Chapter Eighteen

Cullen sat at his desk, mulling over the past few days. So much had happened in such a short span of time, yet it felt like it had been weeks. The side effects of his lyrium withdrawal had all but vanished thanks to whatever spell Evelyn had used on him before the battle. The only lingering symptoms he had were occasional nightmares, and even they were becoming more and more scarce. The ones that did pop up were beginning to lose their effect on him.

He owed Evelyn a deep, deep apology, along with his sincerest thanks. He'd returned to Skyhold before her, which he'd hoped would give him enough time to gather his bearings and get his words in order before facing her.

Adamant Fortress had been utter terror for him when there'd been a long stretch of time when she and her comrades had vanished into the Fade. He'd prayed for her to make a safe return, and it was in that moment that he realized what true, gripping fear was. It had damn near killed him to think she would never return, that if something had happened to her, he'd never have the chance to take back the things he'd said to her and the way he'd treated her. He'd never have the chance to stop being a coward and tell her how he felt. He'd never again get to see the gentle smile he'd fallen in love with.

After pulling her in for that bone-crushing hug in his tent, neither of them had said a word. Evelyn had cried into him until sometime later she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He'd laid her down on his bedroll and left her to recover. The next morning while she was still resting, he'd begun the journey back to Skyhold along with Leliana and a handful of others.

Squeezing his eyes shut to block out the pain threatening to return, he sighed and rubbed his fingers across his eyelids. He'd thought he still had feelings for Amell after seeing her, yet it was his madness that had made him become confused to the point where he couldn't think clearly. His bitterness and sorrow hadn't had a thing to do with his old love. Granted, he'd wanted to avoid her out of embarrassment, but as he thought it over, he realized it was far more to it than that.

Evelyn and Yelena were so much alike that he'd been worrying he was simply thinking of Evelyn as a replacement for the woman he'd never been able to have. In truth, the real issue he had was that he only cared for Evelyn, but the idea that she instead was in love with another was a pain he hadn't wanted to endure. While Yelena had inadvertently enthralled his younger self, it was Evelyn who truly held his heart. And perhaps she always will. Yelena had been a lovely sight to admire from afar, but it was Evelyn who was the last thing on his mind before sleeping and the first thing he thought of when he awoke. It was Evelyn who made him smile and laugh with such ease when he was so used to scowling all the time.

Losing her to anything—including Solas—was just something he could never bear. While he'd seen the doubt in her face when he'd questioned her about her relationship with the elf, he wouldn't let that be enough to make him give up. Not again. With the way he felt about her, there could never be another for him. And he was going to make sure his damnable pride and fear of getting hurt wouldn't thwart him this time around.

A knock sounded at his door, and he bid whoever was on the other side entrance. To his surprise, both Leliana and Josephine entered, making him sit up straighter. When one of them visited alone, it was a sign of urgent business. The two of them together meant something was amiss.

His suspicion was confirmed when Josephine toyed with a rolled letter in her hands as she said, "We need to talk. It's about the Inquisitor."

Alarmed, Cullen started to stand. "Has something happened to her? Was there an ambush or—"

"No," Leliana cut in, "but you might want to sit back down." She sighed. "When Evelyn first began showing signs of magic, her family sent her to a Circle."

Not understanding, Cullen frowned and eased back into his chair. "Ostwick. I'm aware of that."

Leliana gave a slow shake of her head. "It was what we all assumed from the beginning, but when we first arrived at Skyhold, I sent a scout to retrieve all traces of her documentation to keep from our enemy's hands. In doing so, he discovered that Evelyn was a transfer. She'd only been there for the last five years. After digging a bit deeper, I've learned that our Inquisitor was originally sent to Ferelden when she was thirteen. It wasn't until a few years after the Blight that she moved to Ostwick."

At the revelation, Cullen's lips were parted in shock, though he couldn't quite form any words. He tried to absorb what his fellow advisor was saying, but he was struggling to make all the pieces fit. "Are you saying Evelyn was there? At Kinloch Hold?"

Giving a slow nod, Leliana mimicked his frown. "Not only was she there, she survived it's falling. Including the Right of Annulment."

A million questions rushed through his mind as something odd clenched within his chest. He recalled the dream he'd had of a younger Evelyn attending her classes, looking up at him and giving a tiny smile like she always did. Only, it hadn't been merely a dream like he'd forced himself to believe. Perhaps it was a genuine long-forgotten memory. How many times had he wondered why she looked so familiar? How many times had he seen her do things that would cause flickers of memory to pass through his mind before he forgot them all over again? She'd been there all along.

