It chased the smallest hint of a smile out of him in return, and it showed more in his eyes than the rest of his face. She did know him, as few people did.
"She's a merchant of the night market. We'll see her when it's light, before she sleeps."
Slowly, Kell opened his arms to let her go, but his eyes widened slightly at the small kiss. Their connection didn't wall off at the lack of contact, but it wasn't quite so direct.
Kell nodded in return, then got to his feet, pulling back the sleeve of his coat. A slim line already showed on his arm. Though it had stopped bleeding that silvery-pearl color, the cut still looked raw.
Without hesitation Kell drew his knife, then cut another line below the first, dabbing his fingers against the blood before crossing the room to the wall, where a symbol was drawn, months old. It was a dark, rusted red -- from back when Kell's blood had been that color.
She'd see him hesitate, just a flicker of it, before he put his blood-coated fingers to the mark and painstakingly drew over it, replicating it exactly, ensuring it remained unbroken.
"As Tascen," he whispered, and stepped through a door that wasn't there. A rush of magic pushed over her skin, followed by a dull popping noise, and then he was gone.
Kell was absent for a short time, but still long enough to fray the nerves, leaving her in silence with the candle and the meditation circle on the floor. Though the room was almost painfully simple it had the feel of magic, ancient magic, settled and still.
When Kell returned it was a reverse of what she'd seen when he left- the sudden appearance of Kell, holding two mugs of steaming tea and an extra blanket, unable to balance them and pull his sleeve back down -- over the third cut that now glistened in the firelight.
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"She's a merchant of the night market. We'll see her when it's light, before she sleeps."
Slowly, Kell opened his arms to let her go, but his eyes widened slightly at the small kiss. Their connection didn't wall off at the lack of contact, but it wasn't quite so direct.
Kell nodded in return, then got to his feet, pulling back the sleeve of his coat. A slim line already showed on his arm. Though it had stopped bleeding that silvery-pearl color, the cut still looked raw.
Without hesitation Kell drew his knife, then cut another line below the first, dabbing his fingers against the blood before crossing the room to the wall, where a symbol was drawn, months old. It was a dark, rusted red -- from back when Kell's blood had been that color.
She'd see him hesitate, just a flicker of it, before he put his blood-coated fingers to the mark and painstakingly drew over it, replicating it exactly, ensuring it remained unbroken.
"As Tascen," he whispered, and stepped through a door that wasn't there. A rush of magic pushed over her skin, followed by a dull popping noise, and then he was gone.
Kell was absent for a short time, but still long enough to fray the nerves, leaving her in silence with the candle and the meditation circle on the floor. Though the room was almost painfully simple it had the feel of magic, ancient magic, settled and still.
When Kell returned it was a reverse of what she'd seen when he left- the sudden appearance of Kell, holding two mugs of steaming tea and an extra blanket, unable to balance them and pull his sleeve back down -- over the third cut that now glistened in the firelight.