say. “My name is Juno.”
The mage took her aside, and she was led to the transport point and, from there, she was sent to a healing centre.
Each stage in the journey, she was coddled and protected. Soft-voiced humans were handling her carefully.
The comfortable room was slowly crowded with folk who were going to help her get the collar off. She could see the forest through the window, and her heart ached.
“Okay, Juno. My name is Frieda, and this is my husband, Norm. We are going to get your collar off, and we want you to focus on your human form. We will then be able to help you with the amputations.”
“Just tell me what I need to do.”
Frieda smiled. “Relax and let us do our work while we heal you. It won’t be comfortable, but it will be worth the effort.”
“I will hold still. I cannot guarantee I will relax.”
“Fair enough.”
Juno sat still and breathed shallow breaths as they opened the lock and unbuckled the collar. If she had been able to, she would have chewed her body off to get out of the collar, but that option had been denied her.
She heard the hiss of Norm’s breath as he pulled the blades out from under the surface of her neck.
She wanted to be a fox, she wanted it so badly, but she pulled her human skin around her and let the fur fade.
The mages surrounded her, each taking a limb. This explained the others that she hadn’t been introduced to.
They covered her mutilated fingers and toes while another mage wrapped his hands around her neck.
Juno sat while her body was assaulted by the magic. She felt heat in her extremities, and then, the pain kicked in.
She was tense, covered in sweat and ready to bolt an hour later when the mages finally finished their work.
Juno lifted her right hand up and turned it, staring at her nails. She whispered, “Can you get me some bolt cutters?”
Frieda blinked and wiped sweat from her forehead. “Why?”
“I can’t go to fox with this belt on. The bastard had it enchanted so he would never lose access to my body. The clothing was just tucked under it.”
Norm got to his feet. “I will see what I can find.”
She nodded, and Frieda and the others helped her to her feet. Walking took some getting used to with toes again.
When Norm came back, he wasn’t alone. Juno jumped when the forest-coloured elf came in with him.
Frieda soothed her. “He is on our side.”
“I know. We have met. I just wasn’t expecting to see him here.”
Xelik inclined his head. “I was not expecting to be here, but I was asked to do a deposition on how I found you. When Norm came to the office looking for the cutters, I offered my assistance in case the belt didn’t cooperate. Falkir may be an ass, but he is excellent at binding enchantments.”
Norm put the cutter on the belt, and he squeezed. The bolt cutter shattered.
Juno tried not to see her freedom breaking in that moment. The memory of the same style of cutter taking away her claws was something she could deal with. It was her past, and her beast didn’t set much store by the past. The belt was a dark future, and breaking it was a chance to become herself again.
Xelik knelt in front of her, and he asked, “May I touch it?”
“Sure.”
She stiffened at his touch but held still as he ran his fingers along the metalwork. He inhaled sharply, and the belt came loose.
The room erupted into chaos as Juno shifted into her fox and bolted for the window. A ball of light struck the glass a moment before she did, and the barrier fell away.
Grass under her paws, her tail streaking behind her, she ran for the woods and the safety of the trees.
* * * *
Derix clicked the belt closed. “Well, that turned out well.”
Frieda stared out the window. “But, she needs therapy and to be interviewed as to what happened. They can’t finalize the charges if they don’t know the details.”
Derix stated flatly, “Falkir already told me the details. If she needs time on her own, she is right to
The mage took her aside, and she was led to the transport point and, from there, she was sent to a healing centre.
Each stage in the journey, she was coddled and protected. Soft-voiced humans were handling her carefully.
The comfortable room was slowly crowded with folk who were going to help her get the collar off. She could see the forest through the window, and her heart ached.
“Okay, Juno. My name is Frieda, and this is my husband, Norm. We are going to get your collar off, and we want you to focus on your human form. We will then be able to help you with the amputations.”
“Just tell me what I need to do.”
Frieda smiled. “Relax and let us do our work while we heal you. It won’t be comfortable, but it will be worth the effort.”
“I will hold still. I cannot guarantee I will relax.”
“Fair enough.”
Juno sat still and breathed shallow breaths as they opened the lock and unbuckled the collar. If she had been able to, she would have chewed her body off to get out of the collar, but that option had been denied her.
She heard the hiss of Norm’s breath as he pulled the blades out from under the surface of her neck.
She wanted to be a fox, she wanted it so badly, but she pulled her human skin around her and let the fur fade.
The mages surrounded her, each taking a limb. This explained the others that she hadn’t been introduced to.
They covered her mutilated fingers and toes while another mage wrapped his hands around her neck.
Juno sat while her body was assaulted by the magic. She felt heat in her extremities, and then, the pain kicked in.
She was tense, covered in sweat and ready to bolt an hour later when the mages finally finished their work.
Juno lifted her right hand up and turned it, staring at her nails. She whispered, “Can you get me some bolt cutters?”
Frieda blinked and wiped sweat from her forehead. “Why?”
“I can’t go to fox with this belt on. The bastard had it enchanted so he would never lose access to my body. The clothing was just tucked under it.”
Norm got to his feet. “I will see what I can find.”
She nodded, and Frieda and the others helped her to her feet. Walking took some getting used to with toes again.
When Norm came back, he wasn’t alone. Juno jumped when the forest-coloured elf came in with him.
Frieda soothed her. “He is on our side.”
“I know. We have met. I just wasn’t expecting to see him here.”
Xelik inclined his head. “I was not expecting to be here, but I was asked to do a deposition on how I found you. When Norm came to the office looking for the cutters, I offered my assistance in case the belt didn’t cooperate. Falkir may be an ass, but he is excellent at binding enchantments.”
Norm put the cutter on the belt, and he squeezed. The bolt cutter shattered.
Juno tried not to see her freedom breaking in that moment. The memory of the same style of cutter taking away her claws was something she could deal with. It was her past, and her beast didn’t set much store by the past. The belt was a dark future, and breaking it was a chance to become herself again.
Xelik knelt in front of her, and he asked, “May I touch it?”
“Sure.”
She stiffened at his touch but held still as he ran his fingers along the metalwork. He inhaled sharply, and the belt came loose.
The room erupted into chaos as Juno shifted into her fox and bolted for the window. A ball of light struck the glass a moment before she did, and the barrier fell away.
Grass under her paws, her tail streaking behind her, she ran for the woods and the safety of the trees.
* * * *
Derix clicked the belt closed. “Well, that turned out well.”
Frieda stared out the window. “But, she needs therapy and to be interviewed as to what happened. They can’t finalize the charges if they don’t know the details.”
Derix stated flatly, “Falkir already told me the details. If she needs time on her own, she is right to
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