Zelgadis did not open his eyes.

There was nothing left. He could barely move.

If Xellos were to suddenly return, he wouldn't have the strength to

suicide. And where he'd been run through was raw throbbing agony, but he

wasn't dying. . . .

Presently the throbbing began to slow, and there was a warm sensation--a

faint pressure--

"zel wake up"

What for? (What was he good for?)

"please i'm so sorry'

He was needed. Zelgadis opened his eyes.

There were Lina's small soft hands on his chest, Lina's face,

illuminated by her healing spell, awash with tears. . . .

"He hurt you!" Zelgadis rasped, amazed at his own speech.

"Huh?"

"Your face--he hit you!"

"It's nothing--I'm just glad you're alive--" she choked, dropped the

healing spell and wiped her face, still fighting for composure.

"Lina, what happened to . . . my Ra Tilt--it went strange," he managed,

and she smiled.

"I drew Xellos' name on your heart," she answered. "I used it to

kickstart the exorcism, and you used it to blow a hole in him."

"His sigil--on my heart?"

Lina smiled again and hugged his arm. "You're now a living anti-Xellos

talisman. A powerful one, too."

"Lina . . . I didn't think I'd survive it," Zelgadis recounted

anxiously, just above a whisper. "And I said something before the

exorcism--I'm not sure how you took it--"

Her eyes went glassy and a disturbingly blank look came to her face.

"You . . don't . . love me, then?"

Zelgadis felt the world turn beneath him. He wanted to hold all of her

at once, but he couldn't move enough to hold her hand.

"Lina, I can't live without you," he confessed.

That was when she kissed him. So sweetly, so perfectly, so unlike

Xellos . . . a kiss of union, rather than invasion.

~and she loves /me/! /Gods, /me//!!~

Xellos teleported to safety to assess the damage. It was bad; he'd fed

enough in the past thirty-six hours to sustain him for months, but now

he'd need /all/ that energy just to repair himself.

A golden-bronze voice interrupted him in the darkness.

>Looks like you got stung, Xellos,< she laughed. >And that one had your

name on it.<

"I was careless, sama," he pouted.

>It's less than you deserve, Xellos. What did I tell you about the

younger Inverse?<

Xellos lowered his head, bit his lip. He held his arm across the hole

scorched through his torso.

"I--forgot myself, sama," he admitted.

>Did you think I couldn't see you, inside that golem? You directly

violated my orders--twice! Now, go fetch my whips.<

"Sama--I'm injured--"

>I said NOW.<

"How's that?"

"Stop fussing!"

With the door shut again, Lina was building a nest of pillows and

blankets on the floor around Zelgadis.

"I have to fuss." Lina called in her light spell and extinguished it.

"I shouldn't have run you through--I almost killed you!" She waded into

the pillows, slid under the quilt and cuddled up close to him.

"I think you did the right thing," he assured her. "You're lucky he

didn't--er--"

"Why did you stop--?"

"Well, no one found /you/ tied to a tree," Zelgadis grumbled. "This

whole mess was my fault to start with."

"/Your/ fault?" Her head came off his shoulder and he knew he was

getting a glare. "How is it suddenly /your/ fault? I suppose you just

begged Xellos to chain you up and possess you, huh?"

"He said I wasn't--"

"I can't believe you /listened/ to him!" Lina seethed. "Oh, Zel." Her

head came down again and he felt her warm hand on his chest. ". . . You

shouldn't have offered yourself to him. He'll see that as a binding

agreement. . . ."

"I couldn't fight him. And I couldn't let him. . . ."

"He wasn't going to kill me--"

"I couldn't let him," Zelgadis repeated through clenched teeth.

". . . we'll get you a loophole," Lina decided, and yawned. "I love

you." And she fell asleep o his shoulder.

Zelgadis lay awake a little longer, with a warm sorceress pressed full

length against his right side. Her fine soft hair stirred against his

collarbone with her breath.

~By every god, I am the luckest man alive!~