The chains bit into my skin, the water a reminding punishment as I lay strewn across the floor. None of her lackeys have touched me, but the glares I receive tell me enough about their true intention. Myrina stays away from me always focused on the next thing in his disastrous plan. Something inside me tells me I won't be here much longer, but I don't know if it's the lack of water or something real.

"Such a pity, letting yourself get dick whipped by that sadistic king." Hallie coughs towards me, her beautiful hair braided down the back of her head. She crosses her arms staring me down intently. The demeanor she presents now much different than before. Such a shame too, we could've been friends. Now I get to watch Raphael rip her heart out.

"We haven't slept together. If you had the forethought to ask before assumption, you would've known that in your weak assault." My voice is raspy. An obvious result of the lack of nutrients from the day or two I've been here. My body hasn't fully adjusted to this new heat and without the pills that the King was forcing me to take I've noticed my body slowly wearing down.

"You defend him without going to bed with him? Are you truly his j'kani if he can deny such pleasures?"

I laugh. My hair falls over my face blocking my view of her. She squats to meet my eyes, but I train myself to the ground, "While you might not be able to comprehend it, the King cared for me in his own way. He never lied, never hid himself and his truth. You however," I spit towards the ground right in front of her with the small amount of saliva I can muster, "Dirt under my shoe, begging me to help you when you burned me alive. A pleasure if I say so myself."

Hallie rolls her eyes looking away towards a cement wall. He stature is less strong that it was when she first walked up to me. It seems as though she is putting some things together that she hadn't before, "Why did you kill Athena?"

"She threatened me. I was tired of being threatened. But I must admit, I hadn't known of my abilities tied with Raphael. I wouldn't have killed her so violently. If it makes a difference to you, I puked in a pot right after." I see the braided beauty try to bite back a laugh. She uses a hand to cover her mouth before continuing.

"And where are these abilities now?"

"You tell me. I haven't been taught to control them, Hallie. It was a fight or flight situation, and it just happened."

She believes me. A small smile leaves her, "It's good to hear you didn't kill her in cold blood. I must admit, even I have accidentally decapitated a person or two. You are forgiven."

"I didn't know I was begging for forgiveness?" Rattle. Chink. Rattle.

"I think I was trying to figure you out. How someone so broken could have harmed another. My bet was anger, pure rage that destroys you, or accident. Accident still stems from the rage, but it is much more uncoordinated. Accidents are forgivable. While you weren't searching for it, I felt the need to give it."

My thoughts are slamming together with confusion, her actions are by far the most wild of the group. None have bothered to talk to me, let alone give me a forgiveness that I had not asked for, "And what should I dod with such forgiveness?"

"I've been on King detail. He is hunting you down." She peaks around, no one in sight, "He's heartbroken, ripped to shreds I tell you. His unspoken love for you is evident, and living within his home has opened my mind."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Myrina has fed us many things that I've believed blindly. She took me in from a brothel, fed me, clothed me. Everything. I thought I owed my life to her, but it has taken this for me to realize that maybe I don't owe my life to anyone."

"You still burned me alive."

"I thought I had to prove something." She scoots over, "Can you trust me for just a moment?" She holds out a can of some type of cream, a pure white with purple flecks.

"Depends on what that is." I raise my brows at her, she smirks.

"It's a healing cream, for burns. I picked it up from the medical stash today. You shouldn't sit in pain. Myrina won't be here until she is ready to use you." She holds it out once more, "If it means anything, as you say, you can apply some to me first."

"I would prefer that." I lift my weighted hand grabbing the container from her. She outstretches a leg as I pop off the top. Flipping it upside down, I run the peak of the gel across her leg making sure not to get it on my own fingers. Hallie rubs it in to her leg letting it moisturize her skin. Nothing happens.

I take a little upon my fingers and gently rub it into a smaller burn on my upper leg, the searing pain is quickly dulled, my skin returning to its normal pale shade. Holy shit, "Thank you, Hallie."

"I hope after all of this we can still be friends. I've realized my mistake with you, and in general. You have a good heart, so does the King. It's come to my attention that he wishes to treat all the planets equally under the Blood Order, while the laws might be stricter, it will control the masses better."

"Hallie?"

"I was wrong, Sultana. I left a clue as to our location on his desk, he should be here by the end of the day, early tomorrow." Her voice is steady, sure of her choice.

Tears well up, the relief of my imminent freedom being too much to bear, "I can't thank you enough. You have earn my forgiveness."

"I expected it to be more difficult?"

I laugh with her, our smiles colliding in pure joy, "I've had a lot of bad people in my life, Hallie. And you aren't one of them."

She leans back against her arms while crossing her feet in front of her, "May I ask you something personal?"

"While we are being forgiving, I don't know why not."

"Do you love him?"

"He makes me feel safe, cared for. And while he is more stern that I would have pictured, I know that he would put me first. While I wouldn't say love, I could say the potential is high, and my want to be with him is more than my need for air."

"I would say that's love."

"And here, is where we might disagree." I click my tongue, she smiles. I hand her the container where she rubs in the last burns the chains won't allow me to get too. Our laughs continue, a subtle reminder of what happiness feels like.