Everyone was being so kind and understanding. Eveline found it nerve-wracking. She fully expected them to interrogate her. No one had even mentioned taking her to the king. Tae came every day in between his two professions. He often brought her small gifts: flowers, sweets, or colorful rocks he had discovered in the mines. Michelle made sure she had plenty to eat, and Kelan usually carried her out to the balcony before leaving for the mines. Daer came by each afternoon to see how well she was healing. It was too much. They were killing her with kindness, and she was paying them back with silence. She had to gather the courage to tell her story. They wouldn't wait forever. Someday, the kindness would surely end.

Tonight, Tae was coming for dinner. He and Kelan had finished piecing together the large laser, so they had agreed to a night off for everyone working in the mines. Tomorrow they would test it. This would be a good time to tell them all at once. If possible, she would like Daer to stay and hear it all too. He was removing the splint, and she would be able to walk on her own. They could kick her out if she didn't finally cooperate. Why she felt they would do such a thing, she wasn't sure. No one acted as if she was a nuisance or had overstayed her welcome. The anxiety came from her own guilty feelings. She had given her promise that she would explain everything to them and she hadn't followed through. It was wrong to hold back any longer.

Michelle and Keshel joined her on the balcony. The child had brought his blocks to play outside, and Michelle had brought hot tea made from a plant that grew beside the waterfalls. She handed a cup to Eveline and sat down with a sigh. "Dragging an inquisitive child with me through trading day at the market is exhausting. But, it's over until next month, and everything is chopped and stored away. I felt a few minutes to relax would be best before I tackled trying to teach Keshel some of his letters. He's mastered colors and shapes. I think I'll leave numbers to his dad."

"Isn't he too young for all of that? When do formal lessons begin here?" Eveline asked.

"They go to school at four, but Keshel is easily bored. He seems to enjoy learning. I expect he will be reading quite well by the time he turns three. I was the same way. He wants so badly to be grown up. I can't give him his wish of transforming into a dragon, but I can let him feel older by giving him some schooling. How are you feeling? Are you excited to be getting rid of the splint? Soon you'll be swimming under the falls with Tae," Michelle stated.

"I'm excited but scared too. I have a lot to face now that I'll be considered healed. I have to face the king, get a job, and find a place to live. You need your home back. I appreciate your kindness: however, I realize I've overstayed my welcome."

"Don't be ridiculous! I've liked having the company. There's no rush," Michelle argued.

"I have to move forward. I can't be the helpless victim forever. While everyone's here for dinner, I want to tell my story. Will you help me if I falter?" Eveline implored.

"Absolutely. We're friends and friends are always there when we need them the most. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Not completely," Eveline confessed. "But, it can't wait any longer. It's just so embarrassing. I should have fought harder, or maybe less. I don't know which would have lessened the abuse."

"Is that what's in your head? Oh dear, you're not to blame for any of it! Nothing you said or did caused the Savra to harm you. The evilness is inside them. Though I do understand the guilty feelings quite well. Once upon a time, I was ashamed to let anyone in on my secret torment. Thank goodness Kelan figured it all out and saved me."

"Who did you need saving from?" Eveline wanted to know.

"It's a long story. I'll give you the abbreviated version. I was involved with a man on Earth. He seemed wonderful at first, but later he became controlling and obsessive. He began to hurt me. I blamed myself. Just like you, I thought if I worked harder, it wouldn't happen anymore. Then, I started working for Kelan and saw what a good man was really like. He gave seminars on abusive relationships. I saw myself in his speeches, and I fell in love with him. I didn't tell him about Jackson's abuse. However, he saw the bruises through the makeup I used to hide them. I did try to leave Jackson, but he tied me up and tortured me. I got loose, and he tried to kill me. Apparently, Kelan had been worried and came to my house. He saved me. In his anger, he transformed. Jackson told the world what he had seen. Luckily, he was deemed crazy and put away."

