“What do I do?” I peered at him through bleary eyes. I wanted this ache to go away. I wanted the drug he’d given me. I wanted my freedom. I just wanted to be normal. “You cut away what burdens you,” he said in a soft voice that sent chills over me. “Make the first cut. To be free. Carve the sins from your body.” Something cold was pushed into the palm of my hand. “I’ll stay with you to make sure you’re safe from the demons.” I cried, my chest throbbing. “Freedom is only a slice away, Malachi.
