Jean and Myra startled. Right, I hadn’t told them that part yet. Oops. “Tell her you want her to break the contract with the king so you can court her. Use small words and enunciate. Clear the air. Be mature. ”
Gee, where had I just heard that advice?
He looked like I’d just popped his brain balloon.
Jean coughed to cover a laugh. Myra rubbed at the bridge of her nose and sighed loudly.
“Xtelle?” Myra demanded. “Him? He loves…her?”
“So he says.” I pinned Amy with my gaze. “The problem you’ve got here is that you are assuming Xtelle wants what you think she wants. That’s not your place. Xtelle can make up her own mind. If she wants to be bound to the king, she’s going to stay bound.”
“But if she just—”
“Stop. Just stop right there.”
He shut his mouth. I walked closer, but didn’t cross the line of symbols carved into the floor. I probably should have been mad, but at this point, I was only mildly annoyed.
“She makes her own decisions. Period. You need to tell her how you feel.”
“I…can’t.” His expression was cool, but I felt the anguish in his words.
“Then we’ll just leave you here for awhile to think about what you’ve done.” I nodded to Jean. She strolled to the wooden stand with a large, flat-screen TV on it and wheeled it over to face the cell.
“What is this? Entertainment?”
Myra snagged the controller off the cart and flipped through channels until she found the one she wanted.
“No,” he said.
“Yes,” she said.
Amy pressed his back against the far wall. “You wouldn’t.”
“Think about your decisions. You have two options for getting out of here.” I said. “Break the binding between us, or talk to Xtelle.”
“But your soul…” he said.
“Just because you think you have me in a lock, don’t forget that I have you in a lock.” I gave him a toothy grin. “You’re mine, Avnas, until I throw you out of town.”
Myra turned up the TV. The sweet meowing and purring of tiny kitties got louder along with the little puppy yips and growls.
The cute animal channel was a delight.
“They’re…so…fuzzy,” he said weakly.
“Wait until they add the bunnies,” Jean said. “Ooooh. And baby otters.”
“Baby otters.” We all swooned at the same time.
“You wouldn’t.”
“We already have,” I said. “Make a decision, Amy, or it’s cute animals for days.”
He scowled at me, but when I opened the door for my sisters to leave and glanced back, he was staring at the screen, his expression a mix of horror and fascination.
It wasn’t torture, but all those cute fluffy creatures were bound to get annoying eventually.
I stepped out and shut the door. The building disappeared in ashoosh,leaving behind nothing but scrub brush and trees.