Eveline was shocked. Michelle appeared so strong and well adjusted. "I'm so sorry. But, in your case it is different. This Jackson person loved you and hit you anyway. That's not your fault. I was just a slave. If I had obeyed faster or worked harder, they might have treated me better."

"No, Eveline. The situations are a lot alike. Jackson didn't love me. I was a possession, just like you, as a slave. No matter how hard either of us tried to make them happy, they would always find a reason to abuse us. It made them feel macho and in control. They were evil. We're not to blame. Believe that, and you can easily tell your story. Kelan gets upset when I talk about the past, but it helps me. I send the bad vibes out in the open, and they can't hurt me inside anymore," Michelle explained.

"Tae will not see me the same after I explain. None of you will. What will I do then?"

"Tae saw you broken and bleeding. He risked everything to help you. Nothing you could say would change how he perceives you. Believe me when I say that I looked just as bad. We aren't going to judge you. Besides, I think Tae is beginning to have more than friendly feelings for you, and it sounds like he is worming his way into your heart as well. Am I right?" Michelle asked.

Eveline turned red from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. "I miss him when he's gone. A simple touch from him causes tingles throughout my body. His smile brings me happiness. These are feelings I don't understand. Is it love?"

"It may be, or it could be gratitude mixed in with your first crush. You didn't get to be a love-struck teenager and go on dates. Let the feelings build and see where they lead you. Your heart knows the way: listen to it."

The front door buzzed, announcing Daer's arrival. Michelle ushered him to the balcony where he said, "Are you ready for the grand reveal? This is as good a spot as any to remove the splint. If you need it, the railing will be an excellent aid for walking. Your leg may be weak."

"I'm ready to fling the splint off the balcony. It's the last restraint against my freedom. Without it, I can go wherever I want anytime I want. That will be strange, but fun," Eveline answered.

Daer cut through the thick, tight bandages holding the two pieces of the splint together. He drew away the wood and gazed down at the thin, snow white leg. "It has lost some muscle tone from disuse. Otherwise it appears to be healed. Let me help you to your feet, and we will take a few steps to the railing."

Eveline allowed him to help her up, but she kept her foot from touching the ground. "I'm sorry. I'm just afraid of putting my weight on it. I can almost imagine it snapping in half. It's silly, I know."

"It is not silly," Tae said from the doorway. "It is natural under the circumstances. May I be of aid, Daer? Let me take her from you."

Daer saw a possessiveness in Tae's facial expression that he understood quite well. It was the same one he hid when looking at Shara. He surrendered Eveline immediately.

"I have you, and I will not let you fall. Ease just a small amount of weight on it until you feel more comfortable," Tae advised.

Slowly, they made their way toward the railing. By the time they reached it, Eveline was smiling. "It doesn't hurt. It trembles some, but that's all. Let go, Tae. I want to try it on my own, holding the railing of course."

Tae surprised everyone, including himself, by kissing her cheek before letting go. "I will be close in case you start to fall," he declared.

Eveline stared into his concerned face, tilted her head sideways, and gave him an odd expression. "Somehow, I already knew that." She took one step, then another. As her courage built, she moved faster, and Tae stayed a little farther back.

"My job here is over," Daer declared. "I will leave you all to celebrate."

"No, wait!" Eveline demanded. "Please, stay and celebrate with us. I have a lot to say, and you should hear it. You treated my injuries and saw the scars, so you deserve to know how they got there. Please?"

Daer studied the faces of the others in turn. They acknowledged his silent question with a nod. "Alright, I will stay. I did not want to eat alone or cook anyway. I treasure the fact that you trust me to be a part of this."

"Well, that's my cue to cook. Kelan, don't just stand there gawking. Take Keshel in for a bath," Michelle ordered.

"I will help in the kitchen," Daer stated. "It will be like old times. Remember when I taught you to cook Talonian food so you would nourish yourself and your unborn son?"

"I do, and you are always welcome in my kitchen. You are a wonderful cook."

