“You're safe now. You've been rescued. Come forth, and I will remove your chains.”
Only a whimper answered me.
The Deldin man I had first freed came up to me and whispered, “She was used by those animals. I think they broke her mind.”
My chest clenched, and my breath caught in my throat. Closing my eyes briefly, I reminded myself that I was the best man to help her. I had been her. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. “Thank you for telling me. I'll help her.”
Folding my wings back, I climbed onto the wagon bed. The woman whimpered again. I went slowly but made sure to make enough noise for her to hear my approach. The closer I got, the more damage I could see. It was subtle, but if you knew what to look for, it was glaringly obvious.
Bruises on her arms and calves. Blood beneath her nails. She had fought. Good for her. Blonde hair hung wild around her, pulled free from her braid. Her clothing was stained with dirt, blood, and other things.
I crouched before her. “I was a captive until very recently.”
Her trembling lessened.
I sat down, crossing my wings behind me on the rough wood. “He tried to lure me from my home in the Hanhepi Forest, and when I rejected him, he bound me with magic.”
Slowly, she peered over her forearm at me. Her eyes were blue, but not like the King's. This woman's eyes were the color of a summer sky. Great Gods, she was human. That meant the physical damage would take longer to heal. “Magic?” she whispered.
I nodded. “Enchanted silk. It enslaved me more thoroughly than any chain.” I motioned at her wrists. “May I remove those?”
She lifted her head and looked down at the manacles. “You can remove them? Yes, please.” She held out her wrists, just a few inches.
I held up the key for her to see first. Then I set it carefully in the lock of a manacle and turned it, all without touching her. She gasped when it slid free.
“One more?” I asked.
She nodded and held out her other hand.
I released the second manacle and took the set by the chain that bound them together. Casting it over the wagon wall, I settled back and folded my hands in my lap, hiding the keys.
“I wanted to fight him, but I couldn't,” I whispered.
“The man who took you?” She pressed back into the corner.
“Yes. He was a Hulfrin lord. A man of science and wealth.” I grimaced. “He hid his cruelty behind innovation and affection. Every day, he told me how beautiful I was, how intoxicating. It was my fault, you see? My appearance enthralled him, so he was forced to enslave me.”
“That's utter shit!” she hissed.
I smiled. “Yes, I know that now, but it twisted me for a while. He hurt my mind as well as my body. He raped me every day, numerous times a day, all while telling me how much he loved me. He would bite me during sex. Strain my wings.” I glanced back at my broken wing. “Crush my spirit. He tried to take everything I was so he could mold me into his obedient consort. Then, when I was utterly broken, he invited friends over to show off his creation. I had to obey him, even with my voice. Sweet words would come from my lips without my bidding. I became his puppet.”
“How did you get free?”
“A brave man and his friends saved me. Me and many others. They set us free. But I couldn't leave.”
“You stayed with that bastard?” She leaned forward, her pain shifting to anger.
“No.” I leaned forward to hold her stare. “I flew away, but then I realized that I would never be truly free until he was dead.”
“Did you kill him?” she whispered.
“I went back to kill him, but I wasn't strong enough. He beat me. Nearly killed me. Broke my wing.” I motioned to the silver brace. “But then he made the mistake of taking me with him to confront the man who had freed me. That man helped me kill my captor.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He gave me vengeance, but it didn't heal me. Even with Bara dead, his poison lives on inside me. I swung betweenhating my appearance and craving the validation it gave me. I saw my looks as a threat or a tool. Neither was true. Nor was the unworthiness I felt. His sin isn't mine, but it felt like it was. Still does sometimes. Bara thrust that sin into me with his flesh every day. It takes time to expel that kind of poison. It takes help. For me, it took another brave man. His patience, kindness, and honesty showed me that I was more than Bara's sin. I wasn't the filth that had been heaped upon me. One man gave me vengeance, another gave me back myself, but I had to become strong enough to accept them both.” I looked up at the sky so she could process what I said without the weight of my stare. “You will heal too. It will happen in steps. You'll feel fear, then fury. You'll want to kill and then hide. But you must keep trying, keep reaching for the better feelings.”
“What do you mean?”
