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Silence’s mouth quirked in a smile. He put his glass down and signed, We all get the identities we need to move in this world. You’ll get one. Will probably already has one in place for you.

“Hmmm. And I noticed that wasn’t an answer.” She shrugged. Sliding off the couch, she said, “That’s okay. I kind of like Silence better than Eustache anyway. Still, I wouldn’t mind knowing your real name.”

“I don’t know my real name.” He turned away from her.

She froze, staring at him. She knew her mouth had fallen open, was vaguely aware that she was staring at him in numb, horrified shock. But she couldn’t help it.

Any more than she could help the pain ripping through her.

“You…” She stopped, licked her lips. Tried again. “You don’t know your name?”

He looked back over his shoulder at her. With a jerky shrug, he spoke quietly into her mind. “There is a name I was given at birth, but whatever it was, I’ve long forgotten it. Eustache is simply one of the names I go by when I must give a name. To those who matter, I am simply Silence.”

To those who matter, Vanya thought.

With a tiny smile, she murmured, “So, does that mean I’m one who matters?”

“Of course,” he said, his voice soft, quiet.

She started across the carpet, her feet sinking into it.

“After all, you’re my student. You matter very much.”

Those words slashed across her heart.

She almost stumbled. Almost faltered.

Student… Vanya stilled, staring at him as she repeated that word silently to herself. She was a student. His student.

Yeah, his lover too. But mostly, he just saw her as his student.

His responsibility.

Fuck.

She couldn’t do this.

BN | Amazon | Samhain

Dying is hard enough… coming back to life is brutal.

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