“I’m a volunteer. I have duties inside the castle, but in my free time, and if it’s alright with all of you, I’ll help out in the aerie. I grew up in one of the fortresses along the border, and I have some skill.” There was no reason to brag.
Will’s gaze slid down my front, returning to my face. He frowned at Drask, who ignored him. “I thought you were one of the special ones.”
“In what way?”
“He means you still have your wits about you,” Prenton said. “You either don’t have much power to drain or you’ve found a way to keep them from taking it.”
“Yeah, the latter,” Will said.
I dragged my gaze away from Prenton’s. “I don’t know much about power.”
“You were dressed in a fancy gown yesterday,” Will said. “I thought that meant you were one of the Nullens serving a lord in his bedchamber.”
“I’m a rider first. A trainer,” I growled.
“Youusedto be.” Will’s fingertip tapped my neck, and the vines resumed their twisting and snarling. “This says you’re a collared Nullen no different than me and Prenton.”
“Either you want my help in the stables,” I said, “or you don’t.” I turned as if to leave, though I hated to do it. Dragons called to my blood, and there was nothing worse than being cooped up in the castle when I could fill a need here.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to serve on your back?” Will asked.
“Jeez, Will,” Prenton huffed. “Leave the poor girl alone.”
“Why don’t you tell me?” I asked, stomping right up into Will’s face. “Maybe your high lady would prefer you served inherbed.”
“Fuck that,” he said with a laugh, his posture loosening. I wasn’t sure why he’d had his back up, but at least it appeared tohave smoothed and settled. “She’s not anyone I’d dare screw with. She might bite off my head.”
“Is sleeping with a lord or lady common for collared Nullens?” Maybe that was why Reyla had snapped. The thought of someone taking her to their room and . . . “A friend arrived here at the same time as me.”
“Who?” Prenton asked.
“Her name’s Reyla.”
“Ah.” His face fell. “I’m sorry.”
So he’d seen her—what was left of her, that is.
“She’s not completely gone,” I said. She’d responded to me today. “I’m going to help her if I can.”
“I wish you all the best,” he said quite sincerely.
“Has anyone like her ever come out of it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Not as far as I know.”
Damn.
“She was collared by one lord, and he’s decent enough. But can another take her to his bedroom and do whatever he wants with her?”
“Not without the permission of the lord who put the collar around her throat,” Prenton said. “Those are the rules.”
This was reassuring, if I could find comfort in anything related to my friend’s horrifying situation. Zayde would never allow anything like that to happen to Reyla. But . . .
“How many lords actually follow the rules?” I asked, thinking of the king taking energy from Nullens, something forbidden by the treaty.
“No one would dare,” Will said. “There are spells that will be activated if they do. That makes them all behave.”
“What kind of spells?” I asked.
