𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙**

    Saphira was already awake when my eyes opened that morning, her gaze fixed on the ceiling's expanse as dawn crept in. I turned to her, my hand reaching out tenderly to caress her cheek.

"What's troubling you, sweetheart?" I inquired softly.

        She whispered back, a trace of apprehension in her voice, "I have to talk to him today, don't I?" A sigh escaped me as I nodded gravely.

"Yes," I acknowledged. "Saphie, I don't want to make you do anything you're not comfortable with. But we need to find him."

"But he can't find me in Velaris, you told me so," she countered, her small face creased with worry.

"He can't," I reaffirmed.  "But Saphie... I spent five hundred years hiding away in Velaris from the male who did that to me. And even though I knew he couldn't get in, I was constantly looking over my shoulder. And leaving Velaris was a constant risk. A year ago, I left, and he found me." 

"What happened?" she asked, her blue eyes wide

"He held me captive for a month," I revealed. "I waited to be saved. But when I wasn't, I worked up the courage to kill him."

"I don't think I'd ever have the courage for that," she said quietly. I brushed her cheek with a featherlight touch.

"Neither could I, once," I confided."But I never have to worry about him hurting me again. All you have to do is show Rhys what he looks like and where you was keeping you. That's all."

"Can we get ice cream after?" she asked, her words a mumble. I laughed, nodding my head.

"Of course," I assured her.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     I wanted to make this as comfortable for her as possible. I let her stay in her pajamas, and I did the same. We bundled up in blankets on the couch, me holding her close.

    Rhys arrived and sat in the chair across from the couch. She glanced over at Rhys and huddled closer to me, hiding her face in my shoulder.

"He's only here so he can make sure that whoever hurt you won't find you here," I reminded her quietly.

"Promise?" she asked me. I took her hand, linking our pinkies together.

"I promise," I replied. "I won't ever lie to you, or let anyone hurt you."

"His name is Masion," she admitted, her eyes glazing over. "My mother sold me to him a year ago."

I nearly felt my heart splinter as I exchanged a glance with my brother. Even my own mother's cruelty hadn't gone that far.

She burst into tears. I wrapped her up in my arms and held her as she cried into my shoulder. No wonder she'd been so scared.

"Can you show Rhys what he looks like?" I asked quietly, trying not to push her. She sniffled, pulling back, and nodded. "Okay, he's going to go into your head. It will feel a bit weird, but just picture him in your head. Then, show him where he lived."

She nodded, and obeyed. I saw her eyes widen from what must've been the feeling of him in her mind, but he seemed to be done quickly.

He nodded at me, and winnowed away. Relief filled me. Now he could take care of this male, and I wouldn't have to worry about him tracking her down.

"Can we get ice cream, now?" she asked me. I smiled, nodding before I kissed her forehead.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