Page 16 of The Syphon King

“Usually, it happens in the Voltorium.”

Except with her. “I’m sorry,” she said, fighting back her tears.

“What are you sorry for?”

His anger made the skin on her arms itch. “That you’re plagued with my problems. That I can’t remember most of them. And that I feel like a disease you’re stuck with.”

Her gaze snapped up at his deep chuckle. “It is I, Zeen, who is the disease and plague.”

Zeen? “What is...Zeen?”

“Your shortened name in my tongue. Zen.”

She couldn’t stop her smile. “I like it. What is your tongue?”

“Arabic.”

The r rolled on his deep voice, the sound of pure desire in her ears. She wanted to hear more. “How do you say Zodak?”

“Zoe-dAHk.”

“Zoe-DAHk. And how do you say mean?”

“Muh-toe-sit.”

She nodded. “Muh-toe-sit Zoe-dAHk.”

His laugh lit her entire body up and pulled her joy from all its carefully hidden places till giggles bubbled out of her.

“You have not seen me gah-dib or muh-toe-sit, little Zeen.”

Little Zeen. This made her smile inside. “Gah-dib?”

“Angry.”

She forced the burning question from her tongue. “Why did you make your teeth pointed?”

He leaned forward with a deep breath and puthis forearms on his knees, angling his lenses at her. “Why do you assume I did it to myself?”

Her stomach tensed. “Because you’re...smart and...I think you do all things for a reason.”

She watched his face, hoping she hadn’t messed up again. “Yes,” he conceded softly. “It helps me taste the emotions of people, so I don’t engage my siphoning.”

“So, you...did it to protect others.”

“And to keep them away from me.”

Pain clenched her chest at hearing this. “I wish you would take mine,” she whispered.

His head lifted. “Take your what?”

She fidgeted with her fingers, fighting back all that he didn’t want her saying. “My everything. For yourself. I don’t mind giving it even if you emptied me, you deserve to feel joy and happiness.”

He stood and walked across the room, his anger so strong it pulled the tears right from her eyes. “What must I do to stop you from saying such things?”

The heat in her chest got her stomach turning and pulse racing. “Well...your words have power too,” she forced past the pressure inside her. “You can’t just say them and expect me to just sit here and do nothing. You go out of your way to protect people but what if I want to protect you, isthat so wrong?” A sob choked her words, and she wiped the tears from her face. “You don't get to save my life and be the most amazing person I’ve ever met and ask me to do nothing when I canfeelyour pain.”

He spoke a string of winded words in that beautiful language while bracing his hands on the fireplace mantle. She’d gone too far. And she couldn’t handle any more of his scolding.

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