Sunny - Mona Lisa Blossoming

"I would have told you, after Dontaine. But you were upset. I thought that you had been through enough already tonight."

"Not upset enough to leave this boy here like this." Gryphon knew my body intimately, but I wondered if he knew me at all. "Release him. Where's the key?"

Gryphon shifted along the ring until he came to a smaller key, shorter than the rest. "If you will leave, I will free him."

"No fucking way."

He sighed, a faint sound of anger, of unhappiness. But he wasn't the only one angry and unhappy here.

"It will be easier for the boy with less people here," he said.

I had to agree with Gryphon about that. I turned around and scanned the faces present. Amber was too big, too intimidating. Of all the men there, slender Chami looked the least threatening. Funny how deceptive looks can be.

"Chami, you stay. Everyone else leave."

"Mona Lisa…" Amber said.

Even quiet Tomas was protesting. "I don't think that's—"

I held up my hand. "I'm staying. A woman will be less threatening to him. Everyone else out, now. That's an order."

Obedience to a Queen was deeply ingrained, it seemed. They shut their mouths and left.

I turned to Gryphon. "You, too."

Something indecipherable rippled across that cool mask of his for a fleeting moment. Silently, he pushed the key into my hand and left. And the ache in my chest grew heavier.

"No killing, Chami. just restrain him if you need to. But don't hurt him."

Chami nodded his understanding.

The door opened and Tersa slipped in. Her eyes glistened and her face was damp, as if she'd brushed away tears. Quiet, gentle Tersa no longer looked so gentle. Her eyes shone fiercely and she looked like she wanted to strangle someone—a heartless pure blood mother, perhaps. "Let me help."

"No," I told Tersa softly.

"I am the smallest. The least threatening."

Tersa was even smaller than the boy. And so much more delicate that the thought of letting her anywhere near him chased my heart into my throat to beat there like a trapped, frightened thing. "No."

Tersa looked at me, a girl who had hardly spoken aloud since she had been raped. A girl who had been careful to avoid close proximity to any man other than her brother.

"He's like us. He could have been me or Jamie," she said. "See, he's stopped growling. He's looking at me curiously."

I turned and saw that what she said was true. The boy was sniffing the air, his nostrils flared, his eyes intently focused on a person even smaller than himself. Intent and curious, as if she was an unknown entity. A girl.

"Please," Tersa said, "let me try."

It was the hardest thing to put that key in her hand. "If I say stop, you stop, and back up slowly from Wild Boy, here. Understand?"

Tersa nodded. But it was an absentminded gesture, as if her attention were already focused on the boy she approached with care. "I'm Tersa. Tersa," she repeated, putting a hand on her chest, indicating her person. "I'm going to free you from those nasty chains. I won't hurt you," she murmured, coming close to him.

He was staring at her intently, his eyes an unusual light gray, almost silvery in color—keen pale eyes peeking through a tangle of hair. His nostrils flared wide like a wild animal scenting for danger.

Tersa was close enough now so that all it would take would be one lunge forward and he could rip into her with his teeth. I wanted badly to snatch her back to safety. But any sudden movement now might trigger the very violence I wanted to avoid. It was hard, so hard just to stand there and let her put herself in danger like that.

She talked to him like he understood her, her voice a constant soothing murmur telling him she wanted to help him, that all of us wanted to help, as she inserted the key. It didn't matter what she said, what the actual words were. The tone, the gentle way she said it was the real message. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you .

Slowly, carefully, gently, Tersa freed him from the first manacle, opening it and sliding it off. The loud sound of heavy metal clunking as it fell back against the wall was jarring in the tenseness. The boy shot Chami and me a quick piercing glance, assuring himself that we were still far enough away from him, that we hadn't moved, then returned his attention back to Tersa. He watched her as she crossed in front of him over to the other side and opened his other manacle. It clanked with a heavy thud against the wall, and he was free. His body was tense, quivering, ready to spring away. But he didn't move, even though his body clearly wanted to. He just stood there looking at Tersa, less than a foot between them, his head tilted just the slightest bit, as if the soft lilting words were as fascinating to him as the smallness of her person.

"I'm going to give you my hand," Tersa said in her soft, soothing murmur, like water flowing gently in a stream. Slowly, she lifted one hand, held it out to him. "Take my hand and we'll leave this room. We'll leave this horrible place. Walk right out of here together."

Moving as slowly as she had, the boy crouched down and brought his face closer to that small outstretched hand, sniffing it, inhaling Tersa's scent. She stood completely still as he edged closer. Her gentle flow of words dried up and stopped as he brought his face close to her arms, sniffed, and moved to her chest, her stomach, down the skirt of the dress she wore.

Tersa took a deep breath in, let it out. Held still under his keen inspection of her. Finally, he was done, moving back a little.

"See, harmless," Tersa said softly. She reached her hand once more out to him. "Give me your hand." She tapped her open palm twice as she said the word hand and pointed to his hand. She had his full attention, at least, if not his comprehension. I held my breath as Tersa slowly reached out that short distance and touched his hand. He quivered but otherwise didn't move as Tersa gently took his hand in hers.

"See, it doesn't hurt," she murmured and smiled for the very first time. It transformed her face into something beautiful and the boy gazed at her, mesmerized.

She took a little step toward the door and tugged on his hand. "Come on. Let's get out of here." He took a little step as well, allowing her to pull him forward.

"I'm going to open the door," I said quietly. "Chami, go on out. I'll follow you."

Chami didn't argue with me, good man. The door closed behind us then opened a moment later. Tersa came out leading the cautious, tense Wild Boy by the hand. His eyes darted around, taking everything in. His nostrils flared.

The delicious aroma of cooking meat filled the hallway, like an invisible beckoning hand. I sent a silent thanks to wonderful, smart, kind-hearted Rosemary as we followed the scent out to the kitchen. Rosemary had cleared out the rest of the people so that the kitchen was empty but for her.

"It's a bit on the raw side, but I don't think he'll mind," Rosemary said, setting down a plate of steak on the round kitchen table. A glass of water and cutlery sat neatly on the side, a butter knife instead of the usual sharp steak knife, thank you, God.

Tersa led Wild Boy to the table, taking an empty seat. His eyes flickering from the meat to us, he sank hesitantly into the chair next to her. Chami, Rosemary, and I stayed back, giving them plenty of space.

"Go ahead," Tersa said, gesturing to the food. "Eat."

He lowered his head, sniffed it curiously, and sat back up. He didn't touch it, though he was obviously starved.

"Tersa," I said. "Cut a small piece for yourself. Chew and swallow it. Show him that it's safe to eat."

Wild Boy watched intently as Tersa used the knife and fork to cut off a tiny portion. "See," she said, after swallowing it. "Delicious."

He didn't bother with the fork and knife. He just picked up the meat with both hands and took a huge tearing bite out of it, wary eyes fixed on us as he chewed hungrily. He gulped it down, barely taking time to chew, like a wild animal afraid that its food could be taken away from him at any moment.