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His eyes flare and shudder with an overpowering hatred for me. Fire and brimstone merge with a carnal need to hurt me.
I blink up at him in shock.
His hands clamp around my throat, fingers curling all the way to the back of my neck. He squeezes with every ounce of strength he has. Blood rushes to my face, building in pressure.
“D-Des,” I croak.
Oh, God. What have they done to you?
This is the void. I can change this. I can take us somewhere that will bring him good memories. With one hand, I reach up to his cheek, watching the moment his eyes shudder at my soft touch.
I’ll take you somewhere safe.
I close my eyes, and we tumble through the void, piercing a veil of the sunny sky in Ambrose Oasis. It’s a safe haven from everything he’s recently seen. The sweet aroma of lavender and wisteria.
“What the hell is this?” he growls under his breath, looking around at a setting of perfection. Our place away from the evil we’ve seen. Our home when we don’t have one.
“I’ve brought you to our special place. Do you remember it?” I ask, taking a step away from him in case he tries to choke me again.
Dessin remains perfectly still. “Yes.”
I sigh in relief. “Good.”
“But this is my place. Not yours. How did you learn of it?” His face is cold and unemotional. I have never seen him look at me like this.
I wrap my arms around my core to protect my heart from that horrible blow. But it does nothing to shield that sting his words have caused.
“Dessin, I think your memories of me have been altered.” I gulp just looking at the revulsion hardening his features. “What do you feel when you look at me?”
“Disgust,” he says evenly. There isn’t a moment of hesitation behind the thought. The look chills my skin.
I blow out a steadying breath.
“Would it make a difference if I told you that I’m deeply in love with you?” My tone. It’s pathetic. It’s weak. It’s heartbroken.
He nearly laughs. “I’d know you were lying. There isn’t a fiber in your body that could ever love anything.”
What have they done to you?!
“And what does Kane say about it?” I ask. Please. My Kane will see me through all of this, won’t he? He’s known me the longest. Loved me my whole life. He’ll know this isn’t real. He’ll remember me.
He looks down in thought. “He agrees with me.”
They’ve even gotten to his alters.
“It isn’t a lie. I’ve loved Kane since I was a little girl. I fell in love with you in the asylum, even before I had my memories returned to me. You are my soul mate, Dessin.” I wipe away a stray tear quickly, trying to keep myself together. But it’s near impossible. I won’t be able to survive it if he looks at me this way forever.
The air thickens with uncertainty, and there’s a terrible stillness about him.
“Stop lying,” he warns, taking a threatening step toward me.
A snarl rips through the space between us as DaiSzek takes a protective step in front of me. He lowers himself in a predatory stance, making it clear that he is willing to fight to stand up for me.
“What have you done to him?” Dessin asks in subtle horror.
“Nothing.” My voice cracks. “He knows the truth. That we’re family. He senses your desire to harm me again, and he’s showing you that he won’t let it happen.”
Dessin shakes his head.
