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.He hated that mark engraved on his skin, a reminder of pain even now that his Master had changed all the rules.Often, he had tried to erase it with his nails, scratch the dark lines and wash them away with his own blood.It had never worked.Seeing the same lines on the paper awoke something dark inside him, an anger that he couldn't suppress.He tried to erase the marks on the paper the way he couldn't do it on his own body, remembering only too late that anger wasn't allowed; anger only brought punishment and pain.Pushing back the feeling, he looked at his Master, waited for reprimand.Instead, he received soothing words.He stared at his Master and tried to understand.It was all so confusing.At times, he almost thought he could understand why everything had changed, why the rules were 269Blurred Bloodlines [2nd in Blurred Trilogy]by Kallystenso different, but the answer always remained just out of his reach, beyond a wall of confusion he couldn't manage to breach.It had started with the first mark on his skin, he remembered.That was when his mind had grown misty, when simple thought had become a challenge.When his Master had become different.The mage had changed the drawing on the paper.He had said he could make things better.Would Blake's Master change again—would he become who he had once been—if the mage did as he wanted? Was that why his Master had been so angry?His Master sat at the table next to him and flipped the second piece of paper over, hiding the drawing.He pushed it closer to Blake has he asked, "Did you hear what Simon said?About the tattoo?"Blake blinked and tried to remain very still.His heart was beating so fast, he could feel it fluttering inside his chest like a caged bird.He'd been caged for so long."I want you to get better," his Master continued."But I'm not sure he can do it.He wants to help so much that he could be too optimistic.I'm afraid he'll just make everything worse."A whimper started rising from Blake's chest, but it never came out as actual sound.He couldn't bear it if things got worse, if his Master returned to the old rules and punishments.He thought he had finally begun to understand what his Master wanted from him.If he was taken back to his old cell now, if Seneca was taken from him, if all the privileges he had earned—270Blurred Bloodlines [2nd in Blurred Trilogy]by KallystenBut that was it, wasn't it? He hadn't earned anything.He had been given gifts.And what his Master gave him, his Master could take away.This rule was so evident it had never even needed to be stated.His eyes closed tight, as tight as his hands on the scabbard of his sword.Blood was thumping in his ears, drowning every other sound.The room felt so small, the walls so tight around him, that he could hardly breathe.It had happened so many times since he had fallen through the door of light.He had spent so many hours—so many days—in that small, dark place in his mind, pleading for his Master to help him, receiving only laughter in reply.At the first touch on his shoulder, he shuddered, tried to curl his body tighter around the sword.He had been so sure it would be taken from him, and now he must have failed whatever test had been placed upon him.The hand didn't retreat.It didn't strike, either.Instead, it pulled and coaxed Blake to his feet, and even through the drumming of his own blood, Blake could hear soothing noises, senseless words that pushed him on, one step after the other, until suddenly there was enough air again for Blake's chest not to feel so tight anymore.Through slitted eyes, Blake looked upward toward the sky.He couldn't see the stars; heavy clouds hid them.They were there, though.They had to be.And if he just waited long enough, they would return.When his Master let go, he sank down to the floor.Knees raised in front of himself as protection, he held the sword tight to his chest and kept his eyes up on the sky.He barely even felt his Master's hand sweeping through his hair, barely 271Blurred Bloodlines [2nd in Blurred Trilogy]by Kallystenheard the quiet words murmured in his hair.But he knew his Master was there, and despite everything, he was grateful [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]