Anna woke up before dawn with her wrists throbbing from the tight rope and a pounding headache. The morning held a bluish hue, and the grass below her was wet with condensation. She sat up and saw Rye asleep with his bare back to her. She traced the pattern of scars along his back with her eyes. She had her own self-inflicted scars, but they were nowhere near as beautiful.

She tried to process through the events of the last twenty-four hours and it only made her feel sick. If she closed her eyes she saw Fin, or she'd remember feeling every injury in a battle. She failed in her escape attempts, but after everything she had been through she was proud of herself. She gave everything she had. She was still alive, and that was something.

She decided she would never tell Rye of her powers. She didn't trust him, and he would only try and use her. If he thought of it he could even torture her without even laying a hand on her. Was he a soulless monster? No, she didn't think so anymore.

The interesting aspect of her empathy was it had always been impossible for her to think of people as entirely good or entirely bad. Alstowick and Sashiel had black auras, but maybe if they had been with their mothers instead of with a group of thugs they would be different people. Maybe they could even do good. Normal people can only judge others based on actions, but she could feel the emotion behind it. She could feel the jealousy, the desperation, the guilt. She could now only judge Rye by his actions, she considered it freeing in a way.

Rye began to stir awake and then he turned to face her. He did have striking eyes. "You're awake," he mused softly. There was a tenderness in his expression when he looked at her. He sat up and stretched his arms and just watched her. She could feel her heart in her throat as they continued to stare at one another. It was too intimate, and it made her uncomfortable.

"Can you untie me?" She motioned her arms to him.

He shook his head. "Until I am sure you will not run or do anything reckless, you will remain bound."

"It hurts," she pleaded.

He gave a heavy sigh."It is temporary. You almost killed yourself yesterday." She cursed him inwardly and looked away.

"How old are you?" he murmured.

"Nineteen," she answered, still facing away from him.

"So old," he replied with surprise. "You were not joined?"

She turned back to him haughtily, "Nineteen is very young where I am from." She purposely ignored his inquiry.

"Were you joined? Coupled?" he asked more intently.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I don't really know what those terms mean. If it means what I assume it does, then it is really none of your business." Anna had dated here and there, but she never had a boyfriend. Every time she got close to a guy she would feel their lust and just become repulsed. It was a problem. Rye didn't need to know about it.

He reached for her neck and she bristled at his touch."My chain represents my claim on you. I give it to the woman I am pursuing and it shows she is under my protection. After our bodies come together, a ceremony will be performed and we will be joined. Being joined is a permanent state. Coupled is when a man and woman are interested in each other but the man is not yet able to lay claim."

"What would keep a man from claiming?" she asked curiously.

"Typically a woman is under the protection of her father. If her father is passed she could be under the protection of a brother or uncle. The woman will wear a different chain with the sigil of her protector. Her protector can deny a pursuer's claim. The man needs to show he will be a good provider and mate for the one he wants. You had no chain. No representation of protection. Any man would have been free to claim you or challenge me for you." She was glad to have some sort of explanation of his culture even if she heavily disagreed with it.

"Where I am from a woman can choose for herself. Well, it is a mutual decision between partners. We don't have joining, we have marriage. Typically a couple will date. They get to know each other, fall in love. Then after a long enough time, they make the decision together to marry and become a family. It is sort of permanent, but if it doesn't work out they can get divorced and separate."

Anna took a deep breath and continued, "So you see, Rye, I don't like being treated like a possession. I'm not a treasure, I'm a person. A human being. I like having choice, freedom. This chain on my neck means nothing to me." A flare of anger sparked in Rye's eyes and then he quickly masked it.

"You would not survive here without a strong protector. I will be a good mate for you," he said with conviction.

"I don't want to survive here. I want to go home, back to my life where I can be my own provider. My own protector. Go be a strong mate for someone willing," she huffed.

"The fates have designed for us to be together. You will realize this soon enough. There will be no more talk of returning home." The discussion was over. Rye, the misogynistic ass, deemed it so.

When dawn arrived, Anna and Rye joined the rest of their group. Rye's men were gathered around the fire drinking what smelled like coffee and cooking some sort of meat. The smell of food made her nauseous, but she gladly accepted water. Hopefully hydrating would ease her headache. What she wouldn't give for some ibuprofen. She sat and observed while they chatted happily amongst themselves.

