Page 66 of Centaur Bolt

“It would be nice to have backup if things go south,” I conceded, relieved when Vali’s expression relaxed. “I’ll have a talk with Cara in the morning.” I wasn’t lying. By then, I likely would need to talk to her.

“Why would we go south?” Kiko asked.

“If things go wrong,” I clarified as we descended to the ground floor and headed for the beach.

We sat on the sand as the sun slowly sank.

“I’m beat,” I finally said. “Think I’ll crash.”

Kiko frowned. “Crash where?”

“Go to sleep.”

“Oh.” She rolled her eyes.

Vali rose with us. “Might spend some time in the library. My body is still fighting hormones, and I’m not sleeping much, anyway.”

I was dying to know more about her situation, but figured if she didn’t volunteer the info, she didn’t want to talk about it. Which, of course, meant nothing to Kiko.

“Cara mentioned you were injected with something?”

Vali stiffened as we climbed the stairs. “I was taken captive and forced into my cycle, in order to turn me into a womb.”

That silenced even Kiko. Before I could stop myself, I blurted, “A womb?”

Her mouth straightened.

“I’m sorry, Vali,” I was quick to backpedal. “This must be painful to talk about. I don’t need to know.”

We climbed a few more stairs before she said, “No. It’s okay. A womb is a slave that is purposely used to produce offspring, who will also be slaves.”

“It’s common among Dragons in the underworld,” Kiko provided. “Most of the Dragonas are slaves.”

I didn’t know what to say. Slavery was a terrible part of Earth’s past, and still practiced, although not as openly. The thought of Vali used that way—my stomach twisted tight.

“I wasn’t born a slave,” Vali stated. “I was about to become one, though. But I got away.”

We’d reached the second level and paused. “I’m glad you are here, now,” I said, and meant it.

She considered the students we passed and the hall we traveled. “I needed a way to hide from those I escaped, and the Watcher thought I would be safe here. But I am hardly prime Shade material.”

“Well, neither am I,” I confessed. But her earlier bookworm comment gave me an idea. “Do you think you could look up any references to a Prince Barim and his rescue by a Jumper?”

Vali’s eyes gleamed at me. “I could.”

“That would be great. I tried the other day, but didn’t have any luck.” Mostly because a certain Satyr had run off with the librarian, but maybe Vali could track something down.

“I will see what I can find.” She offered a brief smile that transformed her face from beautiful to stunning before she moved off to the library.

Kiko watched her go. “There is so much more to her story,” she said.

“More than being enslaved to become a baby factory?” I asked.

My sarcasm was lost on the Satyr. “Yes,” she replied as she and I entered the stairwell to the upper levels. I stopped her just inside.

“Aren’t we going to the room?” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“Well, you can if you like. I am going Jumping.”

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