I looked back at her. “Fury is better than fear. If that's all you can attain, hold on to it. But what comes after fury is not good for your soul. You'll try to justify what happened to you. You'll search for reasons where there are none. I want to save you from that pain. So, try to accept what I say now—there is no reason for evil. It simply is. All we can do is grow stronger from having survived it. So when that justifying comes, reject it. Do not accept that you had a part in this. If you do, you will never see yourself as whole again. And you will never trust anyone again. You must trust people. There are good people here. It will be scary, but once you feel that truth again, you will heal.” I held out my hand. “One touch at a time. You will learn that there is still good in the world, andthatyou are a part of it . You are good. This isn't you. It doesn't hold you anymore.”
Tears streaming down her cheeks, she set her hand in mine.
“I'm Eliel.” I shook her hand.
“I'm Tara.”
“It's nice to meet you, Tara.”
“They raped me,” she whispered.
I brought my wings forward to form a wall between us and the others waiting behind the wagon.
Seeing that, she sighed and bent her head. “All six of them. They took their time. Four would hold me down while one took his pleasure. Then they would switch. It went on for hours. I thought they were going to kill me.”
“But they didn't. You're alive. You won.”
She lifted her gaze to mine. “I fought them, but they only laughed. Even when I hurt them. It was nothing to them. They heal so quickly. Not like me.” She huddled in on herself. “They took me in terrible ways. Humiliating ways. All of them watching. Laughing. They laughed as I screamed!”
“They're monsters,” I said. “But that monstrosity is theirs alone. Do you understand?” I took her hand. “You will survive this. You will get stronger because of it. And they will suffer for what they did. I swear it.”
With a shuddering breath, she nodded. “I have survived. I am alive.”
“Yes, you're wounded, but you will heal, Tara.”
“I will heal,” she whispered.
I folded my wings back. “Would you like to come out of the wagon and meet the King?”
“The Dragon King?” she gasped. “He's here?”
“He's the man who helped me accept peace and my strength. He's also the man who just freed you. You can trust him. He's a good king.”
Tara leaned forward and cocked her head to look out of the wagon. And then she gasped and flinched back.
I turned to see King Raventar standing at the end of the wagon bed, his bulk taking up most of the wagon's width. The look on his face was kind, turning deeply affectionate when he fastened his gaze on me. But his stature alone was intimidating. At least he didn't have wings.
“It's all right.” I held up my hands. “Tara, that's King Raventar. He's just here to check on you. Will you be brave for a few minutes? Only a few. And then I will help you into a carriage, and you can rest under a blanket.”
Tara swallowed, her swollen lips parting on rapid breaths.
“He will protect you. That makes his strength good. There stands your shield. He has already chained your captors.”
“They're chained?” Tara looked back at me.
“Yes. They are now prisoners of the Dragon King.”
“I want to see them.”
“All right. I'll go with you.” I stood up and held a hand down to her. “Together?”
Tara nodded and took my hand. I helped her up, but as we approached the back of the wagon, I waved the King back. He retreated, holding out his arms to keep everyone else away aswell. I jumped down and then held my arms up to Tara. When she leapt into my arms, I felt another part of me heal. I was strong. I wasn't a victim anymore. I was a hero.
With an arm and a wing around Tara, I took her to Raven. “King Raventar, this is Tara. I'm going to look after her until we can get her home.”
The Dragon King hunched down to lessen his height and smiled at Tara. “Hello, Tara. I'm so sorry this happened to you. Would you allow me to see you home safe?”
“Home?” Tara looked from him to me.