She recognized all the men by their auras and she tried to place their names. Thadeon or Thad was older than the others. He was pragmatic and kind. Ostiel or Oz was Rye's brother. He was serious and from what she could sense very jealous of Ryevin. She assumed it was hate she felt from him yesterday, but she may have been wrong. He felt an odd mixture. Hate, respect, jealousy, and maybe even love. It was complex. Kalowin or Kalo was prideful and loyal. He had some sort of back wound that felt painful but he seemingly ignored it. Ashuek or Ash was care-free and jovial. He felt like a drug.

All the people here seemed to go by two names, a longer and a shorter. This group of men seemed to know each other well. They were extremely curious about her, but were polite.

"Anna, I'm sorry if I'm rude for asking, but we have all been wondering...What magic do you have? We are all dying to know," Ashuek implored.

Anna was determined to keep her secret. She thought for a moment and then smiled. "I can shoot men down with lightning bolts from my eyeballs," she replied sarcastically. She felt a surge of fear from the group. Hmm. That was interesting.

"She is lying," Rye reassured them. He gave her a penetrating look.

"Obviously. Did you all really think that was a possible thing I could do? I don't have any magic. There is no such thing as magic where I am from," she said with exasperation.

"She is lying again. Your eyes, Anna. Your eyes give you away."

"I have blue eyes. That is not an unusual color," she said defensively.

"Your eyes are more than blue. Mine are more than green. You have a mage's eyes," Rye argued.

"I have no idea what a mage is!" Her voice was heavy with frustration. She crossed her arms and retorted, "Fine...I can break men's minds with just a touch." She raised her eyes in exaggeration. This caused another surge of fear, followed by...hesitance.

Rye smirked. "She doesn't have harmful magic," Rye concluded. The men calmed and felt relief. Apparently there have been some dangerous mages and these men trusted Rye's every word.

The meat finished cooking and Kalowin offered her some. She shook her head and kindly declined. Whatever she eats will most likely come back up. Ryevin scowled at her.

"Ashuek called me the last lady mage. What did he mean?" Anna asked the group. This caused the men to give each other wary looks.

Rye answered before anyone else could, "We will be more forthcoming when you are." Anna shrugged her shoulders and sat silently.

Rye shoved meat in front of her face. "Take a bite," he ordered.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry," she replied politely.

"You didn't eat anything yesterday. You need sustenance," he reasoned.

"Maybe my magical power is feeding off of souls,"she rounded. Rye scoffed in mock annoyance. She sighed and gave him an anguished look, "I feel nauseous. Anything I eat will just come back, and I will lose all the water I've drunk."

"Are you sick?" he asked with concern.

"No, Warlord Ryevin. I watched men die yesterday." Her voice cracked, "I'm not...used to violence. I...my body needs time to get over it." Just thinking of it made her stomach churn.

"We will try bread later," he decided. She nodded her head in agreement, thankful for the drop in subject.

After breakfast, the men readied the horses and tore down the camp leaving Rye and Anna alone.

"Are you sore from the ride yesterday? You seemed uncomfortable on the horse."

"I've never ridden one before yesterday. Yes, I'm very sore." Rye looked surprised by her admission.

"Never? Why not?" He raised his eyes curiously.

"Horse riding is more of a recreation or sport than a mode of transportation where I am from."

"Mode of transportation?"

"Way of getting around,"she clarified.

'How did you get around?"

"Oh. I'm not sure you're ready for me to explain it. I'm not even sure how to describe it to you in a way you would understand. Let's just say the modes of transportation we have in my world are fast, convenient, and man-made." Rye looked at her like she was an alien. Anna thought for a moment. "Do you have carriages?"

"Yes..."Rye stared inquisitively.

"Well, imagine a carriage that can move with no horses. Instead, you push a pedal that will make it go and steer with a wheel. We call them cars, and they can travel in an hour what a horse can travel in a day."

"You said there was no magic in your world," Rye accused. Anna looked at him with amusement.

"It isn't magic. It's science and technology. One hundred fifty years ago my world was a lot more like this one. Technology tends to change exponentially. One new creation leads to dozens more." Anna shrugged.

"Can you make this car or washing machine?" Anna was surprised by how much he had absorbed from what she had told him. His question also made her realize just how ignorant she was of how her world worked.

"I would have no idea how to make these things. Your world just isn't ready for it." Anna thought his head would explode if she told him of airplanes, cell phones, and television.