tugged closer and closer to the edge and white started forming around the edges of my vision. I blinked twice before I realized I could see again, and could use my body to sense where I was.
I was in his arms. Head cradled against his chest staring straight into his eyes. Eyes that were glowing blue for the briefest of seconds before I saw the emotion in them. They were filled with concern, and loss. I could only guess at why loss was there. Probably because this was our goodbye, and neither of us was ready to say it. This mark was going to consume me, and I barely had the strength left to put my good arm around his neck, and pull him close.
My hand went to the nape of his neck, toying with the ties of his necklace. I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to him. Goodbye felt permanent, and I hadn't had enough time yet. I still needed to memorize the way his eyes melted into mine when he was proud of me. The way he surprised me with how confident he was in who he was, despite other's vile remarks about our race. His race.
I pulled him to me then, our lips barely brushing, reminding me of our first kiss. The kiss that started it all. In the fade where everything felt easy, but it hadn't been. "Not even in this world," he had told me. Did He know from that moment, that this is what it would come to?
He held me against him then, prolonging the kiss. A bittersweet goodbye. He pulled away from me then and spoke, "The mark will eventually kill you."
This I knew, I had felt it just moments before. The dark chasm was calling to me and at the most, I had minutes left. He continued and I almost missed what he said, focusing on the lilt and tone of his voice as it reverberated through me, "… chance to save you… at least for now."
What? He can save me? But I don't want to be saved, not unless he would stay with me. Doesn't he know that. Doesn't he see. I was miserable these last two years without him. All that kept me going were the menial tasks that the inquisition kept me doing, the balls they made me attend. I have to convince him of that. I rested my hand on the hard contours of his chest, "Solas, var lath vid suledin."
Stroking my cheek with the rough edges of his thumb he whispered, "I wish it could, vhenan."
The light came suddenly again, the mark edging its way to my torso. A strangled cry sounded from my lips. I felt the increased pressure of Solas' arms around me, as if he could absorb my pain if only he was close enough to my core. "My love," he breathed into my hair.
He tilted my chin up then, claiming my lips in a kiss. The kiss gave me a point of focus, a point away from the increasing hunger of the anchor. His other hand went to my shoulder then, soothing the pain away. The suddenness of the relief flooded through me and I gasped. He took that opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue invaded my mouth and was welcomed by my own. No longer needing his hand to hold my chin up he moved it to my waist, encircling me in his warmth. If this is what death is like, maybe I could get used to it. A tear rolled down my cheek at the thought. That would mean this is goodbye.
His ferocity increased then, crushing and molding my lips to his. They were already molded though, and would forever be seared with his memory, never fitting another's.
He broke away then. Slowly disentangling himself he stood, leaving me on my knees. "I will never forget you," he said as he took his last steps, going through the Eluvian.
