"Val," I say softly, almost to the point of tears. "Please, what am I? I don't want to be... I don't want to be a monster."
"El," he says softly, but is swiftly cut off as his voice cracks. He gives a hard swallow.
Curling my fingers in on myself, I all at once become very, very small. I wonder if he notices that I am shivering.
"Please, Val," I beg once more, my voice quaking despite my best efforts to keep it level. Beside me, Alastor stretches out a hand to caress my shoulder, attempting to steady my nerves. But I do not feel it.
Valerian does not answer me immediately. Instead he turns for a moment, biting his lip as he attempts to regain some of his lost composure.
