(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

Grace stopped me before I could continue. "I thank you for asking about my
well-being. Your concern is not unwelcome."
Were those my hands that wrapped around her body, I wondered? Was I
really that bold to hold her, the way a man would cradle a woman, crossing
the invisible barrier that separated a student from a teacher?
But she sighed, and the confused tension melted away as her hands held my
shoulders. Her wings draped around us like the folds of a cloak. She was soft
against me, in a way I never thought was possible with another. We shared
our warmth, just for a moment. There was nothing to be said, no more to be
explained. For a pair of Sensates, the experience was enough to pass
understanding between us.
It was then that I felt it on me... the eyes, the sharp tang of pain, the barbed
hook that snagged at the soul.
I looked over my shoulder, and spied the milk-white tip of a tail flicker
around a dark corner.
"Annah?" I stood up, and Grace's wings unfolded from us. I pulled away,
suddenly noticing the tightness of her bodice against my chest for the first
time.
"You should go," she murmured. Mentally, I thanked her for understanding-
I couldn't bear the guilt of leaving her in the cold.
Down the tunnels I crawled, tasting the air for the presence of the wards. I
could still feel their resonance down these side passages, so it was safe, but
far enough down and it would end. I was thankful for the lessons I shared
with Annah so long ago. Though the going was hard the small signs were
there: the stirring of dust, the slight swish of dirt left by a snaking tail. She
wasn't even trying to hide.
But then the taste of the wards began to thin, like watered-down broth.
"Annah!" I hissed, seeing the flash of red hair, the flick of a white tail, "Come
back!" But my voice seemed to only spur her on, like the crack of a whip.
"Annah, it's not safe here! Damn it, come back!" I growled, but I couldn't
1004