rock face moves to press my skin

Once, he'd bargained.

"You made me a half-breed. No one's the better for it. So take me all the way."

The way Amalthus's eyebrow had arched up made him want to retch. Made him want...?

Warring greedinesses had struck at each other, deadlock combat, in that place buried beyond his soul he'd been bargaining to devoid.

Just flesh. Flesh alone.

"If you insist. But I must say...even I do not entirely agree."

He hadn't been able to convince himself that Amalthus hadn't cared for him, his wellbeing, as he'd said it. That, of course, had scarred worst of all.