Pain. It was all consuming in her mind. Spasms wracked her body more than they did not and time did not exist.

Tallulah? Please tell me you're okay. It was the voice, Atlas's, again, but she couldn't think to respond

Tallulah remembered being pulled from the dungeon and how her body had screamed, or maybe it was her scream. She remembered hushed voices saying,

"Is she going to live? King Atlas will murder them when he sees what they've done," Tallulah did not know who was talking, and her mind was in too much disarray to figure it out.

"...and perhaps it would be for the better. Take her to my sister... Seamstress...Middle of the city, Kelwin won't find her there," The conversation came to an end as warm hands handled her broken body, and she saw black as pain washed over her once more.

Tallulah awoke in a warm room sometime later. She was lying on a bed, wrapped in layers of cloth.

"Mararet! She's awake!" The voice wasn't loud, but her head swam at the noise. Groaning, Tallulah pulled herself into a sitting position against the pillows behind her. Bandages were wrapped around her torso tightly, and she had to heave out fast breaths as pain wracked her body.

"Don't...let her move..." A woman came bustling into the room, holding a tray of what appeared to be medicinal herbs. Tallulah could identify some pine needles and could smell the garlic.

"Too late," Tallulah turned towards the other voice. It was Rika. She almost cried with joy at seeing the orange female.

"Goodness, I'd just managed to get your wounds closed, and you're one wrong move away from opening them again," she tsked. Tallulah looked at the older woman before her. Mararet, the same woman who'd given her a wedding gown three years ago. She realized why the woman had looked so familiar before she shared a resemblance with Lunea. Were they sisters? They had to be.

"Aurora will be back soon with her mother," Rika announced, looking between them.

"That woman is stretched too thin right now, I am perfectly capable of healing wounds," Mararet said.

"I want to see her," Tallulah offered meekly. Her voice was strained, and her throat dry.

"Well, I suppose it'll be fine. Benna is making dinner right now if you're hungry," Tallulah's stomach growled in response, and the woman before her smiled, "Of course you are."

"How long have I been here?" Tallulah asked.

"Only a day, Lunea pulled you from that hellhole two days ago, though," Rika said. "Kelwin had come back to our room in a storm of anger, and Lunea nearly killed him for what he did to you. It was a sight to see, but he couldn't deny his mate, no matter how much he seemed to despise her," pity welled up in Tallulah for Lunea.

Mararet sat at the foot of the bed, arranging the herbs onto a fresh piece of cloth, which appeared to have been boiled before being brought to her. Sadness emanated from her as she worked, and Tallulah wanted to comfort the woman.

"Tulah? My child?" Tallulah glanced at the doorway. Her mother stood there, and shock was clear on her face as she gazed at Tallulah.

"Mother!" Tears welled in her eyes as the two women locked gazes.

"My sweet child! I worried every day since you left, and here you are," Amaria enveloped her in a hug. Tallulah winced as her injuries protested against the action.

"I'm safe, mother. I'm safe," but not well.

"Have you seen your brother? We received a few letters from him, but no more," she asked. Tallulah's eyes glazed over as tears welled up in them.

"He's alive, but I don't know for how much longer," she admitted to her mother. The sadness that echoed in the eyes they shared softened what anger Tallulah may have had for her after years of isolation and self preservation.

"Amaria, since you're here, could help me make a poultice. We will have to wrap her wounds again before the end of the night to keep them from festering," Mararet's words were calm but laced with authority.

"Of course, do you have boiled water?" The two ladies worked together on the poultice. The pine overpowered the scent of garlic, and the smell brought Tallulah back to her first time, leaving Idris. She never did return the supplies to Ander. It was a funny thought now.

Benna came in a short time later, soup and bread on a tray. "My mother loved to cook when I was younger, and she passed the love onto me. It's a simple stew of goat meat, potatoes, and leeks, but it should be filling," Tallulah ate. It was indeed filling, and Tallulah could hardly finish the bread, but she knew she needed the food, even if her body protested.

"Now that you have some food in you, we are going to change the bandages." Gods. Tallulah was not ready for the pain to come. She shifted slowly, her breathing erratic as pain sliced through her body. Words of encouragement came from every woman in the room. Soon, she was in a sitting position and heaving from the effort.