As he thought about it, he realized with horror that if what Leliana was saying was true, it meant Evelyn had also witnessed firsthand one of the most monstrous bits of Ferelden history. He'd thought everyone save for a few children had been killed. The others who'd survived the first wave of attacks had all been tortured before either dying or giving in to possession. He doubted anyone would have been able to hide safely before the Hero of Ferelden had arrived, so had she escaped beforehand, or had she had to endure the same manner of torture as him and so many others? Just the very thought sickened him.

And then, the weight of Leliana's words truly sank in. He cast both women wide eyes. "The Right of Annulment," he murmured, dread settling like a cold weight in his gut. "Maker's breath."

"There's more," Josephine said, her tone full of worry. She walked forward to hand him the letter.

Cullen rolled it open.

'Dearest Inquisitor, it is very unfortunate and saddens me to think our very own daughter would turn her back on her family in their time of need. A daughter whom we birthed and raised to be where she is today. I do hope you will change your mind, Evelyn. After all, I believe we both know the information we share wouldn't bode well if it somehow fell into the wrong hands. Allow me to give you some time to reconsider your swift decline of my offer. Perhaps the tone of my last letter did not properly convey my feelings, and to avoid further misinterpretation, I suggest we discuss the matter in person. Empress Celene of Orlais is holding a peace talk in the coming weeks, yes? I shall see you there. With love, Bann and Lady Trevelyan.'

As he reread the letter, he curled his lip in anger. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there a subtle threat lying within this letter?"

"We believe so," Josephine said. "It would appear the Trevelyans are planning to blackmail Lady Inquisitor in order to solidify an alliance."

"It means they know what would happen if they leaked the information of Evelyn surviving the Annulment." Leliana began to pace. Though she was usually the more collected of the bunch, capable of hiding her emotions, it was clear that this news was troubling her deeply. And well it should. "We cannot allow that to happen."

"Even just a rumor would be enough to imprison Evelyn. Our allies would turn against us, and we'll lose everything we've worked so hard for. More than that, we'll lose her. Not only as our leader, but as our friend."

Cullen was already forming strategies for marching on House Trevelyan, simply for daring to threaten the one person he held dear. He scowled as a dozen more questions popped in his mind. "I don't understand. Why is there animosity between them? When Evelyn first turned down their request, she was obviously very angry with them. Furthermore, didn't they first deny knowing her when we reached out to them in the beginning? This letter addresses her as their daughter, so if that's the case, why did they send her all the way to Ferelden to train?"

"It's something I've been looking into," Leliana replied. "From what my scout has gathered, the Trevelyans went out of their way to erase all traces of Evelyn's existence from their family long before the rebellion. Even the servants are tight-lipped. When prodded about her, no one even knew who she was."

"Those bastards," Cullen jeered, clenching his fists. Hatred for people he'd never even met burned in his heart. Because of their disgusting selfishness, Evelyn had been forced to go through horrors no person should ever have to see. Was that why she'd been so withdrawn before? Or why she'd stopped speaking for years?

Maker, worse yet, was that why she'd been so ready to embrace death when she'd sought to seal the breach?

He'd thought so lowly of her at the time, thought her a coward for wanting to die so young. Yet he knew better. And the thought that she must have felt so alone and betrayed by her own family pained him to his core.

"My thoughts as well," Leliana murmured. She stopped her pacing and folded her arms behind her back, but her foot tapped in annoyance against the floor as she tried to collect herself. "I've been trying to find something on the Trevelyans to keep them quiet, but they've got a tight grip on their reputation. Even the servants are too afraid to reveal anything more about them."

"Somewhere out there has to be a noble family who despises them."

"There are a few, actually," Josephine chimed in. "I've reached out to them under the guise of establishing an alliance. None suspect what we are up to regarding going against the Trevelyans."

Cullen rubbed his fingers across his brows, hoping to relieve the oncoming headache that had everything to do with their newest problem. As if stopping Corypheus from destroying the world wasn't enough on their plate. "Before we can even begin making moves, what does Evelyn have to say about all this? Does she want us to…" He trailed off when Leliana and Josephine both shared a look that made his shoulders drop. "Maker's breath. She doesn't know, does she?"