Everyone disappeared from the balcony, leaving Eveline alone with Tae. With a shaking hand, he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The tender gesture sent a wave of longing through Eveline. For half of her life, she had been deprived of love, and it was her dearest desire to receive it from Tae. But, until he heard all the disgusting details of the last ten years, she couldn't ask it of him. When he leaned in to place a kiss on her lips, she turned her head, and it landed on the corner of her mouth.

Tae frowned and said, "Forgive me. I am being too forward. Obviously, you do not feel what I feel."

"Don't apologize. The problem is with me. I do have feelings for you, however, I can't lead you on or let you believe there can be something more between us. Tonight, I will relate the story of my imprisonment, and it may cause you to feel differently. I don't want you to be obligated to me in any way. After you hear, then you can honestly choose whether you care for me or not."

"My feelings will not change," Tae defiantly replied.

"I sincerely hope not," Eveline said to herself.

Dinner was a quiet affair, with everyone dreading the truth of Eveline's imprisonment. She barely ate, and her nerves were reflected in the others' attitudes. The table was cleared, Keshel put to bed, and everyone gathered in the living area.

"Would you mind if we recorded your statement? I did it for Michelle, and it went a long way in reducing her time with the king. In your case it might suffice to satisfy him so you never need to face him," Kelan asked.

"Yes, please. If there's a chance I can skip speaking to your king, I gladly take it."

Kelan moved to the monitor and pushed several buttons. Eveline was displayed on the screen, but she wouldn't look at it. Michelle took her hand, as encouragement.

"Let me get it all out before you ask questions. If I am stopped, I don't think I'll be able to start again," Eveline admitted. "When I was ten, my family went on a vacation. I don't remember where we were going, but part of the trip was in a desert. My mother saw a rock formation she just had to take pictures of, so we stopped. My brother and I wandered around, and I saw a bunch of large lizards following a trail between boulders. I touched one, and it jumped. I guess I found it funny because I went after it and continued making it jump. The trail went on forever, winding through sand dunes and rocks as tall as skyscrapers. I became lost. Suddenly, the lizards turned as one and hissed at me. I ran, but a scaly hand grabbed me. I saw the creature's face and screamed. I guess no one heard. He dragged me to a ship that was practically invisible in the sand. The large lizards came too, and smaller ones were left behind."

Daer handed her a glass of water without saying a word.

Eveline sipped it and continued, "I screamed and cried for hours until I lost my voice and ultimately passed out. Every day I begged to go home. It often earned me a slap in the face. Once we reached Savra, I became a slave. A very old woman showed me how to clean and even cook. She made sure I had food and cared for the cuts I sustained when the men knocked me across the room, which occurred on a daily basis. She died when I was thirteen. The men noticed that I no longer resembled a child and soon they were grabbing me as I walked by. One pulled me onto his lap, groping and kissing me. I kicked, hit, and eventually bit his tongue. That's when they put on the collar and chains."

Tae clasped her free hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.

With a torrent of tears running down her face, Eveline went on, "One night a Savra male came to my prison. He held me down, stripped off my clothes, and was about to take me when a female came out of the darkness. I assume she was his wife. She killed him. The men got the message, and none ever tried it again. However, the real torture started as a consequence of that night. I was chained in the full sun until blisters covered my body. The blisters were peeled to examine the fluid inside. Despite the bloody scabs, I had to scrub the floors, and I was chained with their pets, who licked at the wounds. I fought with the animals for scraps of food. Once they kept water from me for days. I think they wondered if I could last as long as I did without it. When I was too weak to move, they poured it down my throat. It came right back up. The collar grew too small, but they wouldn't replace it. They dragged me around with the chain, letting the collar cut into my neck every day. My prison room was my sanctuary. I could cry freely, rest, and mark the days on the wall."

She was silent for so long after that statement that Tae ventured to ask, "How did your leg get broken?"

"The women hid from you by my prison cell. When the soldier came for me, the women kicked me as he dragged me out. They broke it."

The recitation had exhausted and deflated everyone. Tae pulled Eveline onto his lap and held her tight, letting her cry herself to sleep. The others left them alone. They had heard more than enough.