Her mother gently unwrapped the first layers of cloth, which had a line of blood from where the most damage was inflicted. The second layer was like ripping off her own skin, and Tallulah couldn't help but whimper from the pain.

"Shh, dear, it's okay, let it out," Mararet said calmly. Underneath all of the layers was shredded skin and scale. Good gods. She would never be able to shift without embarrassment now. Those would never come back if her chest and back had anything to say about it. Everything was stitched together neatly, but blood still seeped out from beneath. She could hear the gasps of shock and horror from the other women at the sight.

"Please leave us,we will need to wash her skin and rebandage, and that won't be an easy sight," her mother says.

"No, they can stay, they know what I've been through. I plan to make them my ladies in waiting once all is over," Tallulah gave them each a hopeful smile, which they returned. She was prompted to stand, slightly hunched over as the stitches in place wouldn't allow her to extend fully. Her legs quivered under her, and Rika rushed to assist.

Warm water had been brought earlier with Tallulah's food. They took some clean cloth and dipped it in the water before dabbing gently at her wounds. She could only cry as the pain assaulted every inch of her torso. This was almost worse than her chest wound. At least this wouldn't fester. The early care would ensure that. Tallulah couldn't look as they cleaned the blood from her. The pain was too much, and she could only close her eyes and endure it while they worked. Once washed of the old salve and the air bit into her open skin, there was mild relief. Towards the end of the washing, it was only Rika's arms that kept Tallulah upright, as her legs would give out if she stood on her own.

"Let's do this quickly, the pine will help keep the skin together once the bandages are wrapped around it," her mother was quick to act, smearing the paste onto the broken skin and Tallulah had to suck in a breath every time she was touched. The paste was already applied to the cloth, and as they wrapped that around her torso, Tallulah didn't move a muscle.

"All done. This should be fine for another two days since the wounds are stitched closed," two days...Kelwin would march out before then. If they were right, the march would begin today. Tallulah slowly sat back on the bed, her legs and torso grateful for the support of the pillows as she lie back against them.

"I can't wait two days. We need to get to Atlas sooner rather than later and muster all the extra people we can on the way there," she said. Gods she wanted to explain everything to him. From her decision to leave Idris the first time to her decision to keep her identity secret. He deserved that explanation from her.

"You will wait. It is going to take at least a month before you are fully healed, Tallulah," Mararet said.

"We don't have a month, a week at most, maybe, but not a month," she bit back.

"Perhaps they are right," Benna said. Tallulah shot the female a withering look.

"I refuse to stay here when my Mate could die fighting," she ground out.

"Your time as his protector is long over, my Queen, now it is his turn to protect you," Aurora urged. Her eyes pleaded with Tallulah to listen.

"Please, I must go to him," she whispered. They couldn't understand

"You can't, not until you're healed," her mother insisted. Tallulah's heart ached.

They're right, my mate, I will not have you harmed coming after me. The words startled Tallulah as they were not her own.

How? She thought back, knowing it would be pointless to speak aloud.

The bond is open, I've been able to feel you since you were tortured. I could feel your fear and your pain, and there was nothing I could do. His words were laced with guilt.

It was not your pain to bear. Tallulah told him. Perhaps those words were harsh, but she needed him to understand that none of this was his fault.

"Tallulah, are you okay?" Rika was looking expectantly at her.

"Yes, Atlas was speaking to me," she said. Aurora stared, dumbstruck.

"He is that close to the city? Which means they left Aria almost two weeks ago. Our last letter was not but a few days before Kelwin took you," she said.

I wanted to corner the bastard before he could corner us. Atlas said to her. We'd had the preparations when I sent Aurora and the others to you, but we needed to train our troops longer, and make sure everything was as foolproof as possible.

Oh. She relayed the information to the women before her. "Gods, it makes sense now, he was quick to get us on the road, but I didn't question it," Benna said.

"As if you question anything that anyone asks of you," Rika replied.

"Hey, now," Tallulah warned. She wanted no animosity between her newfound friends.

"It's true," Benna only shrugged. Tallulah rolled her eyes.

"Rest now, my daughter, for that is all you can do right now," Amaria told her, and Tallulah did just that.