Chapter 157

ACHILLES. I stare at Sahari’s naked form in the cage, blinking hard as though this would change everything. I still don’t know what to do or say. I just stand there speechless as Aristea steps back and almost collapses against her chair in relief. I don’t blame her for feeling only positive things, because she doesn’t know Sahari. I watch as Sahari comes to, her eyes flickering around as though looking for something. When she finds me, she flinches and staggers back. “I….” She trails off, tears starting to stream down her face. “What am I doing here? Why am I here? Why….” She breaks into tears, hugging herself and clawing at her own skin. I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her. I kneel beside the cage and try to look at her, but she just scrambles to put the cover around herself. I take one of the blankets covering the chairs and slide it between the bars. She makes a grab for it and wraps herself, her breathing getting more and more stable until she’s calm. Or at least