And then she said, her voice cracking, “When you finish breaking me apart for the day, how does it feel to know that you are still nothing?” Cairn grinned. “Some fire left in you, it seems. Good.” She smiled back through the mask. “You were only given the oath for this. For me. Without me, you’re nothing. You’ll go back to being nothing. Less than nothing, from what I’ve heard.” Cairn’s fingers tightened around the flint. “Keep talking, bitch. Let’s see where it gets you.” A rasping laugh broke from her. “The guards talk when you’re gone, you know. They forget I’m Fae, too. Can hear like you.”