Leliana sighed. "I received this letter shortly before our march. I didn't think it wise to reveal it to her before such a major battle."

"She doesn't even know we've discovered the truth about her," Josephine murmured, idly toying with the feathered end of her quill. "I can't even begin to imagine what sort of repercussions this would cause once we tell her. She's just beginning to recover from her inability to sleep."

An inability that had no doubt been caused by the horrors of Kinloch Hold. Cullen also suffered from reoccurring nightmares, due to both the lyrium and his traumatic past. He'd always wondered what sort of dreams anyone could have had to make them lose control of their powers. Now he knew.

"I understand."

Startled by the reminder of her gentle whisper when Evelyn had calmed him down, he realized belatedly that that was what she'd meant. He'd revealed his dark past to her, including the horrifying madness he'd gone through. He recalled seeing the dark sorrow in her eyes as she'd given him the saddest of smiles.

She truly did understand. She'd been there just as he had. He'd so ruthlessly denied her empathy, at the time thinking she could never understand. No one could. Not unless they'd been in his exact footsteps and lived long enough to tell the tale. And yet she did.

He closed his eyes against the harrowing pain that developed on Evelyn's behalf. All this time he'd been so wary of getting close to her or anyone, yet she was perhaps the only person left in the world who could truly comprehend just how much trauma those events had caused for him.

He wanted nothing more in that moment than to simply pull her into him and absorb every ounce of pain she'd suffered. The physical and the emotional. He wanted so badly to erase the dark shadows in her eyes, to make sure she never again went another moment having to look over her shoulder or keep everyone at arm's length out of fear.

"We must tell her when she returns," Josephine said, snapping him from his musings. "Even if we were to plot without her knowing, it wouldn't be right. Not only that, but it's taken Evelyn so long to open herself to us. I would never wish to be the reason she retreats."

"I second that," said Leliana. "She is more than our leader. While initially I planned to take her secret to my grave, this—" she indicated the letter "—is a danger far more than political scandal. She has to know what is to come."

While Cullen was reluctant to see Evelyn have yet another burden placed on her shoulders, he conceded that they were right. Not only was it the right thing to do, but he never wanted to break her trust. "We'll have to discuss all possible outcomes and how to avoid the worst. Whatever decision she makes, we must stand by her side." He shook his head. "We also need to deal with Halamshiral. The Trevelyans intend to confront Evelyn there. I have a feeling if they do not get their way, everyone in attendance will know within the hour that she is illegally alive."

"I think you're right. Fortunately, we have a bit of time on our side before then." Josephine tapped the quill against her leg. "I'll take my leave. I have some writing to do."

When the door opened and closed in her departure, Leliana fully faced Cullen. She had a mournful look in her eyes, one he'd never, ever seen on the spymaster. In a soft tone, she asked, "Did you ever see her?"

Call it intuition, but Cullen had a feeling she would ask that. He dropped his gaze to his desk. "No. I-I mean… I don't know. Every now and again, I'll have this…dream. I'd be overseeing a class back then, and when I look up…there she is. A younger version of her. We never speak, and it's only just a brief speck in time before it's over." Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on the desk and linked his fingers. "I always thought it was just a dream, but now…"

When he trailed off again, she offered, "Now you wonder if it was a memory."

He nodded. "I'd prayed that it wasn't. I didn't want to believe someone like her could have been there, and possibly tort…" He couldn't even finish the word. Leliana glanced away in guilt, and his stomach dropped. "She was, wasn't she?"

Closing his eyes once more, Cullen tried his absolute hardest to not envision the sight of Evelyn strung from her wrists while having both blades and claws tearing her apart. It was a failed effort, and when the image refused to go away, he squeezed his eyes shut and scrubbed them with his fingers. "I was so cruel to her," he said on a broken whisper. "She tried to help me, and what did I do? I turned her away. The signs were all there. How could I have not known?"

Leliana was quiet for a long time. After a heavy sigh, she moved to take a seat in the chair across from him. "You and I both share guilt. I was there with Amell, remember? I saw the aftermath. I thought we looked everywhere for survivors, and I can never forgive myself for not finding her."

Cullen shook his head at the regret lacing every word she said. "After my outburst in the war room, I told her what happened to me. The way she'd looked at me… I've only seen eyes like that when I look in a mirror. Is this the unconditional love taught to us by the chantry? The Maker sending his children through hell is his way of blessing them?"

Releasing a deep breath, Leliana stood. "Even I have questioned his motives, but we cannot allow this to shake our faith. Not now when we need every bit of blessing he's willing to give us. It's getting late, so I'll be going. Josephine and I will meet you in the morning to begin planning."

Cullen nodded to her, waiting until she left before leaning back in his chair.

"I understand."

…

…

Upon reaching Skyhold, Evelyn had discovered that her private quarters had been remodeled, and it was there that she'd spent the next three days in near solitude. It wasn't that she didn't want to see anyone, but along with being mentally exhausted, using such an enormous amount of the anchor had rendered her ill. She'd had a lingering fever and could hardly stand without feeling faint. As a result, she'd spent much of her time sleeping in order to recover. In the brief times when she'd been awake, her friends would visit her one by one, some of them bringing 'get well' gifts.

Some of them had been thoughtful. Josephine and Vivienne had gotten her a beautiful bouquet of flowers that perfumed the air with a lovely fragrance, along with some Orlesian chocolates. Others had been…well, they'd tried their best, she supposed. Bull had tried to sneak her a bottle of Qunari ale, much to Solas' disapproval. Sera had crafted her a straw doll with tufts of grass for hair and only one button eyeball. And Cole, bless his heart, had gifted her with a half-burnt strip of fabric. She still had no idea what that particular item was supposed to symbolize. Nevertheless, she'd accepted everything with a warm smile.

By the third day, she'd still been stuck in bed—apothecary's orders—and so her council had decided to bring their meeting to her room. Josephine and Leliana shared the couch while Cullen had pulled up a chair.

Evelyn clutched the letter from her parents. Her advisors sat in silence, waiting for her response. She raised her hands and froze. She'd gotten so used to using signed language in lieu of words that she still wasn't used to speaking out loud. However, ever since the events at Adamant, she'd been determined to shed yet another layer of what had allowed her to become closed off from the world.

"You all know?" she asked in a quiet tone, hesitantly meeting their sympathetic gazes.

Leliana was the one to nod. "Yes. I'm sorry I went behind your back, but I was only trying to—"

"Protect me," she finished. "I know. I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Josephine said gently. "Believe me when I say we know why you couldn't tell us about any of this. Rest assured we will do everything in our power to ensure your secret will remain as such."

Evelyn gave a grateful nod, turning her attention back to the letter. "I just…" Grunting, she crumpled the letter. "After everything they put me through, they expect me to bow to their wishes?" She let out a bitter laugh.

"This threat is not one we can easily ignore," Cullen said.

Evelyn rubbed a frustrated hand across her face. "Unfortunately, I know my parents well enough to know they will deliver on their threat if I do not give in."

"And giving in to their demands is not an option. No matter their aim, we haven't come this far only to roll over to some greedy noble's mandates. We will get through this."

The others nodded in agreement, making Evelyn relax just a bit. Leliana crossed her legs and linked her fingers together over her knee. "In this sort of situation, publicly declaring the Trevelyans as our enemy will only escalate the threat. Working in the shadows is our best chance at gaining the upper hand, but their servants will not speak against them, and we cannot wait to build an alliance with those who would go against your family."

"Then what are our options?" Evelyn asked. Whatever bit of love she once had for her family vanished the day she'd been shipped to Ferelden. The fact that they dared to threaten her after everything they'd put her through made her want nothing more than to see their downfall. There would be no remorse on her end. Not even her brothers had once tried to defend her. She remembered seeing them peeking behind the door, one snickering while she'd screamed and cried when the templars had taken her away, and the other only turning his back on her. From the very beginning, not one member of her so-called family had actually treated her as such. It was sickening. She hated every last one of them.

"Actually," Josephine said, "we were hoping you would be able to assist us in this matter. Your family has done an excellent job at keeping their secrets, if they have any."

"Everyone has secrets," Leliana sneered. "But you are correct. I know you haven't been in contact with them, but anything can be used as leverage if we dig deep enough. We only need to know where to begin digging."

Evelyn rubbed a hand through her hair, struggling to dredge up memories from ages ago. What little she remembered of her old life was left in bitter tatters. It was mostly all just from her own resentment toward the lot of them. And as she'd learned about the world of politics, emotions not backed by physical proof meant nothing.

"I don't know what could be useful," she reluctantly admitted.

"Josie, your family used to trade with the Trevelyans, yes? Do you remember hearing any sort of rumors or—"

Josephine shook her head. "It was years ago. I was still fairly young when I attended one of their soirees. I recall meeting your brothers and sister, but it was so long ago that I—"

"I don't have a sister," Evelyn cut in with a deep frown.

At that, everyone turned to Josephine in shock. The Antivan woman's cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "You don't? But I was so sure…" She counted on her fingers. "Jasper, Talmos, and Ingrit."

"Jasper and Talmos are my brothers, yes. But I do not have a sister. At least, I didn't when I left. Perhaps my parents had another after me?" She shook her head. "I wouldn't put it past them. They had my entire life planned for me, including a future betrothal that was supposed to have cemented an alliance with another noble family. This Ingrit could have taken my place."

"Well, that can't be it. Ingrit was older than me. I'm sure of it. I remember very clearly because her bodice…" Her gaze slid to Cullen's for a moment, her cheeks turning an even darker shade of red. As bashful as ever, Evelyn thought. "Let's just say there was a bit of envy over the fact that her…girls…put mine and my sister's to shame."

Evelyn's lips were parted, but she couldn't say anything. If she had to take a guess, she assumed she and Josephine were around roughly the same age, give or take a couple of years. If Ingrit was older than them both, then it meant her parents would have taken the girl in after sending Evelyn away.

Quickly following her thought pattern, Cullen shifted to lean forward with his elbows braced on his knees. "Josephine, are you certain this girl was their daughter? Could she have been their niece or a cousin or—"

"No," Leliana answered before she could. "My scouts were instructed to track down Evelyn's siblings, including Ingrit. She is still very much in the picture after all this time, though she married into a Nevarran family at a young age—the Chauvets."

"What do we know of them?" Evelyn asked.

"The Chauvets are an old house that have roots dating back ages ago. They are about as high as you can get up the noble ladder without being royalty. Even a distant cousin with the Chauvet name carries enough weight to have others scrambling to please him."

"It's safe to say one would go to extreme lengths to get on their good side. I'm willing to bet every coin I own that this was the alliance Evelyn was supposed to have been used for." As he peered at them, a slow smile crept across his lips. "Maker, this might just be the lead we've been looking for."

Leliana leaned back, her lips twitching as she fought a smile. "I'll have my people turn their attention to gathering proof. I should think this Nevarran household wouldn't take it so kindly if they find out that their daughter-in-law doesn't have any blood ties to your family."

"That's only if they aren't aware of the situation," Josephine threw in. "But I agree, it's worth looking into."

It was the best shot they had. The only shot, really.

Cullen looked to Josephine. "In the meantime, we should look for any way around dealing with the Annulment. Even if word got out prematurely about Evelyn's survival, we'll need every resource at our disposal to combat having action taken against her."

"I'll have our scholars look into it. Discreetly, of course. At your word, Inquisitor."

Evelyn nodded to everyone. "Leave no stone unturned."

The other two women grinned and stood. "At once."

As they left, Cullen waited until the door opened and closed in the distance before scooting his chair closer to her bed. Their eyes met and held, and Evelyn suddenly felt nervous. It was the first time they were alone since he'd embraced her after their battle, but even then, neither had said a word as she'd cried into him.

He seemed in a lighter mood than he'd been before they left Skyhold, for which she was thankful. However, she didn't let her guard down, not when she wasn't sure what was on his mind. She still remembered the way he'd hurt her with his coldness for weeks. That, combined with the knowledge that he knew what she'd been through—and had suffered it as well—was a bit more than she was mentally prepared to deal with.

As if sensing her retreating behind the walls she'd crafted around her heart, he gave a small smile, though his eyes shone with sorrow. "Forgive me," he murmured. "I have so much I want to say, but now that I have the opportunity to speak to you alone, I'm…kind of at a loss. I can't imagine how you must feel right now."

Evelyn turned her gaze to her lap. All of a sudden, she almost wished she couldn't speak anymore. It was easier to sign whatever she wanted to say. She'd forgotten what it was like to have to struggle to form proper words on her lips or speak while fighting the tremor in her tone.

She drew in a deep breath in an attempt to steady her racing heart. "I think time is the only thing that will help me right now. With everything going on, it's been a struggle absorbing it all at once."

"I certainly know that feeling." For a moment, silence fell between them and Evelyn could sense him waging some kind of war in his head. Her assumption was confirmed when he blew out a heavy breath. "Before we marched on Adamant, you saw a side of me I'd prayed no one would witness. My emotions, my temper, I-I thought I was losing control, and I lashed out when I didn't mean to. I want you to know you did nothing wrong. You did not deserve to be treated that way, and I apologize. I can't say that this will be my last episode, but I can promise you that I will not allow myself to sink that low again."

Evelyn could see the remorse in his eyes. She knew he truly meant his words, and while it was so easy to forgive him, it would be a long time before she was able to unhear the venom in his voice when he'd spoken to her. Before she was able to not flinch at the reminder of him seething in anger as he'd glared at her.

She would not hold a grudge against him, but she wasn't confident she was ready to allow him the chance to hurt her again.

With a gentle nod, she leaned back against her pillows. "I believe you," she murmured. "I trust you're feeling better?"

"I am." His gaze turned thoughtful as he peered over toward one of the windows at the setting sun. "I've never really told anyone what truly happened to me back then. For years I've held it in. I always thought that if I kept pushing it away, perhaps it would just…I don't know, disappear?" He shook his head at that. "I'm not proud of the man I was after that. For a long time, my hatred for all mages clouded my judgement. But now I feel like I can finally put it all behind me. I have you to thank for that."

His words touched her, making her give a small smile. "For what it's worth, I like who you are now. You've come a long way."

Cullen returned her smile, and for several beats, the two of them just looked at one another for what seemed like the first time. Evelyn once again had a flicker of memory pass through her mind, one where she envisioned a much younger version of him blushing at her from across a room as she passed by. It was happening more often now that she knew he'd also been at Ferelden's Circle. At random her mind would show her the briefest flashes of hidden memories of him as a young man in templar armor.

Blinking the sight away, she realized belatedly he hadn't responded.

She peered up at him in question, only to feel her cheeks heat at the intense way he stared at her. "What is it?"

He blinked before closing his parted lips to clear his throat. "Ah, nothing. It's just…" He gave a soft laugh at himself as he shook his head. "I'm just…glad you're talking. Really talking. It's lovely hearing your voice."

Evelyn tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, trying her hardest not to melt under the awe in his tone. Instead, she turned her attention to the waning sunlight. "Thank you."

Cullen hummed a response, and after a few moments of silent pondering, she heard the sound of him standing. "I suppose I've taken up enough of your time. May I pay you a visit tomorrow?"

When she gave a slow nod, he flashed another warm smile. "Rest well, Evelyn." With that, he left her alone to her devices.

…

…

That night, Evelyn's dreams skipped through the nightmare she'd feared would take place. Instead, she was lying on her back, struggling to maintain consciousness. Her body ached from head to toe, every fresh laceration burning and freezing at the same time. Her clothing and hair were drenched, making her shiver despite the thick wool blanket thrown over her frame.

"Maker, please hold on, Evelyn," a deep voice rasped nearby.

Unable to move her body enough to even turn her head, Evelyn shifted her gaze all around for the source of that voice. The accent wasn't Ferelden, and the deep baritone didn't sound familiar at all. Yet he knew her name.

Her eyes blinked slowly, the greying edges of her vision threatening to consume her consciousness again. When she forced them open, she caught sight of the velvety night sky full of stars, a deceitfully peaceful looking sight despite the horror she'd just escaped from. She was aware of a rocking motion, as well the whoosh of waves sloshing around.

"We're almost to the shore," the unknown man said, grunting as she assumed he rowed them to safety. "Just hold on a bit longer, okay? I'll get you to a doctor soon."

Evelyn once again struggled to spot the man who was helping her, but it was a futile attempt. Everywhere ached. Flashes of horrors that should only exist in stories continued to flicker through her mind, visions of weeks upon unending weeks of suffering through a monstrous attack. Her pain and fear was so great that if she had the strength to speak, she'd tell her savior to simply toss her over the boat and leave her to drown.

Her eyes once again drifted closed, though moments later, she languidly managed to open them again when the gentle swaying of the boat ceased with a thud. The man grunted as he crouched next to her. Through a vision that was swiftly giving into the looming darkness, the last thing she saw were sad emerald eyes that were a near mirror image of her own.

"…Tal…" was all she managed to wheeze out before she fell unconscious.